1322 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 31

becomes slackened before delivery. The worms have been described here
as sodara. Sodara means born of the same mother. Since the child is born
from the womb of the mother and the worms are also born of fermenta-
tion within the womb of the same mother, under the circumstances the
child and the worms are actually brothers. We are very anxious to
establish universal brotherhood among human beings, but we should take
into consideration that even the worms are our brothers, what to speak
of other living entities. Therefore, we should be concerned about all living
entities.

TEXT 11

aaa aafrata: mat: Harsha: |
tadta ¢ fern ara aatatsfta: 11221)

nathamana rsir bhitah
sapta-vadhrih krtarijalih

stuvita tam viklavaya
vaca yenodare ’rpitah

nathamanahi—appealing;rsih—the living entity ; bhitah—frightened; sapta-
vadhrih—bound by the seven layers; krta-anjalih—with folded hands;
stuvita—prays; tam—to the Lord; viklavaya—faltering; vaca—with words;
yena—by whom; udare—in the womb; arpitah—he was placed.

TRANSLATION

The living entity in this frightful condition of life, bound by seven layers
of material ingredients, prays with folded hands, appealing to the Lord,
who has put him in that condition.

PURPORT

It is said that when a woman is having labor pains she promises that she
will never again become pregnant and suffer from such a severely painful
condition. Similarly, when one is undergoing some surgical operation he
promises that he will never again act in such a way as to become diseased
and have to undergo medical surgery, or when one falls into danger, he
promises that he will never again make the same mistake. Similarly, the
living entity, when put into the hellish condition of life, prays to the Lord
