FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.24.53-55

प्रवरश्रुतमुख्यांश्च साक्षाद् धर्मो वसूनिव वसुदेवस्तु देवक्यामष्ट पुत्रानजीजनत् ॥ ५३ ॥ कीर्तिमन्तं सुषेणं च भद्रसेनमुदारधी: ऋजुं सम्मर्दनं भद्रं सङ्कर्षणमहीश्वरम् ॥ ५४ ॥ अष्टमस्तु तयोरासीत् स्वयमेव हरि: किल सुभद्रा च महाभागा तव राजन् पितामही ॥ ५५ ॥
pravara-śruta-mukhyāṁś ca
[pravara-shruta-mukhyaamsh cha]
sākṣād dharmo vasūn iva
[saakshaad dharmo vasoon iva]
vasudevas tu devakyām
[vasudevas tu devakyaam]
aṣṭa putrān ajījanat
[ashta putraan ajeejanat]
kīrtimantaṁ suṣeṇaṁ ca
[keertimantam sushenam cha]
bhadrasenam udāra-dhīḥ
[bhadrasenam udaara-dheeh]
ṛjuṁ sammardanaṁ bhadraṁ
[rijum sammardanam bhadram]
saṅkarṣaṇam ahīśvaram
[sankarshanam aheeshvaram]
aṣṭamas tu tayor āsīt
[ashtamas tu tayor aaseet]
svayam eva hariḥ kila
[svayam eva harih kila]
subhadrā ca mahābhāgā
[subhadraa cha mahaabhaagaa]
tava rājan pitāmahī
[tava raajan pitaamahee]
Word-for-word
pravara — Pravara (in some readings, Pauvara) śruta — Śruta mukhyān — headed by ca — and sākṣāt — directly dharmaḥ — religion personified vasūn iva — exactly like the chief Vasus in the heavenly planets vasudevaḥ — Śrīla Vasudeva, the father of Kṛṣṇa tu — indeed devakyām — in the womb of Devakī aṣṭa — eight putrān — sons ajījanat — begot kīrtimantam — Kīrtimān suṣeṇam ca — and Suṣeṇa bhadrasenam — Bhadrasena udāra-dhīḥ — all fully qualified ṛjum — Ṛju sammardanam — Sammardana bhadram — Bhadra saṅkarṣaṇam — Saṅkarṣaṇa ahi-īśvaram — the supreme controller and serpent incarnation aṣṭamaḥ — the eighth one tu — but tayoḥ — of both (Devakī and Vasudeva) āsīt — appeared svayam eva — directly, personally hariḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead kila — what to speak of subhadrā — a sister, Subhadrā ca — and mahābhāgā — highly fortunate tava — your rājan — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit pitāmahī — grandmother.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pravara-śruta-mukhyāṁś ca
pravara
Pravara (in some readings, Pauvara)
śruta
Śruta
mukhyān
headed by
ca
and
sākṣād dharmo vasūn iva
sākṣāt
directly
dharmaḥ
religion personified
vasūn iva
exactly like the chief Vasus in the heavenly planets
vasudevaḥ
Śrīla Vasudeva, the father of Kṛṣṇa
vasudevas tu devakyām
tu
indeed
devakyām
in the womb of Devakī
aṣṭa putrān ajījanat
aṣṭa
eight
putrān
sons
ajījanat
begot
kīrtimantaṁ suṣeṇaṁ ca
kīrtimantam
Kīrtimān
suṣeṇam ca
and Suṣeṇa
bhadrasenam udāra-dhīḥ
bhadrasenam
Bhadrasena
udāra-dhīḥ
all fully qualified
ṛjuṁ sammardanaṁ bhadraṁ
ṛjum
Ṛju
sammardanam
Sammardana
bhadram
Bhadra
saṅkarṣaṇam ahīśvaram
saṅkarṣaṇam
Saṅkarṣaṇa
ahi-īśvaram
the supreme controller and serpent incarnation
aṣṭamas tu tayor āsīt
aṣṭamaḥ
the eighth one
tu
but
tayoḥ
of both (Devakī and Vasudeva)
āsīt
appeared
svayam eva hariḥ kila
svayam eva
directly, personally
hariḥ
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
kila
what to speak of
subhadrā ca mahābhāgā
subhadrā
a sister, Subhadrā
ca
and
mahābhāgā
highly fortunate
tava rājan pitāmahī
tava
your
rājan
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit
pitāmahī
grandmother.
The eight sons born of Sahadevā such as Pravara and Śruta, were exact incarnations of the eight Vasus in the heavenly planets. Vasudeva also begot eight highly qualified sons through the womb of Devakī. These included Kīrtimān, Suṣeṇa, Bhadrasena, Ṛju, Sammardana, Bhadra and Saṅkarṣaṇa, the controller and serpent incarnation. The eighth son was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself — Kṛṣṇa. The highly fortunate Subhadrā, the one daughter, was your grandmother.
Purport

The fifty-fifth verse says, svayam eva hariḥ kila, indicating that Kṛṣṇa, the eighth son of Devakī, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation. Although there is no difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari and His incarnation, Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Person, the complete Godhead. Incarnations exhibit only a certain percentage of the potencies of Godhead; the complete Godhead is Kṛṣṇa Himself, who appeared as the eighth son of Devakī.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The eight sons of Sahadevā were headed by Pravara and Śruta. Vasudeva, dharma personified, also begot eight sons equal to the Vasus through the womb of Devakī. These included the wise Kīrtimān, Suṣeṇa, Bhadrasena, Ṛju, Sammardana, Bhadra and Saṅkarṣaṇa, the controller and serpent incarnation. But their eighth son was Svayam Bhagavān. The highly fortunate Subhadrā, your grandmother, was also their daughter. Svayam means Kṛṣṇa is not an aṁśa.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Sahadevā's eight sons are incarnations of the eight Vasus; Devakī's eighth son is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself — Kṛṣṇa. The whole canto has been preparing this single sentence: Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation; He is the original.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I let the full weight of that single sentence reach me, or has familiarity dulled it?
  • What in my devotional life would change today if I genuinely reaccepted Kṛṣṇa as the original, not a category?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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