Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.38.8
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
brahma - bhava
—
by Brahmā and Śiva
Compound: brahmā (Brahmā) + bhava (Śiva). Even the two highest demigods are listed as worshipers, not equals — Gauḍīya śāstra preserves the personalist hierarchy: Viṣṇu / Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, never an interchangeable peer of Brahmā or Śiva.
-
śriyā
—
by Śrī, the goddess of fortune
Lakṣmī herself worships these feet. Gauḍīyas read this as the rasa-pivot of the verse: the goddess of all wealth aspires to what the gopīs casually receive. The verse moves from her formal worship to the gopīs' bodily intimacy as a teaching about which mood is higher.
-
vane
—
in the forest
The forest of Vṛndāvana — the topographical centerpiece of mādhurya-līlā. Gauḍīyas hold that the vana is not symbolic; it is the eternally real abode that the Six Gosvāmīs went to recover physically in this world.
-
gopikānām
—
of the cowherd girls
Genitive plural of gopikā. The vraja-gopīs — the highest rasikas of the tradition. Gauḍīyas regard their love as the topmost mood; Akrūra's mind, even at the height of his dāsya, swerves toward mādhurya by naming them in his meditation.
-
kuṅkuma
—
kuṅkuma powder, red turmeric
The crimson powder smeared on the breasts of women in Vraja. That this powder appears on Kṛṣṇa's feet is mādhurya-evidence: the gopīs have pressed against Him so completely that the feet wear the trace. The detail is what makes Akrūra's heart turn over.
-
aṅkitam
—
marked
From √aṅk — to mark, stamp. Bhāgavatam loves this verb for Kṛṣṇa's feet: marked by lotus, banner, thunderbolt, goad — and here, marked by the cosmetics of the gopīs. The marks of formal divinity and the marks of intimate love share the same feet.
"Those lotus feet which are worshiped by Brahma and others using aksata, gandha, garlands and other items, those lotus feet which follow after the cows along with his companions, but are followed by Brahma, those lotus feet which, though worshipped by Brahma, are tasting the kumkuma from the breasts of the gopis, I will see today." This illustrates the highest excellence of his feet. One should not say that it was rasabhasa or contrary to rasa for Akrura who is in dasya bhava to aspire to taste madhurya bhava, for this statement is an aside. His father and mother also out of great joy sometimes may utter statements indicating madhurya rasa of their son.
While thinking of the glories of those lotus feet, he then remembers their quality of being controlled by prema. He speaks with amazement, concluding with the highest excellence of the people of Gokula. Yad should be joined with the previous sentence since this verse acts as its later clause. The word tad is not needed to complete the sentence. It is said yac chabas tūttara-vākya-padārtha-gatatvenopapatteḥ sāmarthāt pūrva-vākyārtha-gatasya tac cabdasopādānaṁ nāpekṣyate: the pronoun yat when occurring in the latter o two correlated clauses, does not require the corresponding word tat in the preceding clause since that is already implied by the word yat. (Kāvya-prakāśa 7.188) Those lotus feet are being worshipped by Brahmā and others, who direct the affairs of the world. This has been down with great intelligence. That is indicated by the verb form arcitam. The past participle can express the present. Ktasya ca vartamāne: the past participle may be used to express the present, with the possessive case. (Pāṇini 2.3.68) Not using the possessive case (instrumental case is used) is poetic license in this verse. The devatās continually worship those feet according to the rules of the scriptures. To confirm that statement, persons situated above and below are also mentioned. Lakṣmī and her associates in Vaikuṇṭha worship those feet. All the devotees (munibhiḥ) in the material world worship those feet, including those perfected and practicing by following the śruti and Purāṇas, along with the followers of Pañcarātra. Those worshippers are necessary. These three types of people have been mentioned in order to show the superiority of the people of Gokula, shown in the second half of the verse. Those feet the object of meditation and worship by the devatās walk in the forest along with the cowherd boys for herding the cows. And more than that, they are marked with the kuṁkuma from the gopīs’ breasts. That is most astonishing. Another version has ārcitam, meaning “spread with.” He only thought of the prema easily available to the gopīs by hearing from Nārada. He did not have the mood of those conjugal pastimes. Since he had dāsya-rāsa, madhurya-rāsa would be rāsābhāsa. When he mentions gopīs he means older gopīs who would take Kṛṣṇa on their chests with parental affection. Gopikānām also represents cowherds as well as the women. He had a realization of the greatness of Gokula by coming close to it.
He describes the lotus feet in order to show the success of his birth. His feet are being worshipped by Brahmā and others. Or they were worshipped by them, but cannot be worshipped by them now in Vraja. Ādibhiḥ indicates Indra and others. The feet are worshiped by Mahā-lakṣmī, and avatāra of Lakṣmī, who is worshipped by Brahmā and others, who by her merciful glance bestows their wealth. The feet are worshipped by ātmārāmas (munibhiḥ) who have no interest in Lakṣmī’s wealth. The feet are worshipped by devotees. By their association and mercy, the ātmārāmas are able to worship the Lord’s feet. Though his feet are worshipped by the cowherds, that is not constant and at every place. He herds the cows in Vṛnḍavana (vane). Those feet are marked with the kuṁkuma from the gopīs’ breasts. They also worship those feet. Another version has ācitam instead of aṅkitam. The past tense is used to indicate that the feet are always smeared with their kuṁkuma. Or the cowherds do not worship his feet, being friends. He goes with them to the forest. Similarly the gopīs do not worship his feet. His feet are marked with kumkuma from their breasts. In the list starting with Brahmā those later in the list are superior (ending with the gopīs). Indra and others, being secondary are not mentioned directly. Or the mention of Brahmā indicates Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy as a devatā and the Lord. Mention of Lakṣmī indicates his supreme wealth and good fortune. Sages indicates that he is supreme human goal. The devotees indicates his generosity in giving himself and that he is attained only by devotion. Herding cows indicate his great friendship and playfulness. The gopīs indicates his great beauty, cleverness and distribution of special prema. This is explained in Bhāgavatāmṛta.
- Where do you keep Kṛṣṇa's cosmic and intimate sides separate when they belong to the same feet?
- What domestic detail of devotion are you missing while staring at His grand form?
A king's footstool is touched by every visiting monarch — and yet, in private quarters, that same stool may be tucked under the feet of the king's playmate child. Kṛṣṇa's feet, worshiped by Brahmā and Lakṣmī in the formal court, walk the dust of Vraja and are stained with kuṅkuma from the gopīs' embraces. Same feet, two universes.
Brahmā, who in this verse worships Kṛṣṇa's feet, was earlier in Canto 10 so bewildered by Kṛṣṇa's Vraja-līlā that he tested Him by stealing the calves and the cowherd boys (SB 10.13–14). When he returned and saw Kṛṣṇa had expanded Himself into every missing calf and boy, he fell at those very feet and offered the Brahma-stuti.
Gauḍīyas pair this verse with that episode: even the creator of the universe approaches these feet not as administrator but as awestruck servant — the rasa-asymmetry the gopīs make routine.
My note
Source: vedabase.io