Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 15
Karma, Jñāna, and Bhakti: Vedic Dharma, Piety and Sin, and the Boat of Human Life
छिद्यमानं यमैरेतै: कृतनीडं वनस्पतिम् । खग: स्वकेतमुत्सृज्य क्षेमं याति ह्यलम्पट: ॥ १५ ॥
chidyamānaṁ yamair etaiḥ kṛta-nīḍaṁ vanaspatim khagaḥ sva-ketam utsṛjya kṣemaṁ yāti hy alampaṭaḥ
When cruel men, like Yama, cut down the tree where its nest was made, the bird, free from attachment, abandons that shelter and attains safety and happiness elsewhere.
Here the example is given of detachment from the bodily concept of life. The living entity resides within the body just as a bird dwells within a tree. When thoughtless men cut down the tree, the bird, without lamenting the loss of its previous nest, does not hesitate to establish its residence in another place.
FAQs
This verse teaches that when time inevitably destroys one’s material shelter, a wise, non-possessive person gives it up without lamentation and seeks true safety—spiritual shelter beyond matter.
Krishna was instructing Uddhava on renunciation and inner freedom, using a vivid example to show that clinging to temporary arrangements brings suffering, while non-attachment brings peace and spiritual protection.
Recognize that careers, homes, and status can change suddenly; do your duties responsibly but avoid possessiveness, cultivate steady devotion and spiritual practice, and keep your identity rooted in the soul rather than in temporary “nests.”