FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.37.33

गुहापिधानं निर्भिद्य गोपान्नि:सार्य कृच्छ्रत: । स्तूयमान: सुरैर्गोपै: प्रविवेश स्वगोकुलम् ॥ ३३ ॥
guhā-pidhānaṁ nirbhidya
[guhaa-pidhaanam nirbhidya]
gopān niḥsārya kṛcchrataḥ
[gopaan nihsaarya krichchratah]
stūyamānaḥ surair gopaiḥ
[stooyamaanah surair gopaih]
praviveśa sva-gokulam
[pravivesha sva-gokulam]
guhā — of the cave pidhānam — the blockage nirbhidya — breaking gopān — the cowherd boys niḥsārya — leading out kṛcchrataḥ — from the dangerous place stūyamānaḥ — being praised suraiḥ — by the demigods gopaiḥ — and by the cowherd boys praviveśa — He entered sva — His own gokulam — cowherd village .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
guhā-pidhānaṁ nirbhidya
guhā
of the cave
pidhānam
the blockage
nirbhidya
breaking
gopān niḥsārya kṛcchrataḥ
gopān
the cowherd boys
niḥsārya
leading out
kṛcchrataḥ
from the dangerous place
stūyamānaḥ surair gopaiḥ
stūyamānaḥ
being praised
suraiḥ
by the demigods
gopaiḥ
and by the cowherd boys
praviveśa sva-gokulam
praviveśa
He entered
sva
His own
gokulam
cowherd village .
  • guhā-pidhānam — the blockage of the cave
    Guhā (cave) + pidhāna (covering, seal). The same word for 'cave' is used as in verse 10's antaryāmin-image — the heart's cave. Gauḍīyas read the smashing of the cave-seal as the structural echo of the bhakta's prayer: 'remove the stone over my heart.'
  • niḥsārya — having led out
    Niḥ (out) + sṛ (to move). Kṛṣṇa physically conducts the boys out — He does not merely break the seal. Gauḍīyas treasure this — the Lord's rescue is escorted; He walks His devotees out of the dark, He does not leave them to find their own way.
  • stūyamānaḥ-suraiḥ-gopaiḥ — being praised by demigods and cowherd boys
    The two choirs sing at once — aiśvarya-praise from above (suraiḥ) and mādhurya-praise from beside (gopaiḥ). Gauḍīyas note that Kṛṣṇa receives both, and that the gopas' voice is given equal weight in the verse.
  • sva-gokulam — His own Gokula
    Sva (own) + gokula (cow-village). The chapter opened (verse 1-2) with Keśī threatening sva-gokulam; it closes with Kṛṣṇa walking back into sva-gokulam. The chapter is bracketed by this possessive — His cowherd village remains His.
Kṛṣṇa then smashed the boulder blocking the cave’s entrance and led the trapped cowherd boys to safety. Thereafter, as the demigods and cowherd boys sang His glories, He returned to His cowherd village, Gokula.

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-seventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Killing of the Demons Keśī and Vyoma.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Kṛṣṇa then smashed the boulder blocking the cave's entrance and led the trapped cowherd boys to safety. Thereafter, as the demigods and cowherd boys sang His glories, He returned to His cowherd village, Gokula.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He took the boys from the place of suffering (kṛcchrataḥ), the cave. Praised by the devatās and the cowherds following him, he entered Gokula with great joy (pra—viveśa). Gokula is mentioned as Kṛṣṇa’s own (sva-gokulam) because he was worried about the future pastimes in which he would leave. In his heart he concluded that he would not give up Gokula to go far away. This will be revealed later. Instead of gopaiḥ devaiś ca often suraiḥ gopaiḥ is seen. This means that the devatās praised him and he joyfully entered Gokula with the cowherd boys.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He took the boys from the place of suffering (kṛcchrataḥ), the cave. Praised by the devatās and the cowherds following him, he entered Gokula with great joy (pra—viveśa). Or he entered in a form surrounded by gopīs. Gokula is mentioned as Kṛṣṇa’s own (sva-gokulam) because he did not intend to give up the place at that time. Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-seventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Killing of the Demons Keśī and Vyoma." 10.38: Akrūra's Arrival in Vṛndāvana 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, 28-33, 34, 35, 36, 37-38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 Chapter Summary This chapter describes Akrūra's trip from Mathurā to Vṛndāvana, his meditation on Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma along the way and the honor the two Lords showed Akrūra upon his arrival. Early in the morning on the day after Kaṁsa had ordered him to bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to Mathurā, Akrūra prepared his chariot and set off for Gokula. As he traveled, he thought as follows: "I am about to attain the great good fortune of seeing Śrī Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, which are worshiped by Brahmā, Rudra and the other demigods. Although Kaṁsa is an enemy of the Supreme Lord and His devotees, still, it is by Kaṁsa's grace that I will get this great boon of seeing the Lord. When I first catch sight of His lotus feet, all my sinful reactions will be destroyed at once. I will descend from my chariot and fall at the feet of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, and even though I have been sent by Kaṁsa, the omniscient Śrī Kṛṣṇa will certainly harbor no animosity toward me." As Akrūra thus thought to himself, he arrived in Gokula at sunset. Alighting from his chariot in the cowherd pasture, he began rolling about in the dust in great ecstasy. Then Akrūra continued on to Vraja. When he saw Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma he fell at Their lotus feet, and both the Lords embraced him. Afterward They brought him to Their residence, inquired from him about the comfort of his trip and honored him in various ways-offering him water for washing his feet, arghya, a seat and so forth. They relieved him of his fatigue by massaging his feet and served him a delicious banquet. Mahārāja Nanda also honored Akrūra with many sweet words.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
Kṛṣṇa smashes the boulder, leads the trapped boys to safety, and returns to Gokula as demigods and cowherds sing His glories. Real spiritual victory rescues what was hidden away and brings everyone home together.
Reflection Questions
  • What parts of yourself have been 'sealed in a cave' that Kṛṣṇa is ready to lead out?
  • Whose company could you walk home with in praise once the rescue is felt?

Kṛṣṇa breaks the boulder, leads the trapped cowherd boys out of the cave's darkness into daylight, and walks home to Gokula — flanked by demigod-praise from above and friend-praise from beside. The chapter ends as it should: cowherd village restored, friends recovered, day continuing.

The cave that becomes a temple

In Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the Six Gosvāmīs walking Vraja identified many of the original līlā-spots — including the site associated with this Vyomāsura pastime. The cave where the boys were trapped becomes, in Gauḍīya pilgrimage tradition, a place where devotees remember Kṛṣṇa's rescue and identify their own heart-cave with the boys' cave: the same Lord who broke that boulder is asked to break the stone over our own captivity.

Gauḍīyas read this last verse as a model for sādhana: the Lord breaks the seal, leads the captives out, and is praised by both the high (devas) and the near (gopas) — both registers of love at once.

📝 My note

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