FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.4.8

वाम ऊरावधिश्रित्य दक्षिणाङ्‌घ्रि सरोरुहम् । अपाश्रितार्भकाश्वत्थमकृशं त्यक्तपिप्पलम् ॥ ८ ॥
vāma ūrāv adhiśritya
[vaama ooraav adhishritya]
dakṣiṇāṅghri-saroruham
[dakshinaanghri-saroruham]
apāśritārbhakāśvattham
[apaashritaarbhakaashvattham]
akṛśaṁ tyakta-pippalam
[akrisham tyakta-pippalam]
Word-for-word
vāme — on the left ūrau — thigh adhiśritya — placed on dakṣiṇa-aṅghri-saroruham — the right lotus foot apāśrita — taking rest against arbhaka — young aśvattham — banyan tree akṛśam — cheerful tyakta — having left pippalam — household comforts.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
vāma ūrāv adhiśritya
vāme
on the left
ūrau
thigh
adhiśritya
placed on
dakṣiṇāṅghri-saroruham
dakṣiṇa-aṅghri-saroruham
the right lotus foot
apāśritārbhakāśvattham
apāśrita
taking rest against
arbhaka
young
aśvattham
banyan tree
akṛśaṁ tyakta-pippalam
akṛśam
cheerful
tyakta
having left
pippalam
household comforts.
The Lord was sitting, taking rest against a young banyan tree, with His right lotus foot on His left thigh, and although He had left all household comforts, He looked quite cheerful in that posture.
Purport

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the Lord’s sitting posture — keeping His back against the newly grown banyan tree — is also meaningful. Aśvattha, the banyan tree, is so called because the tree does not die very quickly; it continues to live for many, many years. His legs and their energies are the material ingredients, which are five in all: earth, water, fire, air and sky. The material energies represented by the banyan tree are all products of His external potency and are therefore kept to His back. And because this particular universe is the smallest of all, the banyan tree is therefore designated as small, or as a child. Tyakta-pippalam indicates that He had now finished His pastimes in this particular small universe, but since the Lord is absolute and eternally blissful, there is no difference between His leaving or accepting something. The Lord was now prepared to leave this particular universe and go into another, just as the sun rises on one particular planet and sets in another simultaneously but does not change its own situation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
His right foot was placed on his left thigh and he was leaning against a young aśvattha tree. Giving up his pastimes in this world, he was blissful. He had his right foot placed over (adhiśritya) his left thigh. His back was leaning against (apāśrita) a young aśvattha tree. The derivation of aśvattha is na śvaḥ tiṣṭhati: what does not last till tomorrow (śvas means tomorrow). This refers to the material world made of five elements, which is temporary. Māyā stands behind the Lord. “May materialistic people not see me!” This is the intention of Kṛṣṇa’s action of leaning against the aśvattha tree. The tree is described as young to indicate that among all the universes, this universe is very small. Tyakta-pippalam means that Lord had given up his pastimes in this world, since the word pippala refers to the material happiness in the śrutis. [Note: dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṁ vṛkṣaṁ pariṣasvajāte tayor anyaḥ pippalaṁ svādv atty anaśnann anyo ’bhicākaśīti Two companion birds sit together in the shelter of the same pippala tree. One of them is relishing the taste of the tree’s berries, while the other refrains from eating and instead watches over His friend.” Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.6]
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Krsna leaned cheerfully against a young banyan having renounced everything. Joy and renunciation are compatible. Stop assuming detachment must look grim; the highest renunciate sat smiling.
Reflection Questions
  • Where has your renunciation become heavy because you forgot to be cheerful inside it?
  • What posture of ease could you adopt today as proof that letting go is not the same as grieving?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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