FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.25.54

अन्धावमीषां पौराणां निर्वाक्पेशस्कृतावुभौ । अक्षण्वतामधिपतिस्ताभ्यां याति करोति च ॥ ५४ ॥
andhāv amīṣāṁ paurāṇāṁ
[andhaav ameeshaam pauraanaam]
nirvāk-peśaskṛtāv ubhau
[nirvaak-peshaskritaav ubhau]
akṣaṇvatām adhipatis
[akshanvataam adhipatis]
tābhyāṁ yāti karoti ca
[taabhyaam yaati karoti cha]
andhau — blind amīṣām — among those paurāṇām — of the inhabitants nirvāk — of the name Nirvāk peśaskṛtau — of the name Peśaskṛt ubhau — both of them akṣaṇ-vatām — of the people who possessed eyes adhipatiḥ — ruler tābhyām — with both of them yāti — used to go karoti — used to act ca — and.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
andhāv amīṣāṁ paurāṇāṁ
andhau
blind
amīṣām
among those
paurāṇām
of the inhabitants
nirvāk-peśaskṛtāv ubhau
nirvāk
of the name Nirvāk
peśaskṛtau
of the name Peśaskṛt
ubhau
both of them
akṣaṇvatām adhipatis
akṣaṇ-vatām
of the people who possessed eyes
adhipatiḥ
ruler
tābhyāṁ yāti karoti ca
tābhyām
with both of them
yāti
used to go
karoti
used to act
ca
and.
Of the many inhabitants of this city, there are two persons named Nirvāk and Peśaskṛt. Although King Purañjana was the ruler of citizens who possessed eyes, he unfortunately used to associate with these blind men. Accompanied by them, he used to go here and there and perform various activities.

This is a reference to the arms and legs of the living entity. The two legs do not speak, and they are blind. If a person simply trusts his legs to take him walking, he is likely to fall into a hole or bump into something. Thus led by the blind legs, one’s life may be placed in jeopardy.

Of the senses that are working, the hands and legs are very important, but they have no eyes to see. This means that in the hands and legs there are no holes. In the head there are many holes — two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and one mouth — but lower down, in the arms and legs, there are no holes. Consequently, the arms and legs have been described as andha, blind. Although the living entity has many holes in his body, he nonetheless has to work with his hands and arms. Although the living entity is the master of many other senses, when he has to go somewhere, do something or touch something, he has to use his blind legs and hands.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Among the inhabitants of this city, there were two blind men named Nirvāk and Peśaskṛt. Although King Purañjana was the ruler of the gates, he used to perform actions and go places with these two blind men. Nirvāk is the feet and Peśaskṛt is the hands. They are blind because they do not have openings. Akṣanvatām means he was the ruler of the gates and the senses.
Nirvāk (blind) and Peśaskṛt (mute) — the legs — though blind, the king relied on them. The legs walk where they want, blindly; we follow them and call it our direction.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I letting my blind feet decide my direction?
  • What would seeing-feet — directed walking — look like as a discipline?
📝 My note

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