SB 10.41.37 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.41.37

एवं विकत्थमानस्य कुपितो देवकीसुत: । रजकस्य कराग्रेण शिर: कायादपातयत् ॥ ३७ ॥

evaṁ vikatthamānasya

[evam vikatthamaanasya]

kupito devakī-sutaḥ

[kupito devakee-sutah]

rajakasya karāgreṇa

[rajakasya karaagrena]

śiraḥ kāyād apātayat

[shirah kaayaad apaatayat]

Word-for-word

evam — thus vikatthamānasya — who was brazenly speaking kupitaḥ — angered devakī - sutaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī rajakasya — of the washerman kara — of one hand agreṇa — with the front śiraḥ — the head kāyāt — from his body apātayat — made fall .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

evaṁ vikatthamānasya

evam

thus

vikatthamānasya

who was brazenly speaking

kupito devakī-sutaḥ

kupitaḥ

angered

devakī - sutaḥ

Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī

rajakasya karāgreṇa

rajakasya

of the washerman

kara

of one hand

agreṇa

with the front

śiraḥ kāyād apātayat

śiraḥ

the head

kāyāt

from his body

apātayat

made fall .

Important Words

devakī-sutaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī
Compound: Devakī + suta (son). Vyāsa names Kṛṣṇa here as Devakī's son — not Yaśodā's — because the act is Mathurā-līlā, the asura-dalana side of His Person. The killing of the rajaka belongs to Devakī-suta's mode, not Yaśodā-bāla's.
kara-agreṇa — with the fingertip
Compound: kara (hand) + agra (tip). With the tip of one hand. The Bhāgavatam preserves the precise instrument — not a sword, not a fist, only the finger. Aiśvarya needs no weapon.
kupitaḥ — angered
Past participle of √kup — to be angry. The same Bhagavān who smiled at the Mathurā women becomes kupita at the rajaka. Gauḍīyas read this carefully: Kṛṣṇa's anger is itself līlā, not loss of equanimity; it is calibrated to the offense.
apātayat — made fall
Causative imperfect of √pat — caused to fall. The same verb used for the felling of demons. The rajaka has been quietly assimilated to the asura-roster — his offense at Bhagavān's request placed him there.

As the washerman thus spoke brazenly, the son of Devakī became angry, and then merely with His fingertips He separated the man’s head from his body.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

As the washerman thus spoke brazenly, the son of Devakī became angry, and then merely with His fingertips He separated the man's head from his body.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The washer man had spoken rashly in a loud voice, praising himself, and opposing the Lord (vikatthamānasya), “I am a great craftsman, personal servant to the king.” Hari-vaṁśa makes this clear. ahaṁ kaṁsasya vāsāṁsi nānādeśodbhavāni ca / kāma-rāgāṇi śataśo rajāmi vividhāni ca // I dye thousands of pieces of Kaṁsa’s clothes which come from various states in a variety of attractive colors. Kṛṣṇa became angry because the washer man was siding with Kaṁsa and also insulted Balarāma by using the plural number in speaking about Kṛṣṇa. Standing with a sword in his hand he cut off his head from his body, making it fly at a distance. He is here called the son of Devakī because, pained by the suffering inflicted on Devakī by Kaṁsa, how could Kṛṣṇa tolerate the audacity of Kaṁsa’s followers?

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)

Concepts

Jiva

Related lectures

UM SB 10-41-37 - Love and Appreciation - 2023-01-09 Hillsborough
Her Grace Urmila Mataji· 2023-01-09· English

Personal Guidance

As the washerman speaks brazenly, Kṛṣṇa angrily separates his head from his body with mere fingertips. Verbal insolence toward the Lord receives swift, definitive answer; the same hand that asks politely also corrects decisively.

Reflection Questions

Where does devotional theology need room for Kṛṣṇa's swift correction, not only His patience?
What in your own speech has been brazen toward Him?

Analogy

A single fingertip — and the head falls. The rajaka who threatened Kṛṣṇa with the king's executioners has met the actual executioner, and his sword is one finger. Bhāva's reciprocity has its physical correlate.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io