इति सम्भाषमाणासु स्त्रीभि: स्त्रीषु नृभिर्नृषु ।
आययुर्मुनयस्तत्र कृष्णरामदिदृक्षया ॥ २ ॥
द्वैपायनो नारदश्च च्यवनो देवलोऽसित: ।
विश्वामित्र: शतानन्दो भरद्वाजोऽथ गौतम: ॥ ३ ॥
राम: सशिष्यो भगवान् वसिष्ठो गालवो भृगु: ।
पुलस्त्य: कश्यपोऽत्रिश्च मार्कण्डेयो बृहस्पति: ॥ ४ ॥
द्वितस्त्रितश्चैकतश्चब्रह्मपुत्रास्तथाङ्गिरा: ।
अगस्त्योयाज्ञवल्क्यश्चवामदेवादयोऽपरे ॥ ५ ॥
iti sambhāṣamāṇāsu
[iti sambhaashamaanaasu]
strībhiḥ strīṣu nṛbhir nṛṣu
[streebhih streeshu nribhir nrishu]
āyayur munayas tatra
[aayayur munayas tatra]
kṛṣṇa-rāma-didṛkṣayā
[krishna-raama-didrikshayaa]
dvaipāyano nāradaś ca
[dvaipaayano naaradash cha]
cyavano devalo ’sitaḥ
[chyavano devalo ’sitah]
viśvāmitraḥ śatānando
[vishvaamitrah shataanando]
bharadvājo ’tha gautamaḥ
[bharadvaajo ’tha gautamah]
rāmaḥ sa-śiṣyo bhagavān
[raamah sa-shishyo bhagavaan]
vasiṣṭho gālavo bhṛguḥ
[vasishtho gaalavo bhriguh]
pulastyaḥ kaśyapo ’triś ca
[pulastyah kashyapo ’trish cha]
mārkaṇḍeyo bṛhaspatiḥ
[maarkandeyo brihaspatih]
dvitas tritaś caikataś ca
[dvitas tritash chaikatash cha]
brahma-putrās tathāṅgirāḥ
[brahma-putraas tathaangiraah]
agastyo yājñavalkyaś ca
[agastyo yaajnavalkyash cha]
vāmadevādayo ’pare
[vaamadevaadayo ’pare]
Word-for-word
iti—thussambhāṣamāṇāsu—as they were conversingstrībhiḥ—with womenstrīṣu—womennṛbhiḥ—with mennṛṣu—menāyayuḥ—arrivedmunayaḥ—great sagestatra—at that placekṛṣṇa - rāma—Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāmadidṛkṣayā—with the desire to seedvaipāyanaḥ—Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsanāradaḥ—Nāradaca—andcyavanaḥ devalaḥ asitaḥ—Cyavana, Devala and Asitaviśvāmitraḥ śatānandaḥ—Viśvāmitra and Śatānandabharadvājaḥ atha gautamaḥ—Bharadvāja and Gautamarāmaḥ—Paraśurāmasa—withśiṣyaḥ—his disciplesbhagavān—the incarnation of the Supreme Lordvasiṣṭhaḥ gālavaḥ bhṛguḥ—Vasiṣṭha, Gālava and Bhṛgupulastyaḥ kaśyapaḥ atriḥ ca—Pulastya, Kaśyapa and Atrimārkaṇḍeyaḥ bṛhaspatiḥ—Mārkaṇḍeya and Bṛhaspatidvitaḥ tritaḥ ca ekataḥ ca—Dvita, Trita and Ekatabrahma - putrāḥ—sons of Lord Brahmā (Sanaka, Sanat, Sananda and Sanātana)tathā—and alsoaṅgirāḥ—Aṅgirāagastyaḥ yājñavalkyaḥ ca—Agastya and Yājñavalkyavāmadeva - ādayaḥ—led by Vāmadevaapare—others .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
iti sambhāṣamāṇāsu
iti
thus
sambhāṣamāṇāsu
as they were conversing
strībhiḥ strīṣu nṛbhir nṛṣu
strībhiḥ
with women
strīṣu
women
nṛbhiḥ
with men
nṛṣu
men
āyayur munayas tatra
āyayuḥ
arrived
munayaḥ
great sages
tatra
