SB 10.50.35-36 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.50.35-36

मुकुन्दोऽप्यक्षतबलो निस्तीर्णारिबलार्णव: । विकीर्यमाण: कुसुमैस्‍त्रीदशैरनुमोदित: ॥ ३५ ॥ माथुरैरुपसङ्गम्य विज्वरैर्मुदितात्मभि: । उपगीयमानविजय: सूतमागधवन्दिभि: ॥ ३६ ॥

mukundo ’py akṣata-balo

[mukundo ’py akshata-balo]

nistīrṇāri-balārṇavaḥ

[nisteernaari-balaarnavah]

vikīryamāṇaḥ kusumais

[vikeeryamaanah kusumais]

trīdaśair anumoditaḥ

[treedashair anumoditah]

māthurair upasaṅgamya

[maathurair upasangamya]

vijvarair muditātmabhiḥ

[vijvarair muditaatmabhih]

upagīyamāna-vijayaḥ

[upageeyamaana-vijayah]

sūta-māgadha-vandibhiḥ

[soota-maagadha-vandibhih]

Word-for-word

mukundaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa api — and akṣata — unbroken balaḥ — His military force nistīrṇa — having crossed over ari — of His enemy bala — of the armies arṇavaḥ — the ocean vikīryamāṇaḥ — having scattered upon Him kusumaiḥ — flowers tridaśaiḥ — by the demigods anumoditaḥ — congratulated māthuraiḥ — by the people of Mathurā upasaṅgamya — being met vijvaraiḥ — who were relieved of their fever mudita - ātmabhiḥ — who felt great joy upagīyamāna — being sung about vijayaḥ — His victory sūta — by Purāṇic bards māgadha — panegyrists vandibhiḥ — and heralds .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

mukundo ’py akṣata-balo

mukundaḥ

Lord Kṛṣṇa

api

and

akṣata

unbroken

balaḥ

His military force

nistīrṇāri-balārṇavaḥ

nistīrṇa

having crossed over

ari

of His enemy

bala

of the armies

arṇavaḥ

the ocean

vikīryamāṇaḥ kusumais

vikīryamāṇaḥ

having scattered upon Him

kusumaiḥ

flowers

trīdaśair anumoditaḥ

tridaśaiḥ

by the demigods

anumoditaḥ

congratulated

māthurair upasaṅgamya

māthuraiḥ

by the people of Mathurā

upasaṅgamya

being met

vijvarair muditātmabhiḥ

vijvaraiḥ

who were relieved of their fever

mudita - ātmabhiḥ

who felt great joy

upagīyamāna-vijayaḥ

upagīyamāna

being sung about

vijayaḥ

His victory

sūta-māgadha-vandibhiḥ

sūta

by Purāṇic bards

māgadha

panegyrists

vandibhiḥ

and heralds .

Important Words

mukundaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa, the giver of liberation
Mukti + da — 'giver of liberation.' Gauḍīya commentators (Sanātana) note: this name is deployed here precisely because Kṛṣṇa has just liberated thousands of soldiers through vadha-mukti, His own arrow-touch. The slaughter is, paradoxically, salvific.
akṣata-balaḥ — whose military force was unbroken
Compound: a + kṣata (wounded) + bala (force). Not a single Yadu soldier dead. Asymmetry of divine warfare — Kṛṣṇa's side incurs zero loss against 23 akṣauhiṇīs. The verse insists on this to make clear the source of the victory.
vijvaraiḥ — freed of fever
Vi + jvara (fever). The siege is described as a fever the city had been running; Kṛṣṇa's return cools it. Same word reused in Gauḍīya literature for the cessation of viraha-fever upon darśana of Kṛṣṇa.
sūta-māgadha-vandibhiḥ — by bards, panegyrists, and heralds
Compound. The three classes of court-singers: sūta (storyteller), māgadha (oddly: also of Magadha lineage, here just genealogist), vandin (eulogist). All three classes glorify Kṛṣṇa — śravaṇa-kīrtana is built into the city's welcome.

Lord Mukunda had crossed the ocean of His enemy’s armies with His own military force completely intact. He received congratulations from the denizens of heaven, who showered Him with flowers. The people of Mathurā, relieved of their feverish anxiety and filled with joy, came out to meet Him as professional bards, heralds and panegyrists sang in praise of His victory.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Lord Mukunda had crossed the ocean of His enemy's armies with His own military force completely intact. He received congratulations from the denizens of heaven, who showered Him with flowers. The people of Mathurā, relieved of their feverish anxiety and filled with joy, came out to meet Him as professional bards, heralds and panegyrists sang in praise of His victory.

Commentary

Mukunda went (understood but not written in the verse) into Mathura, where he was greeted as described in this verse.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

He is called Mukunda because he freed Jarāsandha. Playing like a human being he crossed over the ocean of the enemy armies. Mukunda however met face to face with the people of Mathurā. The verb yayau (went) is understood from the previous verse. His armies were not harmed by the enemy weapons (akṣata-balaḥ). This shows his skill. He was approved by the devatās who shouted “Jaya, jaya.”

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

He is called Mukunda because he gave the highest bliss. His armies were not harmed by the enemy weapons (akṣata-balaḥ) because of his sweet glance. Hari-vaṁśa says jitvā tu māgadhaṁ saṅkhye jarāsandhaṁ mahīpatim Viharanti sma sukhino vṛṣṇi-sīmhā mahārathāḥ Having defeated the great king Jarāsandha in battle, the great Yadu warriors, overjoyed, celebrated. The devatās sprinkled flowers. His victory was praised profusely by sūtas (mathuraiḥ), or by the Yadus, who came to meet him face to face or all around. They were without pain which had been caused by separation from him (vijvaraiḥ) and their bodies or minds were joyful (muditātmabhiḥ). These two phrases can also modify sūta-māgadha-vandibhiḥ. his skill. He was approved by the devatās who shouted “Jaya, jaya.”

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)

Personal Guidance

Mukunda crosses the ocean of enemy armies with His force intact, receives congratulations from heaven's denizens who shower flowers; Mathurā's people, relieved of feverish anxiety, fill the city with joy. Real victory leaves your own people undiminished.

Reflection Questions

Where do you win at a cost to your own community that wouldn't pass scripture's test?
Could you measure victory by undiminished allies rather than by defeated enemies?

Analogy

Mukunda has crossed the army-ocean without losing a single soldier — His bala is akṣata, unscathed. Demigods rain flowers from above, sūtas and māgadhas sing His victory, and Mathurā's people, fever-freed, come out to receive Him. The fever was the siege; the cooling is His return.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io