SB 4.29.53 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

क्षुद्रं चरं सुमनसां शरणे मिथित्वा रक्तं षडङ्‌घ्रिगणसामसु लुब्धकर्णम् । अग्रे वृकानसुतृपोऽविगणय्य यान्तं पृष्ठे मृगं मृगय लुब्धकबाणभिन्नम् ॥ ५३ ॥

Verse text

kṣudraṁ caraṁ sumanasāṁ śaraṇe mithitvā raktaṁ ṣaḍaṅghri-gaṇa-sāmasu lubdha-karṇam agre vṛkān asu-tṛpo ’vigaṇayya yāntaṁ pṛṣṭhe mṛgaṁ mṛgaya lubdhaka-bāṇa-bhinnam

Synonyms

kṣudram — on grass ; caram — grazing ; sumanasām — of a beautiful flower garden ; śaraṇe — under the protection ; mithitvā — being united with a woman ; raktam — attached ; ṣaṭ — aṅghri — of bumblebees ; gaṇa — of groups ; sāmasu — to the singing ; lubdha — karṇam — whose ear is attracted ; agre — in front ; vṛkān — tigers ; asu — tṛpaḥ — who live at the cost of another’s life ; avigaṇayya — neglecting ; yāntam — moving ; pṛṣṭhe — behind ; mṛgam — the deer ; mṛgaya — search out ; lubdhaka — of a hunter ; bāṇa — by the arrows ; bhinnam — liable to be pierced .

Translation

My dear King, please search out that deer who is engaged in eating grass in a very nice flower garden along with his wife. That deer is very much attached to his business, and he is enjoying the sweet singing of the bumblebees in his garden. Just try to understand his position. He is unaware that before him is a tiger, which is accustomed to living at the cost of another’s flesh. Behind the deer is a hunter, who is threatening to pierce him with sharp arrows. Thus the deer’s death is imminent.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Search out the deer, who is grazing on grass, enjoying with his mate in garden of flowers, his ears attracted to the songs of swarms of bees, moving about without considering the hungry tigers in front of him, with a hunter behind him ready to shoot him with his arrows. Examine this deer which will soon die, without knowing the calamity awaiting him. He is grazing (caram) on insignificant grass. Not making a proper compound (kṣudra-caram) is poetic license. He is attached to being together with his wife in a garden (śaraṇe) of flowers. He listens to the songs (sāmasu) of a swarm of bees. In front are hiding wolves. He moves about, not considering them, because he does not know. He is almost pierced by the arrows of a hunter hiding behind him. Find that deer and lead him quickly from the flower garden to another place, otherwise the wolves and hunter will kill him.

Purport

Here is an allegory in which the King is advised to find a deer that is always in a dangerous position. Although threatened from all sides, the deer simply eats grass in a nice flower garden, unaware of the danger all around him. All living entities, especially human beings, think themselves very happy in the midst of families. As if living in a flower garden and hearing the sweet humming of bumblebees, everyone is centered around his wife, who is the beauty of family life. The bumblebees’ humming may be compared to the talk of children. The human being, just like the deer, enjoys his family without knowing that before him is the factor of time, which is represented by the tiger. The fruitive activities of a living entity simply create another dangerous position and oblige him to accept different types of bodies. For a deer to run after a mirage of water in the desert is not unusual. The deer is also very fond of sex. The conclusion is that one who lives like a deer will be killed in due course of time. Vedic literatures therefore advise that we should understand our constitutional position and take to devotional service before death comes. According to the Bhāgavatam (11.9.29) : labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte mānuṣyam arthadam anityam apīha dhīraḥ tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anumṛtyu yāvan niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt After many births we have attained this human form; therefore before death comes, we should engage ourselves in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. That is the fulfillment of human life.