FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.2.29

नियुध्यतोरेवमिभेन्द्रनक्रयो- र्विकर्षतोरन्तरतो बहिर्मिथ: । समा: सहस्रं व्यगमन् महीपते सप्राणयोश्चित्रममंसतामरा: ॥ २९ ॥
niyudhyator evam ibhendra-nakrayor
[niyudhyator evam ibhendra-nakrayor]
vikarṣator antarato bahir mithaḥ
[vikarshator antarato bahir mithah]
samāḥ sahasraṁ vyagaman mahī-pate
[samaah sahasram vyagaman mahee-pate]
saprāṇayoś citram amaṁsatāmarāḥ
[sapraanayosh chitram amamsataamaraah]
niyudhyatoḥ — fighting evam — in this way ibha-indra — of the elephant nakrayoḥ — and the crocodile vikarṣatoḥ — pulling antarataḥ — in the water bahiḥ — outside the water mithaḥ — one another samāḥ — years sahasram — one thousand vyagaman — passed mahī-pate — O King sa-prāṇayoḥ — both alive citram — wonderful amaṁsata — considered amarāḥ — the demigods.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
niyudhyator evam ibhendra-nakrayor
niyudhyatoḥ
fighting
evam
in this way
ibha-indra
of the elephant
nakrayoḥ
and the crocodile
vikarṣator antarato bahir mithaḥ
vikarṣatoḥ
pulling
antarataḥ
in the water
bahiḥ
outside the water
mithaḥ
one another
samāḥ sahasraṁ vyagaman mahī-pate
samāḥ
years
sahasram
one thousand
vyagaman
passed
mahī-pate
O King
saprāṇayoś citram amaṁsatāmarāḥ
sa-prāṇayoḥ
both alive
citram
wonderful
amaṁsata
considered
amarāḥ
the demigods.
O King, the elephant and the crocodile fought in this way, pulling one another in and out of the water, for one thousand years. Upon seeing the fight, the demigods were very surprised.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O King! As the elephant and the crocodile fought in this way without dying, pulling one another in and out of the water, one thousand years passed. Upon seeing the fight, the devatās were very surprised.
The fight goes on for one thousand years, dragging in and out of water. Some struggles in our lives stretch on for what feels like lifetimes. The demigods are surprised because such persistent struggle is itself a kind of training ground for surrender.
Reflection Questions
  • Which long, repeating struggle have I been treating as a problem instead of as a teacher?
  • What might 'a thousand years' of wrestling with this issue finally be preparing in me?
📝 My note

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