Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 14
Devas in Dvārakā, Brahmā’s Petition, and Uddhava’s Appeal
Prabhāsa Departure Set-Up
नस्योतगाव इव यस्य वशे भवन्ति ब्रह्मादयस्तनुभृतो मिथुरर्द्यमाना: । कालस्य ते प्रकृतिपूरुषयो: परस्य शं नस्तनोतु चरण: पुरुषोत्तमस्य ॥ १४ ॥
nasy ota-gāva iva yasya vaśe bhavanti brahmādayas tanu-bhṛto mithur ardyamānāḥ kālasya te prakṛti-pūruṣayoḥ parasya śaṁ nas tanotu caraṇaḥ puruṣottamasya
Até Brahmā e os grandes devas são seres corporificados; sob o rígido controle do Teu fator tempo, eles se afligem mutuamente, como touros arrastados por cordas passadas pelo nariz. Ó Puruṣottama, além da prakṛti e do desfrutador, que Teus pés de lótus nos concedam prazer transcendental.
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī states: nanu yuddhe devāsurādayaḥ parasparaṁ jayanti jīyante ca kim ahaṁ tatrety ata āhuḥ, nasīti: mithur mitho ’rdyamānā yuddhādibhiḥ pīḍyamānā brahmādayo ’pi yasya tava vaśe bhavanti na tu jaye parājaye vā svatantrāḥ. “In the perpetual battles between the demigods, or devotees of the Lord, and the demons, or nondevotees, each side sometimes conquers and is sometimes apparently defeated. One may argue that all this has nothing to do with the Personality of Godhead since it is based on nothing more than the interaction of opposing living entities. But every living entity is, however, strictly under the control of the Personality of Godhead, and victory and defeat are always in the hands of the Lord.” This does not contradict the fact of the living entity’s free will, since the Lord awards victory and defeat according to the merit of the living entities. In a legal battle neither the prosecution nor the defense can act independently of the legal system presided over by the authorized judge. Victory and defeat in the court are awarded by the judge, but the judge is acting according to the laws, which do not favor or discriminate against either side.
FAQs
This verse states that even Brahmā and other embodied controllers act under the Lord’s dominion, like animals led by a nose-rope—emphasizing Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama, the ultimate governor.
He identifies the Lord as the transcendental master of time, material nature, and the living beings—showing that ultimate shelter is not within the changing world but at the Lord’s feet.
Remembering the Lord’s supremacy reduces anxiety about fate and time; one can practice steady devotion—hearing, chanting, and offering one’s actions—seeking auspiciousness from Him rather than from temporary controls.