FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.61.3

चार्वब्जकोशवदनायतबाहुनेत्र- सप्रेमहासरसवीक्षितवल्गुजल्पै: । सम्मोहिता भगवतो न मनो विजेतुं स्वैर्विभ्रमै: समशकन् वनिता विभूम्न: ॥ ३ ॥
cārv-abja-kośa-vadanāyata-bāhu-netra-
[chaarv-abja-kosha-vadanaayata-baahu-netra-]
sa-prema-hāsa-rasa-vīkṣita-valgu-jalpaiḥ
[sa-prema-haasa-rasa-veekshita-valgu-jalpaih]
sammohitā bhagavato na mano vijetuṁ
[sammohitaa bhagavato na mano vijetum]
svair vibhramaiḥ samaśakan vanitā vibhūmnaḥ
[svair vibhramaih samashakan vanitaa vibhoomnah]
cāru — beautiful abja — of a lotus kośa — (like) the whorl vadana — by His face āyata — extended bāhu — by His arms netra — and eyes sa - prema — loving hāsa — of laughter rasa — in the mood vīkṣita — by His glances valgu — attractive jalpaiḥ — and by His conversations sammohitāḥ — totally bewildered bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Lord na — not manaḥ — the mind vijetum — to conquer svaiḥ — with their own vibhramaiḥ — allurements samaśakan — were able vanitāḥ — the women vibhūmnaḥ — of the perfectly complete .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
cārv-abja-kośa-vadanāyata-bāhu-netra-
cāru
beautiful
abja
of a lotus
kośa
(like) the whorl
vadana
by His face
āyata
extended
bāhu
by His arms
netra
and eyes
sa-prema-hāsa-rasa-vīkṣita-valgu-jalpaiḥ
sa - prema
loving
hāsa
of laughter
rasa
in the mood
vīkṣita
by His glances
valgu
attractive
jalpaiḥ
and by His conversations
sammohitā bhagavato na mano vijetuṁ
sammohitāḥ
totally bewildered
bhagavataḥ
of the Supreme Lord
na
not
manaḥ
the mind
vijetum
to conquer
svair vibhramaiḥ samaśakan vanitā vibhūmnaḥ
svaiḥ
with their own
vibhramaiḥ
allurements
samaśakan
were able
vanitāḥ
the women
vibhūmnaḥ
of the perfectly complete .
  • cāru — beautiful
    Same root that names Rukmiṇī's sons (Cārudeṣṇa, Sucāru, Bhadracāru). Marks Kṛṣṇa's face as the canonical object of beauty in the Bhāgavatam — from which all aesthetic categories derive.
  • abja — lotus
    ap-ja, 'water-born.' The lotus is Gauḍīya iconography's foremost emblem of Kṛṣṇa's limbs — face, hands, feet, eyes. The unstained beauty rising from water mirrors His unconquerable purity rising untouched among 16,000 queens.
  • sa-prema — loving
    sa- (with) + prema (pure love). Even the Lord's glances at His queens carry prema — the highest Gauḍīya rasa-category. Bhagavān reciprocates each devotee's bhāva with prema appropriate to it.
  • vibhūmnaḥ — of the perfectly complete
    Genitive of vibhū, the all-pervading, the inexhaustible. The verse turns on this word: precisely because Kṛṣṇa is vibhū — already full in Himself — no allurement can add to or subtract from Him. A textbook ātmārāma verse hidden in a love scene.
  • vanitāḥ — the women
    From van-, 'to love, desire.' Vanitā names women specifically in their charming aspect. The verse's irony: even the most charming cannot charm the source of charm itself.
The Supreme Lord’s wives were fully enchanted by His lovely, lotuslike face, His long arms and large eyes, His loving glances imbued with laughter, and His charming talks with them. But with all their charms these ladies could not conquer the mind of the all-powerful Lord.

