Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.52.8
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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abhītau
—
actually unafraid
Dual: 'the two who are fearless.' The verse pins the doctrine in a single word — Bhagavān is abhaya by His own nature (cf. Taittirīya 2.4 'abhayaṁ pratiṣṭhāṁ'). The visible 'fear' is donned over an unfearable substrate.
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bhīta-vat
—
as if frightened
Compound: bhīta (frightened) + vat (like, as if). The suffix -vat is the verse's hinge — it is the marker of līlā. Whoever ignores this -vat misreads Kṛṣṇa as actually afraid.
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padma-palāśābhyām
—
(with feet) like lotus petals
Compound: padma (lotus) + palāśa (petal/leaf). The lotus-feet image is the very organ of refuge for devotees (cf. śaraṇaṁ tava pādayoḥ). Here they walk in apparent retreat — to Gauḍīya eyes, the feet themselves are the destination the devotee runs toward.
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vihāya vittam
—
abandoning the riches
Phrase: vi-√hā (to abandon) + vitta (wealth). Kṛṣṇa's willingness to drop the recovered Yavana wealth shows that the recovery itself was a teaching, not an acquisition — He owns everything already and demonstrates dispassion in action.
How they acted as human beings is described in this verse. Assuming the activities and qualities of human beings (manusya cestam apannau) however is their very nature. This is not real reason for their fleeing however, because even though they many times assume the human role, in those cases they have shown their omniscience and omnipotence. It cannot also be explained as some immature display out of prema, because there were no devotees present there. Nor can it be explained as an imitation of fear. Because as Uddhava said "Even the intelligent are disturbed, thinking you flee out of fear." (sb3.4.16) In the same verse however , Uddhava states that being the protector of Dvaraka, he fled in great fear. By examining this statement, one will understand the reason for fleeing. Though without fear (abhitau), Krsna and Balarama decided to show fear acting like fearful persons (bhiru bhitavat). This expresses a contradiction.
Without attachment they gave up the great wealth since this would slow down the enemy who was greedy for that great wealth. Or the two were completely without fear (pracuram). But just as a person in great fear flees, they fled as if in fear using their tender feet. This indicates pain on the part of the speaker.
- Where do you cling to 'wealth' that the Lord might happily abandon to draw out an enemy?
- What would feigning fear free up that real fear blocks?
The lotus-petal feet that crush serpents and pace the rāsa-maṇḍala now walk many yojanas in mock-fear, leaving the riches behind like a king dropping his treasure to play hide-and-seek with his own son. The abandonment is not loss; it is the Lord's signal that He came for the devotee, not for the gold.
My note
Source: vedabase.io