ŚB 5.17.20
Devanagari
असद्दृशो य: प्रतिभाति मायया क्षीबेव मध्वासवताम्रलोचन: । न नागवध्वोऽर्हण ईशिरे ह्रियायत्पादयो: स्पर्शनधर्षितेन्द्रिया: ॥ २० ॥
Verse text
asad-dṛśo yaḥ pratibhāti māyayā
kṣībeva madhv-āsava-tāmra-locanaḥ
na nāga-vadhvo ’rhaṇa īśire hriyā
yat-pādayoḥ sparśana-dharṣitendriyāḥ
kṣībeva madhv-āsava-tāmra-locanaḥ
na nāga-vadhvo ’rhaṇa īśire hriyā
yat-pādayoḥ sparśana-dharṣitendriyāḥ
Synonyms
asat-dṛśaḥ — for a person with polluted vision; yaḥ — who; pratibhāti — appears; māyayā — the influence of māyā; kṣībaḥ — one who is inebriated or angry; iva — like; madhu — by honey; āsava — and liquor; tāmra-locanaḥ — having eyes reddish like copper; na — not; nāga-vadhvaḥ — the wives of the serpent demon; arhaṇe — in worshiping; īśire — were unable to proceed; hriyā — because of bashfulness; yat-pādayoḥ — of whose lotus feet; sparśana — by the touching; dharṣita — agitated; indriyāḥ — whose senses.
Translation
For persons with impure vision, the Supreme Lord’s eyes appear like those of someone who indiscriminately drinks intoxicating beverages. Thus bewildered, such unintelligent persons become angry at the Supreme Lord, and due to their angry mood the Lord Himself appears angry and very fearful. However, this is an illusion. When the wives of the serpent demon were agitated by the touch of the Lord’s lotus feet, due to shyness they could proceed no further in their worship of Him. Yet the Lord remained unagitated by their touch, for He is equipoised in all circumstances. Therefore who will not worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Purport
Anyone who remains unagitated, even in the presence of cause for agitation, is called dhīra, or equipoised. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being always in a transcendental position, is never agitated by anything. Therefore someone who wants to become dhīra must take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā (2.13) Kṛṣṇa says, dhīras tatra na muhyati: a person who is equipoised in all circumstances is never bewildered. Prahlāda Mahārāja is a perfect example of a dhīra. When the fierce form of Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared in order to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu, Prahlāda was unagitated. He remained calm and quiet, whereas others, including even Lord Brahmā, were frightened by the features of the Lord.