FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.5.39

देवा ऊचु: नमाम ते देव पदारविन्दं प्रपन्नतापोपशमातपत्रम् । यन्मूलकेता यतयोऽञ्जसोरु- संसारदु:खं बहिरुत्क्षिपन्ति ॥ ३९ ॥
devā ūcuḥ
[devaa oochuh]
namāma te deva padāravindaṁ
[namaama te deva padaaravindam]
prapanna-tāpopaśamātapatram
[prapanna-taapopashamaatapatram]
yan-mūla-ketā yatayo ’ñjasoru-
[yan-moola-ketaa yatayo ’njasoru-]
saṁsāra-duḥkhaṁ bahir utkṣipanti
[samsaara-duhkham bahir utkshipanti]
Word-for-word
devāḥ ūcuḥ — the demigods said namāma — we offer our respectful obeisances te — Your deva — O Lord pada-aravindam — lotus feet prapanna — surrendered tāpa — distress upaśama — suppresses ātapatram — umbrella yat-mūla-ketāḥ — shelter of the lotus feet yatayaḥ — great sages añjasā — totally uru — great saṁsāra-duḥkham — miseries of material existence bahiḥ — out utkṣipanti — forcibly throw.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
devā ūcuḥ
devāḥ ūcuḥ
the demigods said
namāma te deva padāravindaṁ
namāma
we offer our respectful obeisances
te
Your
deva
O Lord
pada-aravindam
lotus feet
prapanna-tāpopaśamātapatram
prapanna
surrendered
tāpa
distress
upaśama
suppresses
ātapatram
umbrella
yan-mūla-ketā yatayo ’ñjasoru-
yat-mūla-ketāḥ
shelter of the lotus feet
yatayaḥ
great sages
saṁsāra-duḥkhaṁ bahir utkṣipanti
añjasā
totally
uru
great
saṁsāra-duḥkham
miseries of material existence
bahiḥ
out
utkṣipanti
forcibly throw.
The demigods said: O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence. All the sages under that shelter throw off all material miseries. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet.
Purport

There are many sages and saints who engage in trying to conquer rebirth and all other material miseries. But of all of them, those who take shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord can completely throw off all such miseries without difficulty. Others, who are engaged in transcendental activities in different ways, cannot do so. For them it is very difficult. They may artificially think of becoming liberated without accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, but that is not possible. One is sure to fall again to material existence from such false liberation, even though one may have undergone severe penances and austerities. This is the opinion of the demigods, who are not only well versed in Vedic knowledge but are also seers of the past, present and future. The opinions of the demigods are valuable because the demigods are authorized to hold positions in the affairs of universal management. They are appointed by the Lord as His confidential servants.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The devatās said: O Supreme Lord! We offer respects to your lotus feet which are the umbrella which relieves the suffering of those surrendered to you. The devotees who take shelter of the soles of your feet quickly uproot the suffering of material life. Ātapartam means umbrella. Those who take shelter (ketā) of the soles of your lotus feet, the devotees and not others, quickly throw far away at the root (uru) the suffering of material life. When one casts off to a great distance a leech attached to one’s body with force, it does not come back. They throw it quickly, at the root, and at a great distance. Those who do not take shelter of the Lord’s feet throw off material life with delay and not at the root, and again get attacked by material life. It should be understood that even if there were no devotees present at that the beginning of creation, by knowledge of the conclusion of all scriptures, these knowers of truth, knowers of past present and future, proclaimed this.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The lotus feet of the Lord appear here as the one shelter that does not eventually shake. The verse asks us to compare it honestly with the shelters we have built ourselves. The verse keeps returning to lotus feet of the Lord.
Reflection Questions
  • Which security in your life have you confused with the Lord's protection?
  • What small act of dependence on the Lord could you practice this week instead of self-reliance?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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