SB 6.3.18
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 18
- bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni
- durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhutāni
- rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo
- mattaś ca martyān atha sarvataś ca
SYNONYMS
bhūtāni — living entities or servants; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; sura-pūjitāni — who are worshiped by the demigods; durdarśa-liṅgāni — possessing forms not easily seen; mahā-adbhutāni — greatly wonderful; rakṣanti — they protect; tat-bhakti-mataḥ — the devotees of the Lord; parebhyaḥ — from others who are inimical; mattaḥ — from me (Yamarāja) and my order carriers; ca — and; martyān — the human beings; atha — thus; sarvataḥ — from everything; ca — and.
TRANSLATION
The order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, who are worshiped even by the demigods, possess wonderful bodily features exactly like those of Viṣṇu and are very rarely seen. The Viṣṇudūtas protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envious persons and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances.
PURPORT
Yamarāja has specifically described the qualities of the Viṣṇudūtas to convince his own servants not to be envious of them. Yamarāja warned the Yamadūtas that the Viṣṇudūtas are worshiped with respectful obeisances by the demigods and are always very alert to protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from natural disturbances and from all dangerous conditions in this material world. Sometimes the members of the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society are afraid of the impending danger of world war and ask what would happen to them if a war should occur. In all kinds of danger, they should be confident of their protection by the Viṣṇudūtas or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31)). Material danger is not meant for devotees. This is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām: (SB 10.14.58) in this material world there are dangers at every step, but they are not meant for devotees who have fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The pure devotees of Lord Viṣṇu may rest assured of the Lord's protection, and as long as they are in this material world they should fully engage in devotional service by preaching the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Kṛṣṇa, namely the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.