FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.84.42

श्रीशुक उवाच इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वसुदेवो महामना: । तानृषीनृत्विजो वव्रे मूर्ध्नानम्य प्रसाद्य च ॥ ४२ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
iti tad-vacanaṁ śrutvā
[iti tad-vachanam shrutvaa]
vasudevo mahā-manāḥ
[vasudevo mahaa-manaah]
tān ṛṣīn ṛtvijo vavre
[taan risheen ritvijo vavre]
mūrdhnānamya prasādya ca
[moordhnaanamya prasaadya cha]
Word-for-word
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said iti — thus spoken tat — their vacanam — words śrutvā — having heard vasudevaḥ — Vasudeva mahā - manāḥ — generous tān — them ṛṣīn — the sages ṛtvijaḥ — as priests vavre — chose mūrdhnā — with his head ānamya — bowing down prasādya — gratifying them ca — also .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
iti tad-vacanaṁ śrutvā
iti
thus spoken
tat
their
vacanam
words
śrutvā
having heard
vasudevo mahā-manāḥ
vasudevaḥ
Vasudeva
mahā - manāḥ
generous
tān ṛṣīn ṛtvijo vavre
tān
them
ṛṣīn
the sages
ṛtvijaḥ
as priests
vavre
chose
mūrdhnānamya prasādya ca
mūrdhnā
with his head
ānamya
bowing down
prasādya
gratifying them
ca
also .
Important Words
  • mahā-manāḥ — generous, great-minded
    mahā + manas. Generous and large in spirit. Gauḍīyas read this as the standing description of Vasudeva: open-handed in worship, capable of holding Bhagavān as son and as Lord simultaneously.
  • vavre — chose
    Perfect of √vṛ (to choose). Vasudeva chose the very sages who instructed him as ṛtvijas. Gauḍīyas note this as the standard Vedic pattern — the upadeṣṭā becomes the ṛtvij, ensuring continuity between instruction and enactment.
  • mūrdhnā — with his head
    Instrumental of mūrdhan (head). The head touches the ground in praṇāma (mūrdhnā ānamya). Gauḍīyas treat this as daṇḍavat-praṇāma — the highest form of bow — befitting the gratitude of receiving Bhagavān-level instruction.
  • prasādya — gratifying
    Causative gerund of pra + √sad. To please. Gauḍīyas note that gratifying the sage is its own limb of pūjā — the host's joy is itself a sacrament.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After hearing these statements of the sages, generous Vasudeva bowed his head to the ground and, praising them, requested them to become his priests.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After hearing these statements of the sages, generous Vasudeva bowed his head to the ground and, praising them, requested them to become his priests.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Hearing their words which included his hidden intentions, understanding those words (mahā-manāh) he offered respects.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Hearing their words (from verse 35) he made them his priests. He had a desire to benefit all people by sacrifice, charity and showing the Lord (mahāmanāḥ). Or hearing the words indicating his good fortune because of Kṛṣṇa, he chose them as priests. He thought, “These sages request bhakti. That should be attained from persons like me. On the pretext of a sacrifice I will have them attain Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.” Thus it is later said in verse 49, “Vasudeva’s priests and the officiating members of the assembly, dressed in silk dhotīs and jeweled ornaments, looked effulgent.” He bowed his head completely (ā-natvā), touching the earth and praised them with verses.

Related values & verses
Related values
Sthitaprajna (Steady Wisdom)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
BG 17.20 BG 2.60 BG 5.7 BG 12.5 BG 5.4 BG 16.2 BG 6.1 BG 10.4 BG 3.27 BG 3.11 BG 18.1
Concepts
Prasada
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Vasudeva bows his head and humbly receives the sages' instruction. The wealthy and the father of Kṛṣṇa Himself still bows — humility before teachers is non-negotiable.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I pretend to be too senior to bow?
  • Whose instruction have I been receiving with mental reservation rather than open head?
Analogy

Vasudeva, having received the instruction, does not ask follow-up questions or schedule the yajña for next month. He bows his head to the ground, praises the speakers, and chooses them as priests on the spot. The verse's pace is itself the teaching: a clear answer from sādhus is to be enacted, not deliberated.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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