FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.11.26

अजातपक्षा इव मातरं खगा: स्तन्यं यथा वत्सतरा: क्षुधार्ता: । प्रियं प्रियेव व्युषितं विषण्णा मनोऽरविन्दाक्ष दिद‍ृक्षते त्वाम् ॥ २६ ॥
ajāta-pakṣā iva mātaraṁ khagāḥ
[ajaata-pakshaa iva maataram khagaah]
stanyaṁ yathā vatsatarāḥ kṣudh-ārtāḥ
[stanyam yathaa vatsataraah kshudh-aartaah]
priyaṁ priyeva vyuṣitaṁ viṣaṇṇā
[priyam priyeva vyushitam vishannaa]
mano ’ravindākṣa didṛkṣate tvām
[mano ’ravindaaksha didrikshate tvaam]
ajāta-pakṣāḥ — who have not yet grown wings iva — like mātaram — the mother khagāḥ — small birds stanyam — the milk from the udder yathā — just as vatsatarāḥ — the young calves kṣudh-ārtāḥ — distressed by hunger priyam — the beloved or husband priyā — the wife or lover iva — like vyuṣitam — who is away from home viṣaṇṇā — morose manaḥ — my mind aravinda-akṣa — O lotus-eyed one didṛkṣate — wants to see tvām — You.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ajāta-pakṣā iva mātaraṁ khagāḥ
ajāta-pakṣāḥ
who have not yet grown wings
iva
like
mātaram
the mother
khagāḥ
small birds
stanyaṁ yathā vatsatarāḥ kṣudh-ārtāḥ
stanyam
the milk from the udder
yathā
just as
vatsatarāḥ
the young calves
kṣudh-ārtāḥ
distressed by hunger
priyaṁ priyeva vyuṣitaṁ viṣaṇṇā
priyam
the beloved or husband
priyā
the wife or lover
iva
like
vyuṣitam
who is away from home
viṣaṇṇā
morose
mano ’ravindākṣa didṛkṣate tvām
manaḥ
my mind
aravinda-akṣa
O lotus-eyed one
didṛkṣate
wants to see
tvām
You.
O lotus-eyed Lord, as baby birds that have not yet developed their wings always look for their mother to return and feed them, as small calves tied with ropes await anxiously the time of milking, when they will be allowed to drink the milk of their mothers, or as a morose wife whose husband is away from home always longs for him to return and satisfy her in all respects, I always yearn for the opportunity to render direct service unto You.

A pure devotee always yearns to associate personally with the Lord and render service unto Him. The examples given in this regard are most appropriate. A small baby bird is practically never satisfied except when the mother bird comes to feed it, a small calf is not satisfied unless allowed to suck the milk from the mother’s udder, and a chaste, devoted wife whose husband is away from home is never satisfied until she has the association of her beloved husband.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O lotus-eyed Lord! As baby birds without developed wings always look for their mother to feed them, as small calves, distressed with hunger, desire to see the cow with milk in her udder, or as a morose wife, desires her husband who is away from home, I long to see you. “Though I long for you, attaining you depends on you. I can do nothing in this regard.” He gives examples. Fearing owls and afflicted by hunger, baby birds, without having grown their wings, long to see their mother at every moment. Flapping their useless wings, thinking that the mother has come, they chirp and open their beaks. “Just as the mother bird comes and protects the babies from owls, and satisfies their hunger by placing small bugs she has brought one by one in their beaks, I will protect you from the three miseries and from enemies like Indra, and satisfy your desire by giving enjoyment of Svarga or Brahmaloka.” But I do not desire anything except your sweetness. Thus, anything unfavorable for that attainment, such as bondage to the gross and subtle bodies of Vṛtra, only leads to the three miseries. He gives another example. Young calves (vatsatarāḥ), tied by a rope in a householder’s house, suffer because of hunger, with determination only to drink their mother’s milk. They desire their own happiness, the mother’s milk, without desiring to serve the mother cow. Not satisfied with this example, he gives another example. The wife, morose because of affection and disturbed by separation, longs to see her husband who has gone to a distant land. Just as the wife, using all her senses, desires to make her husband happy, and also desires to make all her senses happy by her husband’s beauty, sweet voice, qualities actions and joking, so I also will serve you (and you will satisfy me). This was expressed in verse 24 with “May my mind remember the lord of my life, may my words chant your glories and may my body serve you.” The difference however is that the wife satisfies the husband by dāsya, sakhya and śṛṅgāra rasas (material), whereas I will satisfy you by dāsya-rasa (spiritual) only.
As baby birds wait for their mother and calves for milking time, my mind anxiously waits to see Your lotus feet. Affection-as-anxious-waiting is itself a high state.
Reflection Questions
  • What do I anxiously wait for, and is it the Lord's feet or something lesser?
  • How could I train waiting itself into devotion?
📝 My note

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