SB 10.83.13-14 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.83.13-14

श्रीसत्योवाच सप्तोक्षणोऽतिबलवीर्यसुतीक्ष्णश‍ृङ्गान् पित्रा कृतान् क्षितिपवीर्यपरीक्षणाय । तान् वीरदुर्मदहनस्तरसा निगृह्य क्रीडन् बबन्ध ह यथा शिशवोऽजतोकान् ॥ १३ ॥ य इत्थं वीर्यशुल्कां मां दासीभिश्चतुरङ्गिणीम् । पथि निर्जित्य राजन्यान् निन्ये तद्दास्यमस्तु मे ॥ १४ ॥

śrī-satyovāca

[shree-satyovaacha]

saptokṣaṇo ’ti-bala-vīrya-su-tīkṣṇa-śṛṅgān

[saptokshano ’ti-bala-veerya-su-teekshna-shringaan]

pitrā kṛtān kṣitipa-vīrya-parīkṣaṇāya

[pitraa kritaan kshitipa-veerya-pareekshanaaya]

tān vīra-durmada-hanas tarasā nigṛhya

[taan veera-durmada-hanas tarasaa nigrihya]

krīḍan babandha ha yathā śiśavo ’ja-tokān

[kreedan babandha ha yathaa shishavo ’ja-tokaan]

ya itthaṁ vīrya-śulkāṁ māṁ

[ya ittham veerya-shulkaam maam]

dāsībhiś catur-angiṇīm

[daaseebhish chatur-angineem]

pathi nirjitya rājanyān

[pathi nirjitya raajanyaan]

ninye tad-dāsyam astu me

[ninye tad-daasyam astu me]

Word-for-word

śrī - satyā uvāca — Śrī Satyā said sapta — seven ukṣaṇaḥ — bulls ati — great bala — whose strength vīrya — and vitality su — very tīkṣṇa — sharp śṛṅgān — whose horns pitrā — by my father kṛtān — made kṣitipa — of the kings vīrya — the prowess parīkṣaṇāya — for testing tān — them (the bulls) vīra — of heroes durmada — the false pride hanaḥ — who destroyed tarasā — quickly nigṛhya — subduing krīḍan — playing babandha ha — He tied up yathā — as śiśavaḥ — children aja — of goats tokān — the infants yaḥ — who ittham — in this manner vīrya — heroism śulkām — whose price mām — me dāsībhiḥ — with maidservants catuḥ - aṅgiṇīm — protected by an army of four divisions (chariots, horses, elephants and infantry) pathi — along the road nirjitya — defeating rājanyān — the kings ninye — He took me away tat — to Him dāsyam — servitude astu — may there be me — my .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

śrī-satyovāca

śrī - satyā uvāca

Śrī Satyā said

sapta

seven

ukṣaṇaḥ

bulls

ati

great

saptokṣaṇo ’ti-bala-vīrya-su-tīkṣṇa-śṛṅgān

bala

whose strength

vīrya

and vitality

very

tīkṣṇa

sharp

śṛṅgān

whose horns

pitrā kṛtān kṣitipa-vīrya-parīkṣaṇāya

pitrā

by my father

kṛtān

made

kṣitipa

of the kings

vīrya

the prowess

parīkṣaṇāya

for testing

tān vīra-durmada-hanas tarasā nigṛhya

tān

them (the bulls)

vīra

of heroes

durmada

the false pride

hanaḥ

who destroyed

tarasā

quickly

nigṛhya

subduing

krīḍan babandha ha yathā śiśavo ’ja-tokān

krīḍan

playing

babandha ha

He tied up

yathā

śiśavaḥ

children

ya itthaṁ vīrya-śulkāṁ māṁ

dāsībhiś catur-angiṇīm

pathi nirjitya rājanyān

aja

of goats

tokān

the infants

yaḥ

who

ittham

in this manner

vīrya

heroism

śulkām

whose price

ninye tad-dāsyam astu me

mām

dāsībhiḥ

with maidservants

catuḥ - aṅgiṇīm

protected by an army of four divisions (chariots, horses, elephants and infantry)

pathi

along the road

nirjitya

defeating

rājanyān

the kings

ninye

He took me away

tat

to Him

dāsyam

servitude

astu

may there be

my .

