Devanagari
यथा हि स्कन्धशाखानां तरोर्मूलावसेचनम् ।
एवमाराधनं विष्णो: सर्वेषामात्मनश्च हि ॥ ४९ ॥
Verse text
yathā hi skandha-śākhānāṁ
taror mūlāvasecanam
evam ārādhanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
sarveṣām ātmanaś ca hi
Synonyms
yathā
—
as
;
hi
—
indeed
;
skandha
—
of the trunk
;
śākhānām
—
and of the branches
;
taroḥ
—
of a tree
;
mūla
—
the root
;
avasecanam
—
watering
;
evam
—
in this way
;
ārādhanam
—
worship
;
viṣṇoḥ
—
of Lord Viṣṇu
;
sarveṣām
—
of everyone
;
ātmanaḥ
—
of the Supersoul
;
ca
—
also
;
hi
—
indeed .
Translation
When one pours water on the root of a tree, the trunk and branches of the tree are automatically pleased. Similarly, when one becomes a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, everyone is served, for the Lord is the Supersoul of everyone.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Just as pouring water on the root benefits the trunk and branches, so worship of Viṣṇu, the soul of all beings, benefits all beings.
However, even if one does not perform actions (prescribed duties) but one worships the Lord, one receives all the results of all actions. Without worship of the Lord, all actions are without result. An example is given to illustrate this.
Purport
As stated in the
Padma Purāṇa:
ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
“Of all types of worship, worship of Lord Viṣṇu is best, and better than the worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the worship of His devotee, the Vaiṣṇava.” There are many demigods worshiped by people who are attached to material desires (
kāmais tais tair hṛta jṣānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
). Because people are embarrassed by so many material desires, they worship Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, the goddess Kālī, Durgā, Gaṇeśa and Sūrya to achieve different results. However, one can achieve all these results simultaneously just by worshiping Lord Viṣṇu. As stated elsewhere in the
Bhāgavatam
(4.31.14)
:
yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ
tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā
“Just by pouring water on the root of a tree, one nourishes its trunk and all of its branches, fruits and flowers, and just by supplying food to the stomach, one satisfies all the limbs of the body. Similarly, by worshiping Lord Viṣṇu one can satisfy everyone.” Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a sectarian religious movement. Rather, it is meant for all-embracing welfare activities for the world. One can enter this movement without discrimination in terms of caste, creed, religion or nationality. If one is trained to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who is the origin of
viṣṇu-tattva,
one can become fully satisfied and perfect in all respects.