Text 3

A prayer explaining the Supreme Lord’s mercy is given in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.14.8):

तत् ते’नुकम्पां सु-समीक्षमाणो भुञ्जान एवात्म-कृतं विपाकम्
हृद्-वाग् वपुर्भिर् विदधन् नमस् ते जीवेत यो मुक्ति-पदे स दाय-भाक्

tat te’nukampāṃ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṃ vipākam
hṛd-vāg vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

A person who accepts as Your mercy the results of his own actions, as well as the happiness and distress of his prārabdha-karma, who endures them with an undisturbed mind, and who maintains his life by offering himself unto You by body, mind and words, is eligible to attain Your lotus feet, which are the shelter of liberation.

दुःख भोग करि’ निज-कृत-कर्म-फले
काय-मनो-वाक्ये तव चरण-कमले

duḥkha bhoga kari’ nija-kṛta-karma-phale
kāya-mano-vākye tava caraṇa-kamale

भक्ति करि’ काटे काल तव कृपा आशे
मुक्ति-पद, तव पद पाय अनायासे

bhakti kari’ kāṭe kāla tava kṛpā āśe
mukti-pada, tava pada pāya anāyāse

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

In this prayer to Śrī Bhagavān, Brahmā instructs the sādhaka thus: a sādhaka should understand the attainment of both happiness and distress to be the Supreme Lord’s mercy, or he should understand them to be an opportunity to completely eradicate sins and offences performed due to previous impressions (saṃskāras). Sometimes Śrī Bhagavān creates happiness or distress for the sādhaka, in order to increase the eagerness in his heart. In this Text, the word mukti-pada means the one at whose lotus feet (pada) libera tion (mukti) takes shelter. This refers either to Śrī Bhagavān or to bhakti, i.e. service to Him.