SB 10.48.13-14 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.48.13-14

स तान्नरवरश्रेष्ठानाराद् वीक्ष्य स्वबान्धवान् । प्रत्युत्थाय प्रमुदित: परिष्वज्याभिनन्द्य च ॥ १३ ॥ ननाम कृष्णं रामं च स तैरप्यभिवादित: । पूजयामास विधिवत् कृतासनपरिग्रहान् ॥ १४ ॥

sa tān nara-vara-śreṣṭhān

[sa taan nara-vara-shreshthaan]

ārād vīkṣya sva-bāndhavān

[aaraad veekshya sva-baandhavaan]

pratyutthāya pramuditaḥ

[pratyutthaaya pramuditah]

pariṣvajyābhinandya ca

[parishvajyaabhinandya cha]

nanāma kṛṣṇaṁ rāmaṁ ca

[nanaama krishnam raamam cha]

sa tair apy abhivāditaḥ

[sa tair apy abhivaaditah]

pūjayām āsa vidhi-vat

[poojayaam aasa vidhi-vat]

kṛtāsana-parigrahān

[kritaasana-parigrahaan]

Word-for-word

saḥ — he (Akrūra) tān — them (Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Uddhava) nara - vara — of illustrious personalities śreṣṭhān — the greatest ārāt — from a distance vīkṣya — seeing sva — his (Akrūra’s) bāndhavān — relatives pratyutthāya — rising up pramuditaḥ — joyful pariṣvajya — embracing abhinandya — greeting ca — and nanāma — bowed down kṛṣṇam rāmam ca — to Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma saḥ — he taiḥ — by Them api — and abhivāditaḥ — greeted pūjayām āsa — he worshiped vidhi - vat — according to scriptural injunctions kṛta — who had done āsana — of seats parigrahān — acceptance .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

sa tān nara-vara-śreṣṭhān

saḥ

he (Akrūra)

tān

them (Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Uddhava)

nara - vara

of illustrious personalities

śreṣṭhān

the greatest

ārād vīkṣya sva-bāndhavān

ārāt

from a distance

vīkṣya

seeing

sva

his (Akrūra’s)

bāndhavān

relatives

pratyutthāya pramuditaḥ

pratyutthāya

rising up

pramuditaḥ

joyful

pariṣvajyābhinandya ca

pariṣvajya

embracing

abhinandya

greeting

and

nanāma kṛṣṇaṁ rāmaṁ ca

nanāma

bowed down

kṛṣṇam rāmam ca

to Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma

sa tair apy abhivāditaḥ

saḥ

taiḥ

by Them

api

and

abhivāditaḥ

greeted

pūjayām āsa vidhi-vat

pūjayām āsa

he worshiped

vidhi - vat

according to scriptural injunctions

kṛtāsana-parigrahān

kṛta

who had done

āsana

of seats

parigrahān

acceptance .

Important Words

nara-vara-śreṣṭhān — the greatest of illustrious personalities
Compound: nara (man) + vara (chief) + śreṣṭha (best). Akrūra sees them under their human cover; the Bhāgavatam piles superlatives so the reader knows what he is seeing under that cover.
pratyutthāya — rising up to receive
Past participle of prati + ut + √sthā — to rise in someone's presence. The gṛhastha's first duty to a guest. Smṛti prescribes pratyutthāna for any honored guest; Akrūra performs it for the Lord of all guests.
vidhi-vat — according to scriptural injunctions
Compound: vidhi (rule, ordinance) + vat (suffix meaning 'in accord with'). Akrūra is a Vedic gentleman; he worships Kṛṣṇa exactly as śāstra prescribes for honored guests — even though the guest is the source of śāstra Himself.
bāndhavān — relatives, kinsmen
From bandhu — one bound by ties of blood or affection. Akrūra is Kṛṣṇa's father's cousin's son, a Yādava. The verse uses the warmer word bāndhava rather than the formal jñāti: kinship as affection, not as legal degree.

Akrūra stood up in great joy when he saw them, his own relatives and the greatest of exalted personalities, coming from a distance. After embracing them and greeting them, Akrūra bowed down to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and was greeted by Them in return. Then, when his guests had taken their seats, he worshiped them in accordance with scriptural rules.

Purport

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the others approached Akrūra in a friendly attitude. At first Akrūra reciprocated that friendly mood, and then, in the course of showing them hospitality, he adopted his natural devotional attitude toward the Lord and thus offered his obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Balarāma.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Kṛṣṇa showed friendliness for Akrūra similar to his friendship with the Pāṇḍavas in going to his house. Akrūra responded in a similar manner from the beginning of the visit. Seeing from afar the best among the most excellent men (nara-vara-śreṣṭhān), by standing on his roof and gazing into the distance, he became joyful and stood up, and went to meet them. Then he embraced them and greeted them with praise. Later, treating them as guests while taking support of his bhakti, after realizing their powers when his true nature arose, he offered respects to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. He also treated Uddhava properly as a friend for it is said vaiṣṇave bandhu-sat-kṛtyā: one may worship me within the Vaiṣṇavas by offering loving friendship to them and honoring them in all respects. (SB 11.11.44) He was also greeted by the three (taih) in the same way. Instead of abhinanditaḥ sometimes abhivāditaḥ is seen.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

He saw the best (śreṣṭha) among the Yadus (nara-vara) or the most worthy of being worshipped (vara-śreṣṭha) among men. This shows they were most worthy of worship. They were relatives. This shows they were object of great affection. Because of this seeing them from afar, he was overjoyed. He welcomed them with kind words. He offered respects to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma because they were the supreme Lords. He did not offer respects to Uddhava since he was the son of his brother. Kṛṣṇa is mentioned first because he is svayam bhagavān. As was suitable, he offered with faith the best seats, foot water and arghya.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)

Related lectures

Revati Raman Pr SB 10-48-13 - 2012-06-04 ISKCON Tirupati
His Grace Revati Raman Prabhu· 2012-06-04· Telugu

Personal Guidance

Akrūra stands joyfully, embraces them, bows to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, is greeted in return; after their seat is taken he reverences them with friendly mood. Welcome to the Lord includes both physical hospitality and emotional warmth.

Reflection Questions

Where could your welcome blend the emotional and the procedural more thoroughly?
How do you greet returns from those you serve?

Analogy

When the king arrives unannounced, the proper host does not stand stiff with protocol — he runs, embraces, bows, seats, worships. Akrūra performs all the steps in their precise order, like a man who has been rehearsing the welcome since he first saw Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma in the Yamunā.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io