FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.84.71

जनेभ्य: कथयां चक्रुर्यदुदेवमहोत्सवम् । यदासीत्तीर्थयात्रायां सुहृत्सन्दर्शनादिकम् ॥ ७१ ॥
janebhyaḥ kathayāṁ cakrur
[janebhyah kathayaam chakrur]
yadu-deva-mahotsavam
[yadu-deva-mahotsavam]
yad āsīt tīrtha-yātrāyāṁ
[yad aaseet teertha-yaatraayaam]
suhṛt-sandarśanādikam
[suhrit-sandarshanaadikam]
janebhyaḥ — to the people kathayām cakruḥ — they related yadu - deva — of the lord of the Yadus, Vasudeva mahā - utsavam — the great festivity yat — what āsīt — occurred tīrtha - yātrāyām — during their pilgrimage suhṛt — of their well-wishing friends sandarśana — the seeing ādikam — and so on .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
janebhyaḥ kathayāṁ cakrur
janebhyaḥ
to the people
kathayām cakruḥ
they related
yadu-deva-mahotsavam
yadu - deva
of the lord of the Yadus, Vasudeva
mahā - utsavam
the great festivity
yad āsīt tīrtha-yātrāyāṁ
yat
what
āsīt
occurred
tīrtha - yātrāyām
during their pilgrimage
suhṛt-sandarśanādikam
suhṛt
of their well-wishing friends
sandarśana
the seeing
ādikam
and so on .
  • kathayām cakruḥ — they related
    Periphrastic perfect of √kath (to tell). The act of recounting. Gauḍīyas note that the verb is the same as kathā in hari-kathā — the chapter ends with the very limb of bhakti (śravaṇa-kīrtana) that opened it.
  • tīrtha-yātrāyām — during the pilgrimage
    tīrtha + yātrā (journey). The entire Kurukṣetra event is now classified, retrospectively, as a tīrtha-yātrā. Gauḍīyas note that the Bhāgavatam frames the war-field eclipse-gathering as pilgrimage — the chapter's deep teaching is that wherever Kṛṣṇa is, that is tīrtha.
  • mahā-utsavam — the great festivity
    mahā + utsava (festivity). The yajña is called an utsava. Gauḍīyas note the doctrinal hint: when bhakti is the operative principle, yajña is utsava — celebration, not duty. The chapter's final word for what happened is festivity.
  • suhṛt-sandarśana — the seeing of well-wishing friends
    suhṛd (well-wishing friend) + sandarśana (seeing). The chapter ends with darśana of friends. Gauḍīyas note the symmetry with the chapter's beginning at verse 9 — Kṛṣṇa called darśana of sages the fruit of birth; the chapter closes with the people of Dvārakā hearing the report of just such darśana.
They told the people of the city about the festive sacrifices performed by Vasudeva, lord of the Yadus, and about everything else that had happened during their pilgrimage, especially how they had met with all their loved ones.

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Eighty-fourth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Sages’ Teachings at Kurukṣetra.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
They told the people of the city about the festive sacrifices performed by Vasudeva, lord of the Yadus, and about everything else that had happened during their pilgrimage, especially how they had met with all their loved ones.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

After this, according what was explained previously, after killing Sālva and Dantavakra, the Lord returned to Gokula. They related to the Vṛṣṇis who had remained in Dvārakā or to all people the huge festival and meeting with their friends, the people of Vraja. They also spoke of the kings and sages who gathered there (ādikam) as well as the glories of the Yadus and Kṛṣṇa, the great devotion of the queens for Kṛṣṇa, the intense affection of Nanda and others for Kṛṣṇa, and how Kṛṣṇa worshipped and consoled them. Yo goṣṭaṁ virahaya kāryavaśataḥ pūryāṁ cirāya sthito vyagras tūddhavarauhiṇeya-mukhatah; śasvat purāśvāsayat Āgatya svayam eva yaḥ kuru bhūvi pratyāpy bhūyo jhaṭity āgacchat karuṇaḥ sa eva śaraṇaṁ śrī kṛṣadevo mama I surrender to Kṛṣṇa who, after giving up Vraja, because of duties stayed a long time in Dvārakā, who, disturbed, first sent Uddhava and Balarāṁa to console them directly and who, coming in person to Kurukṣetra, met them and out of mercy then quickly returned to Vraja. Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Eighty-fourth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Sages' Teachings at Kurukṣetra." 10.85: Lord Kṛṣṇa Instructs Vasudeva and Retrieves Devakī's Sons verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27-28, 29, 30, 31, 32-33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41-43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48-49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55-56, 57, 58, 59 Chapter Summary This chapter relates how Lord Kṛṣṇa imparted divine knowledge to His father and, along with Lord Balarāma, retrieved His mother's dead sons. Having heard the visiting sages glorify Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva ceased to regard Him and Balarāma as his sons and began praising Their omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After glorifying his sons, Vasudeva fell at Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and begged Him to drive away the conception that the Lord was his son. Instead, Lord Kṛṣṇa restored that conception by instructing Vasudeva in the science of Godhead, and upon hearing these instructions, Vasudeva became peaceful and free of doubt. Then mother Devakī praised Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, reminding Them how They had retrieved the dead son of Their spiritual master. She said, "Please fulfill my desire in the same way. Please bring back my sons who were killed by Kaṁsa so I may see them once again." Entreated in this way by Their mother, the two Lords went to the subterranean planet of Sutala, where They approached Bali Mahārāja. King Bali greeted Them respectfully, offering Them seats of honor, worshiping Them and reciting prayers. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma then requested Bali to return Devakī's dead sons. The Lords received the boys from Bali and returned them to Devakī who felt such a surge of affection for them that milk began spontaneously flowing from her breasts. Overjoyed, Devakī fed the children her breastmilk, and by drinking the remnants of milk once drunk by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, they regained their original forms as demigods and went back to heaven.

Related values
Sthitaprajna (Steady Wisdom)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomShanti (Peace / Tranquility)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)
Related verses
They tell the Dvārakā citizens about Vasudeva's sacrifice. Sacred experience is meant to be reported, not hoarded. Sharing the story extends the grace of the event to those who missed it.
Reflection Questions
  • What sacred event of mine have I failed to share that others might benefit from hearing?
  • Whom does my unreported experience leave out of grace it could have touched?

Back in Dvārakā, the Vṛṣṇis report to the city — not battle news, not tax receipts, but the great festival of Vasudeva's yajña and the meeting with loved ones. The chapter closes as a Bhāgavata chapter should: with kathā being told to those who could not be there, the līlā ripening into hearing.

📝 My note

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