SB 10.58.42 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.58.42

किन्‍त्‍वस्माभि: कृत: पूर्वं समय: सात्वतर्षभ । पुंसां वीर्यपरीक्षार्थं कन्यावरपरीप्सया ॥ ४२ ॥

kintv asmābhiḥ kṛtaḥ pūrvaṁ

[kintv asmaabhih kritah poorvam]

samayaḥ sātvatarṣabha

[samayah saatvatarshabha]

puṁsāṁ vīrya-parīkṣārthaṁ

[pumsaam veerya-pareekshaartham]

kanyā-vara-parīpsayā

[kanyaa-vara-pareepsayaa]

Word-for-word

kintu — but asmābhiḥ — by us (her family) kṛtaḥ — made pūrvam — previously samayaḥ — a stipulation sātvata - ṛṣabha — O chief of the Sātvatas puṁsām — of the men (who came as suitors) vīrya — the prowess parīkṣā — of testing artham — for the purpose kanyā — for my daughter vara — the husband parīpsayā — with the desire of finding .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

kintv asmābhiḥ kṛtaḥ pūrvaṁ

kintu

but

asmābhiḥ

by us (her family)

kṛtaḥ

made

pūrvam

previously

samayaḥ sātvatarṣabha

samayaḥ

a stipulation

sātvata - ṛṣabha

O chief of the Sātvatas

puṁsāṁ vīrya-parīkṣārthaṁ

puṁsām

of the men (who came as suitors)

vīrya

the prowess

parīkṣā

of testing

artham

for the purpose

kanyā-vara-parīpsayā

kanyā

for my daughter

vara

the husband

parīpsayā

with the desire of finding .

Important Words

samayaḥ — a stipulation
From sam + √i — an agreement. The king's prior public commitment. Gauḍīya: dharma does not unmake earlier dharma even when Bhagavān is the new context; honour preserves the test, and Bhagavān will simply pass.
sātvata - ṛṣabha — O chief of the Sātvatas
Compound sātvata + ṛṣabha (bull, chief). The king addresses Kṛṣṇa as ṛṣabha — bull — exactly in the verse before he will speak of the bulls Kṛṣṇa must subdue. Gauḍīya: the metaphor lands twice; the bull-chief versus the bulls.
vīrya - parīkṣā — test of prowess
Compound vīrya (valour) + parīkṣā (test). The bride-test is martial — the suitor must show vīrya. Gauḍīya: the same Bhagavān whom yogīs cannot see is being asked to show vīrya for one bride. He consents.

But to ascertain the proper husband for my daughter, O chief of the Sātvatas, we previously set a condition to test the prowess of her suitors.

Purport

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, the King’s actual purpose in setting up the test was to obtain Śrī Kṛṣṇa as his son-in-law, since only He could subdue the bulls. Without such a test it would have been difficult for Nagnajit to refuse the many apparently qualified princes and kings who came to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

But to ascertain the proper husband for my daughter, O chief of the Sātvatas, we previously set a condition to test the prowess of her suitors.

Commentary

The king answers Krsna's statement that he will give no dowry. "But I have made a rule to test the strength of the groom, if he wants to gain my daughter as his bride. Otherwise all the kings would ask for her and how could I agree to all of them. You, whose outstanding form and qualities are already known, are the most suitable to be the groom. I made the rule so that only you could take her."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

I and my relatives have made a rule previously. With a desire to obtain for my daughter a qualified groom (kanyā-vara-parīpsayā), or because of the desire of the groom for my daughter, we have made a rule in order to test the courage and strength of the man. You should also follow our rule, O maintainter of the devotees.

Related values & verses

Related values

Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Bhakti (Devotion)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Dhriti (Resilience / Steadfastness / Fortitude)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Satya (Truthfulness)

Personal Guidance

But to ascertain the proper husband, we previously set a condition to test prowess. Even when the answer is clearly yes, protocol must run; tests are honored.

Reflection Questions

Where do you skip protocol because the answer is obvious?
How does honoring tests honor the parties involved?

Analogy

An honourable host who has bound himself by an earlier vow cannot now waive the test — even for the supreme guest. Nagnajit's dharma will not bend, and that very rigidity is the door through which Bhagavān will pass.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io