FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.32.22

न पारयेऽहं निरवद्यसंयुजां स्वसाधुकृत्यं विबुधायुषापि व: । या माभजन् दुर्जरगेहश‍ृङ्खला: संवृश्च्य तद् व: प्रतियातु साधुना ॥ २२ ॥
na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ
[na paaraye ’ham niravadya-samyujaam]
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaṁ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
[sva-saadhu-krityam vibudhaayushaapi vah]
yā mābhajan durjara-geha-śṛṅkhalāḥ
[yaa maabhajan durjara-geha-shrinkhalaah]
saṁvṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā
[samvrishchya tad vah pratiyaatu saadhunaa]
na — not pāraye — am able to make aham — I niravadya - saṁyujām — to those who are completely free from deceit sva - sādhu - kṛtyam — proper compensation vibudha - āyuṣā — with a lifetime as long as that of the demigods api — although vaḥ — to you yāḥ — who mā — Me abhajan — have worshiped durjara — difficult to overcome geha - śṛṅkhalāḥ — the chains of household life saṁvṛścya — cutting tat — that vaḥ — of you pratiyātu — let it be returned sādhunā — by the good activity itself .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ
na
not
pāraye
am able to make
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaṁ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
aham
I
niravadya - saṁyujām
to those who are completely free from deceit
sva - sādhu - kṛtyam
proper compensation
vibudha - āyuṣā
with a lifetime as long as that of the demigods
api
although
yā mābhajan durjara-geha-śṛṅkhalāḥ
saṁvṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā
vaḥ
to you
yāḥ
who
mā
Me
abhajan
have worshiped
durjara
difficult to overcome
geha - śṛṅkhalāḥ
the chains of household life
saṁvṛścya
cutting
tat
that
vaḥ
of you
pratiyātu
let it be returned
sādhunā
by the good activity itself .
  • na-pāraye — I am not able to make
    Negation + first-person of √pṛ (to bring across, to be able). Pāraye literally means 'I can bring [the debt] across' — i.e., complete it, discharge it. Bhagavān, who in Vaikuṇṭha discharges all debts, declares Himself unable here. Gauḍīyas read this as His own admission of mādhurya-prema's supremacy.
  • niravadya - saṁyujām — to those who are completely free from deceit
    Compound: nir-avadya (without fault, blameless) + saṁyuj (joined, connected). The gopīs' joining with Him is niravadya — utterly without selfish motive, without contractual element. This is suddha-bhakti's definition operating in pure form.
  • sva - sādhu - kṛtyam — proper compensation
    Compound: sva (one's own) + sādhu (good) + kṛtya (what is to be done). The compensation that ought to be paid. Kṛṣṇa names it precisely and then names His inability to pay it — the Person from whom all wealth comes lacking the wealth to pay this one debt.
  • vibudha - āyuṣā — with a lifetime as long as that of the demigods
    Compound: vibudha (demigod, the wise) + āyus (lifespan). Bhagavān measures the impossibility in cosmic units — even a Brahmā-lifetime would not suffice. The hyperbole is theological precision: gopī-prema exceeds calculable measure.
  • durjara - geha - śṛṅkhalāḥ — the chains of household life, difficult to overcome
    Compound: durjara (hard to digest, hard to overcome) + geha (household) + śṛṅkhalā (chain, fetter). Geha-bandhana is the most binding of all human bonds. The gopīs cut these chains for Kṛṣṇa alone — and He acknowledges the cost in His own debt-confession.
  • sādhunā — by the good activity itself
    Instrumental of sādhu — the noble act, the good deed. Kṛṣṇa's resolution: 'let your own glorious deeds themselves repay you.' Gauḍīyas read this as the highest reward — to be paid by the worth of one's own bhakti, since Kṛṣṇa Himself is insufficient currency.
I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahmā. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.

The translation and word meanings for this verse are taken from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s English rendering of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 4.180) . In conclusion, the gopīs became eternally glorious by their behavior in the Lord’s temporary absence, and the mutual love between them and the Lord was wonderfully enhanced. This is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa and His loving devotees. Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Reunion.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahmā. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.
Commentary

