SB 2.7.42 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

येषां स एष भगवान् दययेदनन्त: सर्वात्मनाश्रितपदो यदि निर्व्यलीकम् । ते दुस्तरामतितरन्ति च देवमायां नैषां ममाहमिति धी: श्वश‍ृगालभक्ष्ये ॥ ४२ ॥

Verse text

yeṣāṁ sa eṣa bhagavān dayayed anantaḥ sarvātmanāśrita-pado yadi nirvyalīkam te dustarām atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ naiṣāṁ mamāham iti dhīḥ śva-śṛgāla-bhakṣye

Synonyms

yeṣām — unto those only ; saḥ — the Lord ; eṣaḥ — the ; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead ; dayayet — does bestow His mercy ; anantaḥ — the unlimited potency ; sarva — ātmanā — by all means, without reservation ; āśrita — padaḥ — surrendered soul ; yadi — if such surrender ; nirvyalīkam — without pretension ; te — those only ; dustarām — insurmountable ; atitaranti — can overcome ; ca — and the paraphernalia ; deva — māyām — diverse energies of the Lord ; na — not ; eṣām — of them ; mama — mine ; aham — myself ; iti — thus ; dhīḥ — conscious ; śva — dogs ; śṛgāla — jackals ; bhakṣye — in the matter of eating .

Translation

But anyone who is specifically favored by the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, due to unalloyed surrender unto the service of the Lord, can overcome the insurmountable ocean of illusion and can understand the Lord. But those who are attached to this body, which is meant to be eaten at the end by dogs and jackals, cannot do so.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Those to whom the infinite Lord shows mercy -- when they attain devotees who are surrendered completely to the lotus feet of the Lord and who have no material desires -- cross the insurmountable ocean of māyā and understand the Lord. They are devoid of the intelligence which thinks in terms of “my body” and the “bodies of my family members” which are worthy food for dogs and jackals.

Purport

The unalloyed devotees of the Lord know the glories of the Lord in the sense that they can understand how great the Lord is and how great is His expansion of diverse energy. Those who are attached to the perishable body can hardly enter into the realm of the science of Godhead. The whole materialistic world, based on the conception of the material body as the self, is ignorant of the science of God. The materialist is always busy working for the welfare of the material body, not only his own but also those of his children, kinsmen, communitymen, countrymen, etc. The materialists have many branches of philanthropic and altruistic activities from a political, national and international angle of vision, but none of the field work can go beyond the jurisdiction of the misconception of identifying the material body with the spirit soul. Unless, therefore, one is saved from the wrong conception of the body and the soul, there is no knowledge of Godhead, and unless there is knowledge of God, all advancement of material civilization, however dazzling, should be considered a failure.

Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

“If you cannot know the Lord then realization of him is without foundation.” That is answered in this verse. Only those person to whom the Lord shows mercy saying, “Let these persons know me,” cross the ocean of māyā and know the Lord. The śruti says: nāyām ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhās tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām The Lord is not attained by speaking or intelligence or much hearing. The Lord is attained by that person alone whom the Lord chooses. He reveals his own form to that person. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3 What are the symptoms of his mercy? There should be persons without material desires (nirvyalīkam), who take shelter of the Lord’s feet with indifference to karma and jṣāna (sarvātmanā). The principal function of his śakti of mercy is to manifest pure bhakti. That pure bhakti is manifested in people by his devotees. (Thus mercy is obtained by getting association of devotees.) If they attain that association then they cross māyā and attain knowledge of the Lord. Gaining knowledge of the Lord is indicated by the word ca. By what symptoms should māyā’s affliction and freedom from that affliction (knowledge) be known? One thinks of “me” and “mine,” -- of one’s own body and the bodies of children and others, which are worthy food for dogs and jackals. Those who attain mercy are free from this conception.