SB 12.8.40 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच किं वर्णये तव विभो यदुदीरितोऽसु: संस्पन्दते तमनु वाङ्‌मनइन्द्रियाणि । स्पन्दन्ति वै तनुभृतामजशर्वयोश्च स्वस्याप्यथापि भजतामसि भावबन्धु: ॥ ४० ॥

Verse text

śrī-mārkaṇḍeya uvāca kiṁ varṇaye tava vibho yad-udīrito ’suḥ saṁspandate tam anu vāṅ-mana-indriyāṇi spandanti vai tanu-bhṛtām aja-śarvayoś ca svasyāpy athāpi bhajatām asi bhāva-bandhuḥ

Synonyms

śrī — mārkaṇḍeyaḥ uvāca — Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said ; kim — what ; varṇaye — shall I describe ; tava — about You ; vibho — O Almighty Lord ; yat — by whom ; udīritaḥ — moved ; asuḥ — the vital air ; saṁspandate — comes to life ; tam anu — following it ; vāk — the power of speech ; manaḥ — the mind ; indriyāṇi — and the senses ; spandanti — begin to act ; vai — indeed ; tanu — bhṛtām — of all embodied living beings ; aja — śarvayoḥ — of Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva ; ca — as well ; svasya — of myself ; api — also ; atha api — nevertheless ; bhajatām — for those who are worshiping ; asi — You become ; bhāva — bandhuḥ — the intimate loving friend .

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: O Almighty Lord, how can I possibly describe You? You awaken the vital air, which then impels the mind, senses and power of speech to act. This is true for all ordinary conditioned souls and even for great demigods like Brahmā and Śiva. So it is certainly true for me. Nevertheless, You become the intimate friend of those who worship You.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Mārkaṇḍeya said: O Almighty Lord, how can I possibly describe you? You awaken the vital air, which then impels the mind, senses and power of speech to act. This is true for all ordinary conditioned souls and even Brahmā and Śiva. So it is certainly true for me. Nevertheless, you become the intimate friend of those who worship you. By you, the life air is made to move, and the voice, mind and senses then act. Śruti says śrotrasya śrotram: the lord is the ear of the ear. (Kena Upaniṣad 1.2) Vai means certainly. You enliven the senses not only of ordinary beings, but of Brahmā and Śiva as well, what to speak of me. Like a friend, you are controlled by the love of those who worship you. You alone enable them to worship you by enlivening their minds and senses, yet you feel unable to repay the debt of their worship and become indebted and controlled by their love. That is most astonishing. That is the greatness of your mercy.