FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.44

सूत उवाच पृथयेत्थं कलपदै: परिणूताखिलोदय: । मन्दं जहास वैकुण्ठो मोहयन्निव मायया ॥ ४४ ॥
sūta uvāca
[soota uvaacha]
pṛthayetthaṁ kala-padaiḥ
[prithayettham kala-padaih]
pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ
[parinootaakhilodayah]
mandaṁ jahāsa vaikuṇṭho
[mandam jahaasa vaikuntho]
mohayann iva māyayā
[mohayann iva maayayaa]
sūtaḥ uvāca — Sūta said pṛthayā — by Pṛthā (Kuntī) ittham — this kala-padaiḥ — by chosen words pariṇūta — being worshiped akhila — universal udayaḥ — glories mandam — mildly jahāsa — smiled vaikuṇṭhaḥ — the Lord mohayan — captivating iva — like māyayā — His mystic power.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sūta uvāca
sūtaḥ uvāca
Sūta said
pṛthayetthaṁ kala-padaiḥ
pṛthayā
by Pṛthā (Kuntī)
ittham
this
kala-padaiḥ
by chosen words
pariṇūta
being worshiped
pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ
akhila
universal
udayaḥ
glories
mandaṁ jahāsa vaikuṇṭho
mandam
mildly
jahāsa
smiled
vaikuṇṭhaḥ
the Lord
mohayann iva māyayā
mohayan
captivating
iva
like
māyayā
His mystic power.
Sūta Gosvāmī said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntīdevī, composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power.

Anything that is enchanting in the world is said to be a representation of the Lord. The conditioned souls, who are engaged in trying to lord it over the material world, are also enchanted by His mystic powers, but His devotees are enchanted in a different way by the glories of the Lord, and His merciful blessings are upon them. His energy is displayed in different ways, as electrical energy works in manifold capacities. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī has prayed to the Lord just to enunciate a fragment of His glories. All His devotees worship Him in that way, by chosen words, and therefore the Lord is known as Uttamaśloka. No amount of chosen words is sufficient to enumerate the Lord’s glory, and yet He is satisfied by such prayers as the father is satisfied even by the broken linguistic attempts of the growing child. The word māyā is used both in the sense of delusion and mercy. Herein the word māyā is used in the sense of the Lord’s mercy upon Kuntīdevī.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Suta said: The Lord, whose greatness had been glorified by the sweet words of Kuntī, smiled softly as if bewildered by prema.
Commentary

Pariṇūta comes from the verb pariṇu of the tud class. With the long vowel it means “to praise.” The Lord was bewildered, not by material māyā but by prema.

The Lord, hearing Kuntī's prayers, mildly smiled — that smile enchanting as His mystic power. A smile, freely given, can carry more divine reality than any miracle.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose smile in my life is its own kind of mercy?
  • What would I share if a smile were the only thing I had to give today?
📝 My note

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