TEXT 8
tvad-dattaya vayunayedam acasta visvam
supta-prabuddha iva natha bhavat-prapannah
tasyapavargya-saranam tava pada-mulam
vismaryate krta-vida katham arta-bandho
SYNONYMS
tvat-dattayagiven by You; vayunayaby knowledge; idamthis; acastacould see; visvamwhole universe; supta-prabuddhaha man rising from sleep; ivalike; nathaO my Lord; bhavat-prapannahLord Brahma, who is surrendered unto You; tasyahis; apavargyaof persons desiring liberation; saranamthe shelter; tavaYour; pada-mulamlotus feet; vismaryatecan be forgotten; krta-vidaby a learned person; kathamhow; arta-bandhoO friend of the distressed.
TRANSLATION
O my master, Lord Brahma is fully surrendered unto You. In the beginning You gave him knowledge, and thus he could see and understand the entire universe, just as a person awakens from sleep and visualizes his immediate duties. You are the only shelter of all persons who desire liberation, and You are the friend of all who are distressed. How, therefore, can a learned person who has perfect knowledge ever forget You?
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be forgotten even for a moment by His surrendered devotees. The devotee understands that the Lords causeless mercy is beyond his estimation; he cannot know how much he is benefited by the grace of the Lord. The more a devotee engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, the more encouragement is supplied by the energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that to those who are constantly engaged in devotional service with love and affection, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives intelligence from within, and thus they may make further progress. Being so encouraged, the devotee can never forget, at any moment, the Personality of Godhead. He always feels obliged to Him for having achieved increased power in devotional service by His grace. Saintly persons like Sanaka, Sanatana and Lord Brahma were able to see the entire universe, by the mercy of the Lord, through knowledge of the Lord. The example is given that a person may apparently abstain from sleep all day, but as long as he is not spiritually enlightened he is actually sleeping. He may sleep at night and perform his duties in the daytime, but as long as he does not come to the platform of working in spiritual enlightenment he is considered to be always sleeping. A devotee, therefore, never forgets the benefit derived from the Lord.
The Lord is addressed here as arta-bandhu, which means friend of the distressed. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, after many, many births of executing severe austerities in search of knowledge, one comes to the point of real knowledge and becomes wise when one surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Mayavadi philosopher, who does not surrender unto the Supreme Person, is understood to be lacking in real knowledge. The devotee in perfect knowledge cannot forget his obligation to the Lord at any moment.

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