FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.3.18

भूतानि विष्णो: सुरपूजितानि दुर्दर्शलिङ्गानि महाद्भ‍ुतानि । रक्षन्ति तद्भ‍‌क्तिमत: परेभ्यो मत्तश्च मर्त्यानथ सर्वतश्च ॥ १८ ॥
bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni
[bhootaani vishnoh sura-poojitaani]
durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhutāni
[durdarsha-lingaani mahaadbhutaani]
rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo
[rakshanti tad-bhaktimatah parebhyo]
mattaś ca martyān atha sarvataś ca
[mattash cha martyaan atha sarvatash cha]
bhūtāni — living entities or servants viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu sura-pūjitāni — who are worshiped by the demigods durdarśa-liṅgāni — possessing forms not easily seen mahā-adbhutāni — greatly wonderful rakṣanti — they protect tat-bhakti-mataḥ — the devotees of the Lord parebhyaḥ — from others who are inimical mattaḥ — from me (Yamarāja) and my order carriers ca — and martyān — the human beings atha — thus sarvataḥ — from everything ca — and.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni
bhūtāni
living entities or servants
viṣṇoḥ
of Lord Viṣṇu
sura-pūjitāni
who are worshiped by the demigods
durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhutāni
durdarśa-liṅgāni
possessing forms not easily seen
mahā-adbhutāni
greatly wonderful
rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo
rakṣanti
they protect
tat-bhakti-mataḥ
the devotees of the Lord
parebhyaḥ
from others who are inimical
mattaś ca martyān atha sarvataś ca
mattaḥ
from me (Yamarāja) and my order carriers
ca
and
martyān
the human beings
atha
thus
sarvataḥ
from everything
ca
and.
The order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, who are worshiped even by the demigods, possess wonderful bodily features exactly like those of Viṣṇu and are very rarely seen. The Viṣṇudūtas protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envious persons and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances.

Yamarāja has specifically described the qualities of the Viṣṇudūtas to convince his own servants not to be envious of them. Yamarāja warned the Yamadūtas that the Viṣṇudūtas are worshiped with respectful obeisances by the demigods and are always very alert to protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from natural disturbances and from all dangerous conditions in this material world. Sometimes the members of the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society are afraid of the impending danger of world war and ask what would happen to them if a war should occur. In all kinds of danger, they should be confident of their protection by the Viṣṇudūtas or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā ( kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati ). Material danger is not meant for devotees. This is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām: in this material world there are dangers at every step, but they are not meant for devotees who have fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The pure devotees of Lord Viṣṇu may rest assured of the Lord’s protection, and as long as they are in this material world they should fully engage in devotional service by preaching the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Kṛṣṇa, namely the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, worshiped even by the devatās, possessing wonderful bodily feature, but very rarely seen, protect the devotees of the Lord on earth from the hands of enemies and from me, as well as from natural disturbances. O fools! They are worshipped even by the devatās. You are not worshipped by anyone and you have offended them. They protect the devotees from me. How low I am!
The Viṣṇudūtas, worshiped even by demigods, are rarely seen and protect devotees from enemies, envy, and natural calamity. Devotional life is not unprotected — invisible help is real.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I been protected and assumed it was luck?
  • Am I cultivating a life worth that protection?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 3