SB 5.2.9 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

शिष्या इमे भगवत: परित: पठन्तिगायन्ति साम सरहस्यमजस्रमीशम् युष्मच्छिखाविलुलिता: सुमनोऽभिवृष्टी:सर्वे भजन्त्यृषिगणा इव वेदशाखा: ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

śiṣyā ime bhagavataḥ paritaḥ paṭhanti gāyanti sāma sarahasyam ajasram īśam yuṣmac-chikhā-vilulitāḥ sumano ’bhivṛṣṭīḥ sarve bhajanty ṛṣi-gaṇā iva veda-śākhāḥ

Synonyms

śiṣyāḥ — disciples, followers ; ime — these ; bhagavataḥ — of your worshipable self ; paritaḥ — surrounding ; paṭhanti — are reciting ; gāyanti — are singing ; sāma — the Sāma Veda ; sa — rahasyam — with the confidential portion ; ajasram — incessantly ; īśam — unto the Lord ; yuṣmat — your ; śikhā — from bunches of hair ; vilulitāḥ — fallen ; sumanaḥ — of flowers ; abhivṛṣṭīḥ — showers ; sarve — all ; bhajanti — enjoy, resort to ; ṛṣi — gaṇāḥ — sages ; iva — like ; veda — śākhāḥ — branches of Vedic literature .

Translation

Seeing the bumblebees following Pūrvacitti, Mahārāja Āgnīdhra said: My dear Lord, the bumblebees surrounding your body are like disciples surrounding your worshipable self. They are incessantly chanting the mantras of the Sāma Veda and the Upaniṣads, thus offering prayers to you. Just as great sages resort to the branches of Vedic literatures, the bumblebees are enjoying the showers of flowers falling from your hair.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

These disciples surrounding you are reciting and singing the powerful, confidential Sama Veda constantly. As sages serve the branches of the Vedas, your disciples are serving the flowers falling from your hair. Seeing the bees surrounding her out of greed for her fragrance, he speaks. The bees are compared to disciples.