FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.85.22

श्रीभगवानुवाच वचो व: समवेतार्थं तातैतदुपमन्महे । यन्न: पुत्रान् समुद्दिश्य तत्त्वग्राम उदाहृत: ॥ २२ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
vaco vaḥ samavetārthaṁ
[vacho vah samavetaartham]
tātaitad upamanmahe
[taataitad upamanmahe]
yan naḥ putrān samuddiśya
[yan nah putraan samuddishya]
tattva-grāma udāhṛtaḥ
[tattva-graama udaahritah]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said vacaḥ — words vaḥ — your samaveta — appropriate artham — whose meaning tāta — O Father etat — these upamanmahe — I consider yat — since naḥ — Us putrān — your sons samuddiśya — by referring to tattva — of categories of fact grāmaḥ — the totality udāhṛtaḥ — set forth .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Personality of Godhead said
vacaḥ
words
vaḥ
your
vaco vaḥ samavetārthaṁ
samaveta
appropriate
artham
whose meaning
tātaitad upamanmahe
tāta
O Father
etat
these
upamanmahe
I consider
yan naḥ putrān samuddiśya
yat
since
naḥ
Us
putrān
your sons
samuddiśya
by referring to
tattva-grāma udāhṛtaḥ
tattva
of categories of fact
grāmaḥ
the totality
udāhṛtaḥ
set forth .
Important Words
  • samaveta-artham — with a fitting meaning
    Compound: samaveta (fitting, joined) + artha (meaning, purpose). Kṛṣṇa is acknowledging that Vasudeva's words are not merely affectionate — they are sam-aveta, technically correct.
  • tāta — dear Father
    Vocative of tāta. The standard affectionate address from a son to a father. Even while teaching the highest tattva, Kṛṣṇa preserves the rasa-relationship by using this single word.
  • putrān samuddiśya — with reference to your sons
    Accusative + gerund. Vasudeva used his sons as the demonstrandum of cosmic categories. Kṛṣṇa observes: you have done illustrative tattva-vyākhyā — taught categories by pointing at persons.
  • tattva-grāmaḥ — the assemblage of categories
    Compound: tattva (essential principle) + grāma (collection, village). The whole inventory of sāṅkhya-vedānta tattvas. Kṛṣṇa is saying: you have, in your father's address, recited the entire tattva-grāma.
The Supreme Lord said: My dear Father, I consider your statements appropriate, since you have explained the various categories of existence by referring to Us, your sons.
Purport

Posing as Vasudeva’s dependent son, Lord Kṛṣṇa expresses gratitude for His father’s edifying instructions.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: My dear father, I consider your statements appropriate, since you have explained the various categories of existence by referring to Us, your sons.
Commentary

I consider your words highly consistent, for you are pointing out your son as the highest truth just to teach others. This is the case in the upanisads, as in "O svetaketu, you are the highest truth. Tattvam asi."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Kṛṣṇa hides his powers in order to strengthen his father’s feelings for him as his son. Taking us sons, including Gada and others (plural), as subjects, you explain the greatness of the Lord (tattva-grama). He praises Vasudeva out of his natural modest conduct. The teaching is similar the Upaniṣad saying, “O Śvetaketu, you are that.”

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The plural (vaḥ) is used to indicate respect for Vasudeva. I consider your words very correct in meaning (samavetārtham). O father, you are worthy of worship. The words are suitable to you. Or rejecting Vasudeva’s conceptions of Kṛṣṇa as the Lord, he confirms his conception of Kṛṣṇa as his son. You have referred to us as sons (putrān). The plural is used to indicate Balarāma also, and to indicate humility of himself by indicating his commonality.

Related values & verses
Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)
Related verses
BG 2.60 BG 5.7 BG 12.5 BG 5.4 BG 16.2 BG 6.1 BG 9.26 BG 10.4 BG 3.27 BG 3.11 BG 18.1 BG 7.8
Personal Guidance
Kṛṣṇa praises Vasudeva's words as appropriate. The Lord acknowledges right understanding rather than insisting on more grandiose praise. Accuracy delights Him.
Reflection Questions
  • When did God last seem to affirm a piece of my understanding?
  • Am I more concerned with grand sentiment in prayer than with simple accuracy?
Analogy

A doctor calls his medical kit 'his children' and means it tenderly — but a colleague who hears him says, 'You speak truer than you know; the kit is also the discipline of medicine.' Kṛṣṇa receives Vasudeva's tattva-statement and ratifies it: 'Yes — you have explained the categories correctly using Us as the example.'

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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