262 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 24
kartum sametah prabhavanti pursas
tam isvaram tvadrh Saranam prapadye

na—not; yat-prasdda—of the mercy of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; ayuta- bhaga-lesam—only one ten-thousandth; anye—others;
ca—also; devdh—even the demigods; guravah—the so-called gurus;
janah—the total population; svayam—personally; kartum—to execute;
sametah—all together; prabhavanti—can become equally able; purmsah-
—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tam—unto Him; isvaram—
unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tudm—unto You; saranam—
shelter; prapadye—let me surrender.

TRANSLATION

Neither all the demigods, nor the so-called gurus nor all other
people, either independently or together, can offer mercy that
equals even one ten-thousandth of Yours. Therefore I wish to take
shelter of Your lotus feet.

PURPORT

It is said, kadmais tais tair hrta-jfdnah prapadyante ‘nya-devatah:
people in general, being motivated by material desires, worship the
demigods to get fruitive results very quickly. People generally do not be-
come devotees of Lord Visnu, since Lord Visnu never becomes the order-
supplier of His devotee. Lord Visnu does not give a devotee benedictions
that will create a further demand for benedictions. By worshiping the
demigods one may get results, but, as described in Bhagavad-gita,
antavat tu phalam tesadrn tad bhavaty alpa-medhasdm: whatever great
benedictions one may achieve from the demigods are all temporary. Be-
cause the demigods themselves are temporary, their benedictions are also
temporary and have no permanent value. Those who aspire for such
benedictions have a poor fund of knowledge (tad bhavaty alpa-
medhasam). The benedictions of Lord Visnu are different. By the mercy
of the Lord Visnu, one can be completely freed from material contamina-
tion and go back home, back to Godhead. Therefore the benedictions
offered by the demigods cannot compare to even one ten-thousandth of
the Lord’s benedictions. One should not, therefore, try to obtain benedic-
tions from the demigods or false gurus. One should aspire only for the
