FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.68.19

तं सङ्गय यथान्यायं गामर्घ्यं च न्यवेदयन् । तेषां ये तत्प्रभावज्ञा: प्रणेमु: शिरसा बलम् ॥ १९ ॥
taṁ saṅgamya yathā-nyāyaṁ
[tam sangamya yathaa-nyaayam]
gām arghyaṁ ca nyavedayan
[gaam arghyam cha nyavedayan]
teṣāṁ ye tat-prabhāva-jñāḥ
[teshaam ye tat-prabhaava-jnaah]
praṇemuḥ śirasā balam
[pranemuh shirasaa balam]
Word-for-word
tam — Him saṅgamya — going up to yathā — as nyāyam — proper gām — cows arghyam — arghya water ca — and nyavedayan — they presented teṣām — among them ye — those who tat — His prabhāva — power jñāḥ — knowing praṇemuḥ — they bowed down śirasā — with their heads balam — to Lord Balarāma .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ saṅgamya yathā-nyāyaṁ
tam
Him
saṅgamya
going up to
yathā
as
nyāyam
proper
gām arghyaṁ ca nyavedayan
gām
cows
arghyam
arghya water
ca
and
nyavedayan
they presented
teṣāṁ ye tat-prabhāva-jñāḥ
teṣām
among them
ye
those who
tat
His
prabhāva
power
jñāḥ
knowing
praṇemuḥ śirasā balam
praṇemuḥ
they bowed down
śirasā
with their heads
balam
to Lord Balarāma .
Important Words
  • gām arghyam — cows and arghya water
    Go-arghya — the prescribed welcome for the most honored guest. Cows for sustenance, water for cleansing the feet. The same gift Kṛṣṇa accepted from countless devotees throughout Canto 10.
  • prabhāva - jñāḥ — those who knew His power
    A small clause with large implications. Some Kurus knew — and only those bowed full-length. Knowing the Lord's tattva is what makes praṇāma deep. The rest offered surface courtesy and reaped the consequence.
  • praṇemuḥ śirasā — they bowed with their heads (touching the ground)
    Sāṣṭāṅga-praṇāma — full prostration. Reserved for the very highest. Those who offered it survived the chapter's shaking with their dignity intact.
They approached Lord Balarāma and worshiped Him with gifts of cows and arghya, as was fitting. Those among the Kurus who understood His true power bowed down to Him, touching their heads to the ground.
Purport

The ācāryas explain that even the elders, like Bhīṣmadeva, also bowed down to Lord Baladeva.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
They approached Lord Balarāma and worshiped Him with gifts of cows and arghya, as was fitting. Those among the Kurus who understood His true power bowed down to Him, touching their heads to the ground.
Commentary

Those among them who knew his power, such as Bhisma, offered their respects by bowing down.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Bhīṣma and others worshipped him.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Dhṛtaraṣṭra gave blessings and embraces. Duryodhana offered respects. Those who understood Balarāma’s power, Bhīṣma and others, touched their heads to the ground. This showed their great devotion to him.

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)
Related verses
BG 12.13 BG 2.14 BG 17.20 BG 9.1 BG 9.34 BG 4.8 BG 15.20 BG 15.7 BG 10.4 BG 2.21 BG 16.1
Concepts
Jiva
Personal Guidance
Those Kurus who understood Balarāma's true power bowed down. Recognition of the Lord's identity makes all the difference; without that recognition, even worship is missing its center.
Reflection Questions
  • Do I bow before the Lord because I really see who He is, or just because I should?
  • How could recognition deepen what is now mostly habit?
Analogy

Some courtiers see only a royal cousin and bow politely; others, who have studied scripture, see the Supreme and fall full-length to the ground. Two kinds of Kurus stand in the same crowd.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 68