Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.56.3
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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bhaktasya
—
of his devotee
Even sūrya-bhakti is bhakti — and even a demigod rewards his bhakta. The Bhāgavata frame is generous: it acknowledges devotion at every tier, while always ranking viṣṇu-bhakti above deva-bhakti.
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sakhā
—
friend, well-wisher
Sūrya behaves as a friend to his devotee. Note: sakhya here is between deva and bhakta — the same word will later name the highest rasa of the cowherd boys with Kṛṣṇa. Same syllables, two universes apart.
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tuṣṭaḥ
—
satisfied
Past passive participle of √tuṣ. Satisfaction in the deity is the precondition of prasāda. Gauḍīya emphasis: kṛṣṇas tuṣṭi (Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction) is the only sukṛti worth chasing — Satrājit settled for Sūrya's.
Though Satrajit was a respectful devotee of the sun god, the sun god was very affectionate to him, like a friend.
“Friend” means that he continuously worshipped Sūrya, always favorable to Sūrya. Because of special worship he was dear to Sūrya. Hari-vaṁśa describes how the gem was given: tasyopatiṣṭhataḥ sūryaṁ vivasvān agrataḥ sthitaḥ | aspaṣṭa-mūrtir bhagavāṁs tejo-maṇḍalavān prabhuḥ || atha rājā vivasvantam uvāca sthitam agrataḥ | yathaiva vyomni paśyāmi sadā tvāṁ jyotiṣāṁ pate | tejo-maṇḍalinaṁ devaṁ tathaiva purataḥ sthitam | ko viśeṣo 'sti me tvattaḥ sakhyenopāgatasya vai | etac chrutvā tu bhagavān maṇi-ratnaṁ syamantakam || svakaṇṭhād avamucyaiva ekānte nyastavān vibhuḥ | tato vigrahavantaṁ taṁ dadarśa nṛpatis tadā | prītimān atha taṁ dṛṣṭvā muhūrtaṁ kṛtavān kathām | tam āha praśrito bhūyo vivasvantaṁ sa satrajit | lokān udbhāsayasy etān yena tvaṁ satataṁ prabho || tad etan maṇi-ratnaṁ me bhagavan dātum arhasi | tataḥ syamantaka-maṇiṁ dattavāṁs tasya bhāskaraḥ || When Satrājit arrived at the sun planet, Vivasvān, shining bright so that his form could not been clearly, stood before him. The king spoke to Vivasvān who was in front of him. O lord of light! Just as I see you in the sky, now I see you, shining brightly, in front of me. Having attained your friendship by worship, what is the different between you and me? Hearing this Vivasvān took from his neck the Syamantaka jewel and placed it in a separate place. Then Satrājit was able to see the form of the sun god. With affection he spoke to the sun god for some time. Satrājit, surrendered to him, spoke. You should me give the gem, by which you illuminate the planets. Then the sun god gave him the Syamantaka jewel. In his ignorance, Satrājit thought that the gem lit up the planets.
The sun god was a benefactor (sakhā) of Satrajit. Thus he gave him the jewel. He was affectionate by nature and become very satisfied by his worship. He gave the gem to him in a significant way, hanging it around his neck (prādāt). Hari-vaṁśa describes how the gem was given: tasyopatiṣṭhataḥ sūryaṁ vivasvān agrataḥ sthitaḥ | aspaṣṭa-mūrtir bhagavāṁs tejo-maṇḍalavān prabhuḥ || atha rājā vivasvantam uvāca sthitam agrataḥ | yathaiva vyomni paśyāmi sadā tvāṁ jyotiṣāṁ pate | tejo-maṇḍalinaṁ devaṁ tathaiva purataḥ sthitam | ko viśeṣo 'sti me tvattaḥ sakhyenopāgatasya vai | etac chrutvā tu bhagavān maṇi-ratnaṁ syamantakam || svakaṇṭhād avamucyaiva ekānte nyastavān vibhuḥ | tato vigrahavantaṁ taṁ dadarśa nṛpatis tadā | prītimān atha taṁ dṛṣṭvā muhūrtaṁ kṛtavān kathām | tam āha praśrito bhūyo vivasvantaṁ sa satrajit | lokān udbhāsayasy etān yena tvaṁ satataṁ prabho || tad etan maṇi-ratnaṁ me bhagavan dātum arhasi | tataḥ syamantaka-maṇiṁ dattavāṁs tasya bhāskaraḥ || When Satrājit arrived at the sun planet, Vivasvān, shining bright so that his form could not been clearly, stood before him. The king spoke to Vivasvān who was in front of him. O lord of light! Just as I see you in the sky, now I see you, shining brightly, in front of me. Having attained your friendship by worship, what is the different between you and me? Hearing this, Vivasvān took from his neck the Syamantaka jewel and placed it in a separate place. Then Satrājit was able to see the form of the sun god. With affection he spoke to the sun god for some time. Satrājit, surrendering to him, spoke. “You should me give the gem, by which you illuminate the planets.” Then the sun god gave him the Syamantaka jewel.
- Where does your demigod worship include the possibility of material reward?
- How do you receive such rewards without forgetting the source?
Sūrya gives Satrājit a jewel that produces gold — the highest gift a demigod can make. Yet a single direct request from Kṛṣṇa will soon eclipse this gift, the way a lamp pales when the master of the house enters with his torch.
Young Dhruva sat down in tapasyā wanting a kingdom greater than his father's. Viṣṇu came and offered him exactly that — and Dhruva wept, ashamed that he had asked for glass when the jeweler Himself stood there.
Satrājit in this verse has accepted Sūrya's jewel happily; he has not yet learned what Dhruva learned. The chapter is, in a sense, his slow Dhruva-moment.
My note
Source: vedabase.io