TEXTS 57
pitamaha me samare maranjayair
devavratadyatirathais timingilaih
duratyayam kaurava-sainya-sagaram
krtvataran vatsa-padam sma yat-plavah
drauny-astra-viplustam idam mad-angam
santana-bijam kuru-pandavanam
jugopa kuksim gata atta-cakro
matus ca me yah saranam gatayah
viryani tasyakhila-deha-bhajam
antar bahih purusa-kala-rupaih
prayacchato mrtyum utamrtam ca
maya-manusyasya vadasva vidvan
SYNONYMS
pitamahahmy grandfathers, the five Pandavas (Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva); memy; samareon the Battlefield of Kuruksetra; amaram jayaihwith fighters who could gain victory over the demigods on the battlefield; devavrata-adyaBhismadeva and others; atirathaihgreat commanders in chief; timingilaihresembling great timingila fish, which can easily eat large sharks; duratyayamvery difficult to cross; kaurava-sainya-sagaramthe ocean of the assembled soldiers of the Kauravas; krtvaconsidering such an ocean; atarancrossed it; vatsa-padamexactly as one steps over a small hoofprint of a calf; smain the past; yat-plavahthe shelter of the boat of Krsnas lotus feet; drauniof Asvatthama; astraby the brahmastra; viplustambeing attacked and burned; idamthis; mat-angammy body; santana-bijamthe only seed left, the last descendant of the family; kuru-pandavanamof the Kurus and the Pandavas (because no one but me lived after the Battle of Kuruksetra); jugopagave protection; kuksimwithin the womb; gatahbeing placed; atta-cakrahtaking in hand the disc; matuhof my mother; caalso; memy; yahthe Lord who; saranamthe shelter; gatayahwho had taken; viryanithe glorification of the transcendental characteristics; tasyaof Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); akhila-deha-bhajamof all the materially embodied living entities; antah bahihinside and outside; purusaof the Supreme Person; kala-rupaihin the forms of eternal time; prayacchatahwho is the giver; mrtyumof death; utait is so said; amrtam caand eternal life; maya-manusyasyaof the Lord, who appeared as an ordinary human being by His own potency; vadasvakindly describe; vidvanO learned speaker (Sukadeva Gosvami).
TRANSLATION
Taking the boat of Krsnas lotus feet, my grandfather Arjuna and others crossed the ocean of the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, in which such commanders as Bhismadeva resembled great fish that could very easily have swallowed them. By the mercy of Lord Krsna, my grandfathers crossed this ocean, which was very difficult to cross, as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf. Because my mother surrendered unto Lord Krsnas lotus feet, the Lord, Sudarsana-cakra in hand, entered her womb and saved my body, the body of the last remaining descendant of the Kurus and the Pandavas, which was almost destroyed by the fiery weapon of Asvatthama. Lord Sri Krsna, appearing within and outside of all materially embodied living beings by His own potency in the forms of eternal timethat is, as Paramatma and as virat-rupagave liberation to everyone, either as cruel death or as life. Kindly enlighten me by describing His transcendental characteristics.
PURPORT
As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.58):
samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
padam padam yad vipadam na tesam
For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, or the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calfs hoofprint. His goal is param padam, or Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.
One who seeks shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna is immediately protected by the Lord. As the Lord promises in Bhagavad-gita (18.66), aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah: I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. By taking shelter of Lord Krsna, one comes under the safest protection. Thus when the Pandavas took shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna, all of them were on the safe side of the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Pariksit Maharaja, therefore, felt obliged to think of Krsna in the last days of his life. This is the ideal result of Krsna consciousness: ante narayana-smrtih. If at the time of death one can remember Krsna, ones life is successful. Pariksit Maharaja, therefore, because of his many obligations to Krsna, intelligently decided to think of Krsna constantly during the last days of his life. Krsna had saved the Pandavas, Maharaja Pariksits grandfathers, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and Krsna had saved Maharaja Pariksit himself when he was attacked by the brahmastra of Asvatthama. Krsna acted as the friend and worshipable Deity of the Pandava family. Moreover, apart from Lord Krsnas personal contact with the Pandavas, Krsna is the Supersoul of all living entities, and He gives everyone liberation, even if one is not a pure devotee. Kamsa, for example, was not at all a devotee, yet Krsna, after killing him, gave him salvation. Krsna consciousness is beneficial to everyone, whether one is a pure devotee or a nondevotee. This is the glory of Krsna consciousness. Considering this, who will not take shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna. Krsna is described in this verse as maya-manusya because He descends exactly like a human being. He is not obliged to come here, like karmis, or ordinary living beings; rather, He appears by His own internal energy (sambhavamy atma-mayaya [Bg. 4.6]) just to show favor to the fallen conditioned souls. Krsna is always situated in His original position as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], and anyone who renders service to Him is also situated in his original, spiritual identity (svarupena vyavasthitih). This is the highest perfection of human life.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/10/1/5-7

Previous: SB 10.1.4     Next: SB 10.1.8

If you Love Me Distribute My Books -- Srila Prabhupada