Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.13.16

prasajjati kvāpi latā-bhujāśrayas

tad-āśrayāvyakta-pada-dvija-spṛhaḥ

kvacit kadācid dhari-cakratas trasan

sakhyaḿ vidhatte baka-kańka-gṛdhraiḥ

SYNONYMS

prasajjati — becomes more and more attached; kvāpi — sometimes; latā-bhuja-āśrayaḥ — who takes shelter of the soft arms of his beautiful wife which are like creepers; tat-āśraya — who are sheltered by such creepers; avyakta-pada — who sing unclear songs; dvija-spṛhaḥ — desiring to hear birds; kvacit — sometimes; kadācit — somewhere; hari-cakrataḥ trasan — being afraid of the roaring sound of a lion; sakhyam — friendship; vidhatte — makes; baka-kańka-gṛdhraiḥ — with cranes, herons and vultures.

TRANSLATION

Sometimes the living entity in the forest of material existence takes shelter of creepers and desires to hear the chirping of the birds in those creepers. Being afraid of roaring lions in the forest, he makes friends with cranes, herons and vultures.

PURPORT

In the forest of the material world there are many animals and birds, trees and creepers. Sometimes the living entity wants to take shelter of the creepers; in other words, he wants to be happy by being embraced by the creeperlike arms of his wife. Within the creepers there are many chirping birds; this indicates that he wants to satisfy himself by hearing the sweet voice of his wife. In old age, however, he sometimes becomes afraid of imminent death, which is compared to a roaring lion. To save himself from the lion's attack, he takes shelter of some bogus svāmīs, yogīs, incarnations, pretenders and cheaters. Being misled by the illusory energy in this way, he spoils his life. It is said, hariḿ vinā mṛtiḿ na taranti: no one can be saved from the imminent danger of death without taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word hari indicates the lion as well as the Supreme Lord. To be saved from the hands of Hari, the lion of death, one must take shelter of the supreme Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. People with a poor fund of knowledge take shelter of nondevotee cheaters and pretenders in order to be saved from the clutches of death. In the forest of the material world, the living entity first of all wants to be very happy by taking shelter of the creeperlike arms of his wife and hearing her sweet voice. Later, he sometimes takes shelter of so-called gurus and sādhus who are like crane, herons and vultures. Thus he is cheated both ways by not taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness