SB 10.46.20 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

दावाग्नेर्वातवर्षाच्च वृषसर्पाच्च रक्षिता: । दुरत्ययेभ्यो मृत्युभ्य: कृष्णेन सुमहात्मना ॥ २० ॥

Verse text

dāvāgner vāta-varṣāc ca vṛṣa-sarpāc ca rakṣitāḥ duratyayebhyo mṛtyubhyaḥ kṛṣṇena su-mahātmanā

Synonyms

dāva — agneḥ — from the forest fire ; vāta — from the wind ; varṣāt — and rain ; ca — also ; vṛṣa — from the bull ; sarpāt — from the serpent ; ca — and ; rakṣitāḥ — protected ; duratyayebhyaḥ — insurmountable ; mṛtyubhyaḥ — from mortal dangers ; kṛṣṇena — by Kṛṣṇa ; su — mahā — ātmanā — the very great soul .

Translation

We were saved from the forest fire, the wind and rain, the bull and serpent demons — from all such insurmountable, deadly dangers — by that very great soul, Kṛṣṇa.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

We were saved from the forest fire, the wind and rain, the bull and serpent demons—from all such insurmountable, deadly dangers—by that very great soul, Kṛṣṇa. KB 10.46.20 “We remember how He saved us from the forest fire, how He saved us from the great snake Kāliya in the Yamunā, and how He saved us from so many other demons, and we simply think of how much we are obliged to Him for giving us protection in many dangerous situations.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"But you will not die. You will live a long time, raising your son with affection." "Now, we will not be saved from the hands of death." In saying this he recounts the previous threats of death. "He saves us from the forest fire, from the rains produced by Indra, because of his natural affection for us (su mahatmaha). But today, why does he not save us from the huge fire of terrible separation? I cannot understand this."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

As if gaining self control. Nanda remembering Kṛṣṇa’s great affection for his relatives which made him forget his own suffering, in order to console himself. But then, by that remembrance he laments as if his heart as been broken. From his young childhood Kṛṣṇa performed many acts to save us. I will describe some. From the beginning he showed great compassion. He protected us from the forest fire, because of his powers similar to Nārāyaṇa’s as stated by Garga. Or, seeing the fire, he swallowed the fire which became nectar for him, because of his very nature or his compassion. Similarly he protected us from the wind and rain, from the bull and snake, and from other personifications of death. He was the most excellent, great soul, having natural qualities such as unconditional love, mercy and power.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Having described Kṛṣṇa’s form with desire to see him, he describes his qualities, somewhat lamenting. He describes these events since he personally experienced them. The snake refers to Kāliya and Aghāsura. These were equal to death. We are alive because he saved us. He could save us because his nature is mercy (su-mahātmanā). We were saved because he is compassionate, not because of our qualities. This is a statement uttered in misery.