FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.63.21

ततस्तिर्यङ्‍मुखो नग्नामनिरीक्षन् गदाग्रज: । बाणश्च तावद् विरथश्छिन्नधन्वाविशत् पुरम् ॥ २१ ॥
tatas tiryaṅ-mukho nagnām
[tatas tiryan-mukho nagnaam]
anirīkṣan gadāgrajaḥ
[anireekshan gadaagrajah]
bāṇaś ca tāvad virathaś
[baanash cha taavad virathash]
chinna-dhanvāviśat puram
[chinna-dhanvaavishat puram]
Word-for-word
tataḥ — then tiryak — turned away mukhaḥ — His face nagnām — the naked woman anirīkṣan — not looking at gadāgrajaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa bāṇaḥ — Bāṇa ca — and tāvat — with that opportunity virathaḥ — deprived of his chariot chinna — broken dhanvā — his bow āviśat — entered puram — the city .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tatas tiryaṅ-mukho nagnām
tataḥ
then
tiryak
turned away
mukhaḥ
His face
nagnām
the naked woman
anirīkṣan gadāgrajaḥ
anirīkṣan
not looking at
gadāgrajaḥ
Lord Kṛṣṇa
bāṇaś ca tāvad virathaś
bāṇaḥ
Bāṇa
ca
and
tāvat
with that opportunity
virathaḥ
deprived of his chariot
chinna-dhanvāviśat puram
chinna
broken
dhanvā
his bow
āviśat
entered
puram
the city .
Important Words
  • tiryak-mukhaḥ — with face turned aside
    Compound: tiryak (sideways, obliquely) + mukha (face). The Bhāgavatam's iconography of Bhagavān's chastity. Gauḍīyas read this gesture as Kṛṣṇa's natural ācāra; the master of the gopīs' rasa is also the model of dṛṣṭi-saṁyama.
  • gadāgrajaḥ — the elder brother of Gada
    Compound: gada (Kṛṣṇa's younger brother by Rohiṇī's co-wife Devakī's sister) + agraja (elder). A relational name. Even in the climax of cosmic battle, the Bhāgavatam reaches for a household epithet — bhakti always remembers family.
  • chinna-dhanvā — with broken bow
    Compound: chinna (cut) + dhanu (bow). Bāṇa is now without his characteristic weapon — and yet still called 'Bāṇa' (arrow). The verse's irony: he carries the name of the weapon he no longer possesses.
  • āviśat puram — entered the city
    Aorist of ā-√viś (to enter). The same root as āveśa. Bāṇa retreats into his city — the temporary shelter — when his real, permanent shelter (Bhagavān's mercy) is one verse away from being granted through Śiva's stuti.
Lord Gadāgraja turned His face away to avoid seeing the naked woman, and Bāṇāsura — deprived of his chariot, his bow shattered — took the opportunity to flee into his city.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Lord Gadāgraja turned His face away to avoid seeing the naked woman, and Bāṇāsura—deprived of his chariot, his bow shattered—took the opportunity to flee into his city.
Commentary

While Krsna was turning his face away to avoid seeing a naked woman, Bana fled.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Gada, Kṛṣṇa’s younger brother, also had such powers, what to speak of Kṛṣṇa having those powers.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Yadu dynasty as the son of Vasudeva, before Gada, to manifest all his qualities (gadāgrajaḥ). Thus his actions were suitable.

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Prema (Divine Love)Svadhyaya (Self-study & Scripture Study)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)
Related verses
BG 9.1 BG 4.8 BG 15.20 BG 15.7 BG 2.62 BG 3.11 BG 15.2 BG 12.3 BG 16.1 BG 3.19 BG 3.30 BG 2.66 BG 7.1
Concepts
Jiva
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Gadāgraja turned His face away from the naked woman, and Bāṇa fled into his city. The Lord's restraint of His own gaze creates the very space in which His opponent escapes — mercy operates through what He chooses not to do.
Reflection Questions
  • Where can looking away rather than confronting be the more spiritually mature response?
  • How does restraint of my own gaze create room for grace in others' lives?
Analogy

Bhagavān will not stare at what should not be stared at, even to win a battle. Kṛṣṇa turns His face and Bāṇa, his chariot gone and bow broken, slips back into his city. The Lord's modesty buys the demon one more breath — and that breath turns out to be the breath in which Śiva will plead for him.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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