SB 6.9.21 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीदेवा ऊचु: वाय्वम्बराग्‍न्यप्क्षितयस्त्रिलोका ब्रह्मादयो ये वयमुद्विजन्त: । हराम यस्मै बलिमन्तकोऽसौ बिभेति यस्मादरणं ततो न: ॥ २१ ॥

Verse text

śrī-devā ūcuḥ vāyv-ambarāgny-ap-kṣitayas tri-lokā brahmādayo ye vayam udvijantaḥ harāma yasmai balim antako ’sau bibheti yasmād araṇaṁ tato naḥ

Synonyms

śrī — devāḥ ūcuḥ — the demigods said ; vāyu — composed of air ; ambara — sky ; agni — fire ; ap — water ; kṣitayaḥ — and land ; tri — lokāḥ — the three worlds ; brahma — ādayaḥ — beginning from Lord Brahmā ; ye — who ; vayam — we ; udvijantaḥ — being very much afraid ; harāma — offer ; yasmai — unto whom ; balim — presentation ; antakaḥ — the destroyer, death ; asau — that ; bibheti — fears ; yasmāt — from whom ; araṇam — shelter ; tataḥ — therefore ; naḥ — our .

Translation

The demigods said: The three worlds are created by the five elements — namely ether, air, fire, water and earth — which are controlled by various demigods, beginning from Lord Brahmā. Being very much afraid that the time factor will end our existence, we offer presentations unto time by performing our work as time dictates. The time factor himself, however, is afraid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore let us now worship that Supreme Lord, who alone can give us full protection.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The devatās said: Let us take protection of the Lord whom death fears and to whom we , the elements--ether, air, fire, water and earth, the planets composed of elements and the devatās including Brahmā, who are now in fear of death, offer presentations! They take shelter of the Lord, thinking that no one except the Lord can protect them from the danger of Vṛtrāsura. The elements mentioned represent all twenty-three elements. Those elements, the planets made of the elements, and the devatās in charge of the planets, starting with Brahmā, and all of us present now, who are afraid of death, offer gifts to the Lord. Let there be shelter coming from the Lord (tataḥ) whom death fears.

Purport

When one is afraid of being killed, one must take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is worshiped by all the demigods, beginning from Brahmā, although they are in charge of the various elements of this material world. The words bibheti yasmāt indicate that all the demons, regardless of how great and powerful, fear the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods, being afraid of death, took shelter of the Lord and offered Him these prayers. Although the time factor is fearful to everyone, fear personified is afraid of the Supreme Lord, who is therefore known as abhaya, fearless. Taking shelter of the Supreme Lord brings actual fearlessness, and therefore the demigods decided to take shelter of the Lord.