FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.21.16

प्रजापतेस्ते वचसाधीश तन्त्या लोक: किलायं कामहतोऽनुबद्ध: । अहं च लोकानुगतो वहामि बलिं च शुक्लानिमिषाय तुभ्यम् ॥ १६ ॥
prajāpates te vacasādhīśa tantyā
[prajaapates te vachasaadheesha tantyaa]
lokaḥ kilāyaṁ kāma-hato ’nubaddhaḥ
[lokah kilaayam kaama-hato ’nubaddhah]
ahaṁ ca lokānugato vahāmi
[aham cha lokaanugato vahaami]
baliṁ ca śuklānimiṣāya tubhyam
[balim cha shuklaanimishaaya tubhyam]
Word-for-word
prajāpateḥ — who are the master of all living entities te — of You vacasā — under the direction adhīśa — O my Lord tantyā — by a rope lokaḥ — conditioned souls kila — indeed ayam — these kāma-hataḥ — conquered by lusty desires anubaddhaḥ — are bound aham — I ca — and loka-anugataḥ — following the conditioned souls vahāmi — offer balim — oblations ca — and śukla — O embodiment of religion animiṣāya — existing as eternal time tubhyam — to You.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
prajāpates te vacasādhīśa tantyā
prajāpateḥ
who are the master of all living entities
te
of You
vacasā
under the direction
adhīśa
O my Lord
tantyā
by a rope
lokaḥ kilāyaṁ kāma-hato ’nubaddhaḥ
lokaḥ
conditioned souls
kila
indeed
ayam
these
kāma-hataḥ
conquered by lusty desires
ahaṁ ca lokānugato vahāmi
anubaddhaḥ
are bound
aham
I
baliṁ ca śuklānimiṣāya tubhyam
ca
and
loka-anugataḥ
following the conditioned souls
vahāmi
offer
balim
oblations
ca
and
śukla
O embodiment of religion
animiṣāya
existing as eternal time
tubhyam
to You.
O my Lord, You are the master and leader of all living entities. Under Your direction, all conditioned souls, as if bound by rope, are constantly engaged in satisfying their desires. Following them, O embodiment of religion, I also bear oblations for You, who are eternal time.
Purport

In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad it is stated that the Supreme Lord is the leader of all living entities. He is their sustainer and the awarder of all their necessities and desires. No living entity is independent; all are dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Vedic instruction is that one should enjoy life under the direction of the supreme leader, the Personality of Godhead. Vedic literatures like Īśopaniṣad direct that since everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should not encroach upon another’s property, but should enjoy one’s individual allotment. The best program for every living entity is to take direction from the Supreme Lord and enjoy material or spiritual life.

A question may be raised: Since Kardama Muni was advanced in spiritual life, why then did he not ask the Lord for liberation? Why did he want to enjoy material life in spite of his personally seeing and experiencing the Supreme Lord? The answer is that not everyone is competent to be liberated from material bondage. It is therefore everyone’s duty to enjoy according to his present position, but under the direction of the Lord or the Vedas. The Vedas are considered to be the direct words of the Lord. The Lord gives us the opportunity to enjoy material life as we want, and at the same time He gives directions for the modes and processes of abiding by the Vedas so that gradually one may be elevated to liberation from material bondage. The conditioned souls who have come to the material world to fulfill their desires to lord it over material nature are bound by the laws of nature. The best course is to abide by the Vedic rules; that will help one to be gradually elevated to liberation.

Kardama Muni addresses the Lord as śuka, which means “the leader of religion.” One who is pious should follow the rules of religion, for such rules are prescribed by the Lord Himself. No one can manufacture or concoct a religion; “religion” refers to the injunctions or laws of the Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that religion means to surrender unto Him. Therefore one should follow the Vedic regulations and surrender unto the Supreme Lord because that is the ultimate goal of perfection in human life. One should live a life of piety, follow the religious rules and regulations, marry and live peacefully for elevation to the higher status of spiritual realization.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Lord! Those controlled by material desires are bound by the ropes of instructions of Brahmā, your servant, to create progeny. O Viṣṇu! Following such people, I make an offering to you, the form of time. “If that is so, use your intelligence. Why do not worship without desires?” Persons such as Marīci are bound by the ropes of instructions of Brahmā (prajāpateḥ), your servant (te), to create progeny. And Brahmā speaks only according to your instructions. saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ | anena prasaviṣyadhvam eṣa vo ’stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk || Brahmā, having created the population along with sacrifice, long ago spoke: May you prosper by this sacrifice. May it fulfill all your material desires! BG 3.10 Brahmā has no fault. He only echoes your words. “Let the materialistic people be bound up! Why don’t you overcome those desires like the Kumāras?” My intelligence follows the common people. I cannot be like Nārada and others. Like bull, I am bound by a rope and carry an offering to you. I follow your orders concerning material life. This means “I desire a wife.” The word ca indicates “I also will perform bhakti in order to attain you.” O Viṣṇu (śukla)! I make an offering to please you, the form of time.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The verse points at the threefold miseries not to depress the reader but to interrupt the fantasy that the next arrangement will finally be different. Its centre of gravity is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you been blaming people for what is actually a structural feature of material life?
  • How would you live this week if you stopped expecting the material world to finally cooperate?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 21