SB 4.6.7 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नाहं न यज्ञो न च यूयमन्ये ये देहभाजो मुनयश्च तत्त्वम् । विदु: प्रमाणं बलवीर्ययोर्वा यस्यात्मतन्त्रस्य क उपायं विधित्सेत् ॥ ७ ॥

Verse text

nāhaṁ na yajṣo na ca yūyam anye ye deha-bhājo munayaś ca tattvam viduḥ pramāṇaṁ bala-vīryayor vā yasyātma-tantrasya ka upāyaṁ vidhitset

Synonyms

na — not ; aham — I ; na — nor ; yajṣaḥ — Indra ; na — nor ; ca — and ; yūyam — all of you ; anye — others ; ye — who ; deha — bhājaḥ — of those who bear material bodies ; munayaḥ — the sages ; ca — and ; tattvam — the truth ; viduḥ — know ; pramāṇam — the extent ; bala — vīryayoḥ — of the strength and power ; vā — or ; yasya — of Lord Śiva ; ātma — tantrasya — of Lord Śiva, who is self-dependent ; kaḥ — what ; upāyam — means ; vidhitset — should wish to devise .

Translation

Lord Brahmā said that no one — not even himself, Indra, all the members assembled in the sacrificial arena or all the sages — could know how powerful Lord Śiva is. Under the circumstances, who would dare to commit an offense at his lotus feet?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I, Indra, you, anyone with a body, and the sages do not know the strength, influence and the true nature of Śiva, who is completely independent. Who should provide a means to do this? “We are surrendered to you. Give us some way to do this.” Brahmā answers. Not I, Brahmā, or the present Indra (yajṣaḥ) nor you sacrificers, knowers of the Vedas, know the truth about Śiva or the extent of his strength and influence.

Purport

After Lord Brahmā advised the demigods to go to Lord Śiva and beg his pardon, it was suggested how he should be satisfied and how the matter should be placed before him. Brahmā also asserted that none of the conditioned souls, including himself and all the demigods, could know how to satisfy Lord Śiva. But he said, “It is known that he is very easily satisfied, so let us try to satisfy him by falling at his lotus feet.” Actually the position of the subordinate is always to surrender to the Supreme. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord asks everyone to give up all kinds of concocted occupations and simply surrender unto Him. That will protect the conditioned souls from all sinful reactions. Similarly, in this case Brahmā also suggested that they go and surrender unto the lotus feet of Lord Śiva, for since he is very kind and easily satisfied, this action would prove effective.