FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.52.33

विप्रान् स्वलाभसन्तुष्टान् साधून् भूतसुहृत्तमान् । निरहङ्कारिण: शान्तान् नमस्ये शिरसासकृत् ॥ ३३ ॥
viprān sva-lābha-santuṣṭān
[vipraan sva-laabha-santushtaan]
sādhūn bhūta-suhṛttamān
[saadhoon bhoota-suhrittamaan]
nirahaṅkāriṇaḥ śāntān
[nirahankaarinah shaantaan]
namasye śirasāsakṛt
[namasye shirasaasakrit]
viprān — to the learned brāhmaṇas sva — their own lābha — by the gain santuṣṭān — satisfied sādhūn — saintly bhūta — of all living beings suhṛt - tamān — the best well-wishing friends nirahaṅkāriṇaḥ — devoid of false ego śāntān — peaceful namasye — I bow down śirasā — with My head asakṛt — again and again .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
viprān sva-lābha-santuṣṭān
viprān
to the learned brāhmaṇas
sva
their own
lābha
by the gain
santuṣṭān
satisfied
sādhūn bhūta-suhṛttamān
sādhūn
saintly
bhūta
of all living beings
suhṛt - tamān
the best well-wishing friends
nirahaṅkāriṇaḥ śāntān
nirahaṅkāriṇaḥ
devoid of false ego
śāntān
peaceful
namasye śirasāsakṛt
namasye
I bow down
śirasā
with My head
asakṛt
again and again .
  • viprān — to the learned brāhmaṇas
    Accusative plural of vipra (the wise). Distinct from generic brāhmaṇa by emphasis on learning. Kṛṣṇa singles out the learned-and-contented sub-class for repeated bowing — Gauḍīya etiquette toward the dvija-vidvāns made canonical.
  • bhūta-suhṛt-tamān — the best well-wishing friends of all living beings
    Compound: bhūta (creatures) + suhṛt (well-wisher) + tama (most). The superlative is loaded — the satisfied brāhmaṇa is suhṛt-tama, the greatest friend of all beings, because his santoṣa removes the cosmic friction of greed.
  • nirahaṅkāriṇaḥ — devoid of false ego
    Compound: nir (without) + ahaṅkāra (ego) + -in (possessing). The Gauḍīya criterion of advanced bhakti — true ahaṅkāra-nivṛtti is not loss of personhood but loss of the I-am-the-doer rib that ages the soul.
  • namasye śirasā asakṛt — I bow down with My head again and again
    Phrase. Namasye is verbal — 'I bow' — in first-person. Sūta records Kṛṣṇa Himself speaking the namaskāra to His own brāhmaṇa-devotees. Asakṛt (repeatedly) intensifies the act. The Lord's worshipping His devotee is the highest Vaiṣṇava doctrine in one verse.
I repeatedly bow My head in respect to those brāhmaṇas who are satisfied with their lot. Saintly, prideless and peaceful, they are the best well-wishers of all living beings.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that sva-lābha also means “achieving one’s self,” or, in other words, self-realization. Thus an advanced brāhmaṇa is always satisfied with his spiritual understanding, never depending on material formalities or facilities.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I repeatedly bow My head in respect to those brāhmaṇas who are satisfied with their lot. Saintly, prideless and peaceful, they are the best well-wishers of all living beings.
Commentary

One is satisfied with whatever one obtains by unccha vrtti or gathering. He does not yearn for attaining anything else.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Happy by being satisfied, they make others happy by other accompanying qualities. Thus they are worthy of worship. I offer respects to all of them individually. They are free of desire and hatred (śāntān) or are fixed in truth. The order of qualities is with the best in last place (śāntān). Not only do I offer respects with words but with my head, many times. Or sva-lābha-saṇtuṣṭān can mean “satisfied with attaining me, the Lord” as in the following: akiñcanasya dāntasya śāntasya sama-cetasaḥ mayā santuṣṭa-manasaḥ sarvāḥ sukha-mayā diśaḥ One who does not desire anything within this world, who has controlled his senses, who has fixed his intelligence on me, who regards heaven and hell equally, and whose mind is completely satisfied in me finds only happiness wherever he goes. SB 11.14.13 This is because they are my devotees (sādhūn). The word sādhu means devotee as in sādhavo hrḍayaṁ mahyam: the devotees are my heart. (SB 9.4.36) The rest of the descriptive terms are lesser causes of being devotees. You have such qualities. You do not depend on anyone. Since you have come to me by your mercy, I am under your control. Order me what I can do for you.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
I repeatedly bow My head in respect to brāhmaṇas satisfied with their lot — saintly, prideless, peaceful, the best well-wishers of all. The Lord bows; satisfied saints are among the few entities the Lord salutes.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose 'satisfied with their lot' example deserves your repeated bow?
  • Could 'satisfied' itself become a spiritual goal rather than a fallback?

Kṛṣṇa bows His head to the contented brāhmaṇa — the head before which Brahmā, Śiva and Indra bow now lowers to a Vidarbha priest. The lesson is incised: Bhagavān's reverence for His devotee is more thorough than the devotee's reverence for Bhagavān. The asakṛt — 'again and again' — keeps the gesture from becoming a one-time courtesy.

📝 My note

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