at that place
kṛṣṇa-rāma-didṛkṣayā
kṛṣṇa - rāma
Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma
didṛkṣayā
with the desire to see
dvaipāyano nāradaś ca
dvaipāyanaḥ
Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa
nāradaḥ
Nārada
ca
and
cyavano devalo ’sitaḥ
cyavanaḥ devalaḥ asitaḥ
Cyavana, Devala and Asita
viśvāmitraḥ śatānando
viśvāmitraḥ śatānandaḥ
Viśvāmitra and Śatānanda
bharadvājo ’tha gautamaḥ
bharadvājaḥ atha gautamaḥ
Bharadvāja and Gautama
rāmaḥ sa-śiṣyo bhagavān
rāmaḥ
Paraśurāma
sa
with
śiṣyaḥ
his disciples
bhagavān
the incarnation of the Supreme Lord
vasiṣṭho gālavo bhṛguḥ
vasiṣṭhaḥ gālavaḥ bhṛguḥ
Vasiṣṭha, Gālava and Bhṛgu
pulastyaḥ kaśyapo ’triś ca
pulastyaḥ kaśyapaḥ atriḥ ca
Pulastya, Kaśyapa and Atri
mārkaṇḍeyo bṛhaspatiḥ
mārkaṇḍeyaḥ bṛhaspatiḥ
Mārkaṇḍeya and Bṛhaspati
dvitas tritaś caikataś ca
dvitaḥ tritaḥ ca ekataḥ ca
Dvita, Trita and Ekata
brahma-putrās tathāṅgirāḥ
brahma - putrāḥ
sons of Lord Brahmā (Sanaka, Sanat, Sananda and Sanātana)
tathā
and also
aṅgirāḥ
Aṅgirā
agastyo yājñavalkyaś ca
agastyaḥ yājñavalkyaḥ ca
Agastya and Yājñavalkya
vāmadeva - ādayaḥ
led by Vāmadeva
apare
others .
vāmadevādayo ’pare
Important Words
didṛkṣayā—with the desire to see
From √dṛś (to see) — a desiderative. The motive of the ṛṣis is not to instruct or to perform — it is darśana. Gauḍīyas treat darśana of Bhagavān as a prayojana in itself, not a means to something else.
munayaḥ—sages
From √man (to think, contemplate). A muni is one whose thought is silenced into ekāgratā. That such silenced thinkers travel to see Kṛṣṇa argues that Bhagavān is the resting place of contemplation — not its negation.
kṛṣṇa-rāma—Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma
Dvandva compound. Gauḍīyas treat Balarāma as Kṛṣṇa's first expansion (prakāśa) and the original guru-tattva. The sages' single purpose — to see both — registers the inseparability of bhagavat-tattva and its expansion that grants service-eligibility.
brahma-putrāḥ—sons of Brahmā (the four Kumāras)
Sanaka, Sanat-kumāra, Sananda, Sanātana — eternally child-like ṛṣis. Cited in SB 3.15 as the founders of the Kumāra-sampradāya, and revered by Gauḍīyas as living proof that jñāna ripens into bhakti.
rāmaḥ—Lord Paraśurāma
Called bhagavān in the verse (rāmaḥ sa-śiṣyaḥ bhagavān) — an āveśa-avatāra of Viṣṇu. His presence with disciples among ṛṣis registers that even an empowered avatāra approaches Kṛṣṇa as a sage approaching darśana.
