FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.22.6-7

यस्मिन् वैरानुबन्धेन व्यूढेन विबुधेतरा: । बहवो लेभिरे सिद्धिं यामु हैकान्तयोगिन: ॥ ६ ॥ तेनाहं निगृहीतोऽस्मि भवता भूरिकर्मणा । बद्धश्च वारुणै: पाशैर्नातिव्रीडे न च व्यथे ॥ ७ ॥
yasmin vairānubandhena
[yasmin vairaanubandhena]
vyūḍhena vibudhetarāḥ
[vyoodhena vibudhetaraah]
bahavo lebhire siddhiṁ
[bahavo lebhire siddhim]
yām u haikānta-yoginaḥ
[yaam u haikaanta-yoginah]
tenāhaṁ nigṛhīto ’smi
[tenaaham nigriheeto ’smi]
bhavatā bhūri-karmaṇā
[bhavataa bhoori-karmanaa]
baddhaś ca vāruṇaiḥ pāśair
[baddhash cha vaarunaih paashair]
nātivrīḍe na ca vyathe
[naativreede na cha vyathe]
Word-for-word
yasmin — unto You vaira-anubandhena — by continuously treating as an enemy vyūḍhena — firmly fixed by such intelligence vibudha-itarāḥ — the demons (those other than the demigods) bahavaḥ — many of them lebhire — achieved siddhim — perfection yām — which u ha — it is well known ekānta-yoginaḥ — equal to the achievements of the greatly successful mystic yogīs tena — therefore aham — I nigṛhītaḥ asmi — although I am being punished bhavatā — by Your Lordship bhūri-karmaṇā — who can do many wonderful things baddhaḥ ca — I am arrested and bound vāruṇaiḥ pāśaiḥ — by the ropes of Varuṇa na ati-vrīḍe — I am not at all ashamed of this na ca vyathe — nor am I suffering very much.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yasmin vairānubandhena
yasmin
unto You
vaira-anubandhena
by continuously treating as an enemy
vyūḍhena vibudhetarāḥ
vyūḍhena
firmly fixed by such intelligence
vibudha-itarāḥ
the demons (those other than the demigods)
bahavo lebhire siddhiṁ
bahavaḥ
many of them
lebhire
achieved
siddhim
perfection
yām u haikānta-yoginaḥ
yām
which
u ha
it is well known
ekānta-yoginaḥ
equal to the achievements of the greatly successful mystic yogīs
tenāhaṁ nigṛhīto ’smi
tena
therefore
aham
I
nigṛhītaḥ asmi
although I am being punished
bhavatā bhūri-karmaṇā
bhavatā
by Your Lordship
bhūri-karmaṇā
who can do many wonderful things
baddhaś ca vāruṇaiḥ pāśair
baddhaḥ ca
I am arrested and bound
vāruṇaiḥ pāśaiḥ
by the ropes of Varuṇa
nātivrīḍe na ca vyathe
na ati-vrīḍe
I am not at all ashamed of this
na ca vyathe
nor am I suffering very much.
Many demons who were continuously inimical toward You finally achieved the perfection of great mystic yogīs. Your Lordship can perform one work to serve many purposes, and consequently, although You have punished me in many ways, I do not feel ashamed of having been arrested by the ropes of Varuṇa, nor do I feel aggrieved.
Purport

Bali Mahārāja appreciated the Lord’s mercy not only upon him but upon many other demons. Because this mercy is liberally distributed, the Supreme Lord is called all-merciful. Bali Mahārāja was indeed a fully surrendered devotee, but even some demons who were not at all devotees but merely enemies of the Lord attained the same exalted position achieved by many mystic yogīs. Thus Bali Mahārāja could understand that the Lord had some hidden purpose in punishing him. Consequently he was neither unhappy nor ashamed because of the awkward position in which he had been put by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Many demons by continuous animosity toward you achieved the perfection that dedicated yogīs achieve. Although you, whose actions have wonderful effects, have punished me and bound me with ropes, I do not feel extremely ashamed and do not suffer. What to speak of me, your dedicated devotee, even the demons who hated you got your extraordinary mercy. I have been punished by you, the benefactor (tena), whose actions have great effects (bhūri-karmaṇā). I have a little shame: because of my impurity of heart.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Many enmity-filled demons reached great-yogī perfection. You serve many purposes with one act. I do not feel ashamed of arrest or aggrieved. Devotional vision reframes punishment as mercy in disguise.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I feel shame or grief at outcomes scripture reframes as honors?
  • What single divine act in my life might be serving many purposes I have only partly noticed?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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