Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.25.18
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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mat - śaraṇam
—
having taken shelter of Me
mat (My, Me) + śaraṇa (shelter). Kṛṣṇa labels Vraja by their śaraṇāgati. Gauḍīya doctrine: once the soul takes śaraṇa, the protection is no longer the soul's project; it becomes Kṛṣṇa's vrata.
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mat - nātham
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who have Me as their master
mat + nātha (lord, husband, protector). The same word Indra resented in verse 1 (kṛṣṇa-nāthebhyaḥ) — Kṛṣṇa now claims the title back, in His own voice. The chapter closes its loop: what offended Indra is what Kṛṣṇa avows.
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mat - parigraham
—
My own family
mat + parigraha (that which one accepts, family, possession). Stronger than 'devotees' — Kṛṣṇa names Vraja as His own household. In Gauḍīya rasa-theory, this is the vātsalya- and sakhya-bond declared by Bhagavān's own mouth.
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vrataḥ
—
vow
From √vṛ — to choose, vow. Kṛṣṇa's protection of devotees is a vrata — chosen, declared, unbreakable. This is the same vrata Bhagavān announces in Bg 9.31 (kaunteya pratijānīhi); the līlā materializes the verse.
The word mac-charaṇam indicates not only that Lord Kṛṣṇa was the sole shelter for the vraja-jana, the people of Vṛndāvana, but also that Lord Kṛṣṇa had established His home among them. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes from the Anekārtha-varga dictionary, śaraṇaṁ gṛha-rakṣitroḥ : “The word śaraṇam can represent either home or protector.” The residents of Vṛndāvana adopted Kṛṣṇa as their beloved child, friend, lover and life itself, and the Lord reciprocated their feelings. Thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa lived among these fortunate people, moving in their houses and fields; naturally He would protect such intimate devotees from all types of danger.
Because this disturbance has been created by Indra (tasmat), I will protect Vraja (gostham). Vraja is my home (mat saranam), and I am the master of the house (mat natha). It is the place where my father, brother and dear ones live (mat parigraham.). Not only will I protect these people from this disturbance, but I protect all people even at the time of mahapralaya. To indicate this, Krsna says, "I have accepted this vow."
Since Indra is pouring rain to destroy my father and others (included in the word asmabhiḥ in verse 15), who are non-different from me, I will now take countermeasures for that, and at the same time will take away the ignorance of these controllers of planets. This is proper. Therefore I will immediately protect this village through my natural, extraordinary power (ātma-yogena). Not only now will I protect. This protection is eternally accomplished. It is my vow or rule to protect this community. This village is protected by me (mac-charaṇam) since I am the master of this village (man-nātham). It should be protected like my family even by criminal means (parigraham). vṛddhau ca mātāpitarau sādhvī bhāryā sutaḥ śiśuḥ apy akārya-śataṁ kṛtvā bhartavyā manur abravīt Manu has said that the elders, mother, father, chaste wife, sons and children should be protected even by criminal means. Or, the village has taken shelter of me and should be protected by me because I am everything to them. They love only me. Therefore I will protect them. The present tense is used shows that it is his nature to protect them. I will protect them by his natural power (ātma-yogena). Though this is eternally accomplished, it now will be enacted. The reason is given. I have made this promise (vratam) as the Lord with eternal human pastimes. I should break the pride of Indra in order to protect the people of Vraja since Indra has the tendency to oppose the cowherds surrendered to me and is not inclined to surrender.
This village is protected by me (mac-charaṇam) since I am the master of this village (man-nātham). It should be protected like my family even by criminal means (parigraham). Or, the village has taken shelter of me and should be protected by me because I am everything to them. They love only me. Therefore I will protect them since they are mine (sva). Or I will protect them by my special śakti (ātma-yogena) which is beautiful (su), composed of human pastimes and special powers. Why special powers should be revealed? This is my vow. Those who once surrender are mine. That is my vow. I cannot break it. Or I have made this strong promise. To comfort the cowherds he speaks with great courage and pride.
- Where am I treating the Lord as guest when He has identified me as His family?
- What changes when I let myself be His shelter as much as He is mine?
Kṛṣṇa speaks the words that have echoed through every age — they are My family, I am their shelter, I have taken a vow. The grammar of protection is here said aloud: mat-śaraṇam, mat-nātham, mat-parigraham. Three times 'mine,' and a vow that the universe cannot revoke.
When Hiraṇyakaśipu demanded to know whether Viṣṇu was in the pillar, Prahlāda had already said: He is everywhere. Bhagavān cracked open the column as Nṛsiṁha and ended the offender — the vow to protect His devotee outranked any cosmic regularity.
Kṛṣṇa here uses the same vocabulary — mat-parigraham, My own — and the same vow. Govardhana will leave the ground for the same reason the pillar split open.
My note
Source: vedabase.io