FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.23.49

पतिं सा प्रव्रजिष्यन्तं तदालक्ष्योशतीबहि: । स्मयमाना विक्लवेन हृदयेन विदूयता ॥ ४९ ॥
patiṁ sā pravrajiṣyantaṁ
[patim saa pravrajishyantam]
tadālakṣyośatī bahiḥ
[tadaalakshyoshatee bahih]
smayamānā viklavena
[smayamaanaa viklavena]
hṛdayena vidūyatā
[hridayena vidooyataa]
patim — her husband sā — she pravrajiṣyantam — going to leave home tadā — then ālakṣya — after seeing uśatī — beautiful bahiḥ — outwardly smayamānā — smiling viklavena — agitated hṛdayena — with a heart vidūyatā — being distressed.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
patiṁ sā pravrajiṣyantaṁ
patim
her husband
sā
she
pravrajiṣyantam
going to leave home
tadā
then
tadālakṣyośatī bahiḥ
ālakṣya
after seeing
uśatī
beautiful
bahiḥ
outwardly
smayamānā viklavena
smayamānā
smiling
viklavena
agitated
hṛdayena vidūyatā
hṛdayena
with a heart
vidūyatā
being distressed.
When she saw her husband about to leave home, she smiled externally, but at heart she was agitated and distressed.

Kardama Muni finished his household affairs quickly by his mystic power. The building of the castle in the air, traveling all over the universe with his wife in the company of beautiful girls, and begetting of children were finished, and now, according to his promise to leave home for his real concern of spiritual realization after impregnating his wife, he was about to go away. Seeing her husband about to leave, Devahūti was very disturbed, but to satisfy her husband she was smiling. The example of Kardama Muni should be understood very clearly; a person whose main concern is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he is entrapped in household life, should always be ready to leave household enticement as soon as possible.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing her husband leaving the home, the beautiful Devahuti smiled outwardly, but with a heart disturbed and pained, she looked down, writing on the earth with her jewel-like toe nails, and, suppressing her tears, slowly spoke charming words. She smiled since that was natural on seeing her husband, but actually her heart was filled with worry and agitation.
Detachment in this verse is not cold rejection but clear seeing. Real renunciation is loosening the grip of 'mine' on things and people we never truly owned anyway.
Reflection Questions
  • What relationship or possession do you currently call 'mine' as though it could not be taken back?
  • What would loving your people while holding them loosely look like in practice?
📝 My note

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