FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.31.9

అకల్ప: స్వాఙ్గచేష్టాయాం శకున్త ఇవ పఞ్జరే । తత్ర లబ్ధస్మృతిర్దైవాత్కర్మ జన్మశతోద్భవమ్ । స్మరన్దీర్ఘమనుచ్ఛ్‌వాసం శర్మ కిం నామ విన్దతే ॥ ౯ ॥
akalpaḥ svāṅga-ceṣṭāyāṁ
[akalpah svaanga-cheshtaayaam]
śakunta iva paṣjare
[shakunta iva pashjare]
tatra labdha-smṛtir daivāt
[tatra labdha-smritir daivaat]
karma janma-śatodbhavam
[karma janma-shatodbhavam]
smaran dīrgham anucchvāsaṁ
[smaran deergham anuchchvaasam]
śarma kiṁ nāma vindate
[sharma kim naama vindate]
akalpaḥ — unable sva-aṅga — his limbs ceṣṭāyām — to move śakuntaḥ — a bird iva — like paṣjare — in a cage tatra — there labdha-smṛtiḥ — having gained his memory daivāt — by fortune karma — activities janma-śata-udbhavam — occurring during the last hundred births smaran — remembering dīrgham — for a long time anucchvāsam — sighing śarma — peace of mind kim — what nāma — then vindate — can he achieve.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
akalpaḥ svāṅga-ceṣṭāyāṁ
akalpaḥ
unable
sva-aṅga
his limbs
ceṣṭāyām
to move
śakunta iva paṣjare
śakuntaḥ
a bird
iva
like
paṣjare
in a cage
tatra labdha-smṛtir daivāt
tatra
there
labdha-smṛtiḥ
having gained his memory
daivāt
by fortune
karma janma-śatodbhavam
karma
activities
janma-śata-udbhavam
occurring during the last hundred births
smaran dīrgham anucchvāsaṁ
smaran
remembering
dīrgham
for a long time
anucchvāsam
sighing
śarma kiṁ nāma vindate
śarma
peace of mind
kim
what
nāma
then
vindate
can he achieve.
The child thus remains just like a bird in a cage, without freedom of movement. At that time, if the child is fortunate, he can remember all the troubles of his past one hundred births, and he grieves wretchedly. What is the possibility of peace of mind in that condition?

After birth the child may forget about the difficulties of his past lives, but when we are grown-up we can at least understand the grievous tortures undergone at birth and death by reading the authorized scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we do not believe in the scriptures, that is a different question, but if we have faith in the authority of such descriptions, then we must prepare for our freedom in the next life; that is possible in this human form of life. One who does not take heed of these indications of suffering in human existence is said to be undoubtedly committing suicide. It is said that this human form of life is the only means for crossing over the nescience of māyā, or material existence. We have a very efficient boat in this human form of body, and there is a very expert captain, the spiritual master; the scriptural injunctions are like favorable winds. If we do not cross over the ocean of the nescience of material existence in spite of all these facilities, then certainly we are all intentionally committing suicide.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Unable to move, like a bird in a cage, there the embryo remembers by influence of previous karmas his actions stemming from a hundred lives. This produces sighing for a long time. What happiness can he enjoy? Śaukuntaḥ is a bird. Under the influence of previous karmas (daivāt) he remembers his actions, in such a way to produce sighing for a long time.
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