FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.11.22

प्रह्वाभिवादनाश्लेषकरस्पर्शस्मितेक्षणै: । आश्वास्य चाश्वपाकेभ्यो वरैश्चाभिमतैर्विभु: ॥ २२ ॥
prahvābhivādanāśleṣa-
[prahvaabhivaadanaashlesha-]
kara-sparśa-smitekṣaṇaiḥ
[kara-sparsha-smitekshanaih]
āśvāsya cāśvapākebhyo
[aashvaasya chaashvapaakebhyo]
varaiś cābhimatair vibhuḥ
[varaish chaabhimatair vibhuh]
prahvā — by bowing His head abhivādana — by greeting with words āśleṣa — embracing kara-sparśa — shaking hands smita-īkṣaṇaiḥ — by a glancing smile āśvāsya — by encouragement ca — and āśvapākebhyaḥ — down to the lowest rank of dog-eaters varaiḥ — by benedictions ca — also abhimataiḥ — as desired by vibhuḥ — the Almighty.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
prahvābhivādanāśleṣa-
prahvā
by bowing His head
abhivādana
by greeting with words
āśleṣa
embracing
kara-sparśa-smitekṣaṇaiḥ
kara-sparśa
shaking hands
smita-īkṣaṇaiḥ
by a glancing smile
āśvāsya cāśvapākebhyo
āśvāsya
by encouragement
ca
and
āśvapākebhyaḥ
down to the lowest rank of dog-eaters
varaiś cābhimatair vibhuḥ
varaiḥ
by benedictions
ca
also
abhimataiḥ
as desired by
vibhuḥ
the Almighty.
The almighty Lord greeted everyone present by bowing His head, exchanging greetings, embracing, shaking hands, looking and smiling, giving assurances and awarding benedictions, even to the lowest in rank.

To receive the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa there were all grades of population, beginning from Vasudeva, Ugrasena and Gargamuni — the father, grandfather and teacher — down to the prostitutes and caṇḍālas, who are accustomed to eat dogs. And every one of them was properly greeted by the Lord in terms of rank and position. As pure living entities, all are the separated parts and parcels of the Lord, and thus no one is alien by His eternal relation. Such pure living entities are graded differently in terms of contamination of the modes of material nature, but the Lord is equally affectionate to all His parts and parcels, despite material gradation. He descends only to recall these materialistic living beings back to His kingdom, and intelligent persons take advantage of this facility offered by the Personality of Godhead to all living beings. No one is rejected by the Lord from the kingdom of God, and it remains with the living being to accept this or not.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord met them all and suitably respected all friends, relatives, and citizens who had come.
Commentary

Yathāvidhi means “as suitable.”

The almighty Lord greeted everyone — bowing His head, exchanging greetings, embracing, shaking hands, looking, smiling, giving assurances, even to the lowest in rank. Greatness has many gestures.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of these gestures (bow, embrace, smile, assurance) do I use too rarely?
  • Where could a small gesture matter more than a grand one?
📝 My note

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