Shloka 18
The Lord’s Supervision of Embodiment: Fetal Development, Womb-Suffering, and the Jīva’s Prayer (Garbha-stuti) — and the Trap of Māyā
येनेदृशीं गतिमसौ दशमास्य ईश संग्राहित: पुरुदयेन भवादृशेन । स्वेनैव तुष्यतु कृतेन स दीननाथ: को नाम तत्प्रति विनाञ्जलिमस्य कुर्यात् ॥ १८ ॥
yenedṛśīṁ gatim asau daśa-māsya īśa saṅgrāhitaḥ puru-dayena bhavādṛśena svenaiva tuṣyatu kṛtena sa dīna-nāthaḥ ko nāma tat-prati vināñjalim asya kuryāt
ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់! ដោយព្រះមហាករុណាដែលមិនមានហេតុផលរបស់ព្រះองค์ ទោះខ្ញុំមានអាយុត្រឹមដប់ខែ ក៏ត្រូវបានដាស់ឲ្យមានស្មារតី។ សូមព្រះองค์ ជាព្រះនាថនៃអ្នកទុក្ខទាប ទ្រង់ពេញព្រះហឫទ័យចំពោះអំណោយនេះ។ មិនមានវិធីសងគុណក្រៅពីបួងសួងដោយដៃប្រណម។
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, intelligence and forgetfulness are both supplied by the Supersoul sitting with the individual soul within the body. When He sees that a conditioned soul is very serious about getting out of the clutches of the material influence, the Supreme Lord gives intelligence internally as Supersoul and externally as the spiritual master, or, as an incarnation of the Personality of Godhead Himself, He helps by speaking instructions such as Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord is always seeking the opportunity to reclaim the fallen souls to His abode, the kingdom of God. We should always feel very much obliged to the Personality of Godhead, for He is always anxious to bring us into the happy condition of eternal life. There is no sufficient means to repay the Personality of Godhead for His act of benediction; therefore, we can simply feel gratitude and pray to the Lord with folded hands. This prayer of the child in the womb may be questioned by some atheistic people. How can a child pray in such a nice way in the womb of his mother? Everything is possible by the grace of the Lord. The child is put into such a precarious condition externally, but internally he is the same, and the Lord is there. By the transcendental energy of the Lord, everything is possible.
FAQs
This verse says the Supreme Lord, being supremely compassionate, sustains the embryo through gestation; recognizing this mercy, the soul feels compelled to offer reverent gratitude (añjali) to the Lord.
Because the child realizes it has been preserved only by the Lord’s compassion in a helpless condition, and therefore considers gratitude and surrender the natural response to such divine protection.
Practice conscious gratitude and humility—remembering that life and stability come from grace beyond our control—and express that through prayer, service, and respectful surrender rather than entitlement.