SB 6.14.56 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

त्वं तात नार्हसि च मां कृपणामनाथां त्यक्तुं विचक्ष्व पितरं तव शोकतप्तम् । अञ्जस्तरेम भवताप्रजदुस्तरं यद् ध्वान्तं न याह्यकरुणेन यमेन दूरम् ॥ ५६ ॥

Verse text

tvaṁ tāta nārhasi ca māṁ kṛpaṇām anāthāṁ tyaktuṁ vicakṣva pitaraṁ tava śoka-taptam aṣjas tarema bhavatāpraja-dustaraṁ yad dhvāntaṁ na yāhy akaruṇena yamena dūram

Synonyms

tvam — you ; tāta — my dear son ; na — not ; arhasi — ought ; ca — and ; mām — me ; kṛpaṇām — very poor ; anāthām — without a protector ; tyaktum — to give up ; vicakṣva — look ; pitaram — at the father ; tava — your ; śoka — taptam — affected by so much lamentation ; aṣjaḥ — easily ; tarema — we can cross ; bhavatā — by you ; apraja — dustaram — very difficult to cross for one without a son ; yat — which ; dhvāntam — the kingdom of darkness ; na yāhi — do not go away ; akaruṇena — merciless ; yamena — with Yamarāja ; dūram — any further .

Translation

My dear son, I am helpless and very much aggrieved. You should not give up my company. Just look at your lamenting father. We are helpless because without a son we shall have to suffer the distress of going to the darkest hellish regions. You are the only hope by which we can get out of these dark regions. Therefore I request you not to go any further with the merciless Yama.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

My dear son! You should not give up my company since I am helpless and miserable. Just look at your lamenting father. By you, we could easily cross over dark, hellish existence, which cannot be crossed without a son. Do not go far off with merciless Yamarāja! The mother thought, “Why am I gossiping with the foolish Lord? Why do I not think of the benefit of my son?” O son! By you could cross the hell which is dark and difficult to cross over. “But Yamarāja is taking me to his city. What can I do?” Do not go with merciless Yamarāja.

Purport

According to the Vedic injunctions, one must accept a wife just to beget a son who can deliver one from the clutches of Yamarāja. Unless one has a son to offer oblations to the pitās, or forefathers, one must suffer in Yamarāja’s kingdom. King Citraketu was very much aggrieved, thinking that because his son was going away with Yamarāja he himself would again suffer. The subtle laws exist for the karmīs; if one becomes a devotee, he has no more obligations to the laws of karma.