FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.10.8

आमन्‍त्र्य चाभ्यनुज्ञात: परिष्वज्याभिवाद्य तम् । आरुरोह रथं कैश्चित्परिष्वक्तोऽभिवादित: ॥ ८ ॥
āmantrya cābhyanujñātaḥ
[aamantrya chaabhyanujnaatah]
pariṣvajyābhivādya tam
[parishvajyaabhivaadya tam]
āruroha rathaṁ kaiścit
[aaruroha ratham kaishchit]
pariṣvakto ’bhivāditaḥ
[parishvakto ’bhivaaditah]
āmantrya — taking permission ca — and abhyanujñātaḥ — being permitted pariṣvajya — embracing abhivādya — bowing down at the feet tam — unto Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira āruroha — ascended ratham — the chariot kaiścit — by someone pariṣvaktaḥ — being embraced abhivāditaḥ — being offered obeisances.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
āmantrya cābhyanujñātaḥ
āmantrya
taking permission
ca
and
abhyanujñātaḥ
being permitted
pariṣvajyābhivādya tam
pariṣvajya
embracing
abhivādya
bowing down at the feet
tam
unto Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira
āruroha rathaṁ kaiścit
āruroha
ascended
ratham
the chariot
kaiścit
by someone
pariṣvakto ’bhivāditaḥ
pariṣvaktaḥ
being embraced
abhivāditaḥ
being offered obeisances.
Afterwards, when the Lord asked permission to depart and the King gave it, the Lord offered His respects to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira by bowing down at his feet, and the King embraced Him. After this the Lord, being embraced by others and receiving their obeisances, got into His chariot.

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the elder cousin of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore while departing from him the Lord bowed down at the King’s feet. The King embraced Him as a younger brother, although the King knew perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord takes pleasure when some of His devotees accept Him as less important in terms of love. No one is greater than or equal to the Lord, but He takes pleasure in being treated as younger than His devotees. These are all transcendental pastimes of the Lord. The impersonalist cannot enter into the supernatural roles played by the devotee of the Lord. Thereafter Bhīma and Arjuna embraced the Lord because they were of the same age, but Nakula and Sahadeva bowed down before the Lord because they were younger than He.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Staying for several months in Hastināpura to console his friends and please Subhadrā, Kṛṣṇa, after taking permission to leave, addressing and embracing Yudhiṣṭhira, bid farewell and mounted his chariot, while being addressed and embraced by others.
When the Lord asked permission to depart, the King gave it, and bowed at His feet; the King embraced Him. Departures are best framed with mutual honor. Permission, bow, embrace — a tender protocol.
Reflection Questions
  • What recent departure could I have framed more lovingly?
  • Where do I rush goodbyes that deserve more ritual?
📝 My note

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