FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.53.14

एवं चेदिपती राजा दमघोष: सुताय वै । कारयामास मन्त्रज्ञै: सर्वमभ्युदयोचितम् ॥ १४ ॥
evaṁ cedi-patī rājā
[evam chedi-patee raajaa]
damaghoṣaḥ sutāya vai
[damaghoshah sutaaya vai]
kārayām āsa mantra-jñaiḥ
[kaarayaam aasa mantra-jnaih]
sarvam abhyudayocitam
[sarvam abhyudayochitam]
Word-for-word
evam — in the same way cedi - patiḥ — the lord of Cedi rājā damaghoṣaḥ — King Damaghoṣa sutāya — for his son (Śiśupāla) vai — indeed kārayām āsa — had done mantra - jñaiḥ — by expert knowers of mantras sarvam — everything abhyudaya — to his prosperity ucitam — conducive .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evaṁ cedi-patī rājā
evam
in the same way
cedi - patiḥ
the lord of Cedi
rājā damaghoṣaḥ
King Damaghoṣa
damaghoṣaḥ sutāya vai
sutāya
for his son (Śiśupāla)
vai
indeed
kārayām āsa mantra-jñaiḥ
kārayām āsa
had done
mantra - jñaiḥ
by expert knowers of mantras
sarvam
everything
sarvam abhyudayocitam
abhyudaya
to his prosperity
ucitam
conducive .
Important Words
  • cedi - patiḥ — the lord of Cedi
    Compound: Cedi (kingdom) + patiḥ (lord). Damaghoṣa rules Cedi; his son Śiśupāla will inherit. Cedi in SB is a kingdom that consistently produces enemies of Kṛṣṇa — Śiśupāla, Dantavakra. Tamasic geography in the Bhāgavata's moral map.
  • abhyudaya - ucitam — conducive to prosperity
    Compound: abhyudaya (rising fortune) + ucitam (suitable). The Smārta ideal — rituals for worldly success. Gauḍīyas distinguish abhyudaya (rising in saṁsāra) from niḥśreyasa (final good); Damaghoṣa is firmly in the lower category.
  • mantra - jñaiḥ — by knowers of mantra
    Compound: mantra + jñā. The mantras are real, the knowers expert — but the goal is wrong. Caitanya-caritāmṛta repeatedly warns: kṛṣṇa-bhakti is not produced by mantra-jñāna alone.
Rājā Damaghoṣa, lord of Cedi, had also engaged brāhmaṇas expert in chanting mantras to perform all rituals necessary to assure his son’s prosperity.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Rājā Damaghoṣa, lord of Cedi, had also engaged brāhmaṇas expert in chanting mantras to perform all rituals necessary to assure his son's prosperity.
Commentary

Damaghosa also performed ceremonies for his son’s marriage (sutaya).

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

This description is given as a joke. Just like Bhīṣmaka (evam), the king of Cedi engaged brāhmaṇas. His actions took place not too far from Kuṇḍina since they were performed the previous day. Bhīṣmaka’s actions were successful because of his eagerness to offer to the Lord. The king of Cedi’s actions were useless since he was opposed to the Lord.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Just like Bhīṣmaka (evam), the king of Cedi (Śiśupāla’s father) engaged brāhmaṇas. Vai means famous. This indicates they were similar.

Related values & verses
Related values
Bhakti (Devotion)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
BG 14.1 BG 9.11 BG 12.6 BG 17.3 BG 5.18 BG 18.1 BG 3.10 BG 18.64 BG 10.3 BG 10.4 BG 7.8 BG 18.37
Concepts
Mantra
Personal Guidance
Damaghoṣa of Cedi engages brāhmaṇas to perform rituals for his son's prosperity. Even unworthy unions have their pre-event coaching; one side's energy is in their own wing.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you ignore that the other side of a difficult arrangement is also preparing?
  • How do you discern between healthy preparation and ominous orchestration?
Analogy

Two families polishing the same misshapen vessel. Damaghoṣa's rituals for Śiśupāla parallel Bhīṣmaka's — both fathers furnishing a marriage the heavens have already vetoed. Ritual without Bhagavān at the center is decoration on emptiness.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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