Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.14
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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sa-pāṇi-kavalaḥ
—
with the morsel still in His hand
Compound: sa (with) + pāṇi (hand) + kavala (morsel). The line's emotional core. The same kavala that was masṛṇa at verse 11 is now uneaten as He searches. Gauḍīyas hold this image as a meditation-anchor for bhakta-vātsalya — He does not finish lunch before saving His friends.
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adri-darī-kuñja-gahvareṣu
—
in mountains, caves, bowers, and hollows
Compound: adri (mountain) + darī (cave) + kuñja (bower, grove) + gahvara (hidden place). The Bhāgavatam piles up four near-synonyms for hidden terrain — Vraja's geography in detail. Each is a real place in the Vraja-maṇḍala the Six Gosvāmīs identified.
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ātma-vatsakān
—
the calves belonging to His own
Compound: ātma (own) + vatsaka (calf). The calves are 'His own' twice over — He searches for them because they belong to His friends, and (the chapter will reveal) because they are extensions of His own self.
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vicinvan
—
searching
Present participle of vi-√ci (to gather, to investigate carefully). The same root as cit (to perceive). The Lord who is omniscient is here scanning — līlā permits Him to act as if He does not know, so that the rasa of searching can be tasted.
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bhagavān
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Paired in the verse with kṛṣṇaḥ — the cowherd boy clambering through caves is named twice: bhagavān, kṛṣṇaḥ. Gauḍīyas insist on this doubled naming at every juncture of bāla-līlā so the hearer is not tempted to dilute svayaṁ-bhagavān into 'an avatāra' or 'a divine child'.
The Vedas ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8) assert that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has nothing to do personally ( na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate ) because He is doing everything through His energies and potencies ( parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate ). Nonetheless, here we see that He took personal care to find the calves of His friends. This was Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: all the affairs of the entire world and the entire cosmic manifestation are working under His direction, through His different energies. Still, when there is a need to take care of His friends, He does this personally. Kṛṣṇa assured His friends, “Don’t be afraid. I am going personally to search for your calves.” This was Kṛṣṇa’s causeless mercy.
Holding a lump of curd rice in his hand (sapani kavala) he went off, in order to eat a little while he was looking for the calves.
Going to find the calves of other boys out of great affection as the prince of cowherds, he thought of (vicinvan) those calves as his own. Thus the phrase ātmā-vatsakān (his calves) is used. Or, searching (vicinvan) in the mountains, caves, and the depths of the groves, he wandered here and there. But he held curd rice (given by his friends) in his hand. Why did he do this? He is Svayam Bhagavān (bhagavān kṛṣṇaḥ), the form of the Lord who is most merciful to his associates.
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- SNS SB 10-13-14 - Prabhupada-7 - 1994-05-02 Beograd
A father searching for a lost child does not finish his meal first — he goes out with the bread still in his hand. Kṛṣṇa, kavala still between His fingers, walks into every cave and bramble. The half-eaten morsel becomes the standing image of bhakta-vātsalya: He drops everything for those in His care.
My note
Source: vedabase.io