FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.10.8

योऽध्रुवेणात्मना नाथा न धर्मं न यश: पुमान् । ईहेत भूतदयया स शोच्य: स्थावरैरपि ॥ ८ ॥
yo ’dhruveṇātmanā nāthā
[yo ’dhruvenaatmanaa naathaa]
na dharmaṁ na yaśaḥ pumān
[na dharmam na yashah pumaan]
īheta bhūta-dayayā
[eeheta bhoota-dayayaa]
sa śocyaḥ sthāvarair api
[sa shochyah sthaavarair api]
yaḥ — anyone who adhruveṇa — impermanent ātmanā — by the body nāthāḥ — O lords na — not dharmam — religious principles na — not yaśaḥ — fame pumān — a person īheta — endeavors for bhūta-dayayā — by mercy for the living beings saḥ — that person śocyaḥ — pitiable sthāvaraiḥ — by the immobile creatures api — even.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yo ’dhruveṇātmanā nāthā
na dharmaṁ na yaśaḥ pumān
yaḥ
anyone who
īheta bhūta-dayayā
adhruveṇa
impermanent
ātmanā
by the body
nāthāḥ
O lords
na
not
dharmam
religious principles
na
not
yaśaḥ
fame
pumān
a person
īheta
endeavors for
bhūta-dayayā
by mercy for the living beings
sa śocyaḥ sthāvarair api
saḥ
that person
śocyaḥ
pitiable
sthāvaraiḥ
by the immobile creatures
api
even.
O demigods, one who has no compassion for humanity in its suffering and does not sacrifice his impermanent body for the higher causes of religious principles or eternal glory is certainly pitied even by the immovable beings.

In this regard, a very exalted example was set by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana. Concerning Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.34) :

tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam

“We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of the Lord, upon whom one should always meditate. He left His householder life, leaving aside His eternal consort, whom even the denizens of heaven adore. He went into the forest to deliver the fallen souls, who are put into illusion by material energy.” To accept sannyāsa means to commit civil suicide, but sannyāsa is compulsory, at least for every brāhmaṇa, every first-class human being. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a very young and beautiful wife and a very affectionate mother. Indeed, the affectionate dealings of His family members were so pleasing that even the demigods could not expect such happiness at home. Nevertheless, for the deliverance of all the fallen souls of the world, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa and left home when He was only twenty-four years old. He lived a very strict life as a sannyāsī, refusing all bodily comforts. Similarly, His disciples the Six Gosvāmīs were ministers who held exalted positions in society, but they also left everything to join the movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya says:

tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau

These Gosvāmīs left their very comfortable lives as ministers, Zamindars and learned scholars and joined Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement, just to show mercy to the fallen souls of the world ( dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā ). Accepting very humble lives as mendicants, wearing no more than loincloths and torn quilts ( kaupīna-kantha ), they lived in Vṛndāvana and followed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s order to excavate Vṛndāvana’s lost glories.

Similarly, everyone else with a materially comfortable condition in this world should join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to elevate the fallen souls. The words bhūta-dayayā, māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam and dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā all convey the same sense. These are very significant words for those interested in elevating human society to a proper understanding of life. One should join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following the examples of such great personalities as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Six Gosvāmīs and, before them, the great sage Dadhīci. Instead of wasting one’s life for temporary bodily comforts, one should always be prepared to give up one’s life for better causes. After all, the body will be destroyed. Therefore one should sacrifice it for the glory of distributing religious principles throughout the world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O lords! One who does not endeavor for dharma and fame through his temporary body by showing compassion to others is pitied even by the immovable beings. Nāthāḥ is a vocative “O lords!”
One without compassion who won't sacrifice an impermanent body for higher causes is pitied even by immovable beings. Even trees feel sorry for the heartless.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I being pitied by simpler beings for my hardness?
  • What would compassion-in-action cost me, and is it worth that?
📝 My note

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