FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.29.43

ताभि: समेताभिरुदारचेष्टित: प्रियेक्षणोत्फुल्लमुखीभिरच्युत: । उदारहासद्विजकुन्ददीधति- र्व्यरोचतैणाङ्क इवोडुभिर्वृत: ॥ ४३ ॥
tābhiḥ sametābhir udāra-ceṣṭitaḥ
[taabhih sametaabhir udaara-cheshtitah]
priyekṣaṇotphulla-mukhībhir acyutaḥ
[priyekshanotphulla-mukheebhir achyutah]
udāra-hāsa-dvija-kunda-dīdhatir
[udaara-haasa-dvija-kunda-deedhatir]
vyarocataiṇāṅka ivoḍubhir vṛtaḥ
[vyarochatainaanka ivodubhir vritah]
tābhiḥ — with them sametābhiḥ — who were all joined together udāra — magnanimous ceṣṭitaḥ — He whose activities priya — affectionate īkṣaṇa — by His glances utphulla — blossoming mukhībhiḥ — whose faces acyutaḥ — the infallible Lord udāra — with broad hāsa — smiles dvija — of His teeth kunda — (like) jasmine flowers dīdhatiḥ — showing the effulgence vyarocata — He appeared splendid eṇa - aṅkaḥ — the moon, who bears marks resembling a black deer iva — like uḍubhiḥ — by stars vṛtaḥ — surrounded .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tābhiḥ sametābhir udāra-ceṣṭitaḥ
tābhiḥ
with them
sametābhiḥ
who were all joined together
udāra
magnanimous
ceṣṭitaḥ
He whose activities
priyekṣaṇotphulla-mukhībhir acyutaḥ
priya
affectionate
īkṣaṇa
by His glances
utphulla
blossoming
mukhībhiḥ
whose faces
acyutaḥ
the infallible Lord
udāra-hāsa-dvija-kunda-dīdhatir
udāra
with broad
hāsa
smiles
dvija
of His teeth
kunda
(like) jasmine flowers
dīdhatiḥ
showing the effulgence
vyarocataiṇāṅka ivoḍubhir vṛtaḥ
vyarocata
He appeared splendid
eṇa - aṅkaḥ
the moon, who bears marks resembling a black deer
iva
like
uḍubhiḥ
by stars
vṛtaḥ
surrounded .
  • udāra-ceṣṭitaḥ — of magnanimous activities
    Compound: udāra (generous) + ceṣṭita (action). Kṛṣṇa's līlā is named udāra — generous, expansive. Gauḍīya doctrine: bhāgavata-līlā is structurally generous; nothing in it is for Himself, even when it looks like it is.
  • priya-īkṣaṇa — loving glance
    Compound: priya (loving) + īkṣaṇa (glance). His glance toward each gopī. Rūpa Gosvāmī codifies vīkṣaṇa as one of mādhurya's primary anubhāvas in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.
  • utphulla-mukhībhiḥ — with blossoming faces
    Compound: utphulla (blossoming) + mukhi (faced). The same utphulla as verse 1's utphulla-mallikāḥ — the autumn jasmines blossoming. The gopīs' faces and the verse-one jasmines mirror each other; the chapter completes its image-rhyme.
  • dvija-kunda-dīdhatiḥ — with teeth like jasmine-buds
    Compound: dvija (twice-born — teeth) + kunda (jasmine-bud) + dīdhati (shine). Kṛṣṇa's teeth shine like jasmine. The kunda-flower returns as a metaphor for His own body — yogamāyā has stitched the jasmine of verse 1 into the smile of verse 43.
  • eṇa-aṅkaḥ — deer-marked (moon)
    Compound: eṇa (deer) + aṅka (mark). The moon, traditionally said to bear a deer-mark. Gauḍīyas note: Kṛṣṇa, who has just been compared to the moon, also bears the deer-mark of the cowherds' company. Two iconographies, one body.
Among the assembled gopīs, the infallible Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared just like the moon surrounded by stars. He whose activities are so magnanimous made their faces blossom with His affectionate glances, and His broad smiles revealed the effulgence of His jasmine-bud-like teeth.

