Canto 9: LiberationChapter 9: The Dynasty of Aḿśumān

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.9.12

yaj-jala-sparśa-mātreṇa

brahma-daṇḍa-hatā api

sagarātmajā divaḿ jagmuḥ

kevalaḿ deha-bhasmabhiḥ

SYNONYMS

yat-jala — whose water; sparśa-mātreṇa — simply by touching; brahma-daṇḍa-hatāḥ — those who were condemned for offending brahma, the self; api — although; sagara-ātmajāḥ — the sons of Sagara; divamto the heavenly planets; jagmuḥ — went; kevalam — only; deha-bhasmabhiḥ — by the remaining ashes of their burnt bodies.

TRANSLATION

Because the sons of Sagara Mahārāja had offended a great personality, the heat of their bodies had increased, and they were burnt to ashes. But simply by being sprinkled with water from the Ganges, all of them became eligible to go to the heavenly planets. What then is to be said of those who use the water of mother Ganges to worship her?

PURPORT

Mother Ganges is worshiped by the water of the Ganges: a devotee takes a little water from the Ganges and offers it back to the Ganges. When the devotee takes the water, mother Ganges does not lose anything, and when the water is offered back, mother Ganges does not increase, but in this way the worshiper of the Ganges is benefited. Similarly, a devotee of the Lord offers the Lord patraḿ puṣpaḿ phalaḿ toyam — a leaf, flower, fruit or water — in great devotion, but everything, including the leaf, flower, fruit and water, belongs to the Lord, and therefore there is nothing to renounce or to accept. One must simply take advantage of the bhakti process because by following this process one does not lose anything but one gains the favor of the Supreme Person.

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