FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.83.33

दारुकश्चोदयामास काञ्चनोपस्करं रथम् । मिषतां भूभुजां राज्ञि मृगाणां मृगराडिव ॥ ३३ ॥
dārukaś codayām āsa
[daarukash chodayaam aasa]
kāñcanopaskaraṁ ratham
[kaanchanopaskaram ratham]
miṣatāṁ bhū-bhujāṁ rājñi
[mishataam bhoo-bhujaam raajni]
mṛgāṇāṁ mṛga-rāḍ iva
[mrigaanaam mriga-raad iva]
dārukaḥ — Dāruka (Lord Kṛṣṇa’s chariot driver) codayām āsa — drove kāñcana — golden upaskaram — whose trimmings ratham — the chariot miṣatām — as they watched bhū - bhujām — the kings rājñi — O Queen mṛgāṇām — animals mṛga - rāṭ — the king of animals, the lion iva — as if .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dārukaś codayām āsa
dārukaḥ
Dāruka (Lord Kṛṣṇa’s chariot driver)
codayām āsa
drove
kāñcanopaskaraṁ ratham
kāñcana
golden
upaskaram
whose trimmings
ratham
the chariot
miṣatāṁ bhū-bhujāṁ rājñi
miṣatām
as they watched
bhū - bhujām
the kings
rājñi
O Queen
mṛgāṇāṁ mṛga-rāḍ iva
mṛgāṇām
animals
mṛga - rāṭ
the king of animals, the lion
iva
as if .
  • dārukaḥ — Dāruka
    Kṛṣṇa's personal chārioteer, a major figure throughout Canto 10. Gauḍīya tradition holds Dāruka as the embodiment of dāsya-sevā among Kṛṣṇa's personal staff — the servant whose entire role is to drive whenever the Lord moves.
  • kāñcana - upaskaram — with golden trimmings
    Kāñcana (gold) + upaskara (trimming, fitting). The chariot is described as gold-fitted — Bhagavān's aiśvarya visible in the very vehicle. Even the chariot is a manifestation of Lakṣmī following Him.
  • mṛga - rāṭ — the king of animals (lion)
    Mṛga (beast) + rāj (king). Third lion-image in the chapter (after Rukmiṇī's mṛgendraḥ and Mitravindā's dvipa-ariḥ). Gauḍīya commentators note the pattern: Kṛṣṇa's bridal departures are consistently lion-images — calm power moving among lesser beings.
  • miṣatām — (of the kings) as they watched
    Present participle of √miṣ — to watch wide-eyed. The kings are not blind; they see clearly. Their failure is not perceptual but volitional — they cannot bring themselves to act effectively while watching.
  • bhū - bhujām — of the earth-protectors
    Bhū (earth) + bhuj (enjoyer, protector). Variant of bhū-pā. The kings who claimed to protect/enjoy the earth watch the Lord of the earth depart with their hoped-for prize.
Dāruka drove the Lord’s gold-trimmed chariot as the kings looked on, O Queen, like small animals helplessly watching a lion.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Dāruka drove the Lord's gold-trimmed chariot as the kings looked on, O Queen, like small animals helplessly watching a lion.
Commentary

He went like a lion, while the other animals looked on(misitam). Using the sixth case for misitam indicates disregard for the kings.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Dāruka drove the gold-plated chariot, which could thus be seen from far away, while the kings looked on. Possessive case (miṣatāṁ bhū-bhujāṁ) is used to should disrespect for the kings. They were like animals watching a lion. This indicates Dāruka’s fearlessness. She called out to Draupadī “O queen!” in great enthusiasm.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
Dāruka drove as the kings watched like small animals helplessly watching a lion. When the Lord takes someone, opposition can only watch.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does my opposition only watch what is being taken by the Lord?
  • How does this image shift my relationship to envy?

Dāruka drives — the same chārioteer who will drive Kṛṣṇa across countless battles — and the kings watch the gold-trimmed chariot recede the way small forest animals watch a lion walk past, helpless and motionless. The kings could shoot at the chariot; they will, in the next verses. But the watching itself is already a kind of defeat.

📝 My note

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