FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.1.34

श्रीयुधिष्ठिर उवाच कीद‍ृश: कस्य वा शापो हरिदासाभिमर्शन: । अश्रद्धेय इवाभाति हरेरेकान्तिनां भव: ॥ ३४ ॥
śrī-yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
[shree-yudhishthira uvaacha]
kīdṛśaḥ kasya vā śāpo
[keedrishah kasya vaa shaapo]
hari-dāsābhimarśanaḥ
[hari-daasaabhimarshanah]
aśraddheya ivābhāti
[ashraddheya ivaabhaati]
harer ekāntināṁ bhavaḥ
[harer ekaantinaam bhavah]
Word-for-word
śrī-yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca — Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said kīdṛśaḥ — what kind of kasya — whose vā — or śāpaḥ — curse hari-dāsa — the servant of Hari abhimarśanaḥ — overcoming aśraddheyaḥ — incredible iva — as if ābhāti — appears hareḥ — of Hari ekāntinām — of those exclusively devoted as exalted attendants bhavaḥ — birth.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
śrī-yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said
kīdṛśaḥ kasya vā śāpo
kīdṛśaḥ
what kind of
kasya
whose
vā
or
śāpaḥ
curse
hari-dāsābhimarśanaḥ
hari-dāsa
the servant of Hari
abhimarśanaḥ
overcoming
aśraddheya ivābhāti
aśraddheyaḥ
incredible
iva
as if
ābhāti
appears
harer ekāntināṁ bhavaḥ
hareḥ
of Hari
ekāntinām
of those exclusively devoted as exalted attendants
bhavaḥ
birth.
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira inquired: What kind of great curse could affect even liberated viṣṇu-bhaktas, and what sort of person could curse even the Lord’s associates? For unflinching devotees of the Lord to fall again to this material world is impossible. I cannot believe this.
Purport

In Bhagavad-gītā (8.16) the Lord clearly states, mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate: one who is purified of material contamination and returns home, back to Godhead, does not return to this material world. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) Kṛṣṇa says:

janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, therefore, was surprised that a pure devotee could return to this material world. This is certainly a very important question.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira inquired: What kind of curse and whose curse could affect the two servants of the Lord? This is incredible. It appears that the devotees situated with the Lord can take birth in the material world. What curse could affect (abhimarśaṇaḥ) the two devotees? It cannot be believed that they could be cursed. It is impossible.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Yudhiṣṭhira protests: liberated devotees do not fall, scripture says so. Honest faith does not let inconsistencies slide — it presses for resolution. The willingness to say 'I cannot believe this' to a teacher is itself a sign of mature śraddhā.
Reflection Questions
  • What apparent inconsistency in scripture have you papered over rather than pressed into?
  • Who can you safely say 'I cannot believe this' to without being shamed?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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