Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.74.19
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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acyutaḥ
—
infallible Kṛṣṇa
A (not) + cyuta (fallen). The Lord who never deviates from His own nature. Gauḍīyas distinguish acyuta from the jīva who is taṭa-stha and may fall; only Bhagavān is structurally incapable of cyuti.
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bhagavān
—
the Supreme Lord
From bhaga — the six opulences (aiśvarya, vīrya, yaśas, śrī, jñāna, vairāgya) fully and simultaneously. Parāśara's definition in Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47 underpins the Gauḍīya use; Sahadeva is naming Kṛṣṇa with the highest technical title.
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sātvatām
—
of the Yādavas (devotees of the Lord)
Genitive plural of sātvata — the Yādava line, and by extension the school of Bhāgavata-vaiṣṇavas. Kṛṣṇa is sātvatām pati — head of the Bhāgavata family. Gauḍīyas read this as the verse silently sliding from clan-leadership to devotional-leadership.
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śraiṣṭhyam
—
the supreme position
Abstract noun from śreṣṭha (best). 'Best-ness' itself. Sahadeva does not say Kṛṣṇa is the best of a class — he says Kṛṣṇa is śraiṣṭhya, the very principle of supremacy.
Acyuta is most excellent, absolutely. However even relatively speaking then it goes without saying that he is supreme among all devatas, place, time and wealth.
Kṛṣṇa alone (eva) deserves the highest position, since he is always full of all qualities (acyutaḥ). He then shows why. He is full of all powers innately and moreover is the master of the devotees who also most worthy of worship. Or, he is the Lord of the Yādavas, Svayam Bhagavān. He who is most famous (eṣaḥ) is the total of all devatās, place, time and articles in sacrifices by his śakti. Bhīṣma and others also designated Kṛṣṇa as the first to be worshipped. This is mentioned in Sabhā-parva of Mahābhārata. ācāryam ṛtvijaṁ caiva saṁyuktaṁ ca yudhiṣṭhira snātakaṁ ca priyaṁ cāhuḥ ṣaḍ arghyārhān nṛpaṁ tathā Listen, O Yudhiṣṭhra, the preceptor, the sacrificial priest, the relative, the snataka, the friend, and the king, are the six that deserve arghya. Bhīṣma here quotes the procedure in other circumstances. When Svayam Bhagavān is personally present, these considerations are not taken first. (Later Bhīṣma says that Kṛṣṇa is most worthy of worship.)
Kṛṣṇa alone (eva) deserves the highest position, since he is always full of all qualities (acyutaḥ). He then shows why. He is the supreme Lord (bhagavān), and protects the devotees (sātvatṁa patiḥ). Or he achieved excellence by appearing in the Yadu dynasty to reveal his unlimited powers. Vai means certainly. Ādayah indicates priests and others.
- Where in my daily decisions could 'honor Kṛṣṇa first' simplify everything?
- What gets clarified when I put Him explicitly at the head of my list?
When a court argues over which lamp to light first, someone finally says: light the sun, and all lamps are kindled. Sahadeva names Acyuta — the never-falling one — as agra-pūjya, and every other deity, place, time and offering is subsumed.
My note
Source: vedabase.io