Text 11
atra praviśya garuḍo
yadi matsyān sa khādati
sadyaḥ prāṇair viyujyeta
satyam etad bravīmy aham
atra — in this lake; praviśya — entering; garuḍaḥ — Garuḍa; yadi — if; matsyān — the fish; saḥ — he; khādati — eats; sadyaḥ — immediately; prāṇaiḥ — of his force of life; viyujyeta — will become deprived; satyam — truthfully; etat — this; bravīmi — am speaking; aham — I.
If Garuḍa ever again enters this lake and eats the fish here, he will immediately lose his life. What I am saying is the truth.
The ācāryas explain in this regard that because of Saubhari Muni’s material attachment and affection for a fish, he failed to see the situation from the spiritual viewpoint. The Ninth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes his falldown for this offense. Because of false pride, Saubhari Muni lost his power of austerity, and with it his spiritual beauty and happiness. When Garuḍa came to the Yamunā, Saubhari Muni thought, “Although he may be a personal associate of the Supreme Lord, I will still curse him and even kill him if he disobeys my order.” Such an offensive attitude against an exalted Vaiṣṇava will certainly destroy one’s auspicious position in life.
As the Ninth Canto describes, Saubhari Muni married many beautiful women, and suffered greatly in their association. But because he had once become glorious by taking shelter of the Yamunā River in Śrī Vṛndāvana, he was ultimately delivered.