SB 10.53.42-43 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.53.42-43

नानोपहारबलिभिर्वारमुख्या: सहस्रश: । स्रग्गन्धवस्‍त्राभरणैर्द्विजपत्न्‍य: स्वलङ्कृता: ॥ ४२ ॥ गायन्त्यश्च स्तुवन्तश्च गायका वाद्यवादका: । परिवार्य वधूं जग्मु: सूतमागधवन्दिन: ॥ ४३ ॥

nānopahāra balibhir

[naanopahaara balibhir]

vāramukhyāḥ sahasraśaḥ

[vaaramukhyaah sahasrashah]

srag-gandha-vastrābharaṇair

[srag-gandha-vastraabharanair]

dvija-patnyaḥ sv-alaṅkṛtāḥ

[dvija-patnyah sv-alankritaah]

gāyantyaś ca stuvantaś ca

[gaayantyash cha stuvantash cha]

gāyakā vādya-vādakāḥ

[gaayakaa vaadya-vaadakaah]

parivārya vadhūṁ jagmuḥ

[parivaarya vadhoom jagmuh]

sūta-māgadha-vandinaḥ

[soota-maagadha-vandinah]

Word-for-word

nānā — various upahāra — with paraphernalia of worship balibhiḥ — and presents vāra - mukhyāḥ — prominent courtesans sahasraśaḥ — by the thousands srak — with flower garlands gandha — fragrances vastra — clothing ābharaṇaiḥ — and jewelry dvija — of brāhmaṇas patnyaḥ — the wives sv - alaṅkṛtāḥ — well ornamented gāyantyaḥ — singing ca — and stuvantaḥ — offering prayers ca — and gāyakāḥ — singers vādya - vādakāḥ — instrumental musicians parivārya — accompanying vadhūm — the bride jagmuḥ — went sūta — bards māgadha — chroniclers vandinaḥ — and heralds .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

nānopahāra balibhir

nānā

various

upahāra

with paraphernalia of worship

balibhiḥ

and presents

vāramukhyāḥ sahasraśaḥ

vāra - mukhyāḥ

prominent courtesans

sahasraśaḥ

by the thousands

srag-gandha-vastrābharaṇair

srak

with flower garlands

gandha

fragrances

vastra

clothing

ābharaṇaiḥ

and jewelry

dvija-patnyaḥ sv-alaṅkṛtāḥ

dvija

of brāhmaṇas

patnyaḥ

the wives

sv - alaṅkṛtāḥ

well ornamented

gāyantyaś ca stuvantaś ca

gāyantyaḥ

singing

and

stuvantaḥ

offering prayers

and

gāyakā vādya-vādakāḥ

gāyakāḥ

singers

vādya - vādakāḥ

instrumental musicians

parivārya vadhūṁ jagmuḥ

parivārya

accompanying

vadhūm

the bride

jagmuḥ

went

sūta-māgadha-vandinaḥ

sūta

bards

māgadha

chroniclers

vandinaḥ

and heralds .

Important Words

dvija - patnyaḥ — wives of brāhmaṇas
Compound: dvija (twice-born) + patnī (wife). Brāhmaṇī-saṅga is treated by Gauḍīyas as sādhu-saṅga in adjacent form. Their songs and prayers along the route literally form a kīrtana procession around Rukmiṇī.
gāyantyaḥ — singing and offering prayers
Two present participles. Gāna (singing) and stuti (prayer) are two of the nine limbs of bhakti — kīrtana proper. The wedding procession has, without anyone designing it, become a saṅkīrtana-yātrā.
sūta - māgadha - vandinaḥ — bards, chroniclers, heralds
Triple compound. These are the lineage-singers of royal courts. Gauḍīyas note: the same office Sūta Gosvāmī fills in the SB itself. Even the structure of the procession mirrors the structure of the Bhāgavata's narration.

Behind the bride followed thousands of prominent courtesans bearing various offerings and presents, along with well-adorned brāhmaṇas’ wives singing and reciting prayers and bearing gifts of garlands, scents, clothing and jewelry. There were also professional singers, musicians, bards, chroniclers and heralds.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that from her own quarters up to the temple of Bhavānī, Rukmiṇī went by palanquin and thus was easily protected. Only for the last twelve to fifteen feet, from the palace to the temple area, did she go on foot, with royal bodyguards stationed outside the temple on all sides.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Behind the bride followed thousands of prominent courtesans bearing various offerings and presents, along with well-adorned brāhmaṇas' wives singing and reciting prayers and bearing gifts of garlands, scents, clothing and jewelry. There were also professional singers, musicians, bards, chroniclers and heralds.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The best citizens came with various gifts and articles of worship (balibhiḥ). The singers sang and the sūtas and others praised (stuvantaḥ). The musicians played instruments (understood but not written in the text).

Related values & verses

Related values

Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Bhakti (Devotion)Dhriti (Resilience / Steadfastness / Fortitude)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)

Related lectures

UM SB 10-53-42-43 - Vedic women%27s roles - 2024-08-12 Hillsborough
Her Grace Urmila Mataji· 2024-08-12· English
Padaseva Pr Seminars Oriya - SB 10-53-42
His Grace Padaseva Prabhu· Oriya

Personal Guidance

Behind her, thousands of courtesans bear offerings; brāhmaṇa wives sing, recite, bear garlands, scents, clothing, jewelry. Public ritual is layered with women's labor; female ritual work surrounds the bride.

Reflection Questions

Where do you under-honor women's ritual work in your own community?
What contribution from women might be invisibly carrying your devotional life?

Analogy

A river of music, garlands and women flows behind her — and at the head of the river, one girl walking silent. The procession's noise is the world's; her silence is bhakti's. Gauḍīyas savor the contrast: the louder the sa-puruṣa world around the devotee, the quieter the inner kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io