Devanagari
उत्क्षेपणं गर्भगतस्य पादयो:
किं कल्पते मातुरधोक्षजागसे ।
किमस्तिनास्तिव्यपदेशभूषितं
तवास्ति कुक्षे: कियदप्यनन्त: ॥ १२ ॥
Verse text
utkṣepaṇaṁ garbha-gatasya pādayoḥ
kiṁ kalpate mātur adhokṣajāgase
kim asti-nāsti-vyapadeśa-bhūṣitaṁ
tavāsti kukṣeḥ kiyad apy anantaḥ
Synonyms
utkṣepaṇam
—
the kicking
;
garbha
—
gatasya — of a child in the womb
;
pādayoḥ
—
of the legs
;
kim
—
what
;
kalpate
—
amounts to
;
mātuḥ
—
for the mother
;
adhokṣaja
—
O transcendental Lord
;
āgase
—
as an offense
;
kim
—
what
;
asti
—
it exists
;
na asti
—
it does not exist
;
vyapadeśa
—
by the designations
;
bhūṣitam
—
decorated
;
tava
—
Your
;
asti
—
there is
;
kukṣeḥ
—
of the abdomen
;
kiyat
—
how much
;
api
—
even
;
anantaḥ
—
external .
Translation
O Lord Adhokṣaja, does a mother take offense when the child within her womb kicks with his legs? And is there anything in existence — whether designated by various philosophers as real or as unreal — that is actually outside Your abdomen?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O Lord Adhokṣaja, does a mother take offense when the child within her womb kicks with his legs? And is there anything in existence—whether designated by various philosophers as real or as unreal—that is actually outside Your abdomen?
KB 10.14.12
Lord Brahmā therefore compared himself to a little child within the womb of his mother. If the child within the womb plays with his hands and legs, and while playing touches the body of the mother, is the mother offended with the child? Of course she isn’t. Similarly, Lord Brahmā may be a very great personality, and yet not only Brahmā but everything that be is existing within the womb of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord’s energy is all-pervading: there is no place in the creation where it is not acting. Since everything is existing within the energy of the Lord, the Brahmā of this universe and the Brahmās of the many other millions and trillions of universes are existing within the energy of the Lord; therefore the Lord is considered to be the mother, and everything existing within the womb of the mother is considered to be the child. And the good mother is never offended with the child, even if he touches the body of the mother by kicking his legs.
Purport
Śrīla Prabhupāda comments as follows on this verse in
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Chapter Fourteen: “Lord Brahmā therefore compared himself to a little child within the womb of his mother. If the child within the womb plays with his hands and legs, and while playing touches the body of the mother, is the mother offended with the child? Of course she isn’t. Similarly, Lord Brahmā may be a very great personality, and yet not only Brahmā but everything that be is existing within the womb of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord’s energy is all-pervading: there is no place in the creation where it is not acting. Since everything is existing within the energy of the Lord, the Brahmā of this universe and the Brahmās of the many other millions and trillions of universes are existing within the energy of the Lord; therefore the Lord is considered to be the mother, and everything existing within the womb of the mother is considered to be the child. And the good mother is never offended with the child, even if he touches the body of the mother by kicking his legs.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Equating Krsna with garbhodasayi visnu, Brahma speaks "As you are mother to the universe, you are also a mother to me. Therefore you should forgive my offenses. When the child in the womb kicks the mother, the mother does not take offense. The universe which is proved true or false through argumentation, is certainly within you. Therefore I also am within you. Therefore I am like your son. Therefore you should forgive my offense." This is similar to the phrase pitamahasya jagato mata dhata pitamaha. I am the mother, father, creator, grandfather of the universe.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Moreover, offense cannot actually be committed to you by persons like me, for though you are the master of billions of universes, being merciful to me, you also keep this universe (of which I am the secondary creator) in your stomach like a mother. Brahmā praises the second puruṣa, Hiraṇyagarbha antaryāmī (monitor of the totaliy of jīvas), known as Pradyumna. Adhokṣaja means “he who has the power of the senses under his control.” O Adhokṣaja! Since I am under your control, though I am foolish and a wretch, you should not take offense. Kukṣeḥ (in the womb) refers to the Lord with a body of inconceivable energy in the form of Hiraṇyagarbha, the subtle body of the universal form, the totality of jīvas, pervading the gross body of the universal form. Garbhagatasya means “entering the womb,” a state of being very deep within. I am like that. How can the kicking of the child in the womb produce an offense to the mother? It does not. Rather it creates joy for the mother, who thinks, “I have a child, and it is living.” You should not consider this an offense. “The child is in the mother’s womb. But are you in my womb?” The Mīmāṁsakas say “The world exists.” The followers of Sāṅkhya say “The world does not exist.” Followers of atheistic Sāṅkhya say, “It is like a son of a barren woman, ornamented with false designations.” To what extent is whatever is revealed by these philosophers through senses perception as existent or non-existent outside (anantaḥ) the puruṣa known as Hiraṇyagarbha antaryāmī (kukṣeḥ)? Nothing is outside, since you oversee everything. I am inside of you. Therefore you should forgive my offense. Nothing, including me and all others who are glorified by their philosophies which are continually appear and disappear, exists outside of your womb. Asti means birth and nāsti means destruction. Thus asti-nāsti means “philosophies which continue without decay, being constantly born and destroyed.”
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Moreover the offense I committed does not affect you. O Lord who appeared as if born again under the axel of the cart! This is explained in Hari-vaṁśa, by Nārada:
adho ‘nena śayānena śakaṭāntara cāriṇā
rākṣasī nihatā raudrā śakuṇī-veśa-dhāriṇī
pūtanā nāma ghorā sā mahākāyā mahābalā
visa-dagdhaṁ stanaṁ kṣudrā prayacchantī janaṛdane
dadṛśur nihatāṁ tatra rākṣasīṁ vana-gocarāḥ
punar jāto ‘yam ityāhur uktas tasmaḍ adhokṣajaḥ
An angry Rākṣasī, entering the cart, was killed as Kṛṣṇa slept beneath the cart’s axel. Fierce Pūtanā with great strength and huge body, dressing herself auspiciously, gave her poisonous breast to Kṛṣṇa. Seeing that she was killed, the cowherds said “He has been born again.” Therefore he was called Adhokṣaja (beneath the axe –adhokṣa and born again--ja).
The name indicates the young son of Nanda, with his great pastimes. It suggests that Kṛṣṇa should not consider his offense. It is seen in this world that playful people forgive great offenses like stealing of a great offender and even give mercy. Therefore you should forgive my offense.