Text 20

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.5.40) the demigods speak the following:

धातर् यद् अस्मिन् भव ईश जीवास् ताप-त्रयेणाभिहता न शर्म
आत्मन् लभन्ते भगवंस् तवाङ्घ्रिच्छायां स-विद्याम् अत आश्रयेम

dhātar yad asmin bhava īśa jīvās tāpa-trayeṇābhihatā na śarma
ātman labhante bhagavaṃs tavāṅghricchāyāṃ sa-vidyām ata āśrayema

O Vidhātā! O Lord! O Paramātmā! In this material world the living entities, overwhelmed by the threefold miseries, cannot find any peace. Therefore, O Bhagavān, we take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge.

ए संसारे ताप-त्रय, अभिहत जीवचय,
ओहे कृष्ण ना लभे मङ्गल

e saṃsāre tāpa-traya, abhihata jīvacaya,
ohe kṛṣṇa nā labhe maṅgala

तव पद-छाया विद्या, शुभ दाता अनवद्या,
तद्-आश्रये सर्व-शुभ फल

tava pada-chāyā vidyā, śubha dātā anavadyā,
tad-āśraye sarva-śubha phala

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

The demigods are praying at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord: “O Lord, the living entity is experiencing the auspicious and inauspicious fruits of lifetimes of karma. By the management of māyā he is wandering around in the forest of material existence, overwhelmed by suffering. He is endeavouring to find relief from these threefold miseries, sometimes through knowledge and renunciation and sometimes through knowledge of brahma, but he is unable to find peace. By obtaining liberation he wants to become as if inert, unable to feel anything, just as stones immersed in water cannot feel the pleasure of being in water. Transcendental peace, para-śānti, is attained, O Śrī Hari, at Your lotus feet. By following the path of bhakti, the living entity becomes immersed in an ocean of transcendental peace and bliss. Thus, to take shelter of Your lotus feet is the only means to attain this transcendental peace.”