SB 10.90.11 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.90.11

कृष्णस्तु तत्स्तनविषज्जितकुङ्कुमस्रक् क्रीडाभिषङ्गधुतकुन्तलवृन्दबन्ध: । सिञ्चन् मुहुर्युवतिभि: प्रतिषिच्यमानो रेमे करेणुभिरिवेभपति: परीत: ॥ ११ ॥

kṛṣṇas tu tat-stana-viṣajjita-kuṅkuma-srak

[krishnas tu tat-stana-vishajjita-kunkuma-srak]

krīḍābhiṣaṅga-dhuta-kuntala-vṛnda-bandhaḥ

[kreedaabhishanga-dhuta-kuntala-vrinda-bandhah]

siñcan muhur yuvatibhiḥ pratiṣicyamāno

[sinchan muhur yuvatibhih pratishichyamaano]

reme kareṇubhir ivebha-patiḥ parītaḥ

[reme karenubhir ivebha-patih pareetah]

Word-for-word

kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa tu — and tat — their stana — from the breasts viṣajjita — becoming attached kuṅkuma — the kuṅkuma powder srak — on whose flower garland krīḍā — in the sport abhiṣaṅga — due to His absorption dhuta — shaken kuntala — of the locks of hair vṛnda — of the mass bandhaḥ — the arrangement siñcan — sprinkling muhuḥ — repeatedly yuvatibhiḥ — by the young women pratiṣicyamānaḥ — being sprinkled in return reme — He enjoyed kareṇubhiḥ — by she-elephants iva — as ibha - patiḥ — the king of elephants parītaḥ — surrounded .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

kṛṣṇas tu tat-stana-viṣajjita-kuṅkuma-srak

kṛṣṇaḥ

Lord Kṛṣṇa

and

tat

their

stana

from the breasts

viṣajjita

becoming attached

kuṅkuma

the kuṅkuma powder

srak

on whose flower garland

krīḍābhiṣaṅga-dhuta-kuntala-vṛnda-bandhaḥ

krīḍā

in the sport

abhiṣaṅga

due to His absorption

dhuta

shaken

kuntala

of the locks of hair

vṛnda

of the mass

bandhaḥ

the arrangement

siñcan muhur yuvatibhiḥ pratiṣicyamāno

siñcan

sprinkling

muhuḥ

repeatedly

yuvatibhiḥ

by the young women

pratiṣicyamānaḥ

being sprinkled in return

reme kareṇubhir ivebha-patiḥ parītaḥ

reme

He enjoyed

kareṇubhiḥ

by she-elephants

iva

ibha - patiḥ

the king of elephants

parītaḥ

surrounded .

Important Words

kuṅkuma — vermilion powder
The auspicious red used by married women. Smeared from the queens' breasts onto Kṛṣṇa's garland, it visibly marks Him as theirs. Gauḍīyas note the perfect inversion: usually the wife wears the husband's mark; here Bhagavān wears the wives'.
ibha-patiḥ — the lord of elephants
ibha (elephant) + patiḥ (lord). The lead bull-elephant in his herd. Distant echo of Gajendra-mokṣa (SB 8.2-3) — but inverted: there Bhagavān rescues the elephant-king; here Bhagavān is the elephant-king at play. Same Person, different līlā.
yuvatibhiḥ — with the young women
Instrumental plural of yuvatī — youthful woman. The queens of Dvārakā are eternally young; Vaikuṇṭha bodies do not age (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.33). Aiśvarya here mirrors a feature of the spiritual world itself.
krīḍā — play, sport
From √krīḍ. Same root as līlā's twin term. Every act of Bhagavān is krīḍā — His exertion is not for any unmet need but for the relishing of relationship. Vedānta-sūtra 2.1.33 again.
siñcan — sprinkling
Present participle of √sic. The water-syringe play is a vocabulary that returns in Vaiṣṇava devotional drama (e.g. the holī-līlās of Vraja in Gopāla-campū). Bhagavān is splashed; bhakti is the splashing back.

Lord Kṛṣṇa’s flower garland would become smeared with kuṅkuma from their breasts, and His abundant locks of hair would become disheveled as a result of His absorption in the game. As the Lord repeatedly sprayed His young consorts and they sprayed Him in turn, He enjoyed Himself like the king of elephants enjoying in the company of his bevy of she-elephants.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Lord Kṛṣṇa's flower garland would become smeared with kuṅkuma from their breasts, and His abundant locks of hair would become disheveled as a result of His absorption in the game. As the Lord repeatedly sprayed His young consorts and they sprayed Him in turn, He enjoyed Himself like the king of elephants enjoying in the company of his bevy of she-elephants.

Commentary

His garland was smeared with the kumkuma from their breasts.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The Lord attained the highest bliss. The word tu indicates Kṛṣṇa especially. His garland became smeared with kuṁkuma from their breasts during the water play. Though previously kuṁkuma colored his garland, now it would not come off. He continually sprinkled them and they continually sprinkled him. He was surrounded by the young women like an elephant surrounded by his wives. The elephants also like to play in the water.

Related values & verses

Related values

Adambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Discriminative Wisdom

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

Kṛṣṇa's garland is smeared with kuṅkuma from their breasts; His hair is dampened. Real intimacy leaves traces; the Lord wears the marks of His beloveds' touch.

Reflection Questions

What marks does my intimacy with God leave on me visibly?
Where am I keeping my devotion too clean, missing its messier evidence?

Analogy

Kṛṣṇa emerges from the pool with kuṅkuma smeared on His flower-garland and His hair tangled — the bull-elephant of love among his cow-elephants. The marks of His queens are now visible on Him: the Lord wears His devotees' touch as an ornament.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io