FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.1.20

श्रीशुक उवाच इति समभिहितो महाभागवतो भगवतस्त्रिभुवनगुरोरनुशासनमात्मनो लघुतयावनतशिरोधरो बाढमिति सबहुमानमुवाह ॥ २० ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
iti samabhihito mahā-bhāgavato bhagavatas tri-bhuvana-guror anuśāsanam ātmano laghutayāvanata-śirodharo bāḍham iti sabahu-mānam uvāha.
[iti samabhihito mahaa-bhaagavato bhagavatas tri-bhuvana-guror anushaasanam aatmano laghutayaavanata-shirodharo baadham iti sabahu-maanam uvaaha.]
Word-for-word
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said iti — thus samabhihitaḥ — completely instructed mahā-bhāgavataḥ — the great devotee bhagavataḥ — of the most powerful Lord Brahmā tri-bhuvana — of the three worlds guroḥ — the spiritual master anuśāsanam — the order ātmanaḥ — of himself laghutayā — because of inferiority avanata — bowed down śirodharaḥ — his head bāḍham — yes, sir iti — thus sa-bahu-mānam — with great respect uvāha — carried out.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
iti samabhihito mahā-bhāgavato bhagavatas tri-bhuvana-guror anuśāsanam ātmano laghutayāvanata-śirodharo bāḍham iti sabahu-mānam uvāha.
iti
thus
samabhihitaḥ
completely instructed
mahā-bhāgavataḥ
the great devotee
bhagavataḥ
of the most powerful Lord Brahmā
tri-bhuvana
of the three worlds
guroḥ
the spiritual master
anuśāsanam
the order
ātmanaḥ
of himself
laghutayā
because of inferiority
avanata
bowed down
śirodharaḥ
his head
bāḍham
yes, sir
iti
thus
sa-bahu-mānam
with great respect
uvāha
carried out.
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After thus being fully instructed by Lord Brahmā, who is the spiritual master of the three worlds, Priyavrata, his own position being inferior, offered obeisances, accepted the order and carried it out with great respect.
Purport

Śrī Priyavrata was the grandson of Lord Brahmā. Therefore according to social etiquette, his position was inferior. It is the duty of the inferior to carry out the order of the superior with great respect. Priyavrata therefore immediately said, “Yes, sir. I shall carry out your order.” Priyavrata is described as a mahā-bhāgavata, a great devotee. The duty of a great devotee is to carry out the order of the spiritual master, or the spiritual master of the spiritual master in the paramparā system. As described in Bhagavad-gītā (4.2) , evaṁ paramparā prāptam: one has to receive the instructions of the Supreme Lord through the disciplic chain of spiritual masters. A devotee of the Lord always considers himself a servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śukadeva said: Thus being instructed, Priyavrata, lowering his head while thinking himself inferior, consented, and with great respect carried out the order of the great devotee Brahmā, guru for the three worlds. Priyavrata considered himself inferior, since he was the grandson of Brahmā.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When a great soul is instructed by a superior authority, the response is simple and immediate: yes. Humility expressed as obedience is the natural posture of a devotee, regardless of personal preference.
Reflection Questions
  • What recent instruction have you delayed because it inconvenienced you, when 'yes' would have been the devotee's answer?
  • Whose authority do you actually accept in your life, and is that list the right one?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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