SB 10.40.26 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यथाबुधो जलं हित्वा प्रतिच्छन्नं तदुद्भ‍वै: । अभ्येति मृगतृष्णां वै तद्वत्त्वाहं पराङ्‌मुख: ॥ २६ ॥

Verse text

yathābudho jalaṁ hitvā praticchannaṁ tad-udbhavaiḥ abhyeti mṛga-tṛṣṇāṁ vai tadvat tvāhaṁ parāṅ-mukhaḥ

Synonyms

yathā — as ; abudhaḥ — someone who is unintelligent ; jalam — water ; hitvā — overlooking ; praticchannam — covered ; tat — udbhavaiḥ — by the plants growing in it ; abhyeti — approaches ; mṛga — tṛṣṇām — a mirage ; vai — indeed ; tadvat — in that same way ; tvā — You ; aham — I ; parāk — mukhaḥ — turned away .

Translation

Just as a fool overlooks a body of water covered by the vegetation growing in it and chases a mirage, so I have turned away from You.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Just as a fool overlooks a body of water covered by the vegetation growing in it and chases a mirage, so I have turned away from You. KB 10.40.26 “I am bereft of Your transcendental association, being just like a foolish creature who leaves a water hole covered by water-nourished vegetation and goes in search of water in the desert. The conditioned souls want to quench their thirst, but they do not know where to find water. They give up the spot where there is actually a reservoir of water and run into the desert, where there is no water.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

He illustrates with an example. As a foolish man gives up water covered with grass growing from it, and runs after a mirage, I give up you, covered by maya, which emanates from you , and run towards the body (paranmukha).

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The person with no discriminating power gives up water covered by vegetation, even though it is easy to discover, and goes far off seeking a mirage. Vai means this is well known. Similarly I have given up you (tvā), even though you are full of powers and sweetness.