20
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 14]
devotee who hesitates to engage in the Lord's service, not knowing whether he should again try to revive his material life. After repeated attempts and failures, he fully surrenders to the lotus feet of the Lord. The Lord then gives him directions, and, attaining happiness, he forgets all material engagement.
TEXT 11
क्वचिदुल्कशिल्लीस्वनवदतिपरुषरभसाटोपं प्रत्यक्षं परोक्षं वा रिपुराजकुल- निर्भर्त्सितेनातिव्यथितकर्णमूलहृदयः ॥ ११ ॥
kvacid ulūka-jhillī-svanavad ati-paruṣa-rabhasāṭopam pratyakṣam parokṣam vā ripu-rāja-kula-nirbhartsitenāti-vyathita-karṇa-mūla- hṛdayaḥ.
kvacit—sometimes; ulūka—of the owl; jhillī—and the cricket; svana- vat—exactly like intolerable sounds; ati-paruṣa—extremely piercing; rabhasa—by perseverance; āṭopam—agitation; pratyakṣam—directly; parokṣam—indirectly; vā—or; ripu—of enemies; rāja-kula—and of government officers; nirbhartsitena—by chastisement; ati-vyathita— very aggrieved; karṇa-mūla-hṛdayaḥ—whose ear and heart.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul is very aggrieved by the chastisement of his enemies and government servants, who use harsh words against him directly or indirectly. At that time his heart and ears become very saddened. Such chastisement may be compared to the sounds of owls and crickets.
PURPORT
There are different types of enemies within this material world. The government chastises one due to not paying income taxes. Such criticism, direct or indirect, saddens one, and sometimes the conditioned soul tries to counteract that chastisement. Unfortunately, he cannot do anything.