SB 10.89.26-27 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.89.26-27

तामर्जुन उपश्रुत्य कर्हिचित् केशवान्तिके । परेते नवमे बाले ब्राह्मणं समभाषत ॥ २६ ॥ किंस्विद् ब्रह्मंस्त्वन्निवासे इह नास्ति धनुर्धर: । राजन्यबन्धुरेते वै ब्राह्मणा: सत्रमासते ॥ २७ ॥

tām arjuna upaśrutya

[taam arjuna upashrutya]

karhicit keśavāntike

[karhichit keshavaantike]

parete navame bāle

[parete navame baale]

brāhmaṇaṁ samabhāṣata

[braahmanam samabhaashata]

kiṁ svid brahmaṁs tvan-nivāse

[kim svid brahmams tvan-nivaase]

iha nāsti dhanur-dharaḥ

[iha naasti dhanur-dharah]

rājanya-bandhur ete vai

[raajanya-bandhur ete vai]

brāhmaṇāḥ satram āsate

[braahmanaah satram aasate]

Word-for-word

tām — that (lamentation) arjunaḥ — Arjuna upaśrutya — happening to hear karhicit — once keśava — of Lord Kṛṣṇa antike — in the proximity parete — having died navame — the ninth bāle — child brāhmaṇam — to the brāhmaṇa samabhāṣata — he said kim svit — whether brahman — O brāhmaṇa tvat — your nivāse — at the home iha — here na asti — there is not dhanuḥ - dharaḥ — holding his bow in his hand rājanya - bandhuḥ — a fallen member of the royal order ete — these ( kṣatriyas ) vaḥ — indeed brāhmaṇāḥ — (like) brāhmaṇas satre — at a major fire sacrifice āsate — are present .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

tām arjuna upaśrutya

tām

that (lamentation)

arjunaḥ

Arjuna

upaśrutya

happening to hear

karhicit keśavāntike

karhicit

once

keśava

of Lord Kṛṣṇa

antike

in the proximity

parete navame bāle

parete

having died

navame

the ninth

bāle

child

brāhmaṇaṁ samabhāṣata

brāhmaṇam

to the brāhmaṇa

samabhāṣata

he said

kiṁ svid brahmaṁs tvan-nivāse

kim svit

whether

brahman

O brāhmaṇa

tvat

your

nivāse

at the home

iha nāsti dhanur-dharaḥ

iha

here

na asti

there is not

dhanuḥ - dharaḥ

holding his bow in his hand

rājanya - bandhuḥ

a fallen member of the royal order

rājanya-bandhur ete vai

ete

these ( kṣatriyas )

vaḥ

indeed

brāhmaṇāḥ satram āsate

brāhmaṇāḥ

(like) brāhmaṇas

satre

at a major fire sacrifice

āsate

are present .

Important Words

keśava-antike — near Keśava
Compound: keśava (Kṛṣṇa) + antika (proximity). The single load-bearing phrase of the second half of the chapter. Arjuna's strength will turn out to be entirely a function of his nearness to Kṛṣṇa.
navame — at the ninth (child)
Locative of navama. Nine times the brāhmaṇa has come. The verse times Arjuna's entry precisely — patience for eight, action at the ninth. Gauḍīyas read the number as deliberate, marking the limit of bystander dharma.
dhanuḥ-dharaḥ — bow-holder
Compound: dhanuḥ (bow) + dhara (holder). Arjuna names the missing function of the Yadu warriors — no one is bow-in-hand to defend a brāhmaṇa. The taunt is bitter; the irony is that he will soon discover his own bow is not the agent either.
rājanya-bandhuḥ — a so-called member of the royal order
Compound: rājanya (royal) + bandhu (mere relative). Arjuna throws back at the Yādavas the very pejorative the brāhmaṇa used in verse 23. The chapter folds the language back on itself.

When the ninth child died, Arjuna, who was near Lord Keśava, happened to overhear the brāhmaṇa lamenting. Thus Arjuna addressed the brāhmaṇa: “What is the matter, my dear brāhmaṇa? Isn’t there some lowly member of the royal order here who can at least stand before your house with a bow in his hand? These kṣatriyas are behaving as if they were brāhmaṇas idly engaged in fire sacrifices.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

When the ninth child died, Arjuna, who was near Lord Keśava, happened to overhear the brāhmaṇa lamenting. Thus Arjuna addressed the brāhmaṇa: "What is the matter, my dear brāhmaṇa? Isn't there some lowly member of the royal order here who can at least stand before your house with a bow in his hand? These kṣatriyas are behaving as if they were brāhmaṇas idly engaged in fire sacrifices.

Commentary

"Is there not even a low class ksatriya here, who has respect for brahmanas? What kind of profession is this? " Saying this, Aruna arrogantly glanced around at the people standing there. "Please say what the ksatriya should do in this critical situation?" Showing his index finger he said with sarcasm, "The brahmanas are about to perform sacrifice. They are supposed to be protected, but let them get destroyed."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Hearing through others about his complaint while he was with Kṛṣṇa, he came to the brāhmaṇa and spoke loudly to console him. Arjuna addressed him with respect, “O brāhmaṇa!” in order to pacify him, gain his trust, and to indicate the fault of others present who were indifferent to him. Can a lowly kṣatriya not protect you, what to speak of a real kṣatriya? Vai indicates similarity.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

When the ninth child died, Arjuna, who was near Kṛṣṇa, directly the supreme Lord or the killer of Keśī (keśavasya), heard nearby or from others the lament of the bṛahmaṇa, he approached the brāhmaṇa and spoke loudly, in an indirect way, to appease him. O brāhmaṇa, directly the form of the Vedas! By this he indicates the excellence of the brāhmaṇa and confirms the fault of the king. Why is there no warrior at your house in Dvārakā? The unqualified kṣatriyas living here are only brāhmaṇas who perform sacrifices.

Related values & verses

Related values

Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)

Personal Guidance

At the ninth death, Arjuna overhears and addresses the brāhmaṇa. The hero finally responds — and devotees with capacity must answer when grief calls.

Reflection Questions

Whose grief am I overhearing that I have not yet responded to?
Where does my capacity oblige me to speak when others remain silent?

Analogy

Arjuna, standing beside Kṛṣṇa, hears the lament for the ninth time and finally cannot stay silent. His sarcasm — 'these kṣatriyas behave like brāhmaṇas idly engaged in fire-sacrifices' — is the voice of a warrior whose dharma has been touched. But standing 'near Keśava' will turn out to be the only relevant fact in the whole chapter.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io