SB 8.16.14
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 14
- tavaiva mārīca manaḥ-śarīrajāḥ
- prajā imāḥ sattva-rajas-tamo-juṣaḥ
- samo bhavāṁs tāsv asurādiṣu prabho
- tathāpi bhaktaṁ bhajate maheśvaraḥ
SYNONYMS
tava — your; eva — indeed; mārīca — O son of Marīci; manaḥ-śarīra-jāḥ — born either of your body or of your mind (all the demons and demigods); prajāḥ — born of you; imāḥ — all of them; sattva-rajaḥ-tamaḥ-juṣaḥ — infected with sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa; samaḥ — equal; bhavān — your good self; tāsu — to every one of them; asura-ādiṣu — beginning with the asuras; prabho — O my lord; tathā api — still; bhaktam — unto the devotees; bhajate — takes care of; mahā-īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller.
TRANSLATION
O son of Marīci, because you are a great personality you are equal toward all the demons and demigods, who are born either from your body or from your mind and who possess one or another of the three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa. But although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, is equal toward all living entities, He is especially favorable to the devotees.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (BG 9.29) the Lord says:
- samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
- na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ
- ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
- mayi te teṣu cāpy aham
Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equal toward everyone, He is especially inclined toward those who engage in His devotional service. The Lord says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: (BG 9.31) "My dear son of Kuntī, please declare that My devotee will never be vanquished." Elsewhere, Kṛṣṇa also says:
- ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
- tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham
- mama vartmānuvartante
- manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
- (BG 4.11)
Actually, everyone is trying to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead in various ways, but according to their methods of approach, the Supreme Lord endows them with different benedictions. Thus Aditi appealed to her husband by saying that since even the supreme controller favors His devotees and since Indra, Kaśyapa's devoted son, was in difficulty, Kaśyapa should bestow his favor upon Indra.