Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.11.10
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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acyutaḥ
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Kṛṣṇa, the infallible
Acyuta — 'never-falling,' one of His most precise names. Gauḍīya commentators: precisely the Acyuta accepts apparent falling-into-need here, dramatizing that His infallibility includes the freedom to look fallible for His devotees' sake.
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phala - arthī
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as if He wanted some fruits
Arthī — one with a need, a petitioner. The same word used of devotees who approach Bhagavān (ārta, arthārthī, jijñāsu, jñānī — BG 7.16). Here Bhagavān takes the petitioner's role. The grammatical inversion is the verse's whole point.
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dhānyam ādāya
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taking some grains of paddy
Dhānya — unhulled grain, the humblest possible currency for fruit. The Gauḍīya teaching: the value of an offering is set by the love behind it, not the market-price. Kṛṣṇa's choice of dhānya is a public lesson on patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26).
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sarva - phala - pradaḥ
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the giver of all fruits
Sarva-phala-pradaḥ — He who grants every fruit, including mokṣa and prema. The verse's poetic shock: this giver becomes the receiver. Gauḍīya commentators love this turn — it shows that no role is beneath Bhagavān when bhakti is the script-writer.
Aborigines generally go to the villagers to sell fruits. How much the aborigines were attached to Kṛṣṇa is here described. Kṛṣṇa, to show His favor to the aborigines, would immediately go purchase fruits, bartering with paddy in His hand as He had seen others do.
He gave joy even to the lowest pulinda caste among the inhabitants of Vraja. Acyuta is full in every respect, but he wanted fruit. Though he is the giver of all fruits, he quickly went out with a handful of grains, as only that was available at the moment.
With great enthusiasm, Śukadeva speaks of other pastimes for ten and half verses. Śrīdhara Svāmī does not comment on these verses. But because they are found in many editions, because Citsukha and Madhva’s followers have commented upon them, and because they are full of rasa, they will be explained here. Though there are many versions and sequences of these verses, the verses and sequence have been selected according to the Gaudiya-sampradāya. What type of joy did he give to his people? Two verses speak of the Pulinda group who lived not far away. When the vendor said, “Buy these fruits” Kṛṣṇa, who desired the fruit, but who actually bestows all fruits, gathered grains and came quickly. Though he was perfect in all respects (acute), he desired fruit. Though he is the giver of all goals to humans, he took some grains and went there. He did not consider that he held very little in his little hand since he was absorbed in his childhood pastimes. He took grains because that was all there was in front of him. This shows his haste in going to the vendor.
With great enthusiasm, Śukadeva speaks of other pastimes for ten and half verses. Śrīdhara Svāmī does not comment on these verses. But because they are found in many editions, because Citsukha and Madhva’s followers have commented upon them, and because they are full of rasa, they will be explained here. He who gives excellently all results desired pīlu fruits.
- NRM SB 10-11-10-11 - 2012-08-17 ISKCON Alachua
- Bhrigupati Pr SB 10-11-10 - 2017-03-20 Los Angeles
- Revati Raman Pr SB 10-11-10 - 2009-01-03 ISKCON Tirupati
- Asita Krishna Sw SB 10-11-10 Hindi - Bhagavan bhi pratiksha karte hai bhakto se prem karne ke liye - 2025-10-20
- Romapada Sw SB 10-11-10-11 - Lord Sri Krishna fills the fruit vendors basket with jewel and gold - 2020-06-15 Naperville
- Smita Krishna Sw SB 10-11-10-11 - 2017-04-18 Bhaktivedanta Manor
- Notice today the small offering someone makes you — a fruit, a word, a gesture — and receive it as Kṛṣṇa receives the fruit-vendor's basket: with eager, full attention.
- Bring something modest of your own (a chant, a chore, a coin) to your morning offering, refusing the lie that only 'big' service counts.
- Speak to a person below your station today — a vendor, a worker, a child — with the same warmth you would reserve for a superior, mirroring sarva-phala-pradaḥ stooping for paddy.
A king who owns every orchard in the realm runs out one morning carrying a handful of barley to barter with the wandering fruit-seller at his gate — not because He lacks fruit, but because the trader's faith deserves the king's own hand. Kṛṣṇa, sarva-phala-pradaḥ, becomes phala-arthī (one in need of fruit) to honor a poor woman's bhakti.
Sudāmā, the impoverished brāhmaṇa friend of Kṛṣṇa, brought a small bundle of beaten rice (caṇaka) to Dvārakā, embarrassed to offer so little. Kṛṣṇa snatched it with both hands and ate it with such evident delight that Rukmiṇī had to stop Him after the second fistful (SB 10.80–81).
The Gauḍīya reading: the fruit-vendor and Sudāmā are one teaching in two settings. Kṛṣṇa, who could create universes, eagerly stoops for handfuls — barley, flat rice — because the offering is bhakti, and bhakti is the only currency in which He measures value. Both episodes silently rewrite our economics of seva.
My note
Source: vedabase.io