FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.16

विसृज शिरसि पादं वेद्‍म्यहं चाटुकारै- रनुनयविदुषस्तेऽभ्येत्य दौत्यैर्मुकुन्दात् । स्वकृत इह विसृष्टापत्यपत्यन्यलोका व्यसृजदकृतचेता: किं नु सन्धेयमस्मिन् ॥ १६ ॥
visṛja śirasi pādaṁ vedmy ahaṁ cātu-kārair
[visrija shirasi paadam vedmy aham chaatu-kaarair]
anunaya-viduṣas te ’bhyetya dautyair mukundāt
[anunaya-vidushas te ’bhyetya dautyair mukundaat]
sva-kṛta iha viṣṛṣṭāpatya-paty-anya-lokā
[sva-krita iha vishrishtaapatya-paty-anya-lokaa]
vyasṛjad akṛta-cetāḥ kiṁ nu sandheyam asmin
[vyasrijad akrita-chetaah kim nu sandheyam asmin]
visṛja — let go of śirasi — on your head pādam — My foot vedmi — know aham — I cāṭu - kāraiḥ — with flattering words anunaya — in the art of conciliation viduṣaḥ — who are expert te — of you abhyetya — having learned dautyaiḥ — by acting as a messenger mukundāt — from Kṛṣṇa sva — for His own kṛte — sake iha — in this life visṛṣṭa — who have abandoned apatya — children patī — husbands anya - lokāḥ — and everyone else vyasṛjat — He abandoned akṛta - cetāḥ — ungrateful kim nu — why indeed sandheyam — should I make reconciliation asmin — with Him .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
visṛja śirasi pādaṁ vedmy ahaṁ cātu-kārair
visṛja
let go of
śirasi
on your head
pādam
My foot
vedmi
know
aham
I
cāṭu - kāraiḥ
with flattering words
anunaya-viduṣas te ’bhyetya dautyair mukundāt
anunaya
in the art of conciliation
viduṣaḥ
who are expert
te
of you
abhyetya
having learned
dautyaiḥ
by acting as a messenger
mukundāt
from Kṛṣṇa
sva-kṛta iha viṣṛṣṭāpatya-paty-anya-lokā
sva
for His own
kṛte
sake
iha
in this life
visṛṣṭa
who have abandoned
apatya
children
patī
husbands
anya - lokāḥ
and everyone else
vyasṛjad akṛta-cetāḥ kiṁ nu sandheyam asmin
vyasṛjat
He abandoned
akṛta - cetāḥ
ungrateful
kim nu
why indeed
sandheyam
should I make reconciliation
asmin
with Him .
  • cāṭu-kāraiḥ — with flattering words
    Compound: cāṭu (sweet talk) + kāraiḥ (makers). Cāṭu is rasa-shastra's word for the coaxing speech of a wayward lover. The gopī recognizes the genre and refuses to be coaxed.
  • mukundāt — from Kṛṣṇa
    From mu (liberation) + √kund (to give). Mukunda — the giver of liberation. The gopī uses His liberation-giving name to accuse Him of binding women instead. The irony is doctrinal.
  • visṛṣṭa-apatya-patī-anya-lokāḥ — who have abandoned children, husbands and everyone else
    Compound (contiguous-token chain): visṛṣṭa (abandoned) + apatya (children) + patī (husbands) + anya-lokāḥ (everyone else). The full catalog of the gopīs' renunciation. Gauḍīyas cite this as the supreme model of niṣkāma-bhakti.
  • akṛta-cetāḥ — ungrateful
    Compound: a (not) + kṛta (done, made) + cetāḥ (mind, sensibility). Literally 'one whose sense has not been formed' — a stinging insult. The gopī accuses Kṛṣṇa Himself of being uncultivated. Gauḍīyas read this as māna at its peak — only Rādhā speaks to Kṛṣṇa this way.
Keep your head off My feet! I know what you’re doing. You expertly learned diplomacy from Mukunda, and now you come as His messenger with flattering words. But He abandoned those who for His sake alone gave up their children, husbands and all other relations. He’s simply ungrateful. Why should I make up with Him now?

