FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.23.9

एवं ब्रुवाणमबलाखिलयोगमाया- विद्याविचक्षणमवेक्ष्य गताधिरासीत् । सम्प्रश्रयप्रणयविह्वलया गिरेषद्- व्रीडावलोकविलसद्धसिताननाह ॥ ९ ॥
evaṁ bruvāṇam abalākhila-yoga-māyā-
[evam bruvaanam abalaakhila-yoga-maayaa-]
vidyā-vicakṣaṇam avekṣya gatādhir āsīt
[vidyaa-vichakshanam avekshya gataadhir aaseet]
sampraśraya-praṇaya-vihvalayā gireṣad-
[samprashraya-pranaya-vihvalayaa gireshad-]
vrīḍāvaloka-vilasad-dhasitānanāha
[vreedaavaloka-vilasad-dhasitaananaaha]
Word-for-word
evam — thus bruvāṇam — speaking abalā — the woman akhila — all yoga-māyā — of transcendental science vidyā-vicakṣaṇam — excelling in knowledge avekṣya — after hearing gata-ādhiḥ — satisfied āsīt — she became sampraśraya — with humility praṇaya — and with love vihvalayā — choked up girā — with a voice īṣat — slightly vrīḍā — bashful avaloka — with a glance vilasat — shining hasita — smiling ānanā — her face āha — she spoke.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evaṁ bruvāṇam abalākhila-yoga-māyā-
evam
thus
bruvāṇam
speaking
abalā
the woman
akhila
all
yoga-māyā
of transcendental science
vidyā-vicakṣaṇam avekṣya gatādhir āsīt
vidyā-vicakṣaṇam
excelling in knowledge
avekṣya
after hearing
gata-ādhiḥ
satisfied
āsīt
she became
sampraśraya-praṇaya-vihvalayā gireṣad-
sampraśraya
with humility
praṇaya
and with love
vihvalayā
choked up
girā
with a voice
īṣat
slightly
vrīḍāvaloka-vilasad-dhasitānanāha
vrīḍā
bashful
avaloka
with a glance
vilasat
shining
hasita
smiling
ānanā
her face
āha
she spoke.
Upon hearing the speaking of her husband, who excelled in knowledge of all kinds of transcendental science, innocent Devahūti was very satisfied. Her smiling face shining with a slightly bashful glance, she spoke in a choked voice because of great humility and love.
Purport

It is said that if one is already engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord, then it can be supposed that he has finished all the recommended courses of austerity, penance, religion, sacrifice, mystic yoga and meditation. Devahūti’s husband was so expert in the transcendental science that there was nothing for him to argue about, and when she heard him speak she was confident that since he was very much advanced in devotional service he had already surpassed all transcendental educational activities. She had no doubt about the gifts offered by her husband; she knew that he was expert in offering such gifts, and when she understood that he was offering the greatest gift, she was very satisfied. She was overwhelmed with ecstatic love, and therefore she could not reply. Then, with faltering language, just like an attractive wife, she spoke the following words.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Hearing the words of her husband, who was expert in all worship and yogic powers, Devahūti became relieved. With shining a smile and a slightly bashful glance on her face, she spoke words choked with humility and love. He was expert in all worship and powers arising from yoga. She considered in her mind, “My husband is giving me a wealth of enjoyment and liberation beyond my experience of the present world. This is not ordinary pleasure.” Thus she was agitated with humility (saṁpraśraya) and love. In this state she approached her husband. She spoke by means of her slightly bashful glance and a face shining with a smile. She found it impossible to speak with her mouth in the next two verses because of the contrary taste in praying for material enjoyment from her husband, and because she was the crest jewel among all women. Therefore to speak, she used a glance infused with an embarrassing smile as her mouth. Her humility and love made her voice choke up. Thus she clearly stated her intentions in the two following verses, but without using her mouth. She remained silent.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Real devotion is steady, not theatrical. The verse treats bhakti as the work the soul was made for — every other career is a temporary detour from this primary employment.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is your devotional life mostly verbal, and where is it actually costing you something?
  • Whom in your life would notice if your devotional service deepened, and what would they see?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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