372
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 9]
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  ārtabandhu , which means friend of the distressed. As stated in the  Bhagavad-gītā , after many, many births of executing severe austerities in search of knowledge, one comes to the point of real knowledge and becomes wise when he surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Māyāvādī 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.
TEXT 9
नूनं विमुष्टमतयस्त्व मायया ते ये त्वां भवाप्ययविमोक्षणमन्यहेतोः । अर्चन्ति कल्पकतरुं कुणपोपभोग्य- मिच्छन्ति यत्स्पर्शजं निरयेऽपि नृणाम् ॥९॥
nūnam vimuṣṭa-matayas tava māyayā te ye tvām bhavāpyaya-vimokṣaṇam anya-hetoḥ arcanti kalpaka-tarum kuṇapopabhogyam icchanti yat sparśa-jam niraye 'pi nṛṇām
nūnam —certainly;  vimuṣṭa-matayaḥ —those who have lost their right intelligence;  tava —Your;  māyayā —by influence of the illusory energy;  te —they;  ye —who;  tvām —You;  bhava —from birth;  apyaya —and death;  vimokṣaṇam —the cause of liberation;  anya-hetoḥ —for other purposes;  arcanti —worship;  kalpaka-tarum —who are like the desire tree;  kuṇapa —of this dead body;  upabhogyam —sense gratification;  icchanti —they desire;  yat —that which;  sparśa-jam —derived by touch sensation;  niraye —in hell;  api —even;  nṛṇām —for persons.
TRANSLATION
Persons who worship You simply for the sense gratification of this bag of skin are certainly influenced by Your illusory energy. In spite of having You, who are like a desire tree and are the cause of liberation from birth and death, foolish persons, such as me, desire benediction from You for sense gratification, which is available even for those who live in hellish conditions.