FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.14.21

कदाचिद्भग्नमानदंष्ट्रो दुर्जनदन्दशूकैरलब्धनिद्राक्षणो व्यथितहृदयेनानुक्षीयमाणविज्ञानोऽन्धकूपेऽन्धवत्पतति ॥ २१ ॥
kadācid bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭro durjana-danda-śūkair alabdha-nidrā-kṣaṇo vyathita-hṛdayenānukṣīyamāṇa-vijñāno ’ndha-kūpe ’ndhavat patati.
[kadaachid bhagna-maana-damshtro durjana-danda-shookair alabdha-nidraa-kshano vyathita-hridayenaanuksheeyamaana-vijnaano ’ndha-koope ’ndhavat patati.]
Word-for-word
kadācit — sometimes bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭraḥ — whose teeth of pride are broken durjana-danda-śūkaiḥ — by the envious activities of evil men, who are compared to a kind of serpent alabdha-nidrā-kṣaṇaḥ — who does not get an opportunity to sleep vyathita-hṛdayena — by a disturbed mind anukṣīyamāṇa — gradually being decreased vijñānaḥ — whose real consciousness andha-kūpe — in a blind well andha-vat — like illusion patati — he falls down.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kadācid bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭro durjana-danda-śūkair alabdha-nidrā-kṣaṇo vyathita-hṛdayenānukṣīyamāṇa-vijñāno ’ndha-kūpe ’ndhavat patati.
kadācit
sometimes
bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭraḥ
whose teeth of pride are broken
durjana-danda-śūkaiḥ
by the envious activities of evil men, who are compared to a kind of serpent
alabdha-nidrā-kṣaṇaḥ
who does not get an opportunity to sleep
vyathita-hṛdayena
by a disturbed mind
anukṣīyamāṇa
gradually being decreased
vijñānaḥ
whose real consciousness
andha-kūpe
in a blind well
andha-vat
like illusion
patati
he falls down.
In the forest of the material world, the conditioned soul is sometimes bitten by envious enemies, which are compared to serpents and other creatures. Through the tricks of the enemy, the conditioned soul falls from his prestigious position. Being anxious, he cannot even sleep properly. He thus becomes more and more unhappy, and he gradually loses his intelligence and consciousness. In that state he becomes almost perpetually like a blind man who has fallen into a dark well of ignorance.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Sometimes, his teeth of pride are broken by the bites of snakes in the form of evil men. Unable to sleep, his consciousness dwindling because of a troubled heart, he falls like a blind man into a blind well. This verse explains the blind man falling in the well in SB 5.13.9.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Envious enemies, like serpents, can knock us from a prestigious position; the anxiety they produce ruins sleep too. The combination of public attack and private sleeplessness ages a soul fast. Take refuge somewhere stronger than reputation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is reputation under attack and sleep under threat, and what shelter beyond reputation could you seek?
  • What inner ground would let you sleep even while opposed?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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