"Please listen as I tell what has been coming into my mind. You have this faultless, unconditional relation (niravadya samyujam) with me, not depending on kama, karma, loka, dharma or sastra, Your actions are naturally the most proper and excellent (sva sadhu krtyam), not produced by contact with some other object. Even living for the lifetime of the devas, I could not repay you for your deeds." The word krtyam is in the singular in order to suggest that even one such action of the gopis can never be repaid. "Cutting completely (samvrsca) the chains of famly life (husband, children, in laws) which should not be cut, you worshipped me (ma abhajan, ma is taken as mam, me)." Another meaning of ma abhajan is as follows. Ma is used as a negative in this case: "you do not worship". "Having given up family, you do not again respond to them, or reestablish connection, unlike the immature yogis." Another meaning is as follows. "I, however, am worshipping you without giving up affection for father, mother, brother and friends. Though I promise "ye yatha mam prapadyanate..." I have failed in this promise in regards to you, for I did not give up my father, mother, brother and friends as you did.(this meaning is obtained from the same phrase samvrsca ma abhajam (as you gave up family, I did not respond in the same way abhajan is taken as abhajam, I did not respond, changing to abhajan by rules of sandhi.) Therefore it is impossible for me to repay what you have done. Therefore let you own pure character be the payment. That is, your good character makes you forgive me for my fault, and that way I have no debt. But still, I remain indebted to you." Then the gopis began to consider in their minds, "Though as the Supreme Lord, he is full of all qualities, though he is devoid of all faults, though he knows all about our love for him, in order to establish our superiority, in order to make himself a debtor to us, he has performed this act of giving us up. We, who wanted to defeat him and criticize for his conduct with our riddles, have been most unvirtuous in intent, whereas he desired to establish our excellence. We can never be like that! We have finally been defeated by his prema."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Vaḥ means “unto you.” I cannot return the favor (sva-sādhu-kṛtyam) to you. Or, I am not able to suitable compensate your own extraordinary deed (sva-sādhu-kṛtyam). He shows the extraordinary deeds. Though it appears that you had lust, your association (samyujām) with me was faultless since you had pure prema (niravadya), with complete concentration on me alone, and no contact at all with your husbands. You offered yourselves to me with the highest anurāga (mām abhajan), cutting off respect for dharma and public opinion which give happiness in this life and the next related to the house-- difficult to cut because of being women of good families. I, on the other hand, am engaged in prema elsewhere also. Thus I cannot repay you. The second vaḥ is related to the last clause. The last clause is in the third person, with the subject yā (who). Let your good character be the repayment for your good deed. I could not repay you even after a long time, the life of the devatās. Or, I could not repay you in years that the intelligent at counting give up counting (vi-budha) because they are unlimited. Another vision has śṛṅgkhalām in the singular. You cut off ties with your daily household duties as cowherd women and your close ties with friends but I did not serve (abhajan—first person) you (yā). The bonds are compared to difficult chains because one cannot cut them by one’s own efforts. Though one can to some degree give up attachments externally, they are impossible to give up completely. However you gopīs completely (sam) cut (vṛścya) those ties. I am unable to repay you since I, unlike you, lack such service which disregards all else. I offer respects to the feet of Śrīdhara Svāmī who, being satisfied, will always protect me, being nourished by receiving his remnants of unlimited rasa, since I am obedient to him.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Vaḥ means “to you.” I cannot return the favor (sva-sādhu-kṛtyam) of or to you. Or, I am not able to suitable compensate your own extraordinary deed (sva-sādhu-kṛtyam). He shows the cause. Your association (saṁyujām) is faultless (niravadya), because it is not dependent on anything, is devoid of deceit and is an expression of pure prema. It is free of desire for liberation and free of the faults of base desires. Desire for me is a great quality since association with me is faultless. Cutting the chains of attachment to house and activities for sons and husbands, difficult to cut, since they are the unbreakable bonds of saṁsāra, you (bhavatī) worshipped (abhajat) me. The use of the verb form with bhavatī indicates great respect for their prema. Since I do not do this, I cannot repay you. Or I cannot repay even your cruel actions towards me (su asadhu-kṛtyam), what to speak of your favorable actions. He says this with a greed for continual pastimes with them in a favorable way. He cannot repay them because they offer their spotless limbs or selves (niravadya-saṁyujām). Moreover you cut the invincible chains of serving friends related to serving the cows. Thus I do not serve you. Another version has śṛṅkhalām with the same meaning. The bondage is compared to unbreakable chains. This means by one’s own powers one cannot overcome them. Though one can break the attachment, one cannot reject the external relationships, even though one wishes to do so. Saṁvrścya means that they cut the attachment and the external relationships completely. I cannot respond properly giving myself completely like you, without regard for anything else. I am in debt to you because I fail to keep my own promise. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: accordingly as they surrender, I response. (BG 4.11) Or let some gentle devotee (sadhu nā) follow and serve you (vaḥ pratiyatu), as the payment. This is a blessing. Or let the gentle devotee imitate (pratiyātu) your great activities (sva-sādhu-kṛtyam), but I cannot do that. I cannot repay you at all. Later Kṛṣṇa speaks of Rukmiṇī’s trust in him. pratinandayāmaḥ: I can do nothing to reciprocate except joyfully thank you for your devotion. (SB 10.60.57) There also he says he is a debtor, unable to repay by his joy. But the actions of the gopīs are even harder to repay. Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A . C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Reunion." 10.33: The Rāsa Dance verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26-27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 Chapter Summary This chapter describes Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance, which He enjoyed with His beloved girlfriends in the forests along the Yamunā River. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is most expert in the knowledge of transcendental moods. In the company of the gopīs, who were tightly bound to Him by the ropes of affection and totally dedicated to His service, the Lord expanded Himself into numerous forms. The gopīs became intoxicated with their enthusiasm to enjoy the rāsa dance, and thus they began satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses by singing, dancing and gesturing amorously. The sweet voices of the gopīs filled all the directions. Even after Lord Kṛṣṇa manifested Himself in numerous forms, each gopī thought He was standing next to her alone. Gradually the gopīs became fatigued from the continuous dancing and singing, and each of them placed her arm on the shoulder of the Kṛṣṇa standing beside her. Some gopīs smelled and kissed Kṛṣṇa's arm, which bore the fragrance of the lotus and was anointed with sandalwood paste. Others put Kṛṣṇa's hand on their bodies, and yet others gave Kṛṣṇa pleasure by embracing Him lovingly. Lord Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Absolute Truth, is the only actual enjoyer and object of enjoyment. Although He is one without a second, He expands Himself into many forms to increase His personal pastimes. Therefore great scholars say that Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā is like a child's playing with His own reflection. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is self-satisfied and fully endowed with inconceivable, transcendental opulences. When He exhibits such pastimes as the rāsa-līlā, all living beings, from Brahmā down to the blades of grass, become merged in the ocean of astonishment. When Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard the narration of Kṛṣṇa's conjugal pastimes with the gopīs, which superficially resemble the activities of lusty, wanton persons, he expressed a doubt to the great devotee Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śukadeva dispelled this doubt by stating, "Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the absolute enjoyer, such pastimes as these can never be contaminated by any fault. But if anyone other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead tries to enjoy such pastimes, he will suffer the same fate that someone other than Lord Rudra would suffer if he attempted to drink an ocean of poison. Moreover, even one who only thinks of imitating Lord Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā will certainly suffer misfortune." The Supreme Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is present within the hearts of all living entities as their indwelling witness. When out of His mercy He exhibits His intimate pastimes to His devotees, these activities are never besmirched by mundane imperfection. Any living being who hears of the spontaneous loving attraction the gopīs felt for Lord Kṛṣṇa will have his desires for material sense gratification destroyed at the root and will develop his natural propensity for serving the Supreme Lord, the spiritual master, and the Lord's devotees.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)
Related verses
Concepts
SandhiDharma
Kṛṣṇa says even in a lifetime of Brahmā He cannot repay the gopīs' spotless service; their own glorious deeds must be their compensation. The highest devotion makes even the Lord feel indebted — and that debt is itself the reward.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'compensation' are you waiting for that the very act of devotion already contains?
  • Where do you secretly keep a ledger with Kṛṣṇa instead of giving freely?

