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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.12.44

శ్రీసూత ఉవాచ ఇత్థం స్మ పృష్ట: స తు బాదరాయణి- స్తత్స్మారితానన్తహృతాఖిలేన్ద్రియ: । కృచ్ఛ్రాత్ పునర్లబ్ధబహిర్ద‍ృశి: శనై: ప్రత్యాహ తం భాగవతోత్తమోత్తమ ॥ ౪౪ ॥
śrī-sūta uvāca
[shree-soota uvaacha]
itthaṁ sma pṛṣṭaḥ sa tu bādarāyaṇis
[ittham sma prishtah sa tu baadaraayanis]
tat-smāritānanta-hṛtākhilendriyaḥ
[tat-smaaritaananta-hritaakhilendriyah]
kṛcchrāt punar labdha-bahir-dṛśiḥ śanaiḥ
[krichchraat punar labdha-bahir-drishih shanaih]
pratyāha taṁ bhāgavatottamottama
[pratyaaha tam bhaagavatottamottama]
śrī - sūtaḥ uvāca — Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said ittham — in this way sma — in the past pṛṣṭaḥ — being inquired from saḥ — he tu — indeed bādarāyaṇiḥ — Śukadeva Gosvāmī tat — by him (Śukadeva Gosvāmī) smārita - ananta — as soon as Lord Kṛṣṇa was remembered hṛta — lost in ecstasy akhila - indriyaḥ — all actions of the external senses kṛcchrāt — with great difficulty punaḥ — again labdha - bahiḥ - dṛśiḥ — having revived his external sensory perception śanaiḥ — slowly pratyāha — replied tam — unto Mahārāja Parīkṣit bhāgavata - uttama - uttama — O great saintly person, greatest of all devotees (Śaunaka) .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-sūta uvāca
śrī - sūtaḥ uvāca
Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said
itthaṁ sma pṛṣṭaḥ sa tu bādarāyaṇis
ittham
in this way
sma
in the past
pṛṣṭaḥ
being inquired from
saḥ
he
tu
indeed
bādarāyaṇiḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
tat-smāritānanta-hṛtākhilendriyaḥ
tat
by him (Śukadeva Gosvāmī)
smārita - ananta
as soon as Lord Kṛṣṇa was remembered
hṛta
lost in ecstasy
akhila - indriyaḥ
all actions of the external senses
kṛcchrāt punar labdha-bahir-dṛśiḥ śanaiḥ
kṛcchrāt
with great difficulty
punaḥ
again
labdha - bahiḥ - dṛśiḥ
having revived his external sensory perception
śanaiḥ
slowly
pratyāha taṁ bhāgavatottamottama
pratyāha
replied
tam
unto Mahārāja Parīkṣit
bhāgavata - uttama - uttama
O great saintly person, greatest of all devotees (Śaunaka) .
  • bādarāyaṇiḥ — the son of Bādarāyaṇa (Vyāsa), i.e. Śuka
    Patronymic. Śuka is Vyāsa's son. Gauḍīyas: the Bhāgavatam is Vyāsa's text but Śuka's transmission. Father composes, son delivers — the disciplic pattern of paramparā encoded in Bhāgavatam's own structure.
  • smārita-ananta — reminded of Ananta (Kṛṣṇa)
    Compound: smārita (caused to remember) + Ananta (the unlimited Lord). The mere mention of Kṛṣṇa makes Śuka remember Him. Gauḍīyas: smaraṇa is one of the nine limbs of bhakti — and for Śuka it is constant, not effortful.
  • hṛta-akhila-indriyaḥ — whose senses were all withdrawn
    Compound: hṛta (taken away) + akhila (all) + indriya (sense). Senses fully withdrawn — samādhi-state. Gauḍīyas note: this is pratyāhāra produced not by yogic effort but by bhāva — a higher path to the same condition.
  • bhāgavata-uttama-uttama — the topmost of the topmost devotees
    Compound: bhāgavata (devotee) + uttama (highest) twice. The repetition is emphatic: 'highest of the highest.' Sūta Gosvāmī's salutation to Parīkṣit. Gauḍīyas: the Bhāgavatam grades devotees (kaniṣṭha, madhyama, uttama, mahābhāgavata) — Parīkṣit is highest, and his question deserves the highest answer.
Sūta Gosvāmī said: O Śaunaka, greatest of saints and devotees, when Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī in this way, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, immediately remembering subject matters about Kṛṣṇa within the core of his heart, externally lost contact with the actions of his senses. Thereafter, with great difficulty, he revived his external sensory perception and began to speak to Mahārāja Parīkṣit about kṛṣṇa-kathā.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Tenth Canto, Twelfth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Killing of the Demon Aghāsura.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Sūta Gosvāmī said: O Śaunaka, greatest of saints and devotees, when Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī in this way, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, immediately remembering subject matters about Kṛṣṇa within the core of his heart, externally lost contact with the actions of his senses. Thereafter, with great difficulty, he revived his external sensory perception and began to speak to Mahārāja Parīkṣit about kṛṣṇa-kathā.
Commentary

