FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.12.22

यस्य भक्तिर्भगवति हरौ नि:श्रेयसेश्वरे । विक्रीडतोऽमृताम्भोधौ किं क्षुद्रै: खातकोदकै: ॥ २२ ॥
yasya bhaktir bhagavati
[yasya bhaktir bhagavati]
harau niḥśreyaseśvare
[harau nihshreyaseshvare]
vikrīḍato ’mṛtāmbhodhau
[vikreedato ’mritaambhodhau]
kiṁ kṣudraiḥ khātakodakaiḥ
[kim kshudraih khaatakodakaih]
yasya — of whom bhaktiḥ — devotional service bhagavati — to the Supreme Personality of Godhead harau — Lord Hari niḥśreyasa-īśvare — the controller of the supreme perfection of life, or supreme liberation vikrīḍataḥ — swimming or playing amṛta-ambhodhau — in the ocean of nectar kim — what is the use kṣudraiḥ — with small khātaka-udakaiḥ — ditches of water.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yasya bhaktir bhagavati
yasya
of whom
bhaktiḥ
devotional service
bhagavati
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
harau niḥśreyaseśvare
harau
Lord Hari
niḥśreyasa-īśvare
the controller of the supreme perfection of life, or supreme liberation
vikrīḍato ’mṛtāmbhodhau
vikrīḍataḥ
swimming or playing
amṛta-ambhodhau
in the ocean of nectar
kiṁ kṣudraiḥ khātakodakaiḥ
kim
what is the use
kṣudraiḥ
with small
khātaka-udakaiḥ
ditches of water.
A person fixed in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the Lord of the highest auspiciousness, swims in the ocean of nectar. For him what is the use of the water in small ditches?

Vṛtrāsura has formerly prayed ( Bhāg. 6.11.25 ), na nāka-pṛṣṭhaṁ na ca pārameṣṭhyaṁ na sārva-bhaumaṁ na rasādhipatyam. “I do not want the facilities for happiness on Brahmaloka, Svargaloka or even Dhruvaloka, not to speak of this earth or the lower planets. I simply want to return home, back to Godhead.” This is the determination of a pure devotee. A pure devotee is never attracted to any exalted position within this material world. He simply wants to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead like the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana — Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa’s father and mother (Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā), Kṛṣṇa’s friends and Kṛṣṇa’s servants. He wants to associate with Kṛṣṇa’s atmosphere of Vṛndāvana’s beauty. These are the highest ambitions of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Devotees of Lord Viṣṇu may aspire for a position in Vaikuṇṭhaloka, but a devotee of Kṛṣṇa never aspires even for the facilities of Vaikuṇṭha; he wants to return to Goloka Vṛndāvana and associate with Lord Kṛṣṇa in His eternal pastimes. Any material happiness is like water in a ditch, whereas the spiritual happiness eternally enjoyed in the spiritual world is like an ocean of nectar in which a devotee wants to swim.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
A person who has bhakti to the Supreme Lord, Hari, the Lord of the highest auspiciousness, swims in the ocean of nectar. For him what use is Svarga, which is like the water in small ditches? It is understandable that you are indifferent to the enjoyment of Svarga. Khātodakaiḥ means “water in ditches.” Svarga is similar to that for you. But for us, without bhakti, it is bliss.
Related verses
One fixed in devotional service of Hari swims in the ocean of nectar; what use to him are the waters of small ditches? The right taste makes lesser tastes irrelevant.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'ditch water' am I still scooping up?
  • What ocean am I refusing to swim in because the ditch is closer?
📝 My note

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