FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.1.27

कच्चित्कुरूणां परम: सुहृन्नो भाम: स आस्ते सुखमङ्ग शौरि: । यो वै स्वसृणां पितृवद्ददाति वरान् वदान्यो वरतर्पणेन ॥ २७ ॥
kaccit kurūṇāṁ paramaḥ suhṛn no
[kachchit kuroonaam paramah suhrin no]
bhāmaḥ sa āste sukham aṅga śauriḥ
[bhaamah sa aaste sukham anga shaurih]
yo vai svasṝṇāṁ pitṛvad dadāti
[yo vai svasreenaam pitrivad dadaati]
varān vadānyo vara-tarpaṇena
[varaan vadaanyo vara-tarpanena]
kaccit — whether kurūṇām — of the Kurus paramaḥ — greatest suhṛt — well-wisher naḥ — our bhāmaḥ — brother-in-law saḥ — he āste — is sukham — happy aṅga — O Uddhava śauriḥ — Vasudeva yaḥ — one who vai — certainly svasṝṇām — of the sisters pitṛ-vat — like a father dadāti — gives varān — everything desirable vadānyaḥ — munificent vara — wife tarpaṇena — by pleasing.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kaccit kurūṇāṁ paramaḥ suhṛn no
kaccit
whether
kurūṇām
of the Kurus
paramaḥ
greatest
suhṛt
well-wisher
bhāmaḥ sa āste sukham aṅga śauriḥ
yo vai svasṝṇāṁ pitṛvad dadāti
naḥ
our
bhāmaḥ
brother-in-law
saḥ
he
āste
is
sukham
happy
varān vadānyo vara-tarpaṇena
aṅga
O Uddhava
śauriḥ
Vasudeva
yaḥ
one who
vai
certainly
svasṝṇām
of the sisters
pitṛ-vat
like a father
dadāti
gives
varān
everything desirable
vadānyaḥ
munificent
vara
wife
tarpaṇena
by pleasing.
[Please tell me] whether the best friend of the Kurus, our brother-in-law Vasudeva, is doing well. He is very munificent. He is like a father to his sisters, and he is always pleasing to his wives.

Lord Kṛṣṇa’s father, Vasudeva, had sixteen wives, and one of them, named Pauravī or Rohiṇī, the mother of Baladeva, was the sister of Vidura. Vasudeva, therefore, was the husband of Vidura’s sister, and thus they were brothers-in-law. Vasudeva’s sister Kuntī was the wife of Pāṇḍu, Vidura’s elder brother, and in that sense also, Vasudeva was brother-in-law to Vidura. Kuntī was younger than Vasudeva, and it was the duty of the elder brother to treat younger sisters as daughters. Whenever anything was needed by Kuntī, it was munificently delivered by Vasudeva, due to his great love for his younger sister. Vasudeva never dissatisfied his wives, and at the same time he supplied the objects desired by his sister. He had special attention for Kuntī because she became a widow at an early age. While inquiring about Vasudeva’s welfare, Vidura remembered all about him and the family relationship.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
How is our friend Vasudeva, the greatest of the Kurus, and the husband of our sister, who, generous like a father to Kuntī and her sisters, gave gifts for the pleasure of their husbands? Bhāmaḥ means that Vasudeva was the husband of Vidura’s sister-in-law, since Vidura and others were brothers-in-law to Devakī through Kuntī, Vasudeva’s sister. Śauri is Vasudeva. Vasudeva had greatest affection for Kuntī among all his sisters. When it mentions here that he was like a father to his sisters, it means he had great affection for Kuntī, since he did not show such affection to the other sisters.
Vasudeva treated sisters like daughters and wives without disappointment. A spiritual householder is recognized not by ritual alone but by whether the women in his life experience him as generous, protective, and pleasing.
Reflection Questions
  • How would the women closest to you describe your generosity, attentiveness, and reliability?
  • What small practice could make you more like Vasudeva in your home this week?
📝 My note

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