FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.19

बालस्य नेह शरणं पितरौ नृसिंह नार्तस्य चागदमुदन्वति मज्जतो नौ: । तप्तस्य तत्प्रतिविधिर्य इहाञ्जसेष्ट- स्तावद्विभो तनुभृतां त्वदुपेक्षितानाम् ॥ १९ ॥
bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha
[baalasya neha sharanam pitarau nrisimha]
nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ
[naartasya chaagadam udanvati majjato nauh]
taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñjaseṣṭas
[taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihaanjaseshtas]
tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām
[taavad vibho tanu-bhritaam tvad-upekshitaanaam]
bālasya — of a little child na — not iha — in this world śaraṇam — shelter (protection) pitarau — the father and mother nṛsiṁha — O my Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva na — neither ārtasya — of a person suffering from some disease ca — also agadam — medicine udanvati — in the water of the ocean majjataḥ — of a person who is drowning nauḥ — the boat taptasya — of a person suffering from a condition of material misery tat-pratividhiḥ — the counteraction (invented for stopping the suffering of material existence) yaḥ — that which iha — in this material world añjasā — very easily iṣṭaḥ — accepted (as a remedy) tāvat — similarly vibho — O my Lord, O Supreme tanu-bhṛtām — of the living entities who have accepted material bodies tvat-upekṣitānām — who are neglected by You and not accepted by You.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha
bālasya
of a little child
na
not
nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ
taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñjaseṣṭas
iha
in this world
śaraṇam
shelter (protection)
pitarau
the father and mother
nṛsiṁha
O my Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva
tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām
na
neither
ārtasya
of a person suffering from some disease
ca
also
agadam
medicine
udanvati
in the water of the ocean
majjataḥ
of a person who is drowning
nauḥ
the boat
taptasya
of a person suffering from a condition of material misery
tat-pratividhiḥ
the counteraction (invented for stopping the suffering of material existence)
yaḥ
that which
iha
in this material world
añjasā
very easily
iṣṭaḥ
accepted (as a remedy)
tāvat
similarly
vibho
O my Lord, O Supreme
tanu-bhṛtām
of the living entities who have accepted material bodies
tvat-upekṣitānām
who are neglected by You and not accepted by You.
My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily beneficial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffering patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot protect a drowning man.

Through parental care, through remedies for different kinds of disease, and through means of protection on the water, in the air and on land, there is always an endeavor for relief from various kinds of suffering in the material world, but none of them are guaranteed measures for protection. They may be beneficial temporarily, but they afford no permanent benefit. Despite the presence of a father and mother, a child cannot be protected from accidental death, disease and various other miseries. No one can help, including the parents. Ultimately the shelter is the Lord, and one who takes shelter of the Lord is protected. This is guaranteed. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.31) , kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: “O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” Therefore, unless one is protected by the mercy of the Lord, no remedial measure can act effectively. One should consequently depend fully on the causeless mercy of the Lord. Although as a matter of routine duty one must of course accept other remedial measures, no one can protect one who is neglected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this material world, everyone is trying to counteract the onslaught of material nature, but everyone is ultimately fully controlled by material nature. Therefore even though so-called philosophers and scientists try to surmount the onslaught of material nature, they have not been able to do so. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (13.9) that the real sufferings of the material world are four — janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (birth, death, old age and disease). In the history of the world, no one has been successful in conquering these miseries imposed by material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. Nature ( prakṛti ) is so strong that no one can overcome her stringent laws. So-called scientists, philosophers, religionists and politicians should therefore conclude that they cannot offer facilities to the people in general. They should make vigorous propaganda to awaken the populace and raise them to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our humble attempt to propagate the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world is the only remedy that can bring about a peaceful and happy life. We can never be happy without the mercy of the Supreme Lord ( tvad-upekṣitānām ). If we keep displeasing our supreme father, we shall never be happy within this material world, in either the upper or lower planetary systems.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The mother and father are not the protection for their child. Medicine is not protection for sick person. A boat is not a remedy for a person drowning in the ocean. For those who do not accept you, the remedies accepted by suffering people in this world are not a shelter at all. Without you, no remedy for suffering is successful. The mother and father are not the protectors of a child, since one sees that a child suffers even if they protect him. Sometimes they even try to kill their children as in the case of Ajīgarta (who sold his son Śunaśepa as a human sacrifice). Medicine is no protection for sick person, since even persons who take medicine die. A boat is not a shelter for a person drowning in the ocean, for one sees that boats also sink. Thus suffering persons who by their desire do not recognize you do not obtain a solution to their problems by their remedies. Tāvat is only ornamental.
Without Your care, embodied souls cannot help themselves — father and mother cannot protect a child, medicine cannot save a patient, boat cannot save the drowning. All ordinary protections are conditional on Yours. Stop trusting the intermediaries as if they were primary.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'intermediary protection' have you trusted as primary that needs to be put back in its place?
  • How does naming the Lord as final protector change how you receive ordinary help?
📝 My note

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