SB 10.85.45 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

तन्न: प्रसीद निरपेक्षविमृग्ययुष्मत्- पादारविन्दधिषणान्यगृहान्धकूपात् । निष्क्रम्य विश्वशरणाङ्घ्रय‍ुपलब्धवृत्ति: शान्तो यथैक उत सर्वसखैश्चरामि ॥ ४५ ॥

Verse text

tan naḥ prasīda nirapekṣa-vimṛgya-yuṣmat pādāravinda-dhiṣaṇānya-gṛhāndha-kūpāt niṣkramya viśva-śaraṇāṅghry-upalabdha-vṛttiḥ śānto yathaika uta sarva-sakhaiś carāmi

Synonyms

tat — in such a way ; naḥ — to us ; prasīda — please be merciful ; nirapekṣa — by those who have no material motives ; vimṛgya — searched for ; yuṣmat — Your ; pāda — than the feet ; aravinda — lotus ; dhiṣaṇa — shelter ; anya — other ; gṛha — from the home ; andha — blind ; kūpāt — which is a well ; niṣkramya — going out ; viśva — to the whole world ; śaraṇa — of those who are helpful (the trees) ; aṅghri — at the feet ; upalabdha — obtained ; vṛttiḥ — whose livelihood ; śāntaḥ — peaceful ; yathā — as ; ekaḥ — alone ; uta — or else ; sarva — of everyone ; sakhaiḥ — with the friends ; carāmi — I may wander .

Translation

Please be merciful to me so I may get out of the blind well of family life — my false home — and find the true shelter of Your lotus feet, which selfless sages always seek. Then, either alone or in the company of great saints, who are the friends of everyone, I may wander freely, finding life’s necessities at the feet of the universally charitable trees.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Please be merciful to me so I may get out of the blind well of family life—my false home—and find the true shelter of Your lotus feet, which selfless sages always seek. Then, either alone or in the company of great saints, who are the friends of everyone, I may wander freely, finding life's necessities at the feet of the universally charitable trees. KB 10.85.45 “Please be kind to me, who am fully surrendered unto You, and favor me with Your causeless mercy so that I may simply remember Your lotus feet, birth after birth. My only ambition is that I may live alone just like the paramahaṁsas who travel alone here and there in great peace of mind, depending simply upon Your lotus feet. I also desire that if I have to associate with anyone, I may associate only with Your pure devotees and no one else, for Your pure devotees are always well-wishers of all living entities.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī states that in response to Bali’s prayers, Śrī Kṛṣṇa invited him to choose some benediction, and in this verse Bali submits his request. Bali begs to be relieved of the entanglement of material life so he will be free to leave home and wander in the wilderness, with only the Lord’s lotus feet as his shelter. For his subsistence, Bali proposes, he will take help from the forest trees, at whose feet are fruits to eat and leaves to sleep on, for all to use as needed. And if the Lord is especially merciful to him, Bali hopes, he will not have to wander alone but will be allowed to travel in the company of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotees.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"Please ask for a benediction." "Overcoming the well of household life, which is opposite of the shelter (dihisana) your lotu s feet, sought by even the atam rama s( nirapeksa), may I wander alone being peaceful in living (vrtti) having obtained fruit spontaneously dropping at the root of trees which act as a shelter for the universe. If you are more merciful then let me wander with the friends of all beings (sarva sakhaih), your devotees."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Because of your merciful nature mentioned in the previous verse, therefore (tat) be merciful to me. He describes that mercy. The feet of you two are sought but not immediately achieved by liberated souls, who are also endowed with the bhāva of pure devotees. They are like lotuses because they destroy all suffering, are most beautiful, and give the greatest fragrance. Because they are the supreme shelter they are the best home. Other places are simply dull reflections. Get me out of this house which is actually like a blind well since it is the cause of bondage for a great fool, especially if it is Sutala, which is different from the shelter of your feet. Having attained your lotus feet which are the object of surrender for the universe, remaining as your servant (vṛttiḥ), going alone, not with followers, I will wander about with your devotees who are friends of everyone. Because they are friendly they will not criticize me.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Therefore (tat), because you let us see you, give us mercy. Plural indicates his followers as well. Your feet are sought even by liberated souls, disregarding liberation (vimṛgya), but they cannot attain those feet. The feet of you two, or you and devotees (yuṣmat) are like lotuses, destroying all suffering and flowing with sweet rasa. They are a shelter (dhiṣaṇa). Take us from the blind well of the house, which are not a shelter. It gives suffering but is unnoticed by the unintelligent. I will attain closeness with those feet which give shelter to the universe, causelessly giving benefit. There is no endeavor for this attainment, just as ripe fruits fall by themselves everywhere. I will be peaceful at heart (śāṇtaḥ) in cold or heat, even in the absence of those feet. Or devoid of attachment and hatred, alone, constantly chanting and remembering you, or with friends (uta) in order to taste the rasa of bhakti, I will wander about there and there. Because the great devotees are merciful I am qualified for their association. Or the shelter of your lotus feet, Vraja, is sought by the detached. Everything else, all houses, even Brahmaloka, are a blind well, since those who fall into the well cannot attain your place. Therefore do not give this regard (niṣkramya). Being situated (vṛrtiḥ) near the base of the trees of Vṛndāvana (viśva-śarana) or being situated near your feet, the shelter of the universe, giving up friends, some peaceful devotee (śāṇtaḥ) will wander about. Or being happy in your association, sometimes being alone with you (śānṭaḥ), and sometimes being with the people of Vraja, I will wander about. Or being the most excellent as a cowherd, or being one among the cowherds, I will wander with cowherd friends of you, the whole universe (sarva), in Vṛndāvana. However he does not directly state this out of shyness, since he prays for a position difficult to attain. In the beginning he mentions the plural naḥ (we), but at the end he mentions one person (ekaḥ) since a rare object cannot be given to many. Or we all have to attain the mercy. Your associates already have that mercy by their nature.