Shloka 46

Nārada’s Arrival, the Nine Yogendras, and the Foundations of Bhāgavata-dharma

Devanagari script

ईश्वरे तदधीनेषु बालिशेषु द्विषत्सु च । प्रेममैत्रीकृपोपेक्षा य: करोति स मध्यम: ॥ ४६ ॥

Transliteration

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ

Translation

భగవంతునిపై ప్రేమను, ఆయన భక్తులపై మైత్రిని, నిర్దోష అజ్ఞులపై కృపను, మరియు ద్వేషించే వారిపై ఉపేక్షను చూపువాడు మధ్యమ భక్తుడు।

Synonyms

• īśvare: toward/in the Lord
• īśvare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (masculine), Saptamī vibhakti (locative, 7th), Ekavacana (singular)

• tad-adhīneṣu: toward those dependent on Him (His devotees)
• tad-adhīneṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + adhīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (masculine), Saptamī vibhakti (locative, 7th), Bahuvacana (plural); समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘dependent on Him’)

• bāliśeṣu: toward the ignorant
• bāliśeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (masculine), Saptamī vibhakti (locative, 7th), Bahuvacana (plural)

• dviṣatsu: toward the envious/hostile
• dviṣatsu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dviṣat (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (masculine), Saptamī vibhakti (locative, 7th), Bahuvacana (plural); शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle used as noun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• prema-maitrī-kṛpā-upekṣāḥ: love, friendship, compassion, and indifference
• prema-maitrī-kṛpā-upekṣāḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prema (प्रातिपदिक) + maitrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक) + upekṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (feminine), Prathamā vibhakti (nominative, 1st), Bahuvacana (plural); समासः—द्वन्द्व (enumerative: love, friendship, compassion, and indifference)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (singular); relative pronoun

• karoti: does; shows
• karoti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (singular); parasmaipada

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (singular); demonstrative pronoun

• madhyamaḥ: the intermediate (devotee)
• madhyamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (singular)

Purport

According to Bhagavad-gītā, every living entity within the material world is eternally a minute fragmental portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ ( Bg. 15.7 ). But because of the influence of māyā the puffed-up conditioned souls become inimical to the service of the Lord and the Lord’s devotees, choose leaders among the materialistic sense gratifiers, and thus engage busily in a useless society of the cheaters and the cheated, a society of the blind leading the blind into a ditch. Although the community of Vaiṣṇavas is sincerely eager to serve the conditioned souls by bringing them back to their constitutional position, by māyā’s influence the materialistic living entity becomes hardhearted and rejects the mercy of the Lord’s devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the qualities of a madhyama (intermediate) devotee?

Bhagavatam 11.2.46 says the intermediate devotee loves the Lord, befriends devotees, shows mercy to the innocent, and avoids the envious.

Why does the Bhagavatam advise upeksha (avoidance) toward the envious?

Because the envious tend to offend the Lord and His devotees; the madhyama-bhakta protects devotion by keeping respectful distance rather than engaging in fruitless conflict.

How can this verse be applied in modern life and relationships?

Center life on devotion to God, build supportive friendships with spiritually minded people, help sincere beginners with kindness, and set healthy boundaries with hostile or toxic influences.