FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.11.28

प्रविष्टस्तु गृहं पित्रो: परिष्वक्त: स्वमातृभि: । ववन्दे शिरसा सप्त देवकीप्रमुखा मुदा ॥ २८ ॥
praviṣṭas tu gṛhaṁ pitroḥ
[pravishtas tu griham pitroh]
pariṣvaktaḥ sva-mātṛbhiḥ
[parishvaktah sva-maatribhih]
vavande śirasā sapta
[vavande shirasaa sapta]
devakī-pramukhā mudā
[devakee-pramukhaa mudaa]
Word-for-word
praviṣṭaḥ — after entering tu — but gṛham — houses pitroḥ — of the father pariṣvaktaḥ — embraced sva-mātṛbhiḥ — by His own mothers vavande — offered obeisances śirasā — His head sapta — seven devakī — Devakī pramukhā — headed by mudā — gladly.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
praviṣṭas tu gṛhaṁ pitroḥ
praviṣṭaḥ
after entering
tu
but
gṛham
houses
pitroḥ
of the father
pariṣvaktaḥ sva-mātṛbhiḥ
pariṣvaktaḥ
embraced
sva-mātṛbhiḥ
by His own mothers
vavande śirasā sapta
vavande
offered obeisances
śirasā
His head
sapta
seven
devakī-pramukhā mudā
devakī
Devakī
pramukhā
headed by
mudā
gladly.
After entering the house of His father, He was embraced by the mothers present, and the Lord offered His obeisances unto them by placing His head at their feet. The mothers were headed by Devakī [His real mother].
Purport

It appears that Vasudeva, the father of Lord Kṛṣṇa, had completely separate residential quarters where he lived with his eighteen wives, out of whom Śrīmatī Devakī is the real mother of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But in spite of this, all other stepmothers were equally affectionate to Him, as will be evident from the following verse. Lord Kṛṣṇa also did not distinguish His real mother from His stepmothers, and He equally offered His obeisances unto all the wives of Vasudeva present on the occasion. According to scriptures also, there are seven mothers: (1) the real mother, (2) the wife of the spiritual master, (3) the wife of a brāhmaṇa, (4) the wife of the king, (5) the cow, (6) the nurse, and (7) the earth. All of them are mothers. Even by this injunction of the śāstras, the stepmother, who is the wife of the father, is also as good as the mother because the father is also one of the spiritual masters. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the universe, plays the part of an ideal son just to teach others how to treat their stepmothers.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
On the road, furnished with umbrella and cāmaras, showered with flowers, wearing yellow cloth with a garland, he appeared to be a cloud with the sun, moon, rainbow and lightning.
Commentary

Vaidyutam is lightning. A comparison is made between Kṛṣṇa and a cloud. The umbrella is like the sun, and the waving of two cāmaras, with their circular movements, are like two moons. The showers of flowers are like stars. The flower garland is like two rainbows. His yellow cloth is like lightning. It is astonishing that the sun and two moons simultaneously shine on a cloud with the stars, two rainbows and stationary lightning. This is how the Lord appeared.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Entering His father's house, He was embraced by His mothers, and offered obeisances by placing His head at their feet. Even Kṛṣṇa bows to His mothers. Reverence for source is the Lord's own example.
Reflection Questions
  • When did I last bow — literally or in attitude — to a source figure?
  • Where could humility before elders deepen my own devotion?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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