FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.12.10

यथा दारुमयी नारी यथा पत्रमयो मृग: । एवं भूतानि मघवन्नीशतन्त्राणि विद्धि भो: ॥ १० ॥
yathā dārumayī nārī
[yathaa daarumayee naaree]
yathā patramayo mṛgaḥ
[yathaa patramayo mrigah]
evaṁ bhūtāni maghavann
[evam bhootaani maghavann]
īśa-tantrāṇi viddhi bhoḥ
[eesha-tantraani viddhi bhoh]
Word-for-word
yathā — just as dāru-mayī — made of wood nārī — a woman yathā — just as patra-mayaḥ — made of leaves mṛgaḥ — an animal evam — thus bhūtāni — all things maghavan — O King Indra īśa — the Supreme Personality of Godhead tantrāṇi — depending upon viddhi — please know bhoḥ — O sir.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathā dārumayī nārī
yathā
just as
dāru-mayī
made of wood
nārī
a woman
yathā patramayo mṛgaḥ
yathā
just as
patra-mayaḥ
made of leaves
mṛgaḥ
an animal
evaṁ bhūtāni maghavann
evam
thus
bhūtāni
all things
maghavan
O King Indra
īśa-tantrāṇi viddhi bhoḥ
īśa
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
tantrāṇi
depending upon
viddhi
please know
bhoḥ
O sir.
O King Indra, as a wooden doll that looks like a woman or as an animal made of grass and leaves cannot move or dance independently, but depends fully on the person who handles it, all of us dance according to the desire of the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. No one is independent.
Purport

This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 5.142) :

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya

“Lord Kṛṣṇa alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.” We are all servants of Kṛṣṇa; we have no independence. We are dancing according to the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but out of ignorance and illusion we think we are independent of the supreme will. Therefore it is said:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

“Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.” ( Brahma-saṁhitā 5.1 )

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Indra! Know that just as a wooden doll of a woman or an animal made of grass is under the control of a puppeteer, all beings are under the control of the Lord. The controller of time is the Supreme Lord, the cause of all causes. Two examples are given. Īśa-tantrāṇi means “dependent on the Lord.”
Personal Guidance
Like a wooden doll or grass animal that cannot move without a handler, we dance according to the supreme desire. The puppet metaphor is honest, not insulting.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I claim independence I do not have?
  • Could 'dancing well as a puppet' be the right ambition?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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