Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.8.26
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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kālena alpena
—
within a very short time
Kāla + alpa, instrumental — 'by-means-of a little time'. The compound notes how quickly Kṛṣṇa's bāla-līlā moves from one stage to the next. Vraja-līlā unfolds in compressed time; nothing lingers, every moment ripens.
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rājarṣe
—
O King (sage among kings)
Rāja (king) + ṛṣi (sage), vocative. Śuka addresses Parīkṣit by his dual qualification. The Bhāgavatam's frame requires this vocative: kṛṣṇa-kathā belongs to the rāja-ṛṣi class of hearers — kings whose ears have become ṛṣi-ears.
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aghṛṣṭa - jānubhiḥ
—
without rubbing/scraping the knees
A (not) + ghṛṣṭa (rubbed) + jānu (knee), instrumental. Their knees no longer scrape the ground. The verse marks the transition precisely — a developmental moment, but for Bhagavān it is sva-līlā, not biological compulsion.
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padbhiḥ
—
by Their (own) legs
Instrumental plural of pad (foot/leg). On Their own legs, by Their own strength. Gauḍīya: standing on one's own legs becomes a metaphor for atma-prayatna in sādhana — Kṛṣṇa Himself models the move from crawling-supported sādhaka to walking-bhakta.
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añjasā
—
very easily, directly
Same word as 10.8.16 — without detour. Walking comes añjasā to Bhagavān because for Him all faculties are svarūpa-śakti's expression. Devotees recognize: in His mercy, sādhana too becomes añjasā.
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vicakramatuḥ
—
began to walk
Perfect dual of vi-√kram. Same root yields vikrama (stride, prowess) — the verb of Vāmana's three steps. The verse plants the seed: the cosmic strider once measured the universe in three paces; here He learns to take His first.
Instead of crawling with Their knees, the babies could now stand up by holding on to something and walk little by little, without difficulty, by the strength of Their legs.
Without scrapping their knees on the ground ( aghrsta janubhih), they began walking easily (boldy) about Gokula. For anjasa (easily) there is another reading ojasa (boldy).
Out of eagerness to describe everything at once, Śukadeva, after quickly describing the first part of crawling and walking pastimes, begins to describe the last part, impelled by remembrance of the sweetness of those later pastimes. In just a little time, the boys were able to walk around Gokula without rubbing their knees on the ground, because of extraordinary intelligence and strength. They did this easily (añjasā) because of their strength. Another version has ojasā (with strength). Some versions have go-vraje (cow pen or mass of light) instead of gokule. The word go suggests attractiveness and purity. O Parīkṣit, sage among the kings! You have understood the sweetness of these pastimes just as I have.
- Identify one sādhana you have been crawling at — japa, study, early rising — and take the next concrete step on it today, not tomorrow.
- Refuse to wait for a 'big leap' moment; perform one small act of tapas today (a missed meal, a held tongue, an extra round) by your own strength.
- Notice when you lean on others' enthusiasm to move spiritually, and stand up on your own legs by completing one devotional task unprompted today.
A young calf that has been wobbling on its knees suddenly steadies its four legs and steps out — the herd notices, the cowherd smiles, the field opens. So Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma stand on Their own legs and walk; Gokula's whole space rearranges around that small, decisive transition.
My note
Source: vedabase.io