FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.27

सर्वात्मभावोऽधिकृतो भवतीनामधोक्षजे । विरहेण महाभागा महान्मेऽनुग्रह: कृत: ॥ २७ ॥
sarvātma-bhāvo ’dhikṛto
[sarvaatma-bhaavo ’dhikrito]
bhavatīnām adhokṣaje
[bhavateenaam adhokshaje]
viraheṇa mahā-bhāgā
[virahena mahaa-bhaagaa]
mahān me ’nugrahaḥ kṛtaḥ
[mahaan me ’nugrahah kritah]
sarva - ātma — wholehearted bhāvaḥ — love adhikṛtaḥ — claimed by right bhavatīnām — by you adhokṣaje — for the transcendental Lord viraheṇa — through this mood of separation mahā - bhāgāḥ — O most glorious ones mahān — great me — to me anugrahaḥ — mercy kṛtaḥ — done .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sarvātma-bhāvo ’dhikṛto
sarva - ātma
wholehearted
bhāvaḥ
love
bhavatīnām adhokṣaje
adhikṛtaḥ
claimed by right
viraheṇa mahā-bhāgā
bhavatīnām
by you
adhokṣaje
for the transcendental Lord
viraheṇa
through this mood of separation
mahān me ’nugrahaḥ kṛtaḥ
mahā - bhāgāḥ
O most glorious ones
mahān
great
me
to me
anugrahaḥ
mercy
kṛtaḥ
done .
  • sarva-ātma-bhāvaḥ — wholehearted love
    Compound: sarva (all) + ātma (self) + bhāvaḥ (love). Total-self-love — no remainder withheld. Gauḍīyas read this as the technical phrase for atyantika prema, where no fragment of the soul stays outside the offering.
  • adhokṣaje — for the transcendental Lord
    Locative of adhokṣaja — one beyond sensory cognition. Uddhava uses the philosophic name to honor the gopīs' love which has reached even what no sense can grasp. Their mādhurya pierces tattva.
  • viraheṇa — through this mood of separation
    Instrumental of viraha. Their viraha itself is the means by which Uddhava has been blessed. Gauḍīyas regard this as scriptural warrant for vipralambha-rasa's primacy in the post-Caitanya tradition.
  • mahā-bhāgāḥ — O most glorious ones
    Compound: mahā (great) + bhāgāḥ (fortunate). The vocative the Bhāgavatam reserves for the highest devotees. Uddhava places the gopīs in this class.
  • anugrahaḥ — mercy
    From anu + √grah (to grasp after). Anugraha is the technical term for the Lord's compassion descending upon the devotee — here, paradoxically, it descends from the devotees onto Uddhava.
You have rightfully claimed the privilege of unalloyed love for the transcendental Lord, O most glorious gopīs. Indeed, by exhibiting your love for Kṛṣṇa in separation from Him, you have shown me great mercy.

The gopīs showed not only Uddhava but the whole world the joy of love of Godhead, and thus they bestowed their mercy on everyone. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, because their loving devotion was executed in an appropriate way, their love brought the Supreme Lord under their control. Still, to show the intensity of their love, He apparently left them. But now He again manifested Himself among them, becoming spiritually present through their intense devotion.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
You have rightfully claimed the privilege of unalloyed love for the transcendental Lord, O most glorious gopīs. Indeed, by exhibiting your love for Kṛṣṇa in separation from Him, you have shown me great mercy.
Commentary

"How is it auspicious for you, if we have given up wealth and family and accepted Krsna?" "Prema unto Krsna, who cannot be perceived by anyone’s senses (adhoksaje), is so much rarer than that. But you have mahabhava, that bhava filled completely with its essential qualities, (sarvatma bhava). Just as the sun spreads to all by transference of heat and the moon spreads itself to all people by transference of coolness, so mahabhava spreads itself to all people by transference of its own nature. In this verse, the combination of the words sarvatma (complete) and bhava (emotion) reveals the characteristics of mahabhava. Ujjvala Nila mani gives the definition of mahabhava. When anuraga (after sneha, pranaya mana, etc.) attains states of being conscious of only itself, of its own taste, clearly manifests sattvika bhava symptoms, and reaches its maximum possible state, it is called maha bhava. (ujjvala nila mani 109). This bhava or mahabhava is the seventh manifestation of prema. It manifests in you and in no one else, not even Laksmi. What is it like? It is a special privilege or right which has been given by the Lord to you women alone, and not given to anyone else (adhikrtah). By your manifestation of love in separation, you have been merciful to me, showing all the varieties within mahabhava such as citra jalpa and divyonmada. If you had not experienced separation from Krsna , he would not have sent me here, and I would not have observed this great wonder". In this way he describes the extent of his good fortune.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The past participle adhikṛtaḥ has a present meaning. You have the all bhāvas up to mahābhāva (sarvātma-bhāvaḥ) for the Lord since you are complete. Prema, continually appearing, is established (adhikṛtaḥ) by you. That bhāva appears everywhere (sarvātma). This meaning of ātmā is found in the following verse: ātatatvāc ca mātṛtvād ātmā hi paramo hariḥ The Lord is called ātmā because he is all-pervasive (āt) and is the source of everything (mā). Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary on Bhāgavatam That bhāva for the Lord is controlled by you since it is seen in you. Thus he is not far from you. O fortunate ones (mahā-bhāgā)! Separation is external only. You should not absorb your minds in that. I think that separation has appeared externally in order to give mercy to me by showing the greatness of your prema. Virahena is the subject.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

“Then we should not be separated from him.” That is true. This has been done to show the special attraction of bhakti. You have showed prema, with separation, to the Lord who is beyond the senses (adhoḥkṣaje), by concentrating all your senses on him. O most fortunate women! This is possible for you most fortunate women but not for others. You are more fortunate than all his other devotees what to speak of Lakṣmī. My master is controlled by you alone. You have shown me great mercy. Or “Does this indescribable mahābhāva (mahān) exist or not? Since it has not been seen or heard about, the devotees cannot believe in it. But today directly experiencing it, I have developed a hope. You have shown me great mercy, or the Lord by sending me here has given great mercy.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
Concepts
Atma
You have rightfully claimed unalloyed love for the transcendental Lord; by exhibiting love in separation, you have shown me mercy. Devotion in separation teaches others; the gopīs' grief is global benediction.
Reflection Questions
  • Where could your own separation-grief become teaching for others?
  • Have you let yourself receive mercy from watching others' devotion?

'Through your viraha you have shown me mercy,' Uddhava says. The diplomat tilts: their separation has taught him something he could not learn from union. Gauḍīyas read this verse as the moment Uddhava begins his own apprenticeship in vipralambha — the rasa Mahāprabhu lives out at Purī.

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