nÄrÄyaṇa-parÄḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargÄpavarga-narakeá¹£v
api tulyÄrtha-darÅ›inaḥ
nÄrÄyaṇa-parÄḥ - persons who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead NÄrÄyaṇa; sarve - all; na - never; kutaÅ›cana - anywhere; bibhyati - are afraid; svarga - in the heavenly planetary system; apavarga - on the path of liberation; narakeá¹£u - or in a hellish condition of life; api - even; tulya - equal; artha - value; darÅ›inaḥ - seers of.
“ ‘A person who is a devotee of Lord NÄrÄyaṇa is not afraid of a hellish condition, because he considers it the same as elevation to the heavenly planets or liberation. The devotees of Lord NÄrÄyaṇa are accustomed to seeing all these things on the same level.’
This is a verse from ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (6.17.28) regarding the personality Citraketu. Once when Citraketu saw the goddess PÄrvatÄ« sitting on the lap of Lord Åšambhu (Åšiva), he criticized Lord Åšiva for being shameless and sitting just like an ordinary man with his wife on his lap. For this reason Citraketu was cursed by PÄrvatÄ«. Later he became a demon named Vá¹›trÄsura. Citraketu was a very powerful king and a devotee, and he could certainly retaliate even against Lord Åšiva, but when PÄrvatÄ« cursed him, he immediately accepted the curse with a bowed head. When he agreed to accept this curse, Lord Åšiva praised him and told PÄrvatÄ« that a devotee of Lord NÄrÄyaṇa is never afraid of accepting any position provided there is a chance to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the purport of nÄrÄyaṇa-parÄḥ sarve na kutaÅ›cana bibhyati.
