Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.52.29
तं भुक्तवन्तं विश्रान्तमुपगम्य सतां गति: ।
पाणिनाभिमृशन् पादावव्यग्रस्तमपृच्छत ॥ २९ ॥
taṁ bhuktavantaṁ viśrāntam
[tam bhuktavantam vishraantam]
upagamya satāṁ gatiḥ
[upagamya sataam gatih]
pāṇinābhimṛśan pādāv
[paaninaabhimrishan paadaav]
avyagras tam apṛcchata
[avyagras tam aprichchata]
Word-for-word
tam
—
him
bhuktavantam
—
having eaten
viśrāntam
—
rested
upagamya
—
approaching
satām
—
of saintly devotees
gatiḥ
—
the goal
pāṇinā
—
with His hands
abhimṛśan
—
massaging
pādau
—
his feet
avyagraḥ
—
without agitation
tam
—
of him
apṛcchata
—
He inquired .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ bhuktavantaṁ viśrāntam
tam
him
bhuktavantam
having eaten
viśrāntam
rested
upagamya satāṁ gatiḥ
upagamya
approaching
satām
of saintly devotees
gatiḥ
the goal
pāṇinābhimṛśan pādāv
pāṇinā
with His hands
abhimṛśan
massaging
pādau
his feet
avyagraḥ
without agitation
avyagras tam apṛcchata
tam
of him
apṛcchata
He inquired .
Important Words
-
satām-gatiḥ
—
the goal of saintly devotees
Phrase: sat (the saintly, the real) + gati (goal, destination). Bhāgavatam-wide epithet for Kṛṣṇa as the final destination of all devotees. Used here precisely when Kṛṣṇa is bending to a devotee's feet — the destination travels to those who travel to Him.
-
pāṇinā-abhimṛśan-pādau
—
(He) massaged his feet with His hand
Phrase: pāṇi (hand) + abhi-√mṛś (to stroke) + pādau (feet, accusative dual). The Lord's pāṇi touches the brāhmaṇa's pādau — the verse inverts the usual direction of Vedic reverence. Caitanya's washing of devotees' feet is the same gesture in its second incarnation.
-
avyagraḥ
—
without agitation
Compound: a (not) + vy-agra (with-front-of-attention-scattered). Bhagavān is unhurried — Rukmiṇī's letter contains an urgent deadline, but Kṛṣṇa first attends to the messenger's body and rest. The detail teaches that Kṛṣṇa's calm is not slowness but appropriateness.
-
apṛcchata
—
He inquired
Imperfect middle of pra-√cha (to ask). Bhagavān inquiring after His own devotee is the verb the next several verses unpack — a whole Vaiṣṇava etiquette of guest-questioning emerges from this single verb.
After the brāhmaṇa had eaten and rested, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the goal of saintly devotees, came forward, and while massaging the brāhmaṇa’s feet with His own hands, He patiently questioned him as follows.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
After the brāhmaṇa had eaten and rested, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the goal of saintly devotees, came forward, and while massaging the brāhmaṇa's feet with His own hands, He patiently questioned him as follows.
Commentary
Krsna appeared calm (avyagrah), though he was anxious within concerning the marriage. Massaging the brahmana’s feet (abhisprsya), he then inquired from him.
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Giving everything else to welcome the guest properly or, with a composed heart, he inquired from the brāhmaṇa since Kṛṣṇa was the first shelter of those practicing the highest dharma.
Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
BG 15.9
BG 17.20
BG 18.64
BG 2.62
BG 3.11
BG 12.3
SB 4.29.2
BG 9.11
BG 8.2
BG 17.4
BG 7.8
BG 10.3
BG 13.1
BG 5.18
Concepts
Dharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
After the brāhmaṇa has eaten and rested, Kṛṣṇa massages his feet with His own hands and patiently questions him. Service before inquiry; rest the messenger before extracting the message.
Reflection Questions
- Where do you skip 'feed and rest' and go straight to extraction in your service?
- What would patient questioning look like in your next intake conversation?
Analogy
Kṛṣṇa kneels and massages the tired brāhmaṇa's feet with His own hands — those hands that hold the cakra and the flute, that lifted Govardhana, that will tomorrow steal the bride from a guarded city. The Lord's hands are pāda-saṁvāhaka before they are anything else; service is the resting state of Bhagavān.
My note
Source: vedabase.io