Sukadeva regained external consciousness because of the loud chanting of the Lord’s name by Narada, Vyasa and others present there, with great effort (krcchrat). Bhagavatottamottama refers to Saunaka in this verse.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

By mentioning Śukadeva as the son of Vyāsa (bādarāyaṇiḥ), his greatness is inferred. His senses were stolen by Kṛṣṇa filled with unlimited powers and the sweet pastimes-- from taking lunch on the grass to being praised by Brahmā--on remembering the question of Parīkṣit. He lost use of his senses on seeing the Lord because of his strong prema. This is the anubhāva called pramoda-moha and also called pralaya (fainting), a transformation of prema like shivering and hairs standing on end. Another version has saṁsmārita. The meaning is the same but it is not accepted by Śrīdhara Svāmī though Citsukha accepts it. He again recovered his external senses after loud kīrtana with instruments like karatālas, conches and various drums. The word “again” indicates that previously he entered such states. According to the wise, at such times Parīkṣit would repeatedly called out “O father!”There is a well known story that because of this, Parīkṣit had his son Janamejaya keep by his side all the instruments for Kṛṣṇa kīrtana. Slowly Śukadeva began speaking since he was still overcome with prema. O Śaukaka, you are the greatest among the great devotees (bhāgavatottamottama)! You are qualified to hear the most secret topics. Citsukha accepts the version bhāgavatottamottamam in the accusative case, since it is mentioned in describing Parīkṣit in the answer in the next chapter. Śrīdhara Svāmī however does not accept it. Śukadeva spoke to the Parīkṣit, the greatest of the great devotees. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Tenth Canto, Twelfth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled, "The Killing of the Demon Aghāsura." 10.13: The Stealing of the Boys and Calves by Brahmā verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47-48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 Chapter Summary This chapter describes Lord Brahmā's attempt to take away the calves and cowherd boys, and it also describes the bewilderment of Lord Brahmā and finally the clearance of his illusion. Although the incident concerning Aghāsura had been performed one year before, when the cowherd boys were five years old, when they were six years old they said, "It happened today." What happened was this. After killing Aghāsura, Kṛṣṇa, along with His associates the cowherd boys, went for a picnic within the forest. The calves, being allured by green grasses, gradually went far away, and therefore Kṛṣṇa's associates became a little agitated and wanted to bring back the calves. Kṛṣṇa, however, encouraged the boys by saying, "You take your tiffin without being agitated. I shall go find the calves." And thus the Lord departed. Then, just to examine the potency of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Brahmā took away all the calves and cowherd boys and kept them in a secluded place. When Kṛṣṇa was unable to find the calves and boys, He could understand that this was a trick performed by Brahmā. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, in order to please Lord Brahmā, as well as His own associates and their mothers, expanded Himself to become the calves and boys, exactly as they were before. In this way, He discovered another pastime. A special feature of this pastime was that the mothers of the cowherd boys thus became more attached to their respective sons, and the cows became more attached to their calves. After nearly a year, Baladeva observed that all the cowherd boys and calves were expansions of Kṛṣṇa. Thus He inquired from Kṛṣṇa and was informed of what had happened. When one full year had passed, Brahmā returned and saw that Kṛṣṇa was still engaged as usual with His friends and the calves and cows. Then Kṛṣṇa exhibited all the calves and cowherd boys as four-armed forms of Nārāyaṇa. Brahmā could then understand Kṛṣṇa's potency, and he was astonished by the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, his worshipable Lord. Kṛṣṇa, however, bestowed His causeless mercy upon Brahmā and released him from illusion. Thus Brahmā began to offer prayers to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Kartavya (Duty / Responsibility)Hrih (Modesty / Sense of Shame)Satya (Truthfulness)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Dana (Charity / Generosity)
Related verses

Picture a sage who, the moment kṛṣṇa-kathā is requested, drops out of contact with his senses — eyes still open but no longer seeing the room, breath still moving but no longer noticing. Śuka's interior swallows his exterior when Kṛṣṇa is the subject. With effort he comes back, and begins to speak. This is the speaker the Bhāgavatam wants — and the listener it produces.

Śukadeva's birth in samādhi

Tradition (recorded across the Purāṇas and Caitanya-caritāmṛta) holds that Śukadeva was born already in spiritual realization — that he left his mother Vyāsa's house immediately, walking past Vyāsa's calls, until Vyāsa himself recited the syllables of Kṛṣṇa's name and Śuka turned. Even the sage's return to the world was conditional on hearing the name.

In 10.12.44 we see this temperament still active. The mere request for kṛṣṇa-kathā plunges Śuka into samādhi; he has to be pulled back to outer awareness with effort. Gauḍīyas: this is the standard of the ideal vaktā — one whose interior is so saturated that the topic alone is enough to absorb him.

📝 My note

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