Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.9.16
Nirodha· Winding upExhaustion Leaves the Sage Without Direction
“Tormented by hunger and thirst, attacked by monstrous makaras and timiṅgila fish and battered by the wind and waves, he moved aimlessly through the infinite darkness into which he had fallen. As he grew increasingly exhausted, he lost all sense of direction and could not tell the sky from the earth.”
What the purport teaches
- Mārkaṇḍeya was tormented by hunger and thirst and attacked by monstrous makaras and timiṅgila fish.
- Battered by wind and waves, he moved aimlessly through infinite darkness.
- Increasing exhaustion left him unable to recognize directions or distinguish sky from earth.
Try this today
Name the different hardships in this verse, then pause to consider their combined weight.
Ask yourself
How does this description deepen my understanding of helplessness?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.