The word acyuta here indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa did not fail to give pleasure to each and every gopī in the nocturnal assembly.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Among the assembled gopīs, the infallible Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared just like the moon surrounded by stars. He whose activities are so magnanimous made their faces blossom with His affectionate glances, and His broad smiles revealed the effulgence of His jasmine-bud-like teeth.
Commentary

Krsna is called udara cestitah, one with magnanimous activities. By his pastimes he generously gave conjugal pleasure to the gopis, and to the bhava bhaktas he generously gives prema through the processes of chanting and hearing. He is called acyuta without failure, because without failure he was able to give pleasure to each of the gopis. His teeth, white like the jasmine flower, were revealed when he smiled widely (udara). Udara can also mean his smiles were generous, giving happiness to the gopis.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Four verses describe how he enjoyed. Showing how he is the promoter of the enjoyment, the verse describes his special beauty in relation to them when love arises, using an example. They were brought together by Kṛṣṇa, since the previous verse mentioned that he enjoyed. Surrounded by the gopīs who assembled there, he looked especially beautiful (vyarocata). He did not miss associating with each one of them (acyutaḥ). His activities, such as touching, offering flowers or glancing at them, gave supreme happiness (udāra) or were most excellent, since they were filled with special uddīpanas of rasa, possessing cleverness and variety. Their faces were like lotsuses blossoming because of his glances. By his glance the darkness in their hearts was removed and became filled with daylight. This indicates their special rasa. His rasa is also indicated. By his broad smile he revealed his rows of teeth like jasmine buds. In showing his teeth the beauty of his smile is indicated. Though he is the pinnacle of beauty eternally, with them he took on special beauty. That is shown through an example. As the full moon (marked with the figure of a deer) becomes beautiful when surrounded by the stars shining in all directions, so Kṛṣṇa became most beautiful when surrounded by the gopīs. This suggests the eternal nature of Kṛṣṇa’s and the gopīs’ beauty and love and their eternal relationship with him.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Four verses describe how he enjoyed. Showing how he is the promoter of the enjoyment, the verse describes his special beauty in relation to them when love arises, using an example. They gathered together, coming very close to him. Or they met him, after giving up their anger. Or the gopis had met with Rādhā (samā), she who is endowed with the greatest beauty (mā). This means that in the beginning when the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa spoke, Rādhā was not present. When Kṛṣṇa ceased to hide his intentions she appeared. He was surrounded by them and was uncounquered by desire (acyutaḥ). Or he is never without all beauty. Or he is never without rasa. He is always full of unlimited rasa. He shone in a special way (vyarocyata). The cause of gathering is given. He had most attractive activities, touching, offering flowers, glancing, etc. filled with various playful gestures which stimulated special rasa. Or he smiled because of the elements described in this verse. Or smiling he enjoyed. Rati means enjoying. The reason for meeting was this enjoyment. His activities were elements of this enjoyment and the cause of his shining brightly. Their faces blossomed because of his glances or because they saw him. His power because of special śakti is shown since he could glance at each of them equally as they surrounded him. Their faces were like lotuses and his glance was like the sun, making their faces blossom. They revealed special rasa. His rasa is also described. His broad smile and his teeth were like rows of jasmine flowers. His smile was pure and his teeth were white. Or he had teeth like rows of jasmine in his broad smile. Or he had rows of jasmine like teeth which made his smile excellent. By the beauty of his teeth the smile became more beautiful. His special beauty, though supreme and eternal, became more beautiful when combined with the gopīs. He shone like the full moon surrounded by shining stars. Their beauty together is most excellent. This implies he is eternally with them.

Related values
Dana (Charity / Generosity)Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Among the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa appears like the moon among stars; His affectionate glances bloom their faces; broad smiles reveal jasmine-bud teeth. The Lord does not fail to please each one — His attention is distributed without dilution.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I assuming His attention is finite and competing for it like a resource?
  • How would my devotion shift if I trusted that He never misses a single gopī?

The moon among stars. The chapter that opened with the actual moon now reveals its real subject — Kṛṣṇa as the eṇa-aṅka, the deer-marked moon, surrounded by gopī-stars. The astronomy was always rhetoric.

📝 My note

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