SB 4.17.35 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.17.35

अपामुपस्थे मयि नाव्यवस्थिता: प्रजा भवानद्य रिरक्षिषु: किल । स वीरमूर्ति: समभूद्धराधरो यो मां पयस्युग्रशरो जिघांससि ॥ ३५ ॥

apām upasthe mayi nāvy avasthitāḥ

[apaam upasthe mayi naavy avasthitaah]

prajā bhavān adya rirakṣiṣuḥ kila

[prajaa bhavaan adya rirakshishuh kila]

sa vīra-mūrtiḥ samabhūd dharā-dharo

[sa veera-moortih samabhood dharaa-dharo]

yo māṁ payasy ugra-śaro jighāṁsasi

[yo maam payasy ugra-sharo jighaamsasi]

Word-for-word

apām — of the water upasthe — situated on the surface mayi — in me nāvi — in a boat avasthitāḥ — standing prajāḥ — living entities bhavān — Yourself adya — now rirakṣiṣuḥ — desiring to protect kila — indeed saḥ — He vīra-mūrtiḥ — in the form of a great hero samabhūt — became dharā-dharaḥ — the protector of the planet earth yaḥ — one who mām — me payasi — for the sake of milk ugra-śaraḥ — with sharpened arrows jighāṁsasi — You desire to kill.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

apām upasthe mayi nāvy avasthitāḥ

apām

of the water

upasthe

situated on the surface

mayi

in me

nāvi

in a boat

avasthitāḥ

standing

prajā bhavān adya rirakṣiṣuḥ kila

prajāḥ

living entities

bhavān

Yourself

adya

now

rirakṣiṣuḥ

desiring to protect

kila

indeed

sa vīra-mūrtiḥ samabhūd dharā-dharo

saḥ

vīra-mūrtiḥ

in the form of a great hero

samabhūt

became

dharā-dharaḥ

the protector of the planet earth

yo māṁ payasy ugra-śaro jighāṁsasi

yaḥ

one who

mām

payasi

for the sake of milk

ugra-śaraḥ

with sharpened arrows

jighāṁsasi

You desire to kill.

My dear Lord, in this way You once protected me by rescuing me from the water, and consequently Your name has been famous as Dharādhara — He who holds the planet earth. Yet at the present moment, in the form of a great hero, You are about to kill me with sharpened arrows. I am, however, just like a boat on the water, keeping everything afloat.

Purport

The Lord is known as Dharādhara, meaning “He who keeps the planet earth on His tusks as the boar incarnation.” Thus the planet earth in the shape of a cow is accounting the contradictory acts of the Lord. Although He once saved the earth, He now wants to upset the earth, which is like a boat on water. No one can understand the activities of the Lord. Due to a poor fund of knowledge, human beings sometimes think the Lord’s activities contradictory.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Desiring to protect the progeny situated in me, a boat on the water, you lifted me up. You have now become Pṛthu, a figure of courage, and desire to kill me for milk with sharp arrows. The Lord, holder of the earth, the boar avatāra, desired to protect the citizens situated in me, the form of a boat, on top of (upasthe) water, you who were my husband, now desire to kill me for milk. The meaning is this. Your progeny were my children, situated in my lap, and I constantly nourish them with milk. Seeing their evil ways at this time, I, as a mother, teaching them good character, have become angry, and do not supply milk. You, the master of the house, now punish me.

Related lectures

DMS SB 04-17-35 - 2006-11-11 Los Angeles
His Holiness Devamrita Swami· 2006-11-11· English

Personal Guidance

You are Dharādhara — the planet-bearer — now You're about to kill me, the boat that holds everything. Sacred paradox: the One who holds is also the One who can release the hold.

Reflection Questions

Where do I expect consistency from the Lord when His role legitimately includes the opposite?
How do I honor someone whose role includes both holding and releasing me?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io