Shloka 31
The Lord’s Advent: Yoga-māyā’s Mission, Saṅkarṣaṇa’s Transfer, and the Demigods’ Prayers
स्वयं समुत्तीर्य सुदुस्तरं द्युमन् भवार्णवं भीममदभ्रसौहृदा: । भवत्पदाम्भोरुहनावमत्र ते निधाय याता: सदनुग्रहो भवान् ॥ ३१ ॥
svayaṁ samuttīrya sudustaraṁ dyuman bhavārṇavaṁ bhīmam adabhra-sauhṛdāḥ bhavat-padāmbhoruha-nāvam atra te nidhāya yātāḥ sad-anugraho bhavān
O Lord, radiant like the sun, the compassionate ācāryas have themselves crossed the fearsome, hard-to-cross ocean of saṁsāra and have left here the boat of Your lotus feet. Ever merciful, You accept that very method to aid Your other devotees.
This statement reveals how the merciful ācāryas and the merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead together help the serious devotee who wants to return home, back to Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī, said:
FAQs
This verse says the ocean of saṁsāra is extremely difficult to cross, but devotees who take shelter of Krishna’s lotus feet can cross it, and they leave that same shelter—like a boat—for others.
Because in their prayers to the Lord appearing in Devakī’s womb, they emphasize that His lotus feet are the sure means of deliverance, enabling both the devotees’ liberation and the upliftment of the world.
Rely on steady bhakti—chanting, hearing, and serving—and also help others access devotion (sharing teachings, supporting sādhana), just as liberated devotees “leave the boat” for those still struggling.