Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.36
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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vāsudeve
—
in Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa
Locative of Vāsudeva — Kṛṣṇa as Vasudeva's son, the indweller of all (vasati). Gauḍīyas read this name as Kṛṣṇa in His all-pervading aspect; here Balarāma uses it precisely because Kṛṣṇa as Vāsudeva pervades the calves and boys.
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akhila-ātmani
—
the Self of all
Compound: akhila (whole, undivided) + ātman (self). Kṛṣṇa as the universal Self. Gauḍīyas insist that akhila-ātman does not erase distinctness — it is the simultaneous oneness side of bhedābheda.
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sa-ātmanaḥ
—
including Myself
Compound: sa (with) + ātman (self). Balarāma includes Himself in the increased prema. Even He is feeling it. Gauḍīyas treasure this: the elder brother's diagnostic eye does not exempt His own heart from the symptom.
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apūrvam
—
unprecedented
Compound: a (not) + pūrva (before). The prema has no precedent — and Balarāma, who knows every līlā, can confirm there is no precedent. The wonder is real.
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prema
—
love
From √prī. The Gauḍīya term of art for the highest stage of bhakti — beyond bhāva. Gauḍīyas read its explicit naming here as the Bhāgavata's diagnostic: what is increasing is not generic affection but prema, technically defined.
This increase of affection was not māyā; rather, because Kṛṣṇa had expanded Himself as everything and because the whole life of everyone in Vṛndāvana was meant for Kṛṣṇa, the cows, because of affection for Kṛṣṇa, had more affection for the older calves than for the new calves, and the men increased in their affection for their sons. Balarāma was astonished to see all the residents of Vṛndāvana so affectionate toward their own children, exactly as they had been for Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the cows had grown affectionate toward their calves — as much as toward Kṛṣṇa. Balarāma was surprised to see the acts of yoga-māyā. Therefore He inquired from Kṛṣṇa, “What is happening here? What is this mystery?”
With the first stage of relaxing yogamaya’s influence, Balarama began thinking of the strangeness of what he was seeing. Why should the mothers have the same love for their sons as they had for Krsna before? That is astonishing. And how astonishing it was that he himself also was experiencing excessive prema as if towards Krsna, on seeing those boys.
This attraction of the soul of everyone, the shelter of all of us (vāsudeve), is beyond logic (adbhūtam). Or, now he has appeared as the son of Vasudeva with full powers of Bhagavān. Therefore it is most suitable that all should have an increase of prema for him. However it is surprising that there is increased prema for the small offspring (tokeṣu) of the cows and cowherds.
This increased affection for the soul of everyone, paramātmā (akhilātmani), the deity of the citta, the best of the caturvyūhā (vāsudeve), is beyond logic (adbhūtam). Or indeed (khila) the affection for the soul which is ordinarily dear, is the Lord. Moreover he has appeared as the son of Vāsudeva to show his powers. These are reasons for the increase in prema. However as with him, now the affection for the small boys was increased. Such affection of cows for calves is acceptable. But it is amazing to experience it among humans, with various symptoms of prema. Or tokena can also indicate the calves. It is amazing that the cows’ affection for the calves (tokena) belonging to the people of Vraja has increased.
- Is any love in my life so steadily growing that it resembles love for Kṛṣṇa — and what does that tell me about its real object?
- Where could I name aloud, like Balarāma, what I am actually observing?
As a doctor noticing the same symptom in a hundred patients who should each have a different chart — Balarāma sees the entire Vraja, His own self included, loving these boys exactly the way they love Kṛṣṇa. The diagnostic conclusion is unavoidable: the patients are all one patient.
My note
Source: vedabase.io