As the women thus talked among themselves and the men among themselves, a number of great sages arrived there, all of them eager to see Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma. They included Dvaipāyana, Nārada, Cyavana, Devala and Asita, Viśvāmitra, Śatānanda, Bharadvāja and Gautama, Lord Paraśurāma and his disciples, Vasiṣṭha, Gālava, Bhṛgu, Pulastya and Kaśyapa, Atri, Mārkaṇḍeya and Bṛhaspati, Dvita, Trita, Ekata and the four Kumāras, and Aṅgirā, Agastya, Yājñavalkya and Vāmadeva.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
As the women thus talked among themselves and the men among themselves, a number of great sages arrived there, all of them eager to see Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma. They included Dvaipāyana, Nārada, Cyavana, Devala and Asita, Viśvāmitra, Śatānanda, Bharadvāja and Gautama, Lord Paraśurāma and his disciples, Vasiṣṭha, Gālava, Bhṛgu, Pulastya and Kaśyapa, Atri, Mārkaṇḍeya and Bṛhaspati, Dvita, Trita, Ekata and the four Kumāras, and Aṅgirā, Agastya, Yājñavalkya and Vāmadeva.
Commentary
While the men were talking to the men and the women were talking to the women, the munis came to see Krsna.
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
While various interesting events took place, another interesting event occurred. Sages arrived in a spectacular manner (ājamuḥ). Another version has āyayuḥ. The sages are listed in three verses. Dvaipāyaṇa is mentioned first out of great respect as a father among sages. The others are listed in the order that they arrived. Parāśurāma is addresses as bhagavān because of great respect as one of the ten avatāras. Dvita, Trita, Ekata are described as sons of Brahmā (brahma-putrāḥ) but since they were not actually sons of Brahmā, some say the phrase should be brahma-putraḥ (modifying Aṅgirās). Or brahma-putrāḥ refers to the Kumāras. Others who came were Parāśara, Maitreya and Vaiśampāyana.
Śrīdhara Svāmī
Gauḍīya
Commentary
There was a great festival of women talking with women and men talking with men. At that times sags arrived with a special goal. They desired to see directly Kṛṣṇa who attracts all hearts and Balarāma, who gives pleasure to all people. Paraśurāma is called Bhagavān because he is an avatāra. Dvita, Trita, Ekata are described as sons of Brahmā (brahma-putrāḥ). Or it refers to the Kumāras. Ādayaḥ refers to Maitryea, Paila, Vaiśampāyana and other sages. They came suddenly or by invitation.
Sages arrive at the gathering — Vyāsa, Nārada, Vasiṣṭha and many more. Where Kṛṣṇa is, the saints come; holy company magnetizes more holy company. The presence of one Lord draws an assembly of teachers.
Reflection Questions
Whose presence in my life has tended to draw other wise people in?
How could I become the kind of devotee whose presence attracts good company?
Analogy
Picture a great king of the heart being visited at once by all the headwaters of the river-system that feeds the land — Vyāsa, Nārada, Vasiṣṭha, the Kumāras, Paraśurāma. When Kṛṣṇa is present in Kurukṣetra, the rivers come to the ocean; the ṛṣis arrive not to bestow but to be where Bhagavān is, because that is where the Veda has its source.
Stories
Vyāsa at the source of the Bhāgavatam
Vyāsadeva, who heads this list (Dvaipāyana), is the one who, depressed even after compiling the Vedas, met Nārada at the Sarasvatī and was instructed to write the Bhāgavatam centered on Kṛṣṇa's līlā (SB 1.5–6).
Gauḍīyas read his appearance here as poetic: the compiler of Kṛṣṇa-kathā arrives in person to see the subject of his book.
The four Kumāras turning back
The Kumāras, sons of Brahmā, are the ṛṣis who in Third Canto (SB 3.15) reached Vaikuṇṭha, smelled tulasī on Viṣṇu's feet, and were converted on the spot from impersonalist jñāna to bhakti.
Their presence at Vasudeva's gathering shows the Gauḍīya pattern: even seasoned jñānīs cross over to personalism when Kṛṣṇa is the field of view.