202
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 5]
though one may have undergone severe penances and austerities. This is the opinion of the demigods, who are not only well versed in Vedic knowledge but who are also seers of the past, present and future. The opinions of the demigods are valuable because they are authorized to hold positions in the affairs of universal management. They are appointed by the Lord as His confidential servants.
TEXT 40
धातर्यदसिन् भव ईश जीवा- स्तापत्रयेणाभिहता न शर्म । आत्मैल्लभन्ते भगवंस्तवाङ्घ्रि- च्छायां सविद्यामत आश्रयेम ॥४०॥
dhātar yad asmin bhava īśa jīvās tāpa-trayeṇābhihatā na śarma ātmal labhante bhagavams tavānghri- cchāyām savidyām ata āśrayema
dhātaḥ—O father; yat—because; asmin—in this; bhave—material world; īśa—O Lord; jīvāḥ—the living entities; tāpa—miseries; trayeṇa—by the three; abhihatāḥ—always embarrassed; na—never; śarma—in happiness; ātman—self; labhante—do gain; bhagavan—Personality of Godhead; tava—Your; anghri-chāyām—shade of Your feet; savidyām—full of knowledge; ataḥ—obtain; aśrayema—shelter.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
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