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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

<< Canto 7, The Science of God >>
<< 15 - Instructions for Civilized Human Beings >>

<< VERSE 46 >>

nocet pramattam asad-indriya-vāji-sūtā
nītvotpathaṁ viṣaya-dasyuṣu nikṣipanti
te dasyavaḥ sahaya-sūtam amuṁ tamo ’ndhe
saṁsāra-kūpa uru-mṛtyu-bhaye kṣipanti

WORD BY WORD

TRANSLATION

Otherwise, if one does not take shelter of Acyuta and Baladeva, then the senses, acting as the horses, and the intelligence, acting as the driver, both being prone to material contamination, inattentively bring the body, which acts as the chariot, to the path of sense gratification. When one is thus attracted again by the rogues of viṣaya — eating, sleeping and mating — the horses and chariot driver are thrown into the blinding dark well of material existence, and one is again put into a dangerous and extremely fearful situation of repeated birth and death.

PURPORT

	Without the protection of Gaura-Nitāi — Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma — one cannot get out of the dark well of ignorance in material existence. This is indicated here by the word nocet, which means that one will always remain in the dark well of material existence. The living entity must get strength from Nitāi-Gaura, or Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. Without the mercy of Nitāi-Gaura, there is no way to come out of this dark well of ignorance. As stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 1.2):
	vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya- nityānandau sahoditau gauḍodaye puṣpavantau citrau śandau tamo-nudau
	“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.”
	This material world is a dark well of ignorance. The fallen soul in this dark well must take shelter of the lotus feet of Gaura-Nitāi, for thus he can easily emerge from material existence. Without Their strength, simply attempting to get out of the clutches of matter by speculative knowledge will be insufficient.

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