Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.81.1-2
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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brahmaṇyaḥ
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devoted to the brāhmaṇas
An emphatic title of Kṛṣṇa — He who holds brāhmaṇas dearer than His own life. Gauḍīyas read brahmaṇya-deva as one of Kṛṣṇa's permanent attributes: not occasional respect but a steady disposition, the same that will be displayed all chapter long.
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sarva-bhūta-manaḥ-abhijñaḥ
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who perfectly knows the minds of all living beings
Compound: sarva (all) + bhūta (beings) + manaḥ (mind) + abhijñaḥ (fully aware). Kṛṣṇa is antaryāmī — He already knows Sudāmā's poverty and hesitation; the entire chapter unfolds as Bhagavān answering an unspoken prayer.
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satām gatiḥ
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the goal of the saintly devotees
A doctrinal title. The saints have no other destination than Kṛṣṇa Himself; Sudāmā arriving at Dvārakā is the visible enactment of every sādhu's invisible movement toward Bhagavān.
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premṇā
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with love
Instrumental of prema — the highest stage of bhakti in Gauḍīya rasa-tattva. Kṛṣṇa looks at Sudāmā premṇā nirīkṣaṇena — the glance itself carries the rasa that all sādhana aspires to.
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prahasan
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laughing
Present participle of pra + √has. Not mockery — sakhya-rasa's signature. Between two friends the laugh precedes the words. Kṛṣṇa greets the impoverished brāhmaṇa not with grave consolation but with a friend's laugh, because that is the rasa their relationship runs in.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the words sarva-bhūta-mano-’bhijña indicate that since Lord Kṛṣṇa knows the minds of everyone, He could tell at once that His friend Sudāmā had brought some flat rice for Him and was ashamed to present it. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī’s further explanation of this verse, Lord Kṛṣṇa smiled at this moment, thinking “Yes, I am going to make you show what you brought for Me.” His smile then turned to laughter as He thought, “How long are you going to keep this precious gift hidden in your cloth?” Kṛṣṇa glanced toward the bundle hidden inside His friend’s garment, telling Sudāmā by His loving glance, “The veins showing through your emaciated skin and your ragged clothes astonish everyone present, but these symptoms of poverty will last only until tomorrow morning.” Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān, the supreme, independent Lord, He is always pleased to reciprocate with those who are priya, His cherished servants. As the indulgent patron of the brāhmaṇa class, He especially enjoys favoring brāhmaṇas who are additionally qualified by unconditional devotion to Him.
In the eighty first chapter Krsna takes food from Sudama and unknown to Sudama rewards him with unlimited treasure to repay his debt to him.
He (saḥ), endowed with previously described qualities of affection for brāhmaṇas and devotees, since he was attractive to all (hariḥ), gave joy through talking (saṅkathanyan) with the best of brāhmaṇas, the best since he was a great friend. This was because he knew the minds of all beings, since he was Bhagavān and more particularly, Kṛṣṇa. He saw that Sudāmā had brought grains of rice with effort from far away for him, to add to Kṛṣṇa’s wealth. He was keeping the grains carefully, even now, not throwing them in water or elsewhere. He was shy to give the grains to Kṛṣṇa. In talking to Sudāmā the Lord understood this. He smiled and looked at Sudāmā with prema in a special way (prekṣan), with joy, pleasure and curiosity with glances at the knot in his cloth, indicating “When will he give it to me?” This was because the Lord was kind to all brāhmaṇas, what to speak of his friend. Because Sudāmā did not give the rice, he smiled. “Why do not you give what was given to you by your wife as a gift for me?” He then spoke since Sudāmā was a friend (priyam) and Kṛṣṇa was the ultimate shelter of the devotees (satāṁ gatiḥ). Khalu is ornamental.
He who has indescribable glories, revealing his unlimited qualities as bhagavān (saḥ), who attracts all beings or Śrīdāmā, spoke with the best of brāhmaṇas, since he was the chief, being his dear friend. This suggests that both were in great joy. He smiled at the brāhmaṇa’s efforts, and spoke to him because he was the benefactor of brāhmaṇas (brahmaṇyaḥ). He laughed because Śrīdāmā was dear (priyam). He knew the minds of all beings because he was full of all powers (bhagavān). He was Kṛṣṇa. Or Śrīdāmā was dear because as a brāhmaṇa he knew the meaning of the Vedas and moreover the Lord was the benefactor of brāhmaṇas. He laughed for another reason: he attracts everyone’s heart (kṛṣṇaḥ). Moreover he was full of all qualities (bhagavān). Thus, he looked at him with glances of love, since he is the goal of the devotees (satām gatiḥ).
- What am I hiding from the Lord that He already sees with affection?
- Where could I let His warmth surface what I have been holding back?
A king does not need his cousin's letter to know what his cousin needs — yet he reads it through with affection because the writing is the cousin's hand. Kṛṣṇa, who is sarva-bhūta-manaḥ-abhijñaḥ (knower of every heart), has no need of Sudāmā's words; He smiles because the brāhmaṇa is here, and the audience itself is the message.
When Kṛṣṇa came to Hastināpura as a peace messenger, Duryodhana offered Him palaces; Kṛṣṇa walked past them all and ate the simple banana-skins Vidura's wife absent-mindedly served, because her mind was fixed on Him in love. The Bhāgavatam stresses the same principle that Kṛṣṇa enacts here with Sudāmā: Bhagavān is brahmaṇyaḥ, devoted to the brāhmaṇas, and eats what is offered in pure premā regardless of its outward form.
Like Sudāmā about to be received with a smile and a glance, Vidura's home was where the Lord of Dvārakā chose to actually sit down.
My note
Source: vedabase.io