FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.19.35

अपि मे भगवान् प्रीत: कृष्ण: पाण्डुसुतप्रिय: । पैतृष्वसेयप्रीत्यर्थं तद्गोत्रस्यात्तबान्धव: ॥ ३५ ॥
api me bhagavān prītaḥ
[api me bhagavaan preetah]
kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍu-suta-priyaḥ
[krishnah paandu-suta-priyah]
paitṛ-ṣvaseya-prīty-arthaṁ
[paitri-shvaseya-preety-artham]
tad-gotrasyātta-bāndhavaḥ
[tad-gotrasyaatta-baandhavah]
api — definitely me — unto me bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead prītaḥ — pleased kṛṣṇaḥ — the Lord pāṇḍu-suta — the sons of King Pāṇḍu priyaḥ — dear paitṛ — in relation with the father svaseya — the sons of the sister prīti — satisfaction artham — in the matter of tat — their gotrasya — of the descendant ātta — accepted bāndhavaḥ — as a friend.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
api me bhagavān prītaḥ
api
definitely
me
unto me
bhagavān
the Personality of Godhead
prītaḥ
pleased
kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍu-suta-priyaḥ
kṛṣṇaḥ
the Lord
pāṇḍu-suta
the sons of King Pāṇḍu
priyaḥ
dear
paitṛ-ṣvaseya-prīty-arthaṁ
paitṛ
in relation with the father
svaseya
the sons of the sister
prīti
satisfaction
artham
in the matter of
tad-gotrasyātta-bāndhavaḥ
tat
their
gotrasya
of the descendant
ātta
accepted
bāndhavaḥ
as a friend.
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is very dear to the sons of King Pāṇḍu, has accepted me as one of those relatives just to please His great cousins and brothers.

A pure and exclusive devotee of the Lord serves his family interest more dexterously than others, who are attached to illusory family affairs. Generally people are attached to family matters, and the whole economic impetus of human society is moving under the influence of family affection. Such deluded persons have no information that one can render better service to the family by becoming a devotee of the Lord. The Lord gives special protection to the family members and descendants of a devotee, even though such members are themselves nondevotees! Mahārāja Prahlāda was a great devotee of the Lord, but his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was a great atheist and declared enemy of the Lord. But despite all this, Hiraṇyakaśipu was awarded salvation due to his being the father of Mahārāja Prahlāda. The Lord is so kind that he gives all protection to the family members of His devotee, and thus the devotee has no need to bother about his family members, even if one leaves such family members aside to discharge devotional service. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers were the sons of Kuntī, the paternal aunt of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit admits the patronage of Lord Kṛṣṇa because of his being the only grandson of the great Pāṇḍavas.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Because of affection for his cousins the Pāṇḍavas, Lord Kṛṣṇa, dear to the Pāṇḍavas, has shown friendship with me, their descendent, by sending you.
Commentary

Paternal cousins of Kṛṣṇa were the Pāṇḍavas. Kṛṣṇa has made friendship with me belonging to that family. You have been sent by him to deliver me.

Kṛṣṇa, very dear to the Pāṇḍus, has accepted me as one of His relatives, just to please His great cousins and brothers. Sometimes we receive favor because the Lord wants to please those who love us.
Reflection Questions
  • What favor in my life might be the Lord pleasing those who love me?
  • Where could I receive grace as multi-personal?
📝 My note

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