FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.23.6

कर्दम उवाच तुष्टोऽहमद्य तव मानवि मानदाया: शुश्रूषया परमया परया च भक्त्या । यो देहिनामयमतीव सुहृत्स देहो नावेक्षित: समुचित: क्षपितुं मदर्थे ॥ ६ ॥
kardama uvāca
[kardama uvaacha]
tuṣṭo ’ham adya tava mānavi mānadāyāḥ
[tushto ’ham adya tava maanavi maanadaayaah]
śuśrūṣayā paramayā parayā ca bhaktyā
[shushrooshayaa paramayaa parayaa cha bhaktyaa]
yo dehinām ayam atīva suhṛt sa deho
[yo dehinaam ayam ateeva suhrit sa deho]
nāvekṣitaḥ samucitaḥ kṣapituṁ mad-arthe
[naavekshitah samuchitah kshapitum mad-arthe]
Word-for-word
kardamaḥ uvāca — the great sage Kardama said tuṣṭaḥ — pleased aham — I am adya — today tava — with you mānavi — O daughter of Manu māna-dāyāḥ — who are respectful śuśrūṣayā — by the service paramayā — most excellent parayā — highest ca — and bhaktyā — by the devotion yaḥ — that which dehinām — to the embodied ayam — this atīva — extremely suhṛt — dear saḥ — that dehaḥ — body na — not avekṣitaḥ — taken care of samucitaḥ — properly kṣapitum — to expend mat-arthe — on my account.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kardama uvāca
kardamaḥ uvāca
the great sage Kardama said
tuṣṭo ’ham adya tava mānavi mānadāyāḥ
tuṣṭaḥ
pleased
aham
I am
śuśrūṣayā paramayā parayā ca bhaktyā
yo dehinām ayam atīva suhṛt sa deho
adya
today
nāvekṣitaḥ samucitaḥ kṣapituṁ mad-arthe
tava
with you
mānavi
O daughter of Manu
māna-dāyāḥ
who are respectful
śuśrūṣayā
by the service
paramayā
most excellent
parayā
highest
ca
and
bhaktyā
by the devotion
yaḥ
that which
dehinām
to the embodied
ayam
this
atīva
extremely
suhṛt
dear
saḥ
that
dehaḥ
body
na
not
avekṣitaḥ
taken care of
samucitaḥ
properly
kṣapitum
to expend
mat-arthe
on my account.
Kardama Muni said: O respectful daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu, today I am very much pleased with you for your great devotion and most excellent loving service. Since the body is so dear to embodied beings, I am astonished that you have neglected your own body to use it on my behalf.
Purport

It is indicated here that one’s body is very dear, yet Devahūti was so faithful to her husband that not only did she serve him with great devotion, service and respect, but she did not even care for her own health. That is called selfless service. It appears that Devahūti had no sense pleasure, even with her husband, otherwise she would not have deteriorated in health. Acting to facilitate Kardama Muni’s engagement in spiritual elevation, she continually assisted him, not caring for bodily comfort. It is the duty of a faithful and chaste wife to help her husband in every respect, especially when the husband is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this case, the husband also amply rewarded the wife. This is not to be expected by a woman who is the wife of an ordinary person.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Kardama said: Daughter of Manu! I am pleased today with you, who give respect to me, for your excellent service and utmost devotion. You have neglected your body, which is dear to those possessing bodies, preferring to make it thin in order to serve me. You do not care for your body (na avekṣitaḥ). You do not care whether it remains or is destroyed. It is suitable (samucitaḥ) for you, to make your body thin in service to me, since you are highly devoted to your husband’s vows.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Mind and senses, left ungoverned, will quietly run a life into the ground. The verse implies that small daily regulation is more powerful than occasional dramatic resolve.
Reflection Questions
  • What is your mind feeding on most often, and how is that diet shaping your devotion?
  • What small regulation of routine would free up the most attention for inner life?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 23