FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.21

एतदेव हि देवा गायन्ति— अहो अमीषां किमकारि शोभनं प्रसन्न एषां स्विदुत स्वयं हरि: । यैर्जन्म लब्धं नृषु भारताजिरे मुकुन्दसेवौपयिकं स्पृहा हि न: ॥ २१ ॥
etad eva hi devā gāyanti —
[etad eva hi devaa gaayanti —]
aho amīṣāṁ kim akāri śobhanaṁ
[aho ameeshaam kim akaari shobhanam]
prasanna eṣāṁ svid uta svayaṁ hariḥ
[prasanna eshaam svid uta svayam harih]
yair janma labdhaṁ nṛṣu bhāratājire
[yair janma labdham nrishu bhaarataajire]
mukunda-sevaupayikaṁ spṛhā hi naḥ
[mukunda-sevaupayikam sprihaa hi nah]
Word-for-word
etat — this eva — indeed hi — certainly devāḥ — all the demigods gāyanti — chant aho — oh amīṣām — of these inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa kim — what akāri — was done śobhanam — pious, beautiful activities prasannaḥ — pleased eṣām — upon them svit — or uta — it is said svayam — personally hariḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead yaiḥ — by whom janma — birth labdham — obtained nṛṣu — in human society bhārata-ajire — in the courtyard of Bhārata-varṣa mukunda — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can offer liberation sevā-aupayikam — which is the means of serving spṛhā — desire hi — indeed naḥ — our.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
etad eva hi devā gāyanti —
etat
this
eva
indeed
hi
certainly
devāḥ
all the demigods
gāyanti
chant
aho amīṣāṁ kim akāri śobhanaṁ
aho
oh
amīṣām
of these inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa
kim
what
akāri
was done
śobhanam
pious, beautiful activities
prasanna eṣāṁ svid uta svayaṁ hariḥ
prasannaḥ
pleased
eṣām
upon them
svit
or
uta
it is said
svayam
personally
hariḥ
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
yair janma labdhaṁ nṛṣu bhāratājire
yaiḥ
by whom
janma
birth
labdham
obtained
nṛṣu
in human society
bhārata-ajire
in the courtyard of Bhārata-varṣa
mukunda-sevaupayikaṁ spṛhā hi naḥ
mukunda
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can offer liberation
sevā-aupayikam
which is the means of serving
spṛhā
desire
hi
indeed
naḥ
our.
Since the human form of life is the sublime position for spiritual realization, all the demigods in heaven speak in this way: How wonderful it is for these human beings to have been born in the land of Bhārata-varṣa. They must have executed pious acts of austerity in the past, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself must have been pleased with them. Otherwise, how could they engage in devotional service in so many ways? We demigods can only aspire to achieve human births in Bhārata-varṣa to execute devotional service, but these human beings are already engaged there.
Purport

These facts are further explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 9.41) :

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra

“One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.”

There are many facilities in India, Bhārata-varṣa, for executing devotional service. In Bhārata-varṣa, all the ācāryas contributed their experience, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally appeared to teach the people of Bhārata-varṣa how to progress in spiritual life and be fixed in devotional service to the Lord. From all points of view, Bhārata-varṣa is the special land where one can very easily understand the process of devotional service and adopt it to make his life successful. If one makes his life successful in devotional service and then preaches devotional service in other parts of the world, people throughout the world will actually benefit.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The devatās sing: What pious acts did these residents perform, or was the Lord simply pleased with them, by which they attained a birth suitable for service to Mukunda in the area of Bhārata, whereas we can only desire this, but not attain it? What pious acts did these residents perform? Or spontaneously, without their doing anything, the Lord was pleased with them, by which they get birth in the area (ajire) of Bhārata? It is not possible that they get such fortune just by pious acts. “But we see sinful people taking birth there also.” That birth is suitable for service to Mukunda. It is good fortune because (hi) we desire it and cannot attain that birth.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Even the demigods envy a human birth in Bhārata-varṣa because here, devotional service is so available. Don't waste the rare opportunity of a human life by treating it like just another stretch of existence. Demigods would change places with you.
Reflection Questions
  • If even demigods would want my human life as an opportunity, am I treating it with appropriate seriousness?
  • What in my schedule today reflects that this birth is precious rather than ordinary?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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