Shloka 15

Aditi’s Lament and Kaśyapa’s Instruction of the Payo-vrata (Milk Vow) to Please Keśava

Devanagari script

तस्मादीश भजन्त्या मे श्रेयश्चिन्तय सुव्रत । हृतश्रियो हृतस्थानान्सपत्नै: पाहि न: प्रभो ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

tasmād īśa bhajantyā me śreyaś cintaya suvrata hṛta-śriyo hṛta-sthānān sapatnaiḥ pāhi naḥ prabho

Translation

Therefore, O gentle Lord of noble vows, please consider the welfare of Your maidservant. Our rivals, the demons, have stolen our opulence and our abode; O Prabhu, protect us.

Synonyms

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभावार्थे (ablatival adverb ‘therefore/from that’); मूलतः पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपम्

• īśa: O Lord
• īśa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• bhajantyāḥ: of me who am worshipping
• bhajantyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhajantī (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वर्तमान-कर्तरि-शतृ, √bhaj)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle feminine)

• me: my/of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) / चतुर्थी (Dative) एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (‘my’)

• śreyaḥ: welfare/the best good
• śreyaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative) एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा/द्वितीया समानम्)

• cintaya: consider/think of
• cintaya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (चिन्त् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• suvrata: O one of good vows
• suvrata: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• hṛta-śriyaḥ: whose prosperity has been taken away
• hṛta-śriyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भूतकर्मणि, √hṛ ‘to take away’) + śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘हृता श्रीः येषाम्’)

• hṛta-sthānān: those deprived of their positions
• hṛta-sthānān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √hṛ) + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘हृतानि स्थानानि येषाम्’)

• sapatnaiḥ: by rivals/enemies
• sapatnaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• pāhi: protect
• pāhi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (पा धातु, ‘to protect’)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• naḥ: us
• naḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) / द्वितीया (Accusative) बहुवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (‘us’)

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Purport

Aditi, the mother of the demigods, appealed to Kaśyapa Muni to give the demigods protection. When we speak of the demigods, this also includes their mother.

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Lord Viṣṇu
• Diti (implied as rival)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about seeking protection from rivals through devotion?

This verse shows Aditi taking shelter of Lord Viṣṇu through vowed worship and asking Him to protect her, teaching that sincere bhakti and surrender invite the Lord’s guardianship even amid hostility.

Why did Aditi say this to Lord Viṣṇu in Canto 8 Chapter 16?

Aditi had lost her prosperity and position due to opposing forces and rivalry; while observing the Pāyovrata, she prays that Viṣṇu decide her true welfare and protect her and her sons from their adversaries.

Practical application of surrender (śaraṇāgati) from this shloka in modern life?

When facing competition, injustice, or loss, focus on disciplined spiritual practice, pray for what is genuinely beneficial (not merely what is desired), and rely on divine guidance rather than reacting with resentment.