FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.14.41

दासीनां को नु सन्ताप: स्वामिन: परिचर्यया । अभीक्ष्णं लब्धमानानां दास्या दासीव दुर्भगा: ॥ ४१ ॥
dāsīnāṁ ko nu santāpaḥ
[daaseenaam ko nu santaapah]
svāminaḥ paricaryayā
[svaaminah paricharyayaa]
abhīkṣṇaṁ labdha-mānānāṁ
[abheekshnam labdha-maanaanaam]
dāsyā dāsīva durbhagāḥ
[daasyaa daaseeva durbhagaah]
Word-for-word
dāsīnām — of the maidservants kaḥ — what nu — indeed santāpaḥ — lamentation svāminaḥ — unto the husband paricaryayā — by rendering service abhīkṣṇam — constantly labdha-mānānām — honored dāsyāḥ — of the maidservant dāsī iva — like a maidservant durbhagāḥ — most unfortunate.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dāsīnāṁ ko nu santāpaḥ
dāsīnām
of the maidservants
kaḥ
what
nu
indeed
santāpaḥ
lamentation
svāminaḥ paricaryayā
svāminaḥ
unto the husband
paricaryayā
by rendering service
abhīkṣṇaṁ labdha-mānānāṁ
abhīkṣṇam
constantly
labdha-mānānām
honored
dāsyā dāsīva durbhagāḥ
dāsyāḥ
of the maidservant
dāsī iva
like a maidservant
durbhagāḥ
most unfortunate.
Even maidservants who are constantly engaged in rendering service to the husband are honored by the husband, and thus they have nothing for which to lament. Our position, however, is that we are maidservants of the maidservant. Therefore we are most unfortunate.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Why should maids who serve the master lament, since they gain respect of the master? But we are most unfortunate because we are simply maids of the maidservant. We are unfortunate like the servant of a maidservant who is unfortunate.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Even maidservants are honored if they serve well — but we are maidservants of a maidservant. The hierarchy of dishonor stretches further than they thought.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I place myself, by self-comparison, below even those I serve?
  • Whose voice from inside me is performing this ranking?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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