Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.33
अन्यथा म्रियमाणस्य नाशुचेर्वृषलीपते: ।
वैकुण्ठनामग्रहणं जिह्वा वक्तुमिहार्हति ॥ ३३ ॥
anyathā mriyamāṇasya
[anyathaa mriyamaanasya]
nāśucer vṛṣalī-pateḥ
[naashucher vrishalee-pateh]
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇaṁ
[vaikuntha-naama-grahanam]
jihvā vaktum ihārhati
[jihvaa vaktum ihaarhati]
Word-for-word
anyathā
—
otherwise
mriyamāṇasya
—
of a person who is just ready for death
na
—
not
aśuceḥ
—
most unclean
vṛṣalī-pateḥ
—
the keeper of a prostitute
vaikuṇṭha
—
of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha
nāma-grahaṇam
—
the chanting of the holy name
jihvā
—
the tongue
vaktum
—
to speak
iha
—
in this situation
arhati
—
is able.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
anyathā mriyamāṇasya
anyathā
otherwise
mriyamāṇasya
of a person who is just ready for death
nāśucer vṛṣalī-pateḥ
na
not
aśuceḥ
most unclean
vṛṣalī-pateḥ
the keeper of a prostitute
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇaṁ
vaikuṇṭha
of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha
nāma-grahaṇam
the chanting of the holy name
jihvā vaktum ihārhati
jihvā
the tongue
vaktum
to speak
iha
in this situation
arhati
is able.
Were it not for my past devotional service, how could I, a most unclean keeper of a prostitute, have gotten an opportunity to chant the holy name of Vaikuṇṭhapati when I was just ready to die? Certainly it could not have been possible.
Purport
The name Vaikuṇṭhapati, which means “the master of the spiritual world,” is not different from the name Vaikuṇṭha. Ajāmila, who was now a realized soul, could understand that because of his past spiritual activities in devotional service, he had gotten this opportunity to chant the holy name of Vaikuṇṭhapati in his horrible condition at the time of death.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Otherwise, it would not be possible for the tongue of a sinful, dying man, the keeper of a prostitute, to chant the name of the Lord.
Vaktum means kartum. Or the meaning can be “the tongue could not chant that which allows one to attain Vaikuṇṭha.”
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
He marvels that as 'an unclean keeper of a prostitute' he was nevertheless allowed to chant Vaikuṇṭhapati's name at death — only past bhakti could have arranged that opportunity.
Reflection Questions
- Have I noticed unearned spiritual opportunities and assumed they were luck?
- What would it mean to credit past devotion for present mercies?
My note
Source: vedabase.io