Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.42.8
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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mukunda-sparśanāt
—
by the touch of Lord Mukunda
Compound: mukunda (giver of mukti) + sparśana (touch) + ablative -āt. Gauḍīya: the verse names Him Mukunda because the touch gives more than mukti — it gives prema-yogyatā (the fitness for prema), as Kubjā's next verses will show.
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sadyaḥ
—
suddenly, at once
Adverb. Instantaneous. Gauḍīya principle: Bhagavān's mercy is not gradual — when it comes it is total, sadyaḥ. The long crookedness yields in one moment.
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ṛju
—
straight
The opposite of vakra. The verse uses ṛju as the lifelong name of what Kubjā becomes. Gauḍīya allegory: kuṭila-jīva becoming ṛju-jīva — the bhakta's straightness.
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pramadā
—
a beautiful woman
From pra + √mad — to be intoxicated, to delight. She is now pramadā — one whose presence delights. Gauḍīya note: even in her former condition Kṛṣṇa engaged her; now her outer form too matches her devotional capacity.
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uttamā
—
most perfect
Superlative. The Bhāgavata grants the transformed Kubjā the highest grade of beauty — but uses the same word it uses for uttama-bhakti elsewhere, signalling that this outer change foreshadows an inner promotion.
From that time onward, Kubja had a straight body.
By making her straight, her limbs below her chest which were disproportionately small now developed proper proportions (tadā rju-samānāṅgī). This is indicated by the description; she had large hips and breasts. Not only that, she became the best among all women. This means that she attained attractiveness corresponding appropriately to her physical association with the Lord. The main reason was the touch of the Lord. Thus pulling her up by the chin was a secondary reason for play. Just by one of his portions he can give freedom from all faults of saṁsāra and types of liberation such as sārūpya (mukunda) just by thinking of a person. By touching a person how much more he can give.
In a moment (tadā) she became straight. Her proportions became proper (samānāṅgī). Or because she was crooked previously her chest and other parts were small and irregular. All limbs became proper according to her age. That is explained. Her hips and breasts became large. Actually all limbs became beautiful. She was pramadottamā, the best of women. Kṛṣṇa was he who makes the happiness (mu) of liberation (ku) insignificant by giving the highest bliss (da) of bhakti. By his touch she attained physical blessings. Or he gave principle or spiritual happiness (mu) and earthly happiness (ku) by his touch. Thus she developed special bhāva as well as physical beauty. When he did this, she did not experience any pain.
- What in your life are you treating as a long process that may need only one decisive touch?
- Could you ask Kṛṣṇa for the touch, not for the long process?
A coal lying among ashes touched by fire suddenly remembers it is gold — not changed, only revealed. Mukunda's touch did not add beauty to Kubjā; it uncovered the form she had always been beneath her crookedness.
In the Rāmāyaṇa (Bāla-kāṇḍa), Ahalyā, cursed to stone, is restored by the dust of Rāma's foot. One contact with the Lord's lotus foot returns the cursed form to its original.
Kubjā here is Ahalyā's Bhāgavata cousin. Gauḍīya commentators (Sanātana, Viśvanātha) pair them: Rāma uses His foot, Kṛṣṇa uses both feet and two fingers — the gesture is denser, the rasa more intimate, the Lord's involvement more elaborate.
My note
Source: vedabase.io