Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.39
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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bhāsi
—
You shine, You manifest
Second-person singular of √bhās (to shine, manifest). The verse pairs it with tvam eva: 'You alone are manifesting.' Balarāma names the core: 'You' are appearing as all of these. Gauḍīyas read the triplet tvam–eva–bhāsi as bhedābheda's grammar — one tvam, plural manifestations, all eva (uniquely, alone).
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bhit-āśraye
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in the basis-of-variety
Compound: bhid (difference, division) + āśraya (shelter, basis). Even in the basis of difference, You are appearing. Gauḍīyas treasure this exact compound as a Sanskrit-attested formulation of bhedābheda: variety has You as its substrate, and yet variety is real.
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pṛthak
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separately, distinctly
Adverb. The 'difference' side of bhedābheda. Gauḍīyas insist that pṛthak is not contradicted by the underlying unity — both are simultaneously true, beyond the mind's reconciliation.
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nigamāt
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briefly, succinctly
Ablative of nigama (Vedic statement, brief utterance). Balarāma asks for a brief explanation, not a lengthy one. Gauḍīyas appreciate the request: between intimates, even cosmic doctrine can be told succinctly.
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avait
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He (Baladeva) understood
Aorist of ava-√i (to perceive, comprehend, lit. 'descend into'). Same verbal family as avajagāma at verse 17. To understand is to descend-into. Gauḍīyas read it as bhakti's epistemology: knowing requires entry, not merely observation.
Inquiring from Kṛṣṇa about the actual situation, Lord Balarāma said, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, in the beginning I thought that all these cows, calves and cowherd boys were either great sages and saintly persons or demigods, but at the present it appears that they are actually Your expansions. They are all You; You Yourself are playing as the calves and cows and boys. What is the mystery of this situation? Where have those other calves and cows and boys gone? And why are You expanding Yourself as the cows, calves and boys? Will You kindly tell Me what is the cause?” At the request of Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa briefly explained the whole situation: how the calves and boys were stolen by Brahmā and how He was concealing the incident by expanding Himself so that people would not know that the original cows, calves and boys were missing. Balarāma understood, therefore, that this was not māyā but Kṛṣṇa’s opulence. Kṛṣṇa has all opulences, and this was but another opulence of Kṛṣṇa. “At first,” Lord Balarāma said, “I thought that these boys and calves were a display of the power of great sages like Nārada, but now I see that all these boys and calves are You.” After inquiring from Kṛṣṇa, Lord Balarāma understood that Kṛṣṇa Himself had become many. That the Lord can do this is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) . Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam: although He is one, He can expand Himself in so many forms. According to the Vedic version, ekaṁ bahu syām: He can expand Himself into many thousands and millions but still remain one. In that sense, everything is spiritual because everything is an expansion of Kṛṣṇa; that is, everything is an expansion either of Kṛṣṇa Himself or of His potency. Because the potency is nondifferent from the potent, the potency and the potent are one ( śakti-śaktimatayor abhedaḥ ). The Māyāvādīs, however, say, cid-acit-samanvayaḥ: spirit and matter are one. This is a wrong conception. Spirit ( cit ) is different from matter ( acit ), as explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (7.4-5): bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego — all together these eight comprise My separated material energies. But besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which consists of all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.” Spirit and matter cannot be made one, for actually they are superior and inferior energies, yet the Māyāvādīs, or Advaita-vādīs, try to make them one. This is wrong. Although spirit and matter ultimately come from the same one source, they cannot be made one. For example, there are many things that come from our bodies, but although they come from the same source, they cannot be made one. We should be careful to note that although the supreme source is one, the emanations from this source should be separately regarded as inferior and superior. The difference between the Māyāvāda and Vaiṣṇava philosophies is that the Vaiṣṇava philosophy recognizes this fact. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s philosophy, therefore, is called acintya-bhedābheda — simultaneous oneness and difference. For example, fire and heat cannot be separated, for where there is fire there is heat and where there is heat there is fire. Nonetheless, although we cannot touch fire, heat we can tolerate. Therefore, although they are one, they are different.
