Shloka 27
The Appearance of Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) and the Divine Exchange with Yoga-māyā
मर्त्यो मृत्युव्यालभीत: पलायन् लोकान् सर्वान्निर्भयं नाध्यगच्छत् । त्वत्पादाब्जं प्राप्य यदृच्छयाद्य सुस्थ: शेते मृत्युरस्मादपैति ॥ २७ ॥
martyo mṛtyu-vyāla-bhītaḥ palāyan lokān sarvān nirbhayaṁ nādhyagacchat tvat pādābjaṁ prāpya yadṛcchayādya susthaḥ śete mṛtyur asmād apaiti
In this mortal world no one has become free from birth, death, old age, and disease; even by fleeing to all realms one finds no fearlessness. But today, O Lord, since You have appeared, death itself flees in fear of You, and the beings who by Your mercy have taken shelter of Your lotus feet rest in complete peace of mind.
There are different categories of living entities, but everyone is afraid of death. The highest aim of the karmīs is to be promoted to the higher, heavenly planets, where the duration of life is very long. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (8.17) , sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ: one day of Brahmā equals 1,000 yugas, and each yuga consists of 4,300,000 years. Similarly, Brahmā has a night of 1,000 times 4,300,000 years. In this way, we may calculate Brahmā’s month and year, but even Brahmā, who lives for millions and millions of years ( dvi-parārdha-kāla ), also must die. According to Vedic śāstra, the inhabitants of the higher planetary systems live for 10,000 years, and just as Brahmā’s day is calculated to equal 4,300,000,000 of our years, one day in the higher planetary systems equals six of our months. Karmīs, therefore, try for promotion to the higher planetary systems, but this cannot free them from death. In this material world, everyone from Brahmā to the insignificant ant must die. Therefore this world is called martya-loka. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (8.16) , ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjuna: as long as one is within this material world, either on Brahmaloka or on any other loka within this universe, one must undergo the kāla-cakra of one life after another ( bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate ). But if one returns to the Supreme Personality of Godhead ( yad gatvā na nivartante ), one need not reenter the limits of time. Therefore, devotees who have taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord can sleep very peacefully with this assurance from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) , tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: after giving up the present body, a devotee who has understood Kṛṣṇa as He is need not return to this material world.
FAQs
This verse says that no worldly place grants real fearlessness; true security comes by attaining Krishna’s lotus feet, after which death ‘withdraws’—meaning fear and bondage are removed by surrender.
Seeing the Lord appear before her, Devaki glorifies Him as the ultimate refuge: even amid danger and worldly insecurity, shelter at His lotus feet grants peace and liberation.
Instead of seeking absolute safety only through changing external conditions, practice taking shelter of Krishna—through prayer, remembrance, and devotional living—so inner steadiness grows and fear loses its power.