FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.56.33

अद‍ृष्ट्वा निर्गमं शौरे: प्रविष्टस्य बिलं जना: । प्रतीक्ष्य द्वादशाहानि दु:खिता: स्वपुरं ययु: ॥ ३३ ॥
adṛṣṭvā nirgamaṁ śaureḥ
[adrishtvaa nirgamam shaureh]
praviṣṭasya bilaṁ janāḥ
[pravishtasya bilam janaah]
pratīkṣya dvādaśāhāni
[prateekshya dvaadashaahaani]
duḥkhitāḥ sva-puraṁ yayuḥ
[duhkhitaah sva-puram yayuh]
Word-for-word
adṛṣṭvā — not seeing nirgamam — the exit śaureḥ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa praviṣṭasya — who had gone inside bilam — the cave janaḥ — the people pratīkṣya — after waiting dvādaśa — twelve ahāni — days duḥkhitāḥ — unhappy sva — their puram — to the city yayuḥ — went .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
adṛṣṭvā nirgamaṁ śaureḥ
adṛṣṭvā
not seeing
nirgamam
the exit
śaureḥ
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
praviṣṭasya bilaṁ janāḥ
praviṣṭasya
who had gone inside
bilam
the cave
janaḥ
the people
pratīkṣya dvādaśāhāni
pratīkṣya
after waiting
dvādaśa
twelve
ahāni
days
duḥkhitāḥ sva-puraṁ yayuḥ
duḥkhitāḥ
unhappy
sva
their
puram
to the city
yayuḥ
went .
Important Words
  • dvādaśa ahāni — twelve days
    Compound: dvādaśa (twelve) + ahas (day, accusative plural). The citizens' wait. Inside the cave Jāmbavān has fought for twenty-eight; outside the wait was twelve. Time in līlā is non-uniform — a devotee's interior week may be a city's day.
  • duḥkhitāḥ — unhappy
    Past participle of √duḥkh. Even the citizens of Dvārakā grieve when they cannot see Kṛṣṇa. The Bhāgavata makes duḥkha in Kṛṣṇa's absence the structural opposite of sukha in His presence — same root as the gopīs' viraha.
  • yayuḥ — they went
    Perfect of √yā. The verb of return — the citizens go home. Even faith has fatigue. The Bhāgavatam treats this honestly; it is not a failure, only a phase that the Lord's return will dissolve.
After Lord Śauri had entered the cave, the people of Dvārakā who had accompanied Him had waited twelve days without seeing Him come out again. Finally they had given up and returned to their city in great sorrow.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
After Lord Śauri had entered the cave, the people of Dvārakā who had accompanied Him had waited twelve days without seeing Him come out again. Finally they had given up and returned to their city in great sorrow.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Thinking of Vasudeva and others, the people thought it was not proper to stay longer. Those close to Satrājit returned to the city. Though the inhabitants of Dvārakā were grieved, because they were not intimately associated with Kṛṣṇa they returned to his city rather than stay at the cave he had entered.

Related values & verses
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
After twelve days the citizens of Dvārakā give up and return in great sorrow. Those who wait outside have their own timeline for despair; absence interpreted as loss is the natural human response.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you interpreted the Lord's absence as loss after twelve days of waiting?
  • How could you wait longer when scripture grants Him longer in caves?
Analogy

The citizens wait twelve days outside the cave and finally return, grieving. The Bhāgavatam quietly notes that even devotees lose hope — and the Lord lets them, sometimes, that He may return with a bride and a jewel and turn grief into festival.

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Source: vedabase.io

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