FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.48

उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजर्षे इमामुदधिमेखलाम् । दस्युभ्य: क्षत्रबन्धुभ्यो बिभ्यतीं पातुमर्हसि ॥ ४८ ॥
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha rājarṣe
[uttishthottishtha raajarshe]
imām udadhi-mekhalām
[imaam udadhi-mekhalaam]
dasyubhyaḥ kṣatra-bandhubhyo
[dasyubhyah kshatra-bandhubhyo]
bibhyatīṁ pātum arhasi
[bibhyateem paatum arhasi]
uttiṣṭha — please get up uttiṣṭha — please get up rāja-ṛṣe — O saintly king imām — this earth udadhi — by the ocean mekhalām — surrounded dasyubhyaḥ — from the rogues kṣatra-bandhubhyaḥ — from the unclean kings bibhyatīm — very much afraid pātum — to protect arhasi — you ought.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha rājarṣe
uttiṣṭha
please get up
uttiṣṭha
please get up
rāja-ṛṣe
O saintly king
imām udadhi-mekhalām
imām
this earth
udadhi
by the ocean
mekhalām
surrounded
dasyubhyaḥ kṣatra-bandhubhyo
dasyubhyaḥ
from the rogues
kṣatra-bandhubhyaḥ
from the unclean kings
bibhyatīṁ pātum arhasi
bibhyatīm
very much afraid
pātum
to protect
arhasi
you ought.
O best of kings, please get up! Get up! Just see this world surrounded by water and infested with rogues and so-called kings. This world is very much afraid, and it is your duty to protect her.

Whenever an ācārya comes, following the superior orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, he establishes the principles of religion, as enunciated in Bhagavad-gītā. Religion means abiding by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religious principles begin from the time one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the ācārya’s duty to spread a bona fide religious system and induce everyone to bow down before the Supreme Lord. One executes the religious principles by rendering devotional service, specifically the nine items like hearing, chanting and remembering. Unfortunately, when the ācārya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svāmīs, yogīs, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on. Actually, human life is meant for executing the orders of the Supreme Lord, and this is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.34) :

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me and become My devotee. Offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.”

The main business of human society is to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at all times, to become His devotees, to worship the Supreme Lord and to bow down before Him. The ācārya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the ācārya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master. At the present moment practically the entire world is afraid of rogues and nondevotees; therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started to save the world from irreligious principles. Everyone should cooperate with this movement in order to bring about actual peace and happiness in the world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Get up! Get up, O saintly King! You must protect this frightened earth surrounded by the seas from thieves and false kings. O guru! Protect this earth in which you established bhakti, which is now frightened by those opposing bhakti.
Get up! Get up! The world is surrounded by water and rogues; it's your duty to protect her. Even in mourning, the disciple invokes the master's role as protector; the call to duty doesn't go silent.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose 'get up!' do I owe someone whose role is unfinished?
  • Where am I asleep when the disciples' lament should rouse me?
📝 My note

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