10.2 Alone, I may be helpless; with you, I can be hopeful—always

kṣudra āmi dīna hīna 

kono śakti nāhi

Lowly am I, so fallen, so small,

I have no strength, O Lord, none at all.

My dear Lord, whenever I feel powerless or helpless, let those feelings not drag me into hopelessness. Instead, let them serve as my wake-up call to shift my hope to you—firmly, fully, and faithfully. Srila Prabhupada acknowledges here that he has no power or ability of his own, yet he sees this not as a reason for despair but as a reason to redirect his attention to you—as did Draupadi when her honor was threatened in the Kuru assembly.

O ever-accessible Lord, let his words inspire me. In moments when I feel helpless, when nothing I do seems to make any difference and is not likely to make any difference, let me not resign from my service or drift into passivity. Instead, my Lord, let me refocus my attention on you. Even if I am powerless, you are always powerful—supremely powerful. If I can just become absorbed in you, I will start becoming hopeful again.

O merciful Lord, through such absorption, please enable me to experience shelter and succour even amid overwhelming gloom and doom. Infuse me, I beg you, with the strength to take small steps even when the path ahead is shrouded in impenetrable darkness.

May you, my Lord, be my refuge now and always—in times when I feel helpless, and even when I do not.