Bhagavān confesses na pāraye — 'I cannot repay.' Even with a Brahmā-lifetime He cannot match what the gopīs have given. He, the puruṣottama who is debtor to none, declares Himself debtor to these girls. The image is unrepayable: a king who has out-given his treasury to a few who asked only for him. He hands them back their own deeds — 'let the goodness of what you did itself be your wage.'

Caitanya's life-text

Caitanya-caritāmṛta records that Mahāprabhu carried two verses on His lips for years — Śikṣāṣṭaka 2 (kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gānānartiḥ) and SB 10.32.22 (na pāraye). This is one of the four ślokas Mahāprabhu took as His doctrinal anchor for explaining gopī-prema to Rāya Rāmānanda at the Godāvarī.

Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja in CC Madhya 8 elaborates: 'Bhagavān, the supreme controller, admits His debt — and this admission is itself the highest reward to the gopīs. To have rendered Bhagavān incapable of repayment is to have given Him what no one else has ever given.' Six Gosvāmīs cite this verse as proof that gopī-prema is the topmost reach of bhakti.

Bali Mahārāja and Vāmana

Bhāgavatam 8.22 — Bali, after giving Vāmana three steps that became everything he had, found Bhagavān saying He could not repay such surrender. Bali was bound, then enthroned in Sutala, with Vāmana standing as gatekeeper at his door.

In dāsya the debt becomes service; in mādhurya, Kṛṣṇa says, even that resolution does not work. Brahmā's lifetime would not pay the gopīs. The verse is unique in the canon: He, the source of all wealth, declares Himself bankrupt before love.

📝 My note

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