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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.5.40
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 40
- dhātar yad asmin bhava īśa jīvās
- tāpa-trayeṇābhihatā na śarma
- ātman labhante bhagavaṁs tavāṅghri-
- cchāyāṁ sa-vidyām ata āśrayema
dhātaḥO father — O father; yatbecause — because; asminin this — in this; bhavematerial world — material world; īśaO Lord — O Lord; jīvāḥthe living entities — the living entities; tāpamiseries — miseries; trayeṇaby the three — by the three; abhihatāḥalways embarrassed — always embarrassed; nanever — never; śarmain happiness — in happiness; ātmanself — self; labhantedo gain — do gain; bhagavanO Personality of Godhead — O Personality of Godhead; tavaYour — Your; aṅghrishade of Your feet-chāyāmshade of Your feet — shade of Your feet; safull of knowledge-vidyāmfull of knowledge — full of knowledge; ataḥobtain — obtain; āśrayemashelter — shelter.
O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by the three kinds of miseries. Therefore they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also thus take shelter of them.
The way of devotional service is neither sentimental nor mundane. It is the path of reality by which the living entity can attain the transcendental happiness of being freed from the three kinds of material miseries—miseries arising from the body and mind, from other living entities and from natural disturbances. Everyone who is conditioned by material existence—whether he be a man or beast or demigod or bird—must suffer from ādhyātmika (bodily or mental) pains, ādhibhautika pains (those offered by living creatures), and ādhidaivika pains (those due to supernatural disturbances). His happiness is nothing but a hard struggle to get free from the miseries of conditional life. But there is only one way he can be rescued, and that is by accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The argument that unless one has proper knowledge one cannot be freed from material miseries is undoubtedly true. But because the lotus feet of the Lord are full of transcendental knowledge, acceptance of His lotus feet completes that necessity. We have already discussed this point in the First Canto (SB 1.2.7, Available in the library):
- vāsudeve bhagavati
- bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
- janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
- jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
There is no want of knowledge in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, the Personality of Godhead. He, the Lord, personally takes charge of dissipating the darkness of ignorance from the heart of a devotee. He confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.10, Not yet available in the library. Try the live source.):
- teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
- bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
- dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
- yena mām upayānti te
Empiric philosophical speculation cannot give one relief from the threefold miseries of material existence. Simply to endeavor for knowledge without devoting oneself to the Lord is a waste of valuable time.