"Now, what is Krsna’s reason for becoming the calves and boys? What is the necessity? Where has he hidden the real boys and calves? Because even with long meditation it is not possible to understand this matter, it should be understood that the cause is not material maya, but rather Krsna’s extraordinary power. This power is so great that even his personal expansions such as Narayana, though omniscient and omnipresent, do not know much about this power. They do not have a natural knowledge of it." Visnu stealing the children of the brahmana in Dvaraka is the proof (10.89). Thus Balarama, only after looking at Krsna, could understand all of this. With this intent the verse is spoken. "It is not possible that the devatas became the boys, nor the rsis, nor the demons. Though all the calves and boys are separate entities, you, one person, have entered into all of them. Though you are one, please tell why you have become all these boys and calves." When he asked Krsna, Balarama understood everything about of the Brahma mohana pastime.
These are not the best of devatās like Garuḍa. They are not sages like Nārada. Though they take shelter of various forms (bhid-āśraye), Kṛṣṇa alone existed, since Balarāma realized they were all one caused by the bliss of Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa. Or, this verse rejects the speculations offered in verse 37. They are not devatās or sages. The sages did not make the boys and calves disappear and take their places since they could not be the shelter of such prema. They did not accumulate abundant pious of acts as expressed in SB 10.12.11. Denial of demons is not mentioned in the verse because of abridgement. Though you are one, you exist with variety (pṛthak). You are all the calves and boys (sarvam). Explain briefly (nigamāt) how this has happened. Out of affection he does not want Kṛṣṇa to get tired by speaking elaborately. Kṛṣṇa, the Lord (prabhunā) of Balarāma, explained everything and Balarāma understood since he was capable of everything. Balādhiyād balaṁ vidḥuḥ: because of his greaet ability he will be known as Bala. (SB 10.8.12) It should be understood that by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa he understood. He was ignorant for a long time by the desire of Kṛṣṇa for carrying out the pastime. Kṛṣṇa also worried that Balarāma, most merciful and soft, would not be able to tolerate the condition of the boys put to sleep by Brahmā.
They are not the best of devas like Garuḍa. They are not sages like Vaśiṣṭha. You alone manifest as different forms, like Matysa and other avatāras. You are the shelter of various forms of the calves and boys. Api indicates really. By the word eva the one form of Kṛṣṇa is indicated as the source and no devatā. These calves and boys are not devatās. Brahmā and others did not become cowherds because of desire to play. Because of the impossibility he suggests an alternative. And they are not sages like Nārada. You alone appear as the calves and boys. Since you are one, how did you become these forms existing as separate entities? Say briefly (nigamāt). He rejects lengthy explanations out of affection. Or say what is beyond the Vedas (nigamāt) since all the forms were eternity, knowledge and bliss and different and non-different from Kṛṣṇa. Balarāma understood the occurance caused by his master (prabhunā) since he was most capable (balaḥ). Balādhikyād balaṁ viduḥ: because of his great strength he will be called Bala. (SB 10.8.12) And this was understood by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. All this time by the will of the Lord for carrying out his pastimes, Balarāma also did not undersetand the truth. Since Balarāma was most compassionate he could not have tolerated the situation of the cowherd friends. Or because of his natural bhakti, he would wonder about the nature of everyone by dealing with new forms as Kṛṣna.
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- What would I ask Kṛṣṇa right now if I really believed He would explain it to me?
- Where am I keeping silent about a confusion because I assume the answer is beyond reach?
Like a younger officer who has done a feat unknown to his closest brother, now asked: 'Tell me how You did it' — Balarāma turns to Kṛṣṇa and requests the explanation. The Bhāgavata records the question explicitly so that the hearer understands: this līlā does not float as cosmic mystery; it is exchanged between brothers in plain words.
My note
Source: vedabase.io