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Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 15

Nābhi’s Sacrifice and Lord Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as a Son (Ṛṣabhadeva’s Advent Prelude)

यदु ह वाव तव पुनरदभ्रकर्तरिह समाहूतस्तत्रार्थधियां मन्दानां नस्तद्यद्देवहेलनं देवदेवार्हसि साम्येन सर्वान् प्रतिवोढुमविदुषाम् ॥ १५ ॥

yad u ha vāva tava punar adabhra-kartar iha samāhūtas tatrārtha-dhiyāṁ mandānāṁ nas tad yad deva-helanaṁ deva-devārhasi sāmyena sarvān prativoḍhum aviduṣām.

Lạy Chúa Tối Thượng, Ngài thực hiện vô vàn hành vi kỳ diệu. Mục đích của chúng con trong đại tế lễ này chỉ là cầu được một người con; vì thế trí tuệ chúng con kém sáng và không thạo việc định rõ mục tiêu tối hậu của đời sống. Vì động cơ vật chất, chúng con đã thỉnh Ngài đến tế lễ nhỏ bé này và quả thật đã phạm lỗi nơi đôi chân sen của Ngài. Vậy, lạy Chúa của chư thiên, xin tha thứ lỗi lầm của chúng con bằng lòng từ bi vô cớ và cái nhìn bình đẳng của Ngài.

yatthat which
yat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/relative)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1/2 विभक्ति), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun
uindeed
u:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootu (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात) for emphasis
hasurely
ha:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootha (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात) recalling/affirming
indeed
:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात) emphatic/optional
evajust
eva:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (निपात)
tavaof you/your
tava:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive (6 विभक्ति), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun
punaragain
punar:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunar (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
adabhra-kartaḥO unfailing doer (mighty agent)
adabhra-kartaḥ:
Sambodhana/Viśeṣya (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य)
TypeNoun
Rootadabhra (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + kartṛ (कर्तृ, प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1 विभक्ति), Singular (एकवचन); compound used as epithet
ihahere
iha:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)
samāhūtaḥhaving been summoned
samāhūtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate of the addressed)
TypeVerb
Rootsam-ā-hū (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (कृत्: क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; from √hū with prefixes sam+ā; passive sense
tatrathere/in that matter
tatra:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)
artha-dhiyāmof those with understanding of the purpose
artha-dhiyām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootartha (अर्थ, प्रातिपदिक) + dhi (धी, प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive plural (6 विभक्ति, बहुवचन); ‘of those whose understanding is of the matter’
mandānāmof the dull/slow-witted
mandānām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootmanda (मन्द, प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive plural (6 विभक्ति, बहुवचन); used substantively
naḥof us/our
naḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive plural (6 विभक्ति, बहुवचन); enclitic pronoun
tatthat
tat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/demonstrative)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; demonstrative
yatwhich
yat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/relative)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; relative
deva-helanamoffense/insult to the deity
deva-helanam:
Karma (कर्म) (object of ‘to forgive/overlook’)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (देव, प्रातिपदिक) + helana (हेलन, प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; ‘insult toward a god’
deva-devaO God of gods
deva-deva:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (देव, प्रातिपदिक) + deva (देव, प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8 विभक्ति), Singular; ‘god of gods’
arhasiyou ought/are fit (to)
arhasi:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootarh (अर्ह्, धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
sāmyenawith impartiality/equanimity
sāmyena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootsāmya (साम्य, प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3 विभक्ति), Singular; adverbial instrumental
sarvānall (persons)
sarvān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsarva (सर्व, प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2 विभक्ति), Plural (बहुवचन)
prativoḍhumto bear/forgive (to overlook)
prativoḍhum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitival purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootprati-√vah (वह्, धातु)
FormInfinitive (तुमुन्), ‘to carry/lead across, to bear with’; with prefix prati
aviduṣāmof the ignorant
aviduṣām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roota-vidvas (विद्वस्, प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive plural (6 विभक्ति, बहुवचन); ‘of the ignorant’

The priests were certainly unhappy to have called the Supreme Lord from Vaikuṇṭha for such an insignificant reason. A pure devotee never wants to see the Lord unnecessarily. The Lord is engaged in various activities, and the pure devotee does not want to see Him whimsically, for his own sense gratification. The pure devotee simply depends on the Lord’s mercy, and when the Lord is pleased, he can see Him face to face. The Lord is unseen even by demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. By calling on the Supreme Lord, the priests of Nābhi Mahārāja proved themselves unintelligent; nonetheless, the Lord came out of His causeless mercy. All of them therefore wanted to be excused by the Lord.

Ṛṣabhadeva

FAQs

This verse shows devotees admitting possible deva-helana (disrespect to the divine) and praying to the Lord of lords to forgive and tolerate the ignorance of conditioned souls.

Because their intelligence is primarily fixed on material goals (artha), they are slow to grasp spiritual truth; thus they require the Lord’s guidance and mercy.

Adopt humility, acknowledge mistakes, and practice tolerance—seeking to respond with steadiness and fairness rather than ego or resentment.