SB 10.86.11 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.86.11

तच्छ्रुत्वा क्षुभितो राम: पर्वणीव महार्णव: । गृहीतपाद: कृष्णेन सुहृद्भ‍िश्चानुसान्‍त्‍वित: ॥ ११ ॥

tac chrutvā kṣubhito rāmaḥ

[tach chrutvaa kshubhito raamah]

parvaṇīva mahārṇavaḥ

[parvaneeva mahaarnavah]

gṛhīta-pādaḥ kṛṣṇena

[griheeta-paadah krishnena]

suhṛdbhiś cānusāntvitaḥ

[suhridbhish chaanusaantvitah]

Word-for-word

tat — this śrutvā — hearing kṣubhitaḥ — disturbed rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma parvaṇi — at the juncture of the month iva — as if mahā - arṇavaḥ — the ocean gṛhīta — grasped pādaḥ — His feet kṛṣṇena — by Lord Kṛṣṇa suhṛdbhiḥ — by His family members ca — and anusāntvitaḥ — carefully pacified .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tac chrutvā kṣubhito rāmaḥ

tat

this

śrutvā

hearing

kṣubhitaḥ

disturbed

rāmaḥ

Lord Balarāma

parvaṇīva mahārṇavaḥ

parvaṇi

at the juncture of the month

iva

as if

mahā - arṇavaḥ

the ocean

gṛhīta-pādaḥ kṛṣṇena

gṛhīta

grasped

pādaḥ

His feet

kṛṣṇena

by Lord Kṛṣṇa

suhṛdbhiś cānusāntvitaḥ

suhṛdbhiḥ

by His family members

and

anusāntvitaḥ

carefully pacified .

Important Words

kṣubhitaḥ — disturbed
Past participle of √kṣubh — to be agitated. The same root used for Arjuna's heart in v. 6, 8; the family is a single body of bhāva — when one part is shaken, another rises. Bhagavān-līlā moves by such resonances.
mahā-arṇavaḥ — the great ocean
Compound: mahā + arṇava (ocean). Balarāma is likened to the ocean at parvan (full moon), tidal and overwhelming. Gauḍīyas read it as ananta-balarāma, the unbounded Saṅkarṣaṇa whose anger is cosmic but always controllable by Kṛṣṇa's touch.
gṛhīta-pādaḥ — whose feet were grasped
Compound: gṛhīta (taken) + pādaḥ (feet). Kṛṣṇa, who is touched by the gopīs' feet in Vraja, here Himself grasps His elder brother's feet — a stunning image of dāsya offered by Bhagavān to Bhagavān. The Lord teaches family-dharma by performing it.
anusāntvitaḥ — carefully pacified
Anu + √sāntv (to soothe). Balarāma is pacified — not by argument, but by sāntvana, the gentle word. Gauḍīyas mark this as the model for resolving conflict with seniors: not by overruling but by softening.

When He heard of Subhadrā’s kidnapping, Lord Balarāma became as disturbed as the ocean during the full moon, but Lord Kṛṣṇa respectfully took hold of His feet and, together with other family members, pacified Him by explaining the matter.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

When He heard of Subhadrā's kidnapping, Lord Balarāma became as disturbed as the ocean during the full moon, but Lord Kṛṣṇa respectfully took hold of His feet and, together with other family members, pacified Him by explaining the matter.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Balarāma was pacified by sweet words and brought out to realization. Another version has anvaśāmyata instead of anusāntvitaḥ.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Hearing the shouting or about the abduction, Balarāma, who gives all people joy as the Lord, became agitated. He could not control himself out of intense anger. An example of something undisturbed sometimes being disturbed is given. He was like the ocean during the full moon. This indicates also that he was very disturbed. He was pacified by Vasudeva and others. By sweet words he was calmed and came to his senses.

Related values & verses

Related values

Adambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

Balarāma is disturbed like the ocean at full moon when He hears. Even when the elopement is divinely sanctioned, the family elders feel the disturbance. Disruption is real even when right.

Reflection Questions

What 'right' decision of mine has caused disturbance that I have failed to honor?
How do I tend to relationships disturbed by choices I still believe were correct?

Analogy

Balarāma rises like the full-moon ocean — high tide of anger from the elder brother. Kṛṣṇa, the smaller in years but greater in deliberation, falls at His feet. Whenever the family's mood swings, the younger Bhagavān bows; this is the rhythm by which the līlā keeps its peace.

Stories

Caitanya and Nityānanda

The Gauḍīya parallel is exact: Nityānanda Prabhu, who is Balarāma Himself, sometimes acted in ways that scandalized smārta orthodoxy; Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is Kṛṣṇa, would soften the response by approaching Nityānanda with humility. The elder brother is honored even when the younger has already decided the matter.

Gauḍīyas read SB 10.86.11 as the cosmic original of this dynamic — Kṛṣṇa never overrides Balarāma openly, He pacifies. Authority is preserved, sanction is quietly upheld.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io