FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.31.17

देह्यन्यदेहविवरे जठराग्निनासृग्- विण्मूत्रकूपपतितो भृशतप्तदेह: । इच्छन्नितो विवसितुं गणयन्स्वमासान् निर्वास्यते कृपणधीर्भगवन्कदा नु ॥ १७ ॥
dehy anya-deha-vivare jaṭharāgnināsṛg-
[dehy anya-deha-vivare jatharaagninaasrig-]
viṇ-mūtra-kūpa-patito bhṛśa-tapta-dehaḥ
[vin-mootra-koopa-patito bhrisha-tapta-dehah]
icchann ito vivasituṁ gaṇayan sva-māsān
[ichchann ito vivasitum ganayan sva-maasaan]
nirvāsyate kṛpaṇa-dhīr bhagavan kadā nu
[nirvaasyate kripana-dheer bhagavan kadaa nu]
dehī — the embodied soul anya-deha — of another body vivare — in the abdomen jaṭhara — of the stomach agninā — by the fire asṛk — of blood viṭ — stool mūtra — and urine kūpa — in a pool patitaḥ — fallen bhṛśa — strongly tapta — scorched dehaḥ — his body icchan — desiring itaḥ — from that place vivasitum — to get out gaṇayan — counting svamāsān — his months nirvāsyate — will be released kṛpaṇa-dhīḥ — person of miserly intelligence bhagavan — O Lord kadā — when nu — indeed.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dehy anya-deha-vivare jaṭharāgnināsṛg-
dehī
the embodied soul
anya-deha
of another body
vivare
in the abdomen
jaṭhara
of the stomach
agninā
by the fire
asṛk
of blood
viṇ-mūtra-kūpa-patito bhṛśa-tapta-dehaḥ
viṭ
stool
mūtra
and urine
kūpa
in a pool
patitaḥ
fallen
bhṛśa
strongly
tapta
scorched
dehaḥ
his body
icchann ito vivasituṁ gaṇayan sva-māsān
icchan
desiring
itaḥ
from that place
vivasitum
to get out
gaṇayan
counting
svamāsān
his months
nirvāsyate kṛpaṇa-dhīr bhagavan kadā nu
nirvāsyate
will be released
kṛpaṇa-dhīḥ
person of miserly intelligence
bhagavan
O Lord
kadā
when
nu
indeed.
Fallen into a pool of blood, stool and urine within the abdomen of his mother, his own body scorched by the mother’s gastric fire, the embodied soul, anxious to get out, counts his months and prays, “O my Lord, when shall I, a wretched soul, be released from this confinement?”

The precarious condition of the living entity within the womb of his mother is described here. On one side of where the child is floating is the heat of gastric fire, and on the other side are urine, stool, blood and discharges. After seven months the child, who has regained his consciousness, feels the horrible condition of his existence and prays to the Lord. Counting the months until his release, he becomes greatly anxious to get out of the confinement. The so-called civilized man does not take account of this horrible condition of life, and sometimes, for the purpose of sense gratification, he tries to kill the child by methods of contraception or abortion. Unserious about the horrible condition in the womb, such persons continue in materialism, grossly misusing the chance of the human form of life.

The word kṛpaṇa-dhīḥ is significant in this verse. Dhī means “intelligence,” and kṛpaṇa means “miserly.” Conditional life is for persons who are of miserly intelligence or who do not properly utilize their intelligence. In the human form of life the intelligence is developed, and one has to utilize that developed intelligence to get out of the cycle of birth and death. One who does not do so is a miser, just like a person who has immense wealth but does not utilize it, keeping it simply to see. A person who does not actually utilize his human intelligence to get out of the clutches of māyā, the cycle of birth and death, is accepted as miserly. The exact opposite of miserly is udāra, “very magnanimous.” A brāhmaṇa is called udāra because he utilizes his human intelligence for spiritual realization. He uses that intelligence to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of the public, and therefore he is magnanimous.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The foolish jīva, situated in the body, within the body of his mother, his body suffering greatly, trapped in the hole filled with stool, urine, blood and the digestive fire, desiring to get out, counts the months. “O Lord! When will I get out of this place?” O Lord! My happiness and distress, and attaining your lotus feet are all dependent on you. What can I ask for, since I am so childish and young? In this way he speaks to the Lord. I, situated in this body (dehi), am situated within another body, that of my mother, desiring to be free (vivasitum) from this (itaḥ), counting my months. “This is the eighth month, this is the ninth month, this is the tenth month.” I have no intelligence (kṛpaṇa-dhīḥ), since my happiness and distress have been given by my fate (caused by myself). When will I get out of this place? Because the difficulties cannot be tolerated within the womb, I will worship you outside.
Time is the Lord's instrument, quietly grinding every arrangement we trust. The verse asks us to befriend this fact now, before it forces itself on us at the wrong moment.
Reflection Questions
  • What conversation have you been postponing as if time were unlimited?
  • Where could a small daily remembrance of death make today more honest?
📝 My note

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