SB 10.51.39-40 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.51.39-40

तथाप्यद्यतनान्यङ्ग श‍ृणुष्व गदतो मम । विज्ञापितो विरिञ्चेन पुराहं धर्मगुप्तये । भूमेर्भारायमाणानामसुराणां क्षयाय च ॥ ३९ ॥ अवतीर्णो यदुकुले गृह आनकदुन्दुभे: । वदन्ति वासुदेवेति वसुदेवसुतं हि माम् ॥ ४० ॥

tathāpy adyatanāny aṅga

[tathaapy adyatanaany anga]

śṛnuṣva gadato mama

[shrinushva gadato mama]

vijñāpito viriñcena

[vijnaapito virinchena]

purāhaṁ dharma-guptaye

[puraaham dharma-guptaye]

bhūmer bhārāyamāṇānām

[bhoomer bhaaraayamaanaanaam]

asurāṇāṁ kṣayāya ca

[asuraanaam kshayaaya cha]

avatīrṇo yadu-kule

[avateerno yadu-kule]

gṛha ānakadundubheḥ

[griha aanakadundubheh]

vadanti vāsudeveti

[vadanti vaasudeveti]

vasudeva-sutaṁ hi mām

[vasudeva-sutam hi maam]

Word-for-word

tathā api — nevertheless adyatanāni — those current aṅga — O friend śṛṇuṣva — just hear gadataḥ — who am speaking mama — from Me vijñāpitaḥ — sincerely requested viriñcena — by Lord Brahmā purā — in the past aham — I dharma — religious principles guptaye — to protect bhūmeḥ — for the earth bhārāyamāṇānām — who are a burden asurāṇām — of the demons kṣayāya — for the destruction ca — and avatīrṇaḥ — descended yadu — of Yadu kule — into the dynasty gṛhe — in the home ānakadundubheḥ — of Vasudeva vadanti — people call vāsudevaḥ iti — by the name Vāsudeva vasudeva - sutam — the son of Vasudeva hi — indeed mām — Me .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tathāpy adyatanāny aṅga

tathā api

nevertheless

adyatanāni

those current

aṅga

O friend

śṛnuṣva gadato mama

śṛṇuṣva

just hear

gadataḥ

who am speaking

mama

from Me

vijñāpito viriñcena

vijñāpitaḥ

sincerely requested

viriñcena

by Lord Brahmā

purāhaṁ dharma-guptaye

purā

in the past

aham

dharma

religious principles

guptaye

to protect

bhūmer bhārāyamāṇānām

bhūmeḥ

for the earth

bhārāyamāṇānām

who are a burden

asurāṇāṁ kṣayāya ca

asurāṇām

of the demons

kṣayāya

for the destruction

and

avatīrṇo yadu-kule

avatīrṇaḥ

descended

yadu

of Yadu

kule

into the dynasty

gṛha ānakadundubheḥ

gṛhe

in the home

ānakadundubheḥ

of Vasudeva

vadanti vāsudeveti

vadanti

people call

vāsudevaḥ iti

by the name Vāsudeva

vasudeva-sutaṁ hi mām

vasudeva - sutam

the son of Vasudeva

indeed

mām

Me .

Important Words

viriñcena — by Lord Brahmā
Instrumental of Viriñca — Brahmā. The four-faced demiurge of this universe, but explicitly a creature in Bhāgavatam — he prays to Viṣṇu in SB 10.1. Gauḍīyas firmly subordinate Brahmā to Bhagavān; this verse cites that subordination.
dharma-guptaye — for the protection of religious principles
Compound: dharma + guptaye (for the guarding). Echoes Gītā 4.7-8 directly — paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. The Bhāgavata and Gītā speak with one voice on the avatāra's purpose.
ānakadundubheḥ — of Vasudeva (Ānakadundubhi)
Genitive — at whose birth the kettle-drums (ānaka-dundubhi) of heaven sounded; hence Vasudeva's epithet. Even the father's name carries the celebratory acoustic of Bhagavān's descent.
vāsudevaḥ iti — by the name Vāsudeva
Phrase — 'by the name Vāsudeva.' Bhagavān names Himself. Gauḍīyas note: in the Pāñcarātra system, Vāsudeva is the first of the catur-vyūha (Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha). The name He gives Mucukunda is the head of His own emanation-tree.
yadu-kule — in the Yadu dynasty
Same compound as verse 8 — the lineage Kālayavana wielded as a taunt is here re-claimed by Kṛṣṇa as His own celebrated home. The taunt becomes the answer.
avatīrṇaḥ — descended
Past participle of ava-√tṝ — to cross down. The technical Vaiṣṇava term for divine descent. Avatāra is not 'incarnation' in the Western sense; it is Bhagavān's own self-deposition into the world without loss of Self.

Nonetheless, O friend, I will tell you about My current birth, name and activities. Kindly hear. Some time ago, Lord Brahmā requested Me to protect religious principles and destroy the demons who were burdening the earth. Thus I descended in the Yadu dynasty, in the home of Ānakadundubhi. Indeed, because I am the son of Vasudeva, people call Me Vāsudeva.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

However, on your request, hear from me as I speak about my present birth and activities, though they are difficult to understand. Hear only, but do not desire to understand in truth or to a great degree. I was requested previously to protect the devotees (dharma-guptaye) and destroy the demons. I have now appeared in the Yadu dynasty. “As Vāsudeva, your name was previously famous as he in whom all beings reside (vasanti yatra bhūtāni), taking the name as an ordinary compound. But this name appears to be recent because of special qualities which had previously been hidden.” I am famous as the son of Vasudeva. I am most famous (hi) among all the forms of the Lord who appeared as sons such as Rāma, since I am the main form.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Hear about my present birth from me with attention. I was requested by Brahmā, along with Śiva and Bhūmi, arriving on the bank of the milk ocean according to rules. I should protect dharma in order to protect the devotees. He speaks of his birth first. I appeared, not arising from a womb, as the son of Vasudeva, who was born the sound of drums from heaven. This indicates his fame and greatness. They call me Vāsudeva. “This name already exists. He is the presiding deity of citta.” I am the son of Vasudeva. That is the well-known name at this time. That is me alone. Though it is possible to have that name as a son of Rāma or other avatāras, it is famous as my name, because of affection for my father. Other names like Kṛṣṇa, Dāmodara, Govinda are not mentioned as they are secret. Since he is not qualified to hear about this birth, his identity in the next verse is described. And later, in describing his activities, his pastimes in Gokula are not mentioned, but the description of his killing demons is explained.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)

Concepts

Dharma

Personal Guidance

I will tell you about this current birth: Brahmā asked Me to protect religious principles and destroy demons; I descended in the Yadu dynasty. The current incarnation has a specific commission; particular missions are named clearly.

Reflection Questions

Could you name the specific commission of your current life with such clarity?
Where do you live as if you had no particular mission?

Analogy

Kṛṣṇa narrows the infinite into a single biography for His friend: 'Brahmā asked, I descended in the Yadu line at Vasudeva's home, people call Me Vāsudeva.' The cosmic confession contracts into a name a friend can use.

Stories

Brahmā's prayer that began the avatāra

At SB 10.1.17-25, Bhūmi-devī comes weeping to the demigods, asuras have crushed the earth's order, and Brahmā leads them all to the milk-ocean to petition Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu's reply — that He will appear in the Yadu line at Vasudeva's home — is the exact promise Kṛṣṇa is now relating to Mucukunda eons later.

Gauḍīyas treasure this back-reference: the same Bhāgavata-text Mucukunda has not yet read is being summarized to him by its own protagonist. The avatāra remembers, and tells, His own appearance-narrative.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io