SB 10.75.8 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.75.8

ऋत्विक्सदस्यबहुवित्सु सुहृत्तमेषु स्विष्टेषु सूनृतसमर्हणदक्षिणाभि: । चैद्ये च सात्वतपतेश्चरणं प्रविष्टे चक्रुस्ततस्त्ववभृथस्‍नपनं द्युनद्याम् ॥ ८ ॥

ṛtvik-sadasya-bahu-vitsu suhṛttameṣu

[ritvik-sadasya-bahu-vitsu suhrittameshu]

sv-iṣṭeṣu sūnṛta-samarhaṇa-dakṣiṇābhiḥ

[sv-ishteshu soonrita-samarhana-dakshinaabhih]

caidye ca sātvata-pateś caraṇaṁ praviṣṭe

[chaidye cha saatvata-patesh charanam pravishte]

cakrus tatas tv avabhṛtha-snapanaṁ dyu-nadyām

[chakrus tatas tv avabhritha-snapanam dyu-nadyaam]

Word-for-word

ṛtvik — the priests sadasya — the prominent members of the assembly who helped officiate in the sacrifice bahu - vitsu — those who were greatly learned suhṛt - tameṣu — and the best well-wishers su — well iṣṭeṣu — being honored sūnṛta — with pleasing words samarhaṇa — auspicious offerings dakṣiṇābhiḥ — and gifts expressing gratitude caidye — the King of Cedi (Śiśupāla) ca — and sātvata - pateḥ — of the Lord of the Sātvatas (Kṛṣṇa) caraṇam — the feet praviṣṭe — having entered cakruḥ — they executed tataḥ — then tu — and avabhṛtha - snapanam — the avabhṛtha bath, which completed the sacrifice dyu — of heaven nadyām — in the river (the Yamunā) .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

ṛtvik-sadasya-bahu-vitsu suhṛttameṣu

ṛtvik

the priests

sadasya

the prominent members of the assembly who helped officiate in the sacrifice

bahu - vitsu

those who were greatly learned

suhṛt - tameṣu

and the best well-wishers

well

sv-iṣṭeṣu sūnṛta-samarhaṇa-dakṣiṇābhiḥ

iṣṭeṣu

being honored

sūnṛta

with pleasing words

samarhaṇa

auspicious offerings

dakṣiṇābhiḥ

and gifts expressing gratitude

caidye ca sātvata-pateś caraṇaṁ praviṣṭe

caidye

the King of Cedi (Śiśupāla)

and

sātvata - pateḥ

of the Lord of the Sātvatas (Kṛṣṇa)

caraṇam

the feet

praviṣṭe

having entered

cakrus tatas tv avabhṛtha-snapanaṁ dyu-nadyām

cakruḥ

they executed

tataḥ

then

and

avabhṛtha - snapanam

the avabhṛtha bath, which completed the sacrifice

dyu

of heaven

nadyām

in the river (the Yamunā) .

Important Words

ṛtvik — the priests
Vedic specialists who execute the fire-rites. Honored here with words, offerings and dakṣiṇā — Gauḍīyas note that brāhmaṇa-pūjā always precedes the avabhṛtha; the sacrifice does not end without honoring those who carried it.
caidye — the King of Cedi (Śiśupāla)
Locative absolute — 'Śiśupāla having entered…' The chapter quietly references Śiśupāla's liberation: the great enemy is gone, his soul merged into Kṛṣṇa, and only then the avabhṛtha can be celebrated.
sātvata-pateḥ — of the Lord of the Sātvatas
Compound: sātvata (the Yadu/Vṛṣṇi devotees) + pati (Lord). One of Kṛṣṇa's intimate names — not 'Lord of the universe' (aiśvarya) but 'Lord of His own devotees' (mādhurya-tinged). Śiśupāla, however unwillingly, has joined them.
caraṇam-praviṣṭe — having entered the feet
The destination of every soul who reaches Bhagavān — by love or by hate. Caraṇāravinda is the Gauḍīya goal; even Śiśupāla, the worst of haters, lands there.
avabhṛtha-snapanam — the concluding ritual bath
The final purifying bath that closes a Vedic sacrifice. The Yamunā receives it — and the Yamunā is Kṛṣṇa's own river of Vraja. The geography is a Gauḍīya signal.

After the priests, the prominent delegates, the greatly learned saints and the King’s most intimate well-wishers had all been properly honored with pleasing words, auspicious offerings and various gifts as remuneration, and after the King of Cedi had entered the lotus feet of the Lord of the Sātvatas, the avabhṛtha bath was performed in the divine river Yamunā.

Purport

The gifts offered to the distinguished guests included valuable jewelry.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

After the priests, the prominent delegates, the greatly learned saints and the King's most intimate well-wishers had all been properly honored with pleasing words, auspicious offerings and various gifts as remuneration, and after the King of Cedi had entered the lotus feet of the Lord of the Sātvatas, the avabhṛtha bath was performed in the divine river Yamunā.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Bahuvitsu refers to brāhmaṇas other than the priests, who had great knowledge. The priests engaged in giving Yudhiṣṭhira the avabhṛtha bath after (tataḥ) everything was completely, with contented heart. And also this occurred after Śiśupāla entered the Lord. Of these two events the bath is thus emphasized. He bathed in the “divine river” or Gaṅgā, with the desire that the city should be related to the Gaṅgā just as it was related to the Yamunā (which actually flows near the city). Mention of the “divine river” lends respect to the family capital city.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Bahuvitsu refers to brāhmaṇas other than the priests, who had great knowledge. The priests were engaged in giving Yudhiṣṭhira the avabhṛtha bath after (tataḥ) everything was completely, with contented heart. This occurred after Śiśupāla entered the Lord. Of these two events, the bath is emphasized. He bathed in the “divine river” which usually refers to Gaṅgā, to indicate its attractiveness. It was most beautiful coming from afar. This is made clear later.

Related values & verses

Related values

Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)

Personal Guidance

After honoring all guests with words, offerings, and gifts — and after Śiśupāla had entered Kṛṣṇa's feet — the avabhṛtha bath was performed. Closing rituals follow the work of relationship; we do not skip to the bath.

Reflection Questions

What relationships need closure before I can ritualize an ending?
Where am I trying to bathe away what I should first honor?

Analogy

When a long fire-yajña reaches its avabhṛtha-snāna, the last drops poured are sweeter than the first — the whole sacrifice rests in that final immersion. Śiśupāla's hate had already merged into Kṛṣṇa's feet; now the river receives the sacrificer.

Stories

Śiśupāla's liberation

Two chapters earlier (SB 10.74), Śiśupāla heaped 100 insults on Kṛṣṇa at the very same Rājasūya. When the count was full, the Sudarśana cakra ended him — and the assembled saw a light leave his body and enter Kṛṣṇa's feet.

The Gauḍīyas (especially Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu) treat this as the classic case of dveṣa-bhakti: hatred that obsesses on Kṛṣṇa is still bondage-by-Kṛṣṇa, and ends in Him. Verse 8 quietly notes this — caidye…caraṇam praviṣṭe — before the avabhṛtha can begin.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io