Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.46.14
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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vāsudeva - dhiyā
—
thinking of Lord Vāsudeva
Compound: Vāsudeva + dhī (intellection, consideration). Nanda mentally substitutes Uddhava for Kṛṣṇa. Gauḍīyas read this as the textual model for guru-dhī, vaiṣṇava-dhī, prasāda-dhī — the trained capacity to see Kṛṣṇa through what carries Him.
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pariṣvajya
—
embracing
Gerund of pari-√svaj (to embrace fully, around). Not a polite namaskāra but a full-armed embrace — the bodily gesture of vātsalya. Nanda's body knows what to do before his mind interprets the visitor.
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anucaram
—
the follower
Accusative of anucara — one who walks after. Uddhava is the anucara of Kṛṣṇa; in Nanda's eyes that title confers Kṛṣṇa-quality. Gauḍīya etiquette: the anucara is honored with the honor due the master.
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priyam
—
dear
Accusative of priya. Priya here is transferred property — Uddhava is dear to Kṛṣṇa, therefore dear to Nanda. The whole social grammar of Vraja runs on this transitivity of priyatā.
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prītaḥ
—
happy
Past participle of √prī. The same root as priya. Nanda's prīti at seeing Uddhava is the surfacing of his prīti for the One who sent him — the messenger becomes the visible form of a hidden joy.
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ārcayat
—
worshiped
Imperfect of √arc. Not merely 'received' or 'entertained' — Nanda offers arcana, formal worship, to a man he could (as elder, as king of cowherds) have merely embraced. The grammar measures how completely vātsalya treats Kṛṣṇa's friend as Kṛṣṇa.
Uddhava looked just like Nanda’s son Kṛṣṇa and gave pleasure to anyone who saw him. Thus although Nanda was absorbed in thoughts of separation from Kṛṣṇa, when he saw Uddhava coming toward his house, he became aware of external events and eagerly went out to embrace his exalted visitor.
Then Uddhava entered the house of Nanda, which revealed the misery due to separation from Krsna. Nanda emerged from within the house, and saw that Uddhava appeared very much like his own son. Because of the energy given by the bliss of seeing him, he was able to execute the external behavior and conversations. Thinking of Uddhava as guest, who was worthy of worship like Narayana (vasudeva dhih), Nanda worshiped Uddhava with footwash and other items.
When Uddhava arrived at the door, Nanda heard from inside the house and came there. Uddhava was Kṛṣṇa’s devotee (anucaram) and dear to him, being like Kṛṣṇa’s own self. Or he was dear to Nanda since he was non-different from Kṛṣṇa, being the abode of Kṛṣṇa as a devotee.
When Uddhava arrived at the door, Nanda rose and met him. Since his chariot came unnoticed, he simply arrived without Nanda knowing beforehand. He was a dear devotee of Kṛṣṇa, or dear to Nanda. It is the nature of devotees to worship guests. Thus he treated him as the Lord. Or he thought that Kṛṣṇa had arrived.
- Whom in your life carries a 'Kṛṣṇa likeness' you could welcome with similar warmth?
- Where do you fail to see Vāsudeva in a clearly Vāsudeva-like devotee?
When a long-absent son's closest friend appears at the door, the father runs out before any servant can announce him. Nanda does not greet Uddhava as a guest — he embraces him as Vāsudeva Himself. In vātsalya-rasa, every messenger from the son carries the son's substance.
When Rāma left for the forest, Bharata installed His sandals on the throne and ruled in His name, embracing them as the king Himself (Rāmāyaṇa, Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa). The relic of the beloved was treated as the beloved.
Nanda's vāsudeva-dhiyā embrace of Uddhava is the vātsalya-side counterpart: anything that has touched Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa for the heart that loves Him. Gauḍīya prasāda-ethic stands on this same principle.
My note
Source: vedabase.io