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Shloka 48

Raivata and Cākṣuṣa Manvantaras; Brahmā’s Prayers at Śvetadvīpa

Prelude to Samudra-manthana

नावम: कर्मकल्पोऽपि विफलायेश्वरार्पित: । कल्पते पुरुषस्यैव स ह्यात्मा दयितो हित: ॥ ४८ ॥

nāvamaḥ karma-kalpo ’pi viphalāyeśvarārpitaḥ kalpate puruṣasyaiva sa hy ātmā dayito hitaḥ

ایश्वर کے لیے ارپت کیا ہوا عمل، چاہے تھوڑا ہی کیوں نہ ہو، کبھی رائیگاں نہیں جاتا۔ بھگوان پرم پتا ہیں؛ وہ جیووں کے نہایت پیارے آتما ہیں اور ہمیشہ اُن کے بھلے کے لیے آمادہ رہتے ہیں۔

nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (न)
FormAvyaya, negation particle (निषेध)
avamaḥinferior
avamaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootavama (अवम प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā (nominative), Eka-vacana; predicate adjective with implied ‘(karma-kalpaḥ)’
karma-kalpaḥa deed (even if merely) like an action/ritual
karma-kalpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkarma (कर्मन्) + kalpa (कल्प प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; tatpuruṣa: ‘karmavat kalpaḥ’ / ‘karma-sadṛśaḥ kalpaḥ’ = an act/ritual-like performance
apieven
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अपि)
FormAvyaya, particle (निपात) ‘even/also’
viphalāya(even) if fruitless
viphalāya:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeAdjective
Rootviphala (विफल प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga/Neuter, Caturthī (dative), Eka-vacana; used adverbially: ‘for fruitlessness/though fruitless’
īśvara-arpitaḥoffered to the Lord
īśvara-arpitaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootīśvara (ईश्वर) + arpita (अर्पित, कृदन्त)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; kta-ppp; tatpuruṣa: ‘īśvare arpitam’ (offered to the Lord) qualifying karma-kalpaḥ
kalpateis fit/serves
kalpate:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkḷp (कॢप् धातु)
FormLaṭ-lakāra (present), Prathama-puruṣa, Eka-vacana; Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)
puruṣasyafor/of a person
puruṣasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootpuruṣa (पुरुष प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (genitive), Eka-vacana
evaindeed
eva:
Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (एव)
FormAvyaya, emphatic particle (अवधारण)
saḥthat (act) / it
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormSarvanāma, Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana
hiindeed
hi:
Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (हि)
FormAvyaya, particle (निपात) of emphasis
ātmāself/essence
ātmā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; apposition to saḥ
dayitaḥbeloved
dayitaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootdayita (दयित प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; predicate adjective of ātmā/saḥ
hitaḥbeneficial
hitaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roothita (हित प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; predicate adjective

In Bhagavad-gītā (2.40) , the Lord says svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: this dharma, devotional service, is so important that even if performed to a very small, almost negligible extent, it can give one the supreme result. There are many instances in the history of the world in which even a slight service rendered to the Lord has saved a living entity from the greatest danger. Ajāmila, for example, was saved by the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the greatest danger, that of going to hell. He was saved simply because he chanted the name Nārāyaṇa at the end of his life. When Ajāmila chanted this holy name of the Lord, Nārāyaṇa, he did not chant knowingly; actually he was calling his youngest son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa. Nonetheless, Lord Nārāyaṇa took this chanting seriously, and thus Ajāmila achieved the result of ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ, remembering Nārāyaṇa at the end of life. If one somehow or other remembers the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa or Rāma at the end of life, he immediately achieves the transcendental result of going back home, back to Godhead.

G
Gajendra
Ī
Īśvara (Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

This verse teaches that even a small or seemingly insignificant act becomes meaningful and never fruitless when it is offered to the Supreme Lord, who is the true well-wisher of all.

In distress while being attacked by the crocodile, Gajendra surrendered and praised the Lord’s benevolence, declaring that any act dedicated to Him becomes successful because the Lord is the dearest well-wisher of every soul.

Offer your daily duties—work, study, family care—as service to God with sincerity; even small efforts done in that spirit gain lasting spiritual value.