Important Words

sapta ukṣaṇaḥ — seven bulls
Sapta (seven) + ukṣan (bull). The number is doctrinal — Gauḍīya commentators identify the seven bulls with the seven indriyas or the seven kinds of mada (pride). Subduing them is the inner work the Lord performs effortlessly for any soul who has fixed Him as her vīrya-śulka.
krīḍan — playing
Present participle of √krīḍ — to play. The verb that names the same teaching as līlā (which becomes explicit in verse 25-26). Whatever appears to others as struggle (Nagnajit's bulls, Rukmī's army, Jāmbavān's strength) is for Kṛṣṇa krīḍana — free play. The Gauḍīya doctrine of līlā insists Bhagavān is never strained.
vīrya - śulkām — whose price is heroism
Vīrya (heroism) + śulka (bride-price). A bride 'priced by valor' — the older Vedic institution by which a kanyā's hand was tied to a heroic deed. Bhagavān pays the price without effort because the valor is His own internal śakti, not strain.
tat - dāsyam — servitude to Him
Tat (His) + dāsya (servitude). Satyā closes with the same prayer Rukmiṇī, Jāmbavatī, Kālindī, and Mitravindā have made: not queen-hood but dāsyam. The chapter's refrain is fixing into form.
durmada — false pride
Dus (bad) + mada (intoxication). The bulls' role was durmada-hanaḥ — destroyers of false pride. The bulls humbled prior suitors; Kṛṣṇa humbled the bulls. Each defeat-by-bull was a small mercy to those kings, exposing their false vīrya before they could claim Satyā wrongly.

Śrī Satyā said: My father arranged for seven extremely powerful and vigorous bulls with deadly sharp horns to test the prowess of the kings who desired my hand in marriage. Although these bulls destroyed the false pride of many heroes, Lord Kṛṣṇa subdued them effortlessly, tying them up in the same way that children playfully tie up a goat’s kids. He thus purchased me with His valor. Then He took me away with my maidservants and a full army of four divisions, defeating all the kings who opposed Him along the road. May I be granted the privilege of serving that Lord.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Śrī Satyā said: My father arranged for seven extremely powerful and vigorous bulls with deadly sharp horns to test the prowess of the kings who desired my hand in marriage. Although these bulls destroyed the false pride of many heroes, Lord Kṛṣṇa subdued them effortlessly, tying them up in the same way that children playfully tie up a goat's kids. He thus purchased me with His valor. Then He took me away with my maidservants and a full army of four divisions, defeating all the kings who opposed Him along the road. May I be granted the privilege of serving that Lord.

Commentary

Seven strong bulls were arranged by my father for testing the strength of king in order to give me to the strongest one. He bound up those bulls, which kill the pride of the strong, very easily (kridan), as children tie up baby goats. Having paid the price with his courage, (viryam sulkam), he took me along my servants, and with a full contingent of armies (caturanganim) to his city.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Ukṣaṇaḥ (bulls) should be ukṣṇaḥ. Though it is said her father wanted to test the strength of kings actually he arranged the test in order to give his daughter to Kṛṣṇa. This has been stated previously. Babandha ha means “he tied up all the bulls immediately.” He did this as play, just as children tie up baby goats. The plural is used (children) since he expanded himself in seven forms to tie up seven bulls. Kṛṣṇa paid the price of valor in that he observed the conditions for marriage made by her father.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

They were powerful and vigorous bulls with deadly sharp horns. The characteristics are listed in order of stronger reasons for difficulty in restraining them. Though it is said her father wanted to test the strength of kings, actually he arranged the test in order to give his daughter to Kṛṣṇa. This has been stated previously. Babandha ha means “he tied up all the bulls immediately.” He did this as play, just as children tie up baby goats. The plural is used (children) since he expanded himself in seven forms to tie up seven bulls. Or it is the nature of all children to play in this manner. Though with Rukmiṇī as well as Mitravinda the Lord defeated other kings and took the bride at the price of his valor, there it is particularly mentioned because at this time Kṛṣṇa observed the conditions for marriage made by her father. I am not the queen but am simply a servant. But I desire to serve his feet eternally.

Related values & verses

Related values

Sthitaprajna (Steady Wisdom)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)

Concepts

Satya

Personal Guidance

Satyā: my father set seven deadly bulls; Kṛṣṇa tied them like children tying kid goats and purchased me with His valor. The Lord makes light of what destroyed others; what crushes some, He plays with.

Reflection Questions

What in my life looks like a 'seven deadly bulls' obstacle that the Lord could handle with ease?
How does that recognition change my approach?

Analogy

King Nagnajit tied his daughter's hand to a price: subdue seven invincible bulls. The kings tried and were gored; Kṛṣṇa stepped into the ring and tied them up the way village children tie up baby goats — playfully, with one hand. The dānam route here is vīrya-śulkā — purchased by valor — and the price Bhagavān paid was a smile.

Stories

The seven bulls of Kauśalā

In SB 10.58, King Nagnajit of Kauśalā (Ayodhyā) had made a vow: his daughter Satyā (Nāgnajitī) would marry only the man who could subdue seven fierce bulls with sharp horns. Many heroes had tried and been thrown.

Kṛṣṇa came, expanded Himself into seven forms simultaneously, subdued all seven bulls at once, and tied them up effortlessly. Nagnajit, recognizing the Lord, gave Satyā along with a dowry of an akṣauhiṇī army. On the road back to Dvārakā the defeated kings attacked, and Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa together routed them. Satyā's verse here compresses all of it into the single image of children tying up goats.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io