FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.45.19

तत्र प्रवयसोऽप्यासन् युवानोऽतिबलौजस: । पिबन्तोऽक्षैर्मुकुन्दस्य मुखाम्बुजसुधां मुहु: ॥ १९ ॥
tatra pravayaso ’py āsan
[tatra pravayaso ’py aasan]
yuvāno ’ti-balaujasaḥ
[yuvaano ’ti-balaujasah]
pibanto ’kṣair mukundasya
[pibanto ’kshair mukundasya]
mukhāmbuja-sudhāṁ muhuḥ
[mukhaambuja-sudhaam muhuh]
tatra — there (in Mathurā) pravayasaḥ — the most elderly api — even āsan — were yuvānaḥ — youthful ati — having abundant bala — strength ojasaḥ — and vitality pibantaḥ — drinking akṣaiḥ — with their eyes mukundasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa mukha - ambuja — of the lotus face sudhām — the nectar muhuḥ — repeatedly .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tatra pravayaso ’py āsan
tatra
there (in Mathurā)
pravayasaḥ
the most elderly
api
even
āsan
were
yuvāno ’ti-balaujasaḥ
yuvānaḥ
youthful
ati
having abundant
bala
strength
ojasaḥ
and vitality
pibanto ’kṣair mukundasya
pibantaḥ
drinking
akṣaiḥ
with their eyes
mukundasya
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
mukhāmbuja-sudhāṁ muhuḥ
mukha - ambuja
of the lotus face
sudhām
the nectar
muhuḥ
repeatedly .
  • pravayasaḥ — the most elderly
    Pra + vayas — those of advanced age, gone-along in years. The verse insists even on these — old age, which not even Indra's nectar of svarga reaches, here is rolled back by darśana.
  • pibantaḥ — drinking
    From √pā — to drink. Bhakti's signature verb: darśana is a kind of pāna (drinking), not a kind of jñāna (knowing). The eye is repurposed as the mouth.
  • akṣaiḥ — with eyes
    Akṣa = eye (also axis, dice). Plural instrumental. The mouth-eye reversal — drinking with the eyes — is a Gauḍīya rhetorical staple.
  • sudhām — nectar
    Sudhā = the immortal-making nectar (cf. amṛta from the kṣīra-sāgara). Here drawn not from the milk-ocean but from Mukunda's face. Bhakti's amṛta is more available — present in every dṛṣṭi.
  • muhuḥ — repeatedly
    Again and again — the bhakti-mode is not a single peak experience but the habit of return. Gauḍīya sādhana lives in muhuḥ, not in once-and-for-all.
Even the most elderly inhabitants of the city appeared youthful, full of strength and vitality, for with their eyes they constantly drank the elixir of Lord Mukunda’s lotus face.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Even the most elderly inhabitants of the city appeared youthful, full of strength and vitality, for with their eyes they constantly drank the elixir of Lord Mukunda's lotus face.
Commentary

Those who were old (pra vayasah) became strong and energetic.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Uddhava and others, the associates of the Lord, who are the protecting deities worshipped during arcana, could not be the elderly inhabitants. The elders were ancient members of the Andhaka and other families. sa kathaṁ sevayā tasya kale na jarasaṁ gataḥ pṛṣṭo vārtāṁ pratibrūyād bhartuḥ pādāv anusmaran How could Uddhava, who did not age because of his service to the Lord, when asked by Vidura for news about Kṛṣṇa, reply, since he began immediately thinking of the Lord’s lotus feet? SB 3.2.3 This statement of Vidura is ultimate proof of Uddhava’s continual youth. The older members did not age, since they tasted the extraordinary qualities of Kṛṣṇa. His lotus face was like nectar. They drank that extraordinary face like nectar with their eyes. That face was also like a lotus. It was extraordinary because it was like nectar and a lotus. Continually drinking that face, they were endowed with youth and strength of body (bala) and senses (ojasaḥ). This indicates endowment of other qualities as well.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Their bodies were made of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Among them, generally they did not age since they were avatāras of associates of the Lord. Or some of the Andhakas etc. were old in years, but youthful. They were eternally situated like this (āsan). They had physical strength (bala) and alert senses (ojasaḥ) or energy. They drank with their eyes the sweet beauty of his face. Their eyes were like cups for tasting the nectar, the highest bliss, which destroyed all anarthas. They did this constantly, being very close at all times (muhuḥ). Or they were constantly youthful, with strength of body and senses.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Even the most elderly inhabitants look youthful, full of strength and vitality, constantly drinking the elixir of Mukunda's lotus face. The Lord's presence reverses biological aging in those who gaze on Him.
Reflection Questions
  • When did you last 'drink elixir' from a sustained gaze on Kṛṣṇa's image?
  • Where do you feel old in ways His face might actually reverse?

Mathurā's elderly drinking Kṛṣṇa's face through their eyes recover youth the way an aged tree, given the right rains, shoots green again from the trunk. Bhagavān's vadana-amṛta does not flatter — it actually rebuilds the body that drinks it.

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