The previous verse stated that Lord Kṛṣṇa’s queens could not understand the truth of the Lord. This truth is explained in the present verse. The Lord is all-powerful, full in Himself, with infinite opulence.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Supreme Lord's wives were fully enchanted by His lovely, lotuslike face, His long arms and large eyes, His loving glances imbued with laughter, and His charming talks with them. But with all their charms these ladies could not conquer the mind of the all-powerful Lord.
Commentary

In the married love of the wives who were controlled just by the Lord's beauty, there are two types of affection: prema maya and kama maya. Two verses describe how they were could not bring Krsna under their control by their kama maya affection. Enchanted by his lotus flower face, his long arms, long eyes, his loving smile and charming conversations, the wives could not conquer the mind of Krsna with all their attractive beauty, for He (not them) is the most perfectly desirable object by his very nature.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

“He thus appears very lusty.” No, he was controlled by their prema. That is shown, along with their bewilderment in two verses. Vanitāḥ means women who caused his intense anurāga. They could not at all (saṁ—aśakan) control (jetum) the mind of the Lord with their feminine (svaiḥ) gestures (vibhramaiḥ) as much as his wives with the most intense prema, but only to the degree of their prema for him. According to their prema he had prema (sa-prema). The word vanitāḥ (beloved women) indicates that he did not leave their houses and was controlled by them. Though the prefixes sam and vi in this verse indicate the same meaning, the word sam indicates signs in the Lord that he was controlled and vi indicates signs in his wives that they could do it. None of this was visible. This was the cause of the wives making gestures. They were completely agitated (sam—mohitāḥ) with prema by his beautiful lotus face etc. First they saw his face. Then they lowered their eyes in shyness and saw his arms. Then they boldly developed the urge to embrace him tightly. Again they looked at his face and met his eyes with theirs. Then he glanced at them with joyful eyes and spoke to them. They were mutually controlled by each others’ prema. Though they tried to control his mind like the wives with the highest prema through their gestures filled with desire, he could not be controlled. He had, not material lust, but special prema. That was suitable for him since he by his nature was completely perfect, with everything depending on him (vibhūmnaḥ). Therefore lust was not possible in him. But he had the great quality of being controlled by his devotees. ahaṁ bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaḥ O brāhmaṇa! I am completely under the control of my devotees. I am not at all independent. My heart is controlled by the pure devotees. What to speak of my devotee, even those who are devotees of my devotee are very dear to me. SB 9.4.63 vidyāmayo hi yah sa kathaṁ viṣayī bhavati: yo hi kāṁena kāmān kāmayate sa kāmī bhavati yo hi vai tva-kāmena kāmān kāmayate so ‘py akāmī bhavati How can he who is full of knowledge be attracted to material objects? He who desires material objects with lust is a material enjoyer. He who desires objects out of love for you is without material desire. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The features of Kṛṣṇa described are in order of increasing power to bewilder. More than his face, his long arms were attractive with their tight embrace. He could bewilder them because he was capable of astonishing attractiveness (bhagavān). Though they were completely attracted to him (saṁmohitāḥ), could they not at all control the mind of the powerful Lord by their intense bhakt? Yes, they could control his mind. Why? By their extraordinary charms, filled with special prema. They were women, who could generate attraction in men. The Lord says: ahaṁ bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaḥ O brāhmaṇa! I am completely under the control of my devotees. I am not at all independent. My heart is controlled by the pure devotees. What to speak of my devotee, even those who are devotees of my devotee are very dear to me. SB 9.4.63 Thus by mutual love both parties became bewildered. Or they could control his mind in a special, way, like the gopīs controlled him.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Bhakti (Devotion)
Related verses
Concepts
Maya
Even the queens' surpassing beauty could not conquer Kṛṣṇa, because He is full in Himself. Real love for the Lord begins when we stop trying to enchant Him and surrender to being enchanted by Him.
Reflection Questions
  • What am I still trying to offer Kṛṣṇa as bait for His affection rather than as pure service?
  • How does recognizing Kṛṣṇa as self-fulfilled change the way I approach prayer and devotion?

Like rivers rushing toward the ocean — each carrying her own flowers, fish, and current — yet the ocean stands unmoved, neither swelled nor depleted by what she brings. Kṛṣṇa's mind, vibhumnaḥ, remains unconquered by even sixteen thousand rivers of feminine charm.

📝 My note

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