FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.30.24

योजनानां सहस्राणि नवतिं नव चाध्वन: । त्रिभिर्मुहूर्तैर्द्वाभ्यां वा नीत: प्राप्नोति यातना: ॥ २४ ॥
yojanānāṁ sahasrāṇi
[yojanaanaam sahasraani]
navatiṁ nava cādhvanaḥ
[navatim nava chaadhvanah]
tribhir muhūrtair dvābhyāṁ vā
[tribhir muhoortair dvaabhyaam vaa]
nītaḥ prāpnoti yātanāḥ
[neetah praapnoti yaatanaah]
yojanānām — of yojanas sahasrāṇi — thousands navatim — ninety nava — nine ca — and adhvanaḥ — from a distance tribhiḥ — three muhūrtaiḥ — within moments dvābhyām — two vā — or nītaḥ — brought prāpnoti — he receives yātanāḥ — punishments.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yojanānāṁ sahasrāṇi
yojanānām
of yojanas
sahasrāṇi
thousands
navatiṁ nava cādhvanaḥ
navatim
ninety
nava
nine
ca
and
adhvanaḥ
from a distance
tribhir muhūrtair dvābhyāṁ vā
tribhiḥ
three
muhūrtaiḥ
within moments
dvābhyām
two
vā
or
nītaḥ prāpnoti yātanāḥ
nītaḥ
brought
prāpnoti
he receives
yātanāḥ
punishments.
Thus he has to pass ninety-nine thousand yojanas within two or three moments, and then he is at once engaged in the torturous punishment which he is destined to suffer.

One yojana is calculated to be eight miles, and he has to pass along a road which is therefore as much as 792,000 miles. Such a long distance is passed over within a few moments only. The subtle body is covered by the constables so that the living entity can pass such a long distance quickly and at the same time tolerate the suffering. This covering, although material, is of such fine elements that material scientists cannot discover what the coverings are made of. To pass 792,000 miles within a few moments seems wonderful to the modern space travelers. They have so far traveled at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour, but here we see that a criminal passes 792,000 miles within a few seconds only, although the process is not spiritual but material.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Brought along the path measuring ninety-nine thousand yojanas in two or three moments, he then receives punishment. The path is ninety-nine thousand yojanas. Because of greater sin, it takes only two moments [Note: Muhūrta can mean a moment or a period of 48 minutes. Vijaya-dhvaja-tīrtha explains that the time of travel can be longer, such as ten days, a fortnight or a month.] to traverse the path.
The scale of the creation in this verse is not given to overwhelm us but to right-size us. Most of our anxiety shrinks when our self-importance shrinks.
Reflection Questions
  • What would change in your prayer if you remembered how small your sphere actually is?
  • What would humility actually look like for you in your work this week?
📝 My note

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