विपद: सन्तु ता: शश्वत्तत्र तत्र जगद्गुरो ।
भवतो दर्शनं यत्स्यादपुनर्भवदर्शनम् ॥
जन्मैश्वर्यश्रुतश्रीभिरेधमानमद: पुमान् ।
नैवार्हत्यभिधातुं वै त्वामकिञ्चनगोचरम् ॥
vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro |
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād apunar bhava-darśanam ||
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān |
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām akiñcana-gocaram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.8.25–26)
“[Kuntī Devī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] O Guru of the universe, let those dangers occur constantly everywhere in the midst of which shall occur the sight of you, by virtue of which the sight of material existence again does not! A person swelling with conceit as a result of birth, capability, learning, or beauty is never fit to speak of you, who are attainable [only] by the disinterested [i.e., those who foster no attachment to anything of the world].”
Alternate translation of 1.8.25:
“O Guru of the universe, let those dangers occur constantly everywhere in the midst of which shall occur the sight of you—a sight which does occur again [anywhere else]!”
Commentary
The alternate translation is based on Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpāda’s unique interpretation of the verse stated below.
apunar-bhavam anyatra kutrāpi tādṛśa-mādhuryābhāvāt punar na jātaṁ darśanaṁ sāmya-pratītir yasya tat, apūrvam ity arthaḥ | mad-vidha-sampadas tu tat-sambandha-mātra-paripanthitanya ity āha—janmeti |
(Excerpt from Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Prīti Sandarbha: 89)
“[Apunar-bhava-darśanam means] He whose sight, that is, a perception of resemblance [to whom], does not occur again because of the non-existence of such sweetness (mādhurya) [as is perceived in him] anywhere else. Extraordinary is the meaning [i.e., apunar-bhava-darśanam means he the sight of whom is extraordinary by virtue of his being possessed of qualities not found in anyone else]. Privileges of my type [i.e., the worldly privileges I have received], however, are hindrances to that entire relation [i.e., they jeopardize my entire attitude towards and relationship with you]. Thus, she says janmaiśvarya … [i.e., she speaks the second verse].”
kiṁ ca, tā vipada eva me sampada evety āha—vipada iti | he jagatāṁ guro hita-kāritvena sakṛpottha-vipad-añjana-pradānena sampat-pramāda-ghūrṇā-dhvaṁsin! yad yāsu vipatsu, bhavato darśanaṁ kīdṛśaṁ nāsti punar api bhavasya saṁsāra-duḥkhasya darśanaṁ yat | loke sampada eva vipada ity āha—janmeti | abhidhātuṁ kṛṣṇa-govindety abhidhānam api vaktum |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“Moreover, those dangers (vipadas) are actually privileges (sampadas) for me. Thus, she speaks this verse (vipadaḥ …). O Guru of the universe! O Stopper of the whirling produced by the frenzy created by privilege by applying the collyrium of misfortune manifested by your grace on account of [your] being a benefactor! ‘In the midst of which’ (yat) means in which dangers. What is the nature of sight of you? [It is that] Because of which sight of material existence, that is, the misery of saṁsāra, does not occur again. Privileges in the world are actually dangers. Thus, she says janmaiśvarya … [i.e., she speaks the second verse]. ‘To speak’ (abhidhātum) means to speak even [your] names, ‘Kṛṣṇa, Govinda ….’”