FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.82.37

का विस्मरेत वां मैत्रीमनिवृत्तां व्रजेश्वरि । अवाप्याप्यैन्द्रमैश्वर्यं यस्या नेह प्रतिक्रिया ॥ ३७ ॥
kā vismareta vāṁ maitrīm
[kaa vismareta vaam maitreem]
anivṛttāṁ vrajeśvari
[anivrittaam vrajeshvari]
avāpyāpy aindram aiśvaryaṁ
[avaapyaapy aindram aishvaryam]
yasyā neha pratikriyā
[yasyaa neha pratikriyaa]
kā — what woman vismareta — can forget vām — of you two (Yaśodā and Nanda) maitrīm — the friendship anivṛttām — unceasing vraja - īśvari — O Queen of Vraja avāpya — obtaining api — even aindram — of Indra aiśvaryam — opulence yasyāḥ — for which na — not iha — in this world prati - kriyā — repayment .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kā vismareta vāṁ maitrīm
kā
what woman
vismareta
can forget
vām
of you two (Yaśodā and Nanda)
maitrīm
the friendship
anivṛttāṁ vrajeśvari
anivṛttām
unceasing
vraja - īśvari
O Queen of Vraja
avāpyāpy aindram aiśvaryaṁ
avāpya
obtaining
api
even
aindram
of Indra
aiśvaryam
opulence
yasyā neha pratikriyā
yasyāḥ
for which
na
not
iha
in this world
prati - kriyā
repayment .
  • vraja-īśvari — O Queen of Vraja
    Vocative. Direct address to Yaśodā as Vraja's sovereign. Repeated from verse 36 — emphasis. Gauḍīyas hold this title as her permanent honorific.
  • aindram aiśvaryam — the opulence of Indra
    Compound: aindram (belonging to Indra) + aiśvaryam (lordliness, wealth). Indra's wealth is the proverbial maximum of heavenly opulence — and it is named here only to be declared insufficient. Vraja-sevā exceeds Vaikuṇṭha's economy.
  • anivṛttām — unceasing friendship
    Compound phrase: anivṛttām (not turned back, continuous) + maitrīm (friendship). Vraja's love does not pulse on and off; it is continuous. Gauḍīyas honour this constancy as bhakti's true mark.
  • prati-kriyā — repayment, reciprocation
    Compound: prati (back, in return) + kriyā (act). Devakī declares no prati-kriyā is possible. Gauḍīya soteriology: the Lord's mercy and His devotees' sevā can never be repaid — only received and passed forward.
[Rohiṇī and Devakī said:] What woman could forget the unceasing friendship you and Nanda have shown us, dear Queen of Vraja? There is no way to repay you in this world, even with the wealth of Indra.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
[Rohiṇī and Devakī said:] What woman could forget the unceasing friendship you and Nanda have shown us, dear Queen of Vraja? There is no way to repay you in this world, even with the wealth of Indra.
Commentary

Seated with Krsna and Balarama on her lap and embracing them, Yasoda’s mind was completely bewildered, being stunned with bliss and flowing with tears and milk like the Ganga and Yamuna. Of the two seated in front of her, Rohini first spoke. "What can repay that friendship, even if we attained the wealth of Indra." Dvaraka’s wealth was greater, but the expression is for the common man and therefore only mentions Indra’s wealth.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Rohiṇī speaks. How could I not always remember the friendship of you two? Why? That friendship was unceasing. Though we left you and went away, you always served us by sending servants to take news about our well being and always sending presents like ghee and milk gathered personally by you, even though you were far away and now, on the pretext of the pilgrimage, you have come here to see us. In this way your friendship is unceasing. She addressed Yaśodā as queen of Vraja out of respect and prema. She indicated that the wealth of Indra is even greater than that of Dvārakā this because of her forgetfulness. Though one can repay other friends, one cannot forget you since it is impossible to repay you.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

How could I not always remember the friendship of you two? Why? That friendship was unceasing. Though we left you and went away, you always served us by sending servants to take news about our well-being and always sending presents like ghee and milk gathered personally by you, dear to the two brothers, even though you were far away and now, though you still live there, you have come here to stay with us. The reason is that you are the queen of Vraja. By nature you have a soft heart full of affection. Or O queen of Vraja! You are remarkable for your friendship. Or you have more power that Indra or ourselves. O “Why did you not bring my son to my side for so many days?” You are protector of Vraja. If you were to go elsewhere immediately there would be destruction in Vraja. “But do queens remember the suffering people?” Even (api) with more wealth than Indra, you remember. She indicated that the wealth of Indra is even greater than that of Dvārakā because of her forgetfulness. “How can the debt be repaid by offering the two sons to you?” There can be no repayment in this life or in this world by offering your sons or yourselves. We remember your friendship at all times, unable to pay the debt.

Related values
Daya (Compassion / Mercy)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAsteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
'There is no way to repay you in this world, even with Indra's wealth.' Some gifts cannot be repaid in coin; only acknowledgment is possible.
Reflection Questions
  • What gift in my life is genuinely irrepayable?
  • What form of acknowledgment honors what coin cannot?

Some debts cannot be repaid in any currency the world knows — Indra's wealth would still leave the ledger open. Devakī and Rohiṇī acknowledge that Vraja's vātsalya-sevā belongs to a register higher than reciprocation.

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