“O great Lord, this servant of Yours has fallen into the hole of this material existence and is under the grip of snake-like time, but still craves enjoying material sense gratification which is ridiculous and insignificant, yet this desire to enjoy incessantly increases. Please be merciful and uplift and save this living entity by pouring Your nectar-like words that are filled with instructions upon me, which will lift me to spiritual freedom.”

dastam janam sampatitam bile’smin
kalahina ksudra-sukhorutarsam
samuddharainam krpaya’pa vargyair
vacobhirasinca mahanubhava

PURPORT BY SRI KRSNA BALARAM SWAMIJI

Arrogant people do not plead for the Lord’s mercy because they believe their philosophy of life is right, and if they experience misery they think they were destined to suffer anyway. Thus they believe there is no need to pray to anyone for mercy. Yet everyone knows in their heart that a superior being exists who could rescue them from undesirable situations, but arrogance usually prevails so the person hides their misery by putting up a facade to show people they are happy, whereas humble souls plead to the Lord for His mercy to be rescued from misery. Who in this world is not suffering from the problems of time; or from not becoming satiated from sense gratification? Everyone is under the grip of all devouring time, which comes as death to everyone. To solve this problem one should abandon all speculation and wholeheartedly pray to the Lord for His mercy. The art of praying to God is taught by a genuine Spiritual Master to a sincere disciple. According to the disciple’s attitude, the Spiritual Master reveals spiritual instructions, as we will soon be privy to in this discussion between Lord Krsna and His real devotee, Uddhava.

[Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.19.10, KBS0070]