FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.30.41

तया कथितमाकर्ण्य मानप्राप्तिं च माधवात् । अवमानं च दौरात्म्याद् विस्मयं परमं ययु: ॥ ४१ ॥
tayā kathitam ākarṇya
[tayaa kathitam aakarnya]
māna-prāptiṁ ca mādhavāt
[maana-praaptim cha maadhavaat]
avamānaṁ ca daurātmyād
[avamaanam cha dauraatmyaad]
vismayaṁ paramaṁ yayuḥ
[vismayam paramam yayuh]
tayā — by Her kathitam — what was related ākarṇya — hearing māna — of respect prāptim — the receiving ca — and mādhavāt — from Lord Kṛṣṇa avamānam — the dishonor ca — also daurātmyāt — because of Her impropriety vismayam — amazement paramam — supreme yayuḥ — they experienced .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tayā kathitam ākarṇya
tayā
by Her
kathitam
what was related
ākarṇya
hearing
māna-prāptiṁ ca mādhavāt
māna
of respect
prāptim
the receiving
ca
and
mādhavāt
from Lord Kṛṣṇa
avamānaṁ ca daurātmyād
avamānam
the dishonor
ca
also
daurātmyāt
because of Her impropriety
vismayaṁ paramaṁ yayuḥ
vismayam
amazement
paramam
supreme
yayuḥ
they experienced .
  • māna-prāptim — the receiving of respect
    Compound: māna (honor, respect) + prāpti (receiving). Māna here is positive — the honor He showed Her. The same word elsewhere means the proud sulk of a lover; the Bhāgavatam plays both senses against each other in this chapter.
  • avamānam — the dishonor
    From ava- (down) + māna. The reverse — being put down, dishonored. Yet Gauḍīya teaching: this avamāna is a gift. Kṛṣṇa dishonors only those whose love is strong enough to be perfected by it. To be corrected by Kṛṣṇa is itself a sign of being beloved.
  • daurātmyāt — because of impropriety
    From dur- (bad) + ātman (self). Literally 'bad-selfness' — the moment of ahaṅkāra at verse 37. The Bhāgavatam names the slip plainly; the gopī Herself acknowledges it. Honesty about one's bhāva-failure is itself bhakti.
  • vismayam-paramam — supreme amazement
    Phrase: vismaya (amazement) + parama (supreme). One of Rūpa Gosvāmī's named vyabhicārī-bhāvas (the 33 transient enhancers): vismaya — astonishment. The gopīs' hearing of Her story stuns them into the very state He came to awaken.
  • mādhavāt — from Lord Kṛṣṇa
    Ablative of Mādhava — both honor and dishonor came 'from Mādhava.' Gauḍīya teaching: every event in Vraja, sweet or bitter, has Him as its single source. There is no other agent in the rāsa.
She told them how Mādhava had given Her much respect, but how She then suffered dishonor because of Her misbehavior. The gopīs were extremely amazed to hear this.

It was natural for Rādhārāṇī to ask Kṛṣṇa to carry Her, for this request was consistent with the loving mood of Their relationship. Now, however, in great humility She describes Her behavior as wicked. Hearing of these affairs, the other gopīs are astonished.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
She told them how Mādhava had given Her much respect, but how She then suffered dishonor because of Her misbehavior. The gopīs were extremely amazed to hear this.
Commentary

While searching and searching, the gopis then saw Radha from far off, because of her lightning-like effulgence. All of the sakhis, of both parties, saw Radha as a friend (sakhim), for seeing such intense pain of their friend (sakhim) Radha, due to separation, even those opposing party of Candravali felt affection for her. Also the nature of the conjugal rasa is that enmity and hatred among the competitors turns into affection when they all experience the disturbance of separation from Krsna. The scripture says in this regard, "separation reveals externally a spontaneous affection in their hearts."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They began asking many questions about her crying and fainting. They heard what she said. “I do not know how I became separated from you.” They heard how she recovered awareness after going far away. They heard that she had attained respect, in the form of attaining the greatest fortune, from Kṛṣṇa who is desired by Lakṣmī (mādhavāt), or who is full of all good qualities, and that he had disrespected her by leaving her because of her pride (dauryāmyāt). Hearing that, they were most astonished. The word daurātmyāt also indicates her speaking in misery. They heard from her in a miserable condition. But actually they heard from Rādhā whose body (ātmyāt) was far (daur) from Kṛṣṇa, or from Rādhā who was far from Kṛṣṇa (ātmyāt). In other words she was separated at great distance from him. They became astonished at what they heard from her: the inconceivable fact that he had disappeared from them all, and was with her alone, that he had respected her, but countless others could not see this, and that he had disrespected her, which seemed impossible.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They heard everything that she related. Or though they did not ask, fearing she would again suffer, when the friends arrived she spoke on her own, describing everything in lamentation. Or they heard one statement, then they heard how she developed pride, then how she was dishonored. Or they heard how she became proud and was dishonored. Dishonor means he gave her up, because of her pride (daurātmyam). The two words ca indicate that the pride and the giving her up were equally important. She was given up by the consort of Lakṣmī (mādhavāt), who enjoys and suddenly disappears from the rāsa dance. Or madhava means he who always plays with madhura-rasa. Someone else is more qualified than me. By the greatness of his mercy is he attained, not by one’s qualities or by such pride. Auspiciousness should be explained to arise from the Lord’s qualities like mercy and all inauspiciousness arises from one’s faults. That is taught by the devotees. Or daurātmyāt can mean “because of my being far from Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa being far from me, being inaccessible.” They became completely astonished by his mercy and withdrawal of mercy.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
She tells them how Kṛṣṇa honored her, then how she suffered His disappearance because of her own arrogance. Honesty about our spiritual falls is itself an act of recovery.
Reflection Questions
  • What spiritual fall could I name aloud to a trusted friend this week?
  • How does telling the truth about my pride begin to dissolve it?

When the queen returns from the king's chamber and tells the courtiers what was said and what was lost, the courtiers do not know whether to envy the gift or the loss — both seemed to belong to her alone. The gopīs, hearing of Her honor and Her dishonor, can only stand astonished: viraha and saṁyoga have visited a single sister in one afternoon.

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