Devanagari
एवं सुरासुरगणा: समदेशकाल-
हेत्वर्थकर्ममतयोऽपि फले विकल्पा: ।
तत्रामृतं सुरगणा: फलमञ्जसापु-
र्यत्पादपङ्कजरज:श्रयणान्न दैत्या: ॥ २८ ॥
Verse text
evaṁ surāsura-gaṇāḥ sama-deśa-kāla-
hetv-artha-karma-matayo ’pi phale vikalpāḥ
tatrāmṛtaṁ sura-gaṇāḥ phalam aṣjasāpur
yat-pāda-paṅkaja-rajaḥ-śrayaṇān na daityāḥ
Synonyms
evam
—
thus
;
sura
—
the demigods
;
asura
—
gaṇāḥ — and the demons
;
sama
—
equal
;
deśa
—
place
;
kāla
—
time
;
hetu
—
cause
;
artha
—
objective
;
karma
—
activities
;
matayaḥ
—
ambition
;
api
—
although one
;
phale
—
in the result
;
vikalpāḥ
—
not equal
;
tatra
—
thereupon
;
amṛtam
—
nectar
;
sura
—
gaṇāḥ — the demigods
;
phalam
—
the result
;
aṣjasā
—
easily, totally or directly
;
āpuḥ
—
achieved
;
yat
—
because of
;
pāda
—
paṅkaja — of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
rajaḥ
—
of the saffron dust
;
śrayaṇāt
—
because of receiving benedictions or taking shelter
;
na
—
not
;
daityāḥ
—
the demons .
Translation
The place, the time, the cause, the purpose, the activity and the ambition were all the same for both the demigods and the demons, but the demigods achieved one result and the demons another. Because the demigods are always under the shelter of the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet, they could very easily drink the nectar and get its result. The demons, however, not having sought shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, were unable to achieve the result they desired.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Though the place, time, cause, materials, the activity and the determination were the same for both the devatās and the demons, there were different results. Because the devatās took shelter of the dust of the Lord's lotus feet, they could very easily drink the nectar. The demons, however, not having taken shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, did not obtain the nectar.
Though the material conditions were the same for both parties, the devotees achieved success and the demons did not. The moral of the story is here stated. The place was the same: the milk ocean. The time was the same at every moment for both parties. The means was the same: using Mandara Mountain as the churning rod. The materials were the various herbs thrown in the ocean. The activity was churning the ocean. The determination was desire to attain nectar. But in attaining the result there was alternatives: attaining nectar and not attaining nectar. Among them (tatra) the devatās attained the result, because they took shelter of the Lord’s feet. The demons did not attain the result since they did not take shelter of the Lord’s feet. The meaning of the incident is that everyone should serve the Lord.
Purport
In
Bhagavad-gītā
(4.11)
it is said,
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham:
the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme judge who rewards or punishes different persons according to their surrender unto His lotus feet. Therefore it can actually be seen that although
karmīs
and
bhaktas
may work in the same place, at the same time, with the same energy and with the same ambition, they achieve different results. The
karmīs
transmigrate through different bodies in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes going upward and sometimes downward, thus suffering the results of their actions in the
karma-cakra,
the cycle of birth and death. The devotees, however, because of fully surrendering at the lotus feet of the Lord, are never baffled in their attempts. Although externally they work almost like the
karmīs,
the devotees go back home, back to Godhead, and achieve success in every effort. The demons or atheists have faith in their own endeavors, but although they work very hard day and night, they cannot get any more than their destiny. The devotees, however, can surpass the reactions of
karma
and achieve wonderful results, even without effort. It is also said,
phalena paricīyate:
one’s success or defeat in any activity is understood by its result. There are many
karmīs
in the dress of devotees, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead can detect their purpose. The
karmīs
want to use the property of the Lord for their selfish sense gratification, but a devotee endeavors to use the Lord’s property for God’s service. Therefore a devotee is always distinct from the
karmīs,
although the
karmīs
may dress like devotees. As confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā
(3.9)
,
yajṣārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ.
One who works for Lord Viṣṇu is free from this material world, and after giving up his body he goes back home, back to Godhead. A
karmī,
however, although externally working like a devotee, is entangled in his nondevotional activity, and thus he suffers the tribulations of material existence. Thus from the results achieved by the
karmīs
and devotees, one can understand the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who acts differently for the
karmīs
and
jṣānīs
than for the devotees. The author of
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
therefore says:
kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī — sakali ‘aśānta’
The
karmīs
who desire sense gratification, the
jṣānīs
who aspire for the liberation of merging into the existence of the Supreme, and the
yogīs
who seek material success in mystic power are all restless, and ultimately they are baffled. But the devotee, who does not expect any personal benefit and whose only ambition is to spread the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is blessed with all the auspicious results of
bhakti-yoga,
without hard labor.