Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.10.25
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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priya-tamaḥ
—
most beloved devotee
Compound: priya (dear) + superlative -tama. The hierarchy of Kṛṣṇa's affection is named in one word — among many priyas, Nārada is priya-tama. Gauḍīya: every devotee is dear, but bhāgavata-mukhya level is Kṛṣṇa's intimate preference.
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dhanada-ātmajau
—
the two sons of Kuvera
Compound: dhanada (wealth-giver, Kuvera) + ātmaja (son). Kṛṣṇa names them by their material lineage and immediately sets it aside as no qualification. Birth and wealth do not summon Kṛṣṇa; the devotee's wish does.
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sādhayiṣyāmi
—
I shall accomplish
Future first person from √sādh — the same root as sādhu. Kṛṣṇa 'accomplishes' the devotee's words; the same root names the sādhu who has 'accomplished' the goal. Word and Lord share grammar.
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mahātmanā
—
by the great soul (Nārada)
Instrumental of mahātman, 'great-souled.' Gītā 9.13 reserves mahātmā for the unalloyed devotee. Kṛṣṇa here uses the title for Nārada in the same sense — the title is bhakti's, not philosophy's.
Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva actually had nothing to do with devotional service or seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, for this is not an ordinary opportunity. It is not that because one is very rich or learned or was born in an aristocratic family one will be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. This is impossible. But in this case, because Nārada Muni desired that Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva see Vāsudeva face to face, the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted to fulfill the words of His very dear devotee Nārada Muni. If one seeks the favor of a devotee instead of directly asking favors from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is very easily successful. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has therefore recommended: vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jānaha more, kṛṣṇa se tomāra kṛṣṇa dite pāra. One should desire to become like a dog in strictly following a devotee. Kṛṣṇa is in the hand of a devotee. Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau . Thus without the favor of a devotee, one cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of engaging in His service. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: unless one becomes a servant of a pure devotee, one cannot be delivered from the material condition of life. In our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava society, following in the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī, our first business is to seek shelter of a bona fide spiritual master ( ādau gurv-āśrayaḥ ).
Because (yat) Narada is my dear devotee, I will give fulfill to these two whatever (yad) was said by that (tad) great soul (mahatmana).
Because Nārada is my great devotee I will do just as he sung -deliver them from tree bodies, have them go to Svarga, and endow them with the highest bhakti.
I will do just as was described by my great devotee (mahātmanā), dedicated to spreading my bhakti by his nature. This was the cause of his being dear to the Lord (priyatamaḥ). I will free them from bodies of trees and give them the highest bhakti (sādhayiṣyāmi). They will be devotees.
- Balaram Shakti Pr SB 10 - SVCT-Verse 10-25-13-33
- Balaram Shakti Pr SB 10 - SVCT-Verse 10-25-01-12
- Bhakti Marg Sw SB 10-10-25 Part 01 - ISKCON Mauritius
- Bhakti Marg Sw SB 10-10-25 Part 03 - ISKCON Mauritius
- Bhakti Marg Sw SB 10-10-25 Part 04 - ISKCON Mauritius
- Bhakti Marg Sw SB 10-10-25 Part 02 - ISKCON Mauritius
- JPS SB 10-10-25-39 - Sunday Feast Lecture - 1987-10-27 New Orleans
- Identify one bona fide Vaiṣṇava in your life and serve him today in some small, concrete way — fetch, clean, listen, write — without waiting to be asked.
- Refuse the subtle pride of approaching Kṛṣṇa on the strength of your own qualifications; instead, pray through a devotee, asking him to remember you.
- Notice when you bypass guru and Vaiṣṇavas to manufacture a private relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and re-route that impulse into ādau gurv-āśrayaḥ — taking shelter first.
A king grants audience not because the petitioner is rich, but because his trusted minister has put in a good word. Kṛṣṇa explicitly says: I have nothing to do with these two — but Nārada is My priya-tama, and his word brings them to My presence. The minister's reference is the only credential that matters.
When the five-year-old Dhruva, stung by his stepmother's insult, set out for the forest to seek the Lord, it was Nārada who met him on the road, tested his resolve, and gave him the mantra oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya — the one mantra that would bring Viṣṇu to him.
Six months of tapas later, Viṣṇu appeared. Dhruva himself had no qualification; Nārada's mantra was the bridge. SB 10.10.25 names the same principle Kṛṣṇa Himself will state again in Caitanya-caritāmṛta — guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.
My note
Source: vedabase.io