Shloka 39
Viśvarūpa’s Death, Vṛtrāsura’s Manifestation, and the Devas’ Surrender to Nārāyaṇa
अथ ह वाव तव महिमामृतरससमुद्रविप्रुषा सकृदवलीढया स्वमनसि निष्यन्दमानानवरतसुखेन विस्मारितदृष्टश्रुतविषयसुखलेशाभासा: परमभागवता एकान्तिनो भगवति सर्वभूतप्रियसुहृदि सर्वात्मनि नितरां निरन्तरं निर्वृतमनस: कथमु ह वा एते मधुमथन पुन: स्वार्थकुशला ह्यात्मप्रियसुहृद: साधवस्त्वच्चरणाम्बुजानुसेवां विसृजन्ति न यत्र पुनरयं संसारपर्यावर्त: ॥ ३९ ॥
atha ha vāva tava mahimāmṛta-rasa-samudra-vipruṣā sakṛd avalīḍhayā sva-manasi niṣyandamānānavarata-sukhena vismārita-dṛṣṭa-śruta-viṣaya-sukha-leśābhāsāḥ parama-bhāgavatā ekāntino bhagavati sarva-bhūta-priya-suhṛdi sarvātmani nitarāṁ nirantaraṁ nirvṛta-manasaḥ katham u ha vā ete madhumathana punaḥ svārtha-kuśalā hy ātma-priya-suhṛdaḥ sādhavas tvac-caraṇāmbujānusevāṁ visṛjanti na yatra punar ayaṁ saṁsāra-paryāvartaḥ.
Ô Madhumathana : dans l’esprit de ceux qui n’ont goûté qu’une seule fois une goutte du nectar de l’océan de Tes gloires, la félicité transcendante s’écoule sans cesse, et l’ombre même du plaisir des sens s’efface. Ces grands bhaktas, voués exclusivement au Bhagavān—ami bien-aimé de tous les êtres et Âme de tous—comment pourraient-ils quitter le service de Tes pieds de lotus, là où il n’y a plus de retour au samsāra ?
Although nondevotees, because of their meager knowledge and speculative habits, cannot understand the real nature of the Lord, a devotee who has once tasted the nectar from the Lord’s lotus feet can realize what transcendental pleasure there is in the Lord’s devotional service. A devotee knows that simply by rendering service to the Lord, he serves everyone. Therefore devotees are real friends to all living entities. Only a pure devotee can preach the glories of the Lord for the benefit of all conditioned souls.
FAQs
This verse says that devotees who taste even a drop of the nectar of the Lord’s glories become continuously satisfied in the Lord and therefore never abandon service to His lotus feet—the place where there is no return to material existence.
Indra invokes Vishnu as “Madhumathana” (slayer of the demon Madhu) to glorify the Lord’s protecting, victory-giving power while emphasizing that devotion to Him is the devotee’s true self-interest and ultimate shelter.
Make daily contact with the Lord’s glories—hearing/reading Bhagavatam, chanting His names, and serving devotees—so the mind begins to experience higher, steady happiness and loses attraction to temporary sense pleasures.