FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.28-29

स पाशहस्तांस्त्रीन्दृष्ट्वा पुरुषानतिदारुणान् । वक्रतुण्डानूर्ध्वरोम्ण आत्मानं नेतुमागतान् ॥ २८ ॥ दूरे क्रीडनकासक्तं पुत्रं नारायणाह्वयम् । प्लावितेन स्वरेणोच्चैराजुहावाकुलेन्द्रिय: ॥ २९ ॥
sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā
[sa paasha-hastaams treen drishtvaa]
puruṣān ati-dāruṇān
[purushaan ati-daarunaan]
vakra-tuṇḍān ūrdhva-romṇa
[vakra-tundaan oordhva-romna]
ātmānaṁ netum āgatān
[aatmaanam netum aagataan]
dūre krīḍanakāsaktaṁ
[doore kreedanakaasaktam]
putraṁ nārāyaṇāhvayam
[putram naaraayanaahvayam]
plāvitena svareṇoccair
[plaavitena svarenochchair]
ājuhāvākulendriyaḥ
[aajuhaavaakulendriyah]
Word-for-word
saḥ — that person (Ajāmila) pāśa-hastān — having ropes in their hands trīn — three dṛṣṭvā — seeing puruṣān — persons ati-dāruṇān — very fearful in their features vakra-tuṇḍān — with twisted faces ūrdhva-romṇaḥ — with hair standing on the body ātmānam — the self netum — to take away āgatān — arrived dūre — a short distance away krīḍanaka-āsaktam — engaged in his play putram — his child nārāyaṇa-āhvayam — named Nārāyaṇa plāvitena — with tearful eyes svareṇa — with his voice uccaiḥ — very loudly ājuhāva — called ākula-indriyaḥ — being full of anxiety.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā
saḥ
that person (Ajāmila)
pāśa-hastān
having ropes in their hands
trīn
three
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
puruṣān ati-dāruṇān
puruṣān
persons
ati-dāruṇān
very fearful in their features
vakra-tuṇḍān ūrdhva-romṇa
vakra-tuṇḍān
with twisted faces
ūrdhva-romṇaḥ
with hair standing on the body
ātmānaṁ netum āgatān
ātmānam
the self
netum
to take away
āgatān
arrived
dūre krīḍanakāsaktaṁ
dūre
a short distance away
krīḍanaka-āsaktam
engaged in his play
putraṁ nārāyaṇāhvayam
putram
his child
nārāyaṇa-āhvayam
named Nārāyaṇa
plāvitena svareṇoccair
plāvitena
with tearful eyes
svareṇa
with his voice
uccaiḥ
very loudly
ājuhāvākulendriyaḥ
ājuhāva
called
ākula-indriyaḥ
being full of anxiety.
Ajāmila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands, they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamarāja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajāmila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus with tears in his eyes he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa.
Purport

A person who performs sinful activities performs them with his body, mind and words. Therefore three order carriers from Yamarāja came to take Ajāmila to Yamarāja’s abode. Fortunately, even though he was referring to his son, Ajāmila chanted the four syllables of the hari-nāma Nārāyaṇa, and therefore the order carriers of Nārāyaṇa, the Viṣṇudūtas, also immediately arrived there. Because Ajāmila was extremely afraid of the ropes of Yamarāja, he chanted the Lord’s name with tearful eyes. Actually, however, he never meant to chant the holy name of Nārāyaṇa; he meant to call his son.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Ajāmila then saw three terrifying persons with twisted faces and hairs standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands, they had come to take him away. In great anxiety, with prolonged cries, he loudly called for his son named Nārāyaṇa who was playing in the distance. Though he had committed unlimited sins, his sins could be classified in three types: bodily, verbal and mental. Thus three servants of Yama approached him. Because the name Nārāyaṇa has four syllables, four servants of Viṣṇu came. Plāvitena means prolonged.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Seeing three fierce Yamadūtas with ropes, Ajāmila in terror cried out 'Nārāyaṇa!' — meaning his son, but uttering the Lord's name with tears. Helpless fear can become the doorway to grace if there is any thread of devotion in our past.
Reflection Questions
  • When I am most afraid, whose name spontaneously rises on my lips?
  • What 'thread' from my spiritual past can I deliberately strengthen now, before such a moment comes?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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