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, this verse illustrates the qualities of sañjalpa, as described by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in the following verse of his Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (14.190): solluṇṭhayā gahanayā kayāpy ākṣepa-mudrayā tasyākṛta-jñatādy-uktiḥ sañjalpaḥ kathito budhaiḥ “The learned describe sañjalpa as that speech which decries with deep irony and insulting gestures the beloved’s ungratefulness and so on.” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that the word ādi, “and so on,” implies the perception in one’s lover of hardheartedness, of an inimical attitude and of a complete lack of love.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Keep your head off My feet! I know what you're doing. You expertly learned diplomacy from Mukunda, and now you come as His messenger with flattering words. But He abandoned those who for His sake alone gave up their children, husbands and all other relations. He's simply ungrateful. Why should I make up with Him now?
Commentary

While the bee was flying around it landed on Radha’s foot, out of greed for her fragrance, and still buzzing seemed to say, "O lady, worshipable by millions of Laksmis! Truly Krsna has made offense to you. I say, you should forigive him." Thinking that the bee was offering her his respects, she said, "Why are you touching your head to my foot. Please go away! I know you. You cannot cheat me like you cheat Laksmi and others. You have got lessons from Mukunda. He is very skilful at humble entreaties, sending messages with sweet words. You have learned it all from him. I know your character! I know you!" "O mistress! What is the use of fighting with him, who is more dear to you than millions of lives? Rather you should make peace with him through me." "For his sake, we gave up chindren, husands, mothers and fathers, and he gave us up and left. The gopis who were prevented from going to the rasa dance gave up their children and went to meet him. We gave up husbands. The unmarried girls gave up their mothers and fathers. He, who is ungrateful (akrta cetasah), gave up all these women. Should one make peace with such a cruel hearted person? No, never." The first half of the verse shows sarcastic abuse and the second half shows the lover's ungratefulness and other qualities (adi) like mercilessness, treachery and lack of love. This verses illustrates sanjalpa. Ujjvala Nilamani describes sanjalpa as "utterances about Krsna’s ungratefulness and other bad qualities, through deeply sarcastic, harsh words."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Other women may not know, but I know since I am perceptive. I know that you have learned from Kṛṣṇa the art of conciliation with messages using clever words. He is Mukunda, the liberator, making us all give up our houses, possessions and families. This indicates his deception and cruelty. Since you are his messenger, you are most deceitful as well. Thus you also cannot be trusted. Or, thinking that her foot is a lotus, the bee approaches her foot and softly hums. Seeing the bee she thinks the bee is saying, “O lady! Do not be angry. Be merciful and just once hear my request.” She then speaks this verse with sarcasm. I know the character of you and Mukunda. Therefore give up my feet along with your extraordinary, flattering words. Give up flattering words and my feet. Those flattering words are messages learned from Mukunda, expert at conciliation. “O lady! Why fight with your lover. Forgive his one offense. Create peace using me.” He has rejected those who have given up house, children, husbands, the happiness of this life and the next and others also for his sake. He is ungrateful or he has not given his heart to us (akṛta-cetāḥ). He is concerned only with himself. Or he gave us up for his own purpose (sva-kṛtaḥ). Rejecting us, he attracted husbands, children and others and then gave them up also. Ah! Should we make peace with a cheater? Of course we should not.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
Keep your head off My feet — you learned diplomacy from Mukunda; He abandoned those who gave up children and husbands for Him. The gopī accuses the messenger as standin for the Lord; rejecting the proxy is rejecting the principal.
Reflection Questions
  • When have you 'shot the messenger' because the principal hurt you?
  • Where could a fair reception of a proxy actually begin reconciliation?

The bee tries again — bowing at her foot — and she kicks him off. She knows His diplomacy now. He learned conciliation from Kṛṣṇa Himself, the great negotiator who has just abandoned women who gave Him their children, husbands, everything. The verse names Him akṛta-cetāḥ — ungrateful.

📝 My note

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