SB 10.69.14 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.69.14

तं सन्निरीक्ष्य भगवान् सहसोत्थितश्री- पर्यङ्कत: सकलधर्मभृतां वरिष्ठ: । आनम्य पादयुगलं शिरसा किरीट- जुष्टेन साञ्जलिरवीविशदासने स्वे ॥ १४ ॥

taṁ sannirīkṣya bhagavān sahasotthita-śrī-

[tam sannireekshya bhagavaan sahasotthita-shree-]

paryaṅkataḥ sakala-dharma-bhṛtāṁ variṣṭhaḥ

[paryankatah sakala-dharma-bhritaam varishthah]

ānamya pāda-yugalaṁ śirasā kirīṭa-

[aanamya paada-yugalam shirasaa kireeta-]

juṣṭena sāñjalir avīviśad āsane sve

[jushtena saanjalir aveevishad aasane sve]

Word-for-word

tam — him (Nārada) sannirīkṣya — noticing bhagavān — the Supreme Lord sahasā — immediately utthita — rising śrī — of the goddess of fortune, Queen Rukmiṇī paryaṅkataḥ — from the bed sakala — all dharma — of religion bhṛtām — of the upholders variṣṭhaḥ — the best ānamya — bowing down pāda - yugalam — to his two feet śirasā — with His head kirīṭa — with a crown juṣṭena — fitted sa - añjaliḥ — with joined palms avīviśat — had him sit down āsane — on the seat sve — His own .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

taṁ sannirīkṣya bhagavān sahasotthita-śrī-

tam

him (Nārada)

sannirīkṣya

noticing

bhagavān

the Supreme Lord

sahasā

immediately

utthita

rising

śrī

of the goddess of fortune, Queen Rukmiṇī

paryaṅkataḥ sakala-dharma-bhṛtāṁ variṣṭhaḥ

paryaṅkataḥ

from the bed

sakala

all

dharma

of religion

bhṛtām

of the upholders

variṣṭhaḥ

the best

ānamya pāda-yugalaṁ śirasā kirīṭa-

ānamya

bowing down

pāda - yugalam

to his two feet

śirasā

with His head

kirīṭa

with a crown

juṣṭena sāñjalir avīviśad āsane sve

juṣṭena

fitted

sa - añjaliḥ

with joined palms

avīviśat

had him sit down

āsane

on the seat

sve

His own .

Important Words

dharma-bhṛtām variṣṭhaḥ — the best of upholders of religion
Compound: dharma + bhṛt (bearer) + variṣṭha (most senior, best). Kṛṣṇa does not stand outside dharma but at its summit — He keeps the rules He gave, more perfectly than any rule-keeper, demonstrating that lokavat tu līlā-kaivalyam (Vedānta-sūtra 2.1.33).
kirīṭa-juṣṭena — fitted with a crown
Compound: kirīṭa (crown) + juṣṭa (fitted, possessed of). The poet underlines that the head being lowered is a crowned head — sovereignty does not abstain from praṇāma. Highest aiśvarya bowing to brāhmaṇa is the chapter's recurring image.
sa-añjaliḥ — with joined palms
Añjali — the cupped-palm greeting. Kṛṣṇa adopts the disciple's posture before the sage. Gauḍīyas read this as the Lord's own teaching of vidhi: even the supreme guru (jagad-guru-tama, next verse) honors the guru-form when it arrives.
śrī-paryaṅkataḥ — from the bed of Śrī (Rukmiṇī)
Compound: śrī (the goddess of fortune, here Rukmiṇī) + paryaṅka (bed). To rise from Lakṣmī's bed for Nārada's sake is to publicly rank brāhmaṇa-honor above conjugal repose — the order of values is being taught visibly.

The Supreme Lord is the greatest upholder of religious principles. Thus when He noticed Nārada, He rose at once from Goddess Śrī’s bed, bowed His crowned head at Nārada’s feet and, joining His palms, had the sage sit in His own seat.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

The Supreme Lord is the greatest upholder of religious principles. Thus when He noticed Nārada, He rose at once from Goddess Śrī's bed, bowed His crowned head at Nārada's feet and, joining His palms, had the sage sit in His own seat.

Commentary

Krsna made Narada sit (avivisat) on his own seat.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Seeing Nārada suddenly appear close by (sannir—īkṣya), overcome with joy, he immediately rose though he was Bhagavān. He bowed his head, endowed with a crown, which served him but was attached to touching him, while wearing his distinguishing marks like the Kaustubha gem. He did this since he was absorbed in his pastime of instituting proper dharma. He placed Nārada in his own seat.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)

Concepts

Dharma

Personal Guidance

Seeing Nārada, Kṛṣṇa rose from Lakṣmī's bed and bowed His crowned head to the sage's feet. The Lord Himself models how to honor a saintly person. Position never excuses absence of respect.

Reflection Questions

Whom in my life do I bow to with my whole attention?
Where could I model genuine respect for the spiritual teachers in my community?

Analogy

A senior judge rising to his feet for a visiting student — the higher honoring the lower — is not weakness but the deepest expression of dharma. Bhagavān, who has all glories, rises from Śrī's bed and bows His crowned head at Nārada's feet because the highest upholder of dharma is the one who keeps it most completely, even when none of His subjects could compel Him to.

Stories

Kṛṣṇa washing Sudāmā's feet

When Sudāmā the impoverished brāhmaṇa arrived in Dvārakā (SB 10.80-81), Kṛṣṇa rose from His bed, embraced him, and personally bathed his feet, weeping. Rukmiṇī fanned him; Kṛṣṇa massaged him.

Gauḍīyas read that scene and this one as twins — Bhagavān is the variṣṭha of all dharma-bhṛts precisely because He refuses to let His own divinity become an excuse for skipping the courtesies brāhmaṇas are owed.

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Source: vedabase.io