Shloka 29
Kuntī’s Prayers and the Neutralization of the Brahmāstra
Uttarā Protected; Yudhiṣṭhira’s Grief Begins
न वेद कश्चिद्भगवंश्चिकीर्षितं तवेहमानस्य नृणां विडम्बनम् । न यस्य कश्चिद्दयितोऽस्ति कर्हिचिद् द्वेष्यश्च यस्मिन् विषमा मतिर्नृणाम् ॥ २९ ॥
na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitaṁ tavehamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam na yasya kaścid dayito ’sti karhicid dveṣyaś ca yasmin viṣamā matir nṛṇām
ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ไม่มีผู้ใดเข้าใจพระประสงค์แห่งลีลาทิพย์ของพระองค์ ซึ่งปรากฏคล้ายมนุษย์จึงทำให้ผู้คนหลงผิด พระองค์ไม่มีผู้เป็นที่โปรดปรานเป็นพิเศษ และไม่มีผู้เป็นที่ชัง; ความคิดว่าพระองค์ลำเอียงเป็นเพียงทัศนะอันเอนเอียงของมนุษย์
The Lord’s mercy upon the fallen souls is equally distributed. He has no one as the specific object of hostility. The very conception of the Personality of Godhead as a human being is misleading. His pastimes appear to be exactly like a human being’s, but actually they are transcendental and without any tinge of material contamination. He is undoubtedly known as partial to His pure devotees, but in fact He is never partial, as much as the sun is never partial to anyone. By utilizing the sun rays, sometimes even the stones become valuable, whereas a blind man cannot see the sun, although there are enough sun rays before him. Darkness and light are two opposite conceptions, but this does not mean that the sun is partial in distributing its rays. The sun rays are open to everyone, but the capacities of the receptacles differ. Foolish people think that devotional service is flattering the Lord to get special mercy. Factually the pure devotees who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord are not a mercantile community. A mercantile house renders service to someone in exchange for values. The pure devotee does not render service unto the Lord for such exchange, and therefore the full mercy of the Lord is open for him. Suffering men, needy men, inquisitive persons, or philosophers make temporary connections with the Lord to serve a particular purpose. When the purpose is served, there is no more relation with the Lord. A suffering man, if he is pious at all, prays to the Lord for his recovery. But as soon as the recovery is over, in most cases the suffering man no longer cares to keep any connection with the Lord. The mercy of the Lord is open for him, but he is reluctant to receive it. That is the difference between a pure devotee and a mixed devotee. Those who are completely against the service of the Lord are considered to be in abject darkness, those who ask for the Lord’s favor only at the time of necessity are partial recipients of the mercy of the Lord, and those who are cent-percent engaged in the service of the Lord are full recipients of the mercy of the Lord. Such partiality in receiving the Lord’s mercy is relative to the recipient, and it is not due to the partiality of the all-merciful Lord.
FAQs
This verse states that Bhagavān has no permanent favorite or enemy; perceived partiality arises from people’s unequal, conditioned understanding.
While offering prayers, Kuntī acknowledges that Kṛṣṇa’s actions in the world can look like ordinary human behavior, yet His purpose is divine and beyond material estimation.
When outcomes seem unfair, a devotee avoids blaming God and instead examines one’s own limited perspective, cultivating humility and steadiness in bhakti.