SB 10.56.9 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.56.9

श्रीशुक उवाच निशम्य बालवचनं प्रहस्याम्बुजलोचन: । प्राह नासौ रविर्देव: सत्राजिन्मणिना ज्वलन् ॥ ९ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

[shree-shuka uvaacha]

niśamya bāla-vacanaṁ

[nishamya baala-vachanam]

prahasyāmbuja-locanaḥ

[prahasyaambuja-lochanah]

prāha nāsau ravir devaḥ

[praaha naasau ravir devah]

satrājin maṇinā jvalan

[satraajin maninaa jvalan]

Word-for-word

śrī - śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said niśamya — hearing bāla — childish vacanam — these words prahasya — smiling broadly ambuja — lotuslike locanaḥ — He whose eyes prāha — said na — not asau — this person raviḥ devaḥ — the sun-god satrājit — King Satrājit maṇinā — because of his jewel jvalan — glowing .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

śrī-śuka uvāca

śrī - śukaḥ uvāca

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said

niśamya bāla-vacanaṁ

niśamya

hearing

bāla

childish

vacanam

these words

prahasyāmbuja-locanaḥ

prahasya

smiling broadly

ambuja

lotuslike

locanaḥ

He whose eyes

prāha nāsau ravir devaḥ

prāha

said

not

asau

this person

raviḥ devaḥ

the sun-god

satrājin maṇinā jvalan

satrājit

King Satrājit

maṇinā

because of his jewel

jvalan

glowing .

Important Words

bāla-vacanam — childish words
Compound: bāla (child) + vacanam (speech). The Lord names His devotees' over-eager praise as bāla — and this is praise, not censure. Bhakti is consistently called bāla-bhāva in the Bhāgavatam; childlike, not childish.
prahasya — smiling broadly
Gerund of pra + √has. The Bhāgavatam's signature verb for Kṛṣṇa's mood with devotees. He laughs often in this canto — at Brahmā, at Yaśodā, at Indra. Here at His own citizens. The smile is the answer.
ambuja-locanaḥ — He whose eyes are like lotuses
Compound: ambuja (water-born, lotus) + locanaḥ (whose eyes). Returns to the eye-imagery of verse 6 — the eyes that the citizens just praised are now smiling at them. Their darśana is being returned.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Hearing these innocent words, the lotus-eyed Lord smiled broadly and said, “This is not the sun-god, Ravi, but rather Satrājit, who is glowing because of his jewel.”

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Hearing these innocent words, the lotus-eyed Lord smiled broadly and said, "This is not the sun-god, Ravi, but rather Satrājit, who is glowing because of his jewel."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Kṛṣṇa smiled in the beginning (pra—hasya). Then with an intention of somewhat spreading the correct view, spoke distinctly (pra—aha) with a smiling glance (ambuja-locanaḥ). He is not a devatā but only a human. At that, he is only Satrājit. Though Kṛṣṇa had the Kaustubha jewel, he spoke to reveal things according to his desire to astonish others. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that bāla-vacanam means “words of ignorant people,” who thought that someone was the sun god who was actually not. There was a commotion because of thinking the sun god had come. They did not understand that Kṛṣṇa was supreme.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Kṛṣṇa smiled in the beginning (pra—hasya). Then with an intention of somewhat spreading the correct view, spoke distinctly (pra—aha) with a smiling glance (ambuja-locanaḥ). He is not a devatā but only a human. At that, he is only Satrājit. “Why was Satrājit appearing in this manner?” He shines because of the jewel, given by the sun god. These were the words of children (bāla-vacanam). The other inhabitants of Dvārakā could not have such ignorance.

Related values & verses

Related values

Bhakti (Devotion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

Hearing the innocent words, the lotus-eyed Lord smiles broadly and says: 'This is not Sūrya but Satrājit glowing from his jewel.' The Lord gently corrects mistaken theology with a smile; correction is delivered as humor.

Reflection Questions

Where do you correct with severity what could be corrected with a smile?
How does humor make truth easier to receive?

Analogy

Kṛṣṇa's broad smile at the citizens' theology is the smile of a father correcting a beloved child's grammar — not the smile of a teacher mocking error. He prefers their over-eager devotion to any cool accuracy. Then He tells them the truth.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io