Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 3
Avadhūta’s Teachers: Python, Ocean, Moth, Bee, Elephant, Deer, Fish—and Piṅgalā’s Song of Detachment
शयीताहानि भूरीणि निराहारोऽनुपक्रम: । यदि नोपनयेद् ग्रासो महाहिरिव दिष्टभुक् ॥ ३ ॥
śayītāhāni bhūrīṇi nirāhāro ’nupakramaḥ yadi nopanayed grāso mahāhir iva diṣṭa-bhuk
ഒരിക്കൽ ആഹാരം ലഭിക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ, സന്ന്യാസി പരിശ്രമമില്ലാതെ പല ദിവസവും ഉപവസിക്കണം. ദൈവക്രമം കൊണ്ടാണ് ഉപവാസം വരുന്നതെന്ന് മനസ്സിലാക്കി, അജഗരത്തെപ്പോലെ ശാന്തനും ക്ഷമയുള്ളവനുമായി ഇരിക്കണം.
If by God’s arrangement one is forced to suffer material hardship, then one should think, “Due to my past sinful activity I am now being punished. In this way, God is mercifully making me humble.” The word śayīta means one should remain peaceful and patient without mental agitation. Diṣṭa-bhuk means one must accept the Personality of Godhead as the supreme controller and not foolishly give up one’s faith due to material inconvenience. Tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam ( Bhāg. 10.14.8 ). A devotee of the Lord always accepts material hardship as the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa; thus he becomes eligible for supreme liberation.
FAQs
This verse teaches contentment and non-anxiety: if food does not come naturally, one should not agitate the mind with desperate endeavor, but accept what providence provides—like a serpent that survives without frantic seeking.
King Yadu inquires about the qualities of a true renunciant; the Avadhūta’s example-based instruction (here, the serpent) illustrates how a sage remains steady, free from dependence and fear, even amid scarcity.
Practice reducing needless anxiety and greed: do your honest duties, but avoid frantic over-striving and obsession; cultivate contentment, simplicity, and trust in the Lord’s arrangement when outcomes are not in your control.