Devanagari
तडिद्वन्तो महामेघाश्चण्डश्वसनवेपिता: ।
प्रीणनं जीवनं ह्यस्य मुमुचु: करुणा इव ॥ ६ ॥
Verse text
taḍidvanto mahā-meghāś
caṇḍa-śvasana-vepitāḥ
prīṇanaṁ jīvanaṁ hy asya
mumucuḥ karuṇā iva
Synonyms
taḍit
—
vantaḥ — displaying lightning
;
mahā
—
meghāḥ — the great clouds
;
caṇḍa
—
fierce
;
śvasana
—
by the wind
;
vepitāḥ
—
shaken
;
prīṇanam
—
the gratification
;
jīvanam
—
their life (their water)
;
hi
—
indeed
;
asya
—
of this world
;
mumucuḥ
—
they released
;
karuṇāḥ
—
merciful personalities
;
iva
—
just as .
Translation
Flashing with lightning, great clouds were shaken and swept about by fierce winds. Just like merciful persons, the clouds gave their lives for the pleasure of this world.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Flashing with lightning, great clouds were shaken and swept about by fierce winds. Just like merciful persons, the clouds gave their lives for the pleasure of this world.
KB 10.20.6
During the rainy season, there are strong winds blustering all over the country and carrying clouds from one place to another to distribute life-giving water to the needy living entities. Water is urgently needed after the summer season, and thus the clouds are just like a rich man who, in times of need, distributes his money even to the point of exhausting his whole treasury. So the clouds exhaust themselves by distributing water all over the surface of the globe.
When Mahārāja Daśaratha, the father of Lord Rāmacandra, used to fight with his enemies, it was said that he approached them just like a farmer uprooting unnecessary plants and trees. And when there was need of giving charity, he used to distribute money exactly as the cloud distributes rain. The distribution of rain by clouds is so sumptuous that it is compared to the distribution of wealth by a great, munificent person. The clouds’ downpour is so profuse that the rains even fall on rocks and hills and on the oceans and seas, where there is no need for water. The clouds resemble a charitable person who opens his treasury for distribution and who does not discriminate whether the charity is needed or not. He gives in charity openhandedly.
Purport
Just as great, compassionate personalities sometimes give their lives or wealth for the happiness of society, the rain clouds poured down their rain upon the parched earth. Although the clouds were thus dissipated, they freely provided rainfall for the happiness of the earth.
In
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Śrīla Prabhupāda comments as follows on this verse: “During the rainy season, there are strong winds blustering all over the country and carrying clouds from one place to another to distribute water. When water is urgently needed after the summer season, the clouds are just like a rich man who, in times of need, distributes his money even by exhausting his whole treasury. So the clouds exhaust themselves by distributing water all over the surface of the globe.
“When Mahārāja Daśaratha, the father of Lord Rāmacandra, used to fight with his enemies, it was said that he approached them just like a farmer uprooting unnecessary plants and trees. And when there was need of giving charity, he used to distribute money exactly as the cloud distributes rain. The distribution of rain by clouds is so sumptuous that it is compared to the distribution of wealth by a great, munificent person. The clouds' downpour is so sufficient that the rains even fall on rocks and hills and on the oceans and seas where there is no need for water. It is like a charitable person who opens his treasury for distribution and who does not discriminate whether the charity is needed or not. He gives in charity openhandedly.”
Metaphorically speaking, the lightning in rain clouds is the light by which they see the distressed condition of the earth, and the blowing winds are their heavy breathing, such as that found in a distressed person. Distressed to see the condition of the earth, the clouds tremble in the wind like a compassionate person. Thus they pour down their rain.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The clouds agitated by the winds(svasana) released water (jivanam-life) on the earth. The clouds are compared to merciful benefactors (karuna). As clouds are agitated (vepitah) by the wind, the merciful person is moved by the suffering of the people. Seeing the suffering of others, those merciful persons such as Rantideva give up (mumucuh) their life (jivanam), or the water that keeps them alive and give it others. This is how the merciful person is compared with the cloud.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Karuṇā indicates natural compassion. The huge clouds with lightning were shaking because of feelings of compassion that arose at that time. The clouds released water just as merciful persons give up even their lives for the welfare of others. The clouds were shaken by many fierce winds. Hi means certainly. Or, by the lightning revealing the clouds is like the merciful revealing their true nature. Another meaning is suggested. Trembling with heavy breath, like Rantideva, they gave water which was a cause of life.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Śrīdhara Svāmī explains the verse. The shaking and heavy breathing indicates natural symptoms of the living entity. Or the shaking indicate sāttvika-bhāva arising from compassion. Hi indicates certainty or reason. The compassionate people give their lives because they have affection (prīṇanam).