FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.46.21

स्मरतां कृष्णवीर्याणि लीलापाङ्गनिरीक्षितम् । हसितं भाषितं चाङ्ग सर्वा न: शिथिला: क्रिया: ॥ २१ ॥
smaratāṁ kṛṣṇa-vīryāṇi
[smarataam krishna-veeryaani]
līlāpāṅga-nirīkṣitam
[leelaapaanga-nireekshitam]
hasitaṁ bhāṣitaṁ cāṅga
[hasitam bhaashitam chaanga]
sarvā naḥ śithilāḥ kriyāḥ
[sarvaa nah shithilaah kriyaah]
smaratām — who are remembering kṛṣṇa - vīryāṇi — the valorous deeds of Kṛṣṇa līlā — playful apāṅga — with sidelong glances nirīkṣitam — His looking hasitam — smiling bhāṣitam — speaking ca — and aṅga — my dear (Uddhava) sarvāḥ — all naḥ — for us śithilāḥ — slackened kriyāḥ — material activities .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
smaratāṁ kṛṣṇa-vīryāṇi
smaratām
who are remembering
kṛṣṇa - vīryāṇi
the valorous deeds of Kṛṣṇa
līlāpāṅga-nirīkṣitam
līlā
playful
apāṅga
with sidelong glances
nirīkṣitam
His looking
hasitaṁ bhāṣitaṁ cāṅga
hasitam
smiling
bhāṣitam
speaking
ca
and
aṅga
my dear (Uddhava)
sarvā naḥ śithilāḥ kriyāḥ
sarvāḥ
all
naḥ
for us
śithilāḥ
slackened
kriyāḥ
material activities .
  • kṛṣṇa - vīryāṇi — the valorous deeds of Kṛṣṇa
    Compound: Kṛṣṇa + vīrya (heroic deeds). The technical term for the līlā-katha that bhakti-tradition recommends as the object of śravaṇa-smaraṇa. SB 1.5.22 anchors: idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya … yad uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam.
  • līlā - apāṅga - nirīkṣitam — (His) playful sidelong glance
    Compound: līlā (play) + apāṅga (corner-of-the-eye) + nirīkṣita (looking). The single most-prized rasa-feature of Kṛṣṇa in Gauḍīya kāvya: not the front-gaze but the slanted, half-amused glance. The whole tradition of Rādhā's catching that glance derives from such verses.
  • hasitam — smiling
    Past participle of √has. Kṛṣṇa's mandasmita is itself a defined rasa-feature. Nanda lists it third in his stack of remembered things — the smile, like the glance, can be remembered separately from the face.
  • bhāṣitam — speaking
    Past participle of √bhāṣ. The words themselves are remembered — not their content but their fact. Vraja's hearts treat kṛṣṇa-vacana as a remembered object, not merely a transmitted information.
  • śithilāḥ — slackened
    Adjective: loosened, gone slack. Same word used for ropes that no longer bind. The hands of Vraja slacken on their tasks; smaraṇa is the un-tightening of worldly grip. Gauḍīya tīkā: this is the verse where the chapter teaches bhakti's strange anti-physics — the more love, the less effort can be exerted on anything else.
  • kriyāḥ — material activities
    Nominative plural of kriyā. Same word that names the ritual actions of varṇāśrama. The verse does not say bhakti destroys kriyās; it says smaraṇa makes them go slack. A subtler doctrine — and the one the gopīs in verse 4 already perfected.
As we remember the wonderful deeds Kṛṣṇa performed, His playful sidelong glances, His smiles and His words, O Uddhava, we forget all our material engagements.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
As we remember the wonderful deeds Kṛṣṇa performed, His playful sidelong glances, His smiles and His words, O Uddhava, we forget all our material engagements.
Commentary

"By the nectar of remembrance of his moonlike face, all pain will vanish." "That is true, but though remembering him removes all suffering, now that remembrance gives us more suffering, by great misfortune. When we remember him, we lose all interest in everything. Though we continue to bathe, eat and perform other daily activities by rote, we have lost interest in these things also. In this state we cannot remain alive."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

In two verses Nanda remembers his powers and his sweetness. Remembering both, he becomes agitated. He informs Uddhava of his daily suffering. We remember Kṛṣṇa’s prowess. The word “Kṛṣṇa” should also be supplied to the other items. Nanda was unable to say Kṛṣṇa’s name repeatedly. He showed prowess in swallowing the fire. Not only did he show heroic acts, but also sweetness such as playful glances in one direction out of shyness. He attentively glanced everywhere with affection. At the same time he smiled. And then he spoke. Remembering that, and then experiencing pain, we stop our work. Because of inner disturbance, external actions stop. This has been arranged by the Lord. We should remain healthy by engagement and thinking of other things, but we cannot do that.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

After describing his pastimes, Nanda shows Kṛṣṇa’s attractiveness, and his own misery. We remember his astonishing deeds such as killing Pūtanā. The word Kṛṣṇa applies to all the elements listed (his glances, smiles and words) though it is in one compound only. Līlā means very playful. All of these elements were very attractive to the heart. The order is with increasing excellent (words being most attractive). This is clear from statements like the following. madhurayā girā valgu-vākyayā budha-manojñayā puṣkarekṣaṇa vidhi-karīr imā vīra muhyatīr adhara-sīdhunāpyāyayasva naḥ O lotus-eyed one, by your sweet voice and charming words, which attract the minds of the intelligent, we have fainted. Our dear hero, please revive your maidservants with the nectar of your lips. SB 10.31.8 In speaking, the smiles and glances are also present. Actions can also refer to daily or periodic acts such as eating. By this remembrance we become slow in excuting duties. Or being distracted we cannot complete our actions.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)
Related verses
As we remember Kṛṣṇa's wonderful deeds, playful glances, smiles and words, we forget all material engagements. Memory of Kṛṣṇa is itself a way to release material absorption — not by denying it but by being absorbed elsewhere.
Reflection Questions
  • What memory of Kṛṣṇa would, if entered fully, displace your current worries?
  • Where could you spend ten minutes in remembrance instead of resisting attachment by force?

Remembering Kṛṣṇa's sidelong glance and laughter, Nanda's hands fall away from work. The chapter has been showing that smaraṇa is bhakti's nuclear power: it deactivates worldly action without anyone deciding to renounce. The Bhāgavatam's quietest miracle.

📝 My note

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