Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6 Chapter 3 Verse 18

Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind | Chapter 3: Yamarāja Instructs His Messengers

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.3.18

bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni

durdarśa-lińgāni 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-lińgāni — 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). Material danger is not meant for devotees. This is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Padaḿ padaḿ yad vipadāḿ na teṣām: 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.

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