SB 5.8.9 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अहो बतायं हरिणकुणक: कृपण ईश्वररथचरणपरिभ्रमणरयेण स्वगणसुहृद् बन्धुभ्य: परिवर्जित: शरणं च मोपसादितो मामेव मातापितरौ भ्रातृज्ञातीन् यौथिकांश्चैवोपेयाय नान्यं कञ्चन वेद मय्यतिविस्रब्धश्चात एव मया मत्परायणस्य पोषणपालनप्रीणनलालनमनसूयुनानुष्ठेयं शरण्योपेक्षादोषविदुषा ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

aho batāyaṁ hariṇa-kuṇakaḥ kṛpaṇa īśvara-ratha-caraṇa-paribhramaṇa-rayeṇa sva-gaṇa-suhṛd-bandhubhyaḥ parivarjitaḥ śaraṇaṁ ca mopasādito mām eva mātā-pitarau bhrātṛ-jṣātīn yauthikāṁś caivopeyāya nānyaṁ kaṣcana veda mayy ati-visrabdhaś cāta eva mayā mat-parāyaṇasya poṣaṇa-pālana-prīṇana-lālanam anasūyunānuṣṭheyaṁ śaraṇyopekṣā-doṣa-viduṣā.

Synonyms

aho bata — alas ; ayam — this ; hariṇa — kuṇakaḥ — the deer calf ; kṛpaṇaḥ — helpless ; īśvara — ratha — caraṇa — paribhramaṇa — rayeṇa — by the force of the rotation of the time agent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is compared to the wheel of His chariot ; sva — gaṇa — own kinsmen ; suhṛt — and friends ; bandhubhyaḥ — relatives ; parivarjitaḥ — deprived of ; śaraṇam — as shelter ; ca — and ; mā — me ; upasāditaḥ — having obtained ; mām — me ; eva — alone ; mātā — pitarau — father and mother ; bhrātṛ — jṣātīn — brothers and kinsmen ; yauthikān — belonging to the herd ; ca — also ; eva — certainly ; upeyāya — having gotten ; na — not ; anyam — anyone else ; kaṣcana — some person ; veda — it knows ; mayi — in me ; ati — very great ; visrabdhaḥ — having faith ; ca — and ; ataḥ eva — therefore ; mayā — by me ; mat — parāyaṇasya — of one who is so dependent upon me ; poṣaṇa — pālana — prīṇana — lālanam — raising, maintaining, petting and protecting ; anasūyunā — who am without any grudge ; anuṣṭheyam — to be executed ; śaraṇya — the one who has taken shelter ; upekṣā — of neglecting ; doṣa — viduṣā — who knows the fault .

Translation

The great King Mahārāja Bharata began to think: Alas, this helpless young deer, by the force of time, an agent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has now lost its relatives and friends and has taken shelter of me. It does not know anyone but me, as I have become its father, mother, brother and relatives. This deer is thinking in this way, and it has full faith in me. It does not know anyone but me; therefore I should not be envious and think that for the deer my own welfare will be destroyed. I should certainly raise, protect, gratify and fondle it. When it has taken shelter with me, how can I neglect it? Even though the deer is disturbing my spiritual life, I realize that a helpless person who has taken shelter cannot be neglected. That would be a great fault.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Alas, this helpless young deer, by the force of the turning of the Lord’s wheel of time, has now lost its relatives and friends and has taken shelter of me. It does not know anyone but me, as I have become its father, mother, brother and relatives. It has faith in me. Therefore I, without envy, knowing the fault of neglecting one who approaches in surrender, should raise, protect, gratify and fondle this deer who has surrendered to me. From this verse till verse 11, his attachment is shown. The deer has been separated from its kind by the force of the rotation the Lord’s wheel of time. Mā means me. Being without envy, I see no fault in giving up my own interest for that of the deer, whereas neglecting one who has come for shelter is a great fault.

Purport

When a person is advanced in spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he naturally becomes very sympathetic toward all living entities suffering in the material world. Naturally such an advanced person thinks of the suffering of the people in general. However, if one does not know of the material sufferings of fallen souls and becomes sympathetic because of bodily comforts, as in the case of Bharata Mahārāja, such sympathy or compassion is the cause of one’s downfall. If one is actually sympathetic to fallen, suffering humanity, he should try to elevate people from material consciousness to spiritual consciousness. As far as the deer was concerned, Bharata Mahārāja became very sympathetic, but he forgot that it was impossible for him to elevate a deer to spiritual consciousness, because, after all, a deer is but an animal. It was very dangerous for Bharata Mahārāja to sacrifice all his regulative principles simply to take care of an animal. The principles enunciated in Bhagavad-gītā should be followed. Yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha. As far as the material body is concerned, we cannot do anything for anyone. However, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, we may raise a person to spiritual consciousness if we ourselves follow the rules and regulations. If we give up our own spiritual activities and simply become concerned with the bodily comforts of others, we will fall into a dangerous position.