Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.30.22
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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dāva-agnim
—
the forest fire
Compound: dāva (forest fire) + agni (fire). Vraja's recurring threat — three forest fires in Canto 10, all swallowed or contained by Kṛṣṇa. The element by which He proves He is also Agni's master.
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apidadhvam
—
just close (your eyes)
Imperative 2nd-pl. of api-√dhā (to cover, close). Paired with cakṣūṁṣi (eyes) — the śaraṇāgati formula in two words, Kṛṣṇa's actual instruction during the forest fire. Gauḍīyas treat this as a Vraja-form of the Bhagavad-gītā's mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: do not look at the fire, look at Me, by which I mean — close your eyes.
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kṣemam
—
protection, well-being
From √kṣi (to dwell safely). Kṣema and yoga are paired in Gītā 9.22 — yoga-kṣemam vahāmy aham. Kṛṣṇa Himself carries kṣema; the gopī, channeling Him, promises it in His name.
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añjasā
—
with ease
Adverb: easily, directly. The Vraja-style of Kṛṣṇa's miracles — no exertion, no display. The gopī promises rescue añjasā because she is performing His effortlessness.
One version has tatra ca: after enacting Kāliya’s punishment, then one gopīs spoke. Another version has tatraika. The word re is also seen instead of he but this is not acceptable. Kṛṣṇa ordered them to close their eyes because of the fierce fire. Since the intensity of the fire would harm the eyes, he told them to close their eyes. Though this happened in the grove of reeds, this is not mentioned. The correct form of the verb is apidhadhvam according to the rule dadhas tathośca. (Pāṇini 8.2.38) Apidadhvam is poetic license or a mistake by the transcriber. Añjasā means easily.
One version has tatra ca: after enacting Kāliya’s punishment, then one gopīs spoke. This event took place there (tatra). Saving them from the forest fire also (ca) took place in the reed grove. Thus he saved the cowherds twice. Or tatra ca can mean “among the gopīs one said.” She imitated the fire in the reed grove. Anjasā means easily.
- What inner 'fire' do I keep trying to put out alone instead of asking Him to swallow?
- How does meditating on past divine rescues steady me for present trouble?
When a child has watched her father stand between her and the bonfire, she will, at any subsequent campfire, pretend to do the same for her younger siblings — small hands shielding small eyes. The gopī tells her playmate-cowherds, 'Close your eyes; I will protect you,' performing the dāvāgni-rescue Vraja still remembers in its bones.
When a great forest fire trapped the cowherd boys and the cows on the bank of Muñjāraṇya, Kṛṣṇa told them simply to close their eyes — and when they opened them, the fire was gone (SB 10.19). He had swallowed it.
The gopī in this verse is performing dāvāgni-grāsa. Gauḍīyas note: the close-your-eyes-and-trust formula is the most condensed śaraṇāgati in all of Canto 10. The pastime fits into one verse; the lesson fits into two words: cakṣūṁṣi apidadhvam — close your eyes.
My note
Source: vedabase.io