Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.18
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
mudam
—
pleasure, joy
From √mud (to rejoice). Paired in the verse with kartum (to make) — Bhagavān's act is to manufacture mud, joy, for His devotees. Gauḍīyas read this as the standing motive of all līlā: not display, but the production of rasa in the bhaktas.
-
tat-mātṝṇām
—
of their mothers
Compound: tat (their) + mātṛ (mother, plural genitive). The mothers — of calves and boys — come first in the verse. Vraja's vātsalya-rasa is the līlā's primary concern.
-
kasya ca
—
and of Brahmā
ka here = Brahmā (the 'Who-am-I' one). Brahmā is named almost incidentally, sandwiched after the mothers. Gauḍīyas note the diction: even the cosmic teaching to the creator is secondary to the comfort of mothers.
-
ubhayāyitam
—
becoming both
From ubhaya (both) + denominative -yita. He 'made Himself both' — both calves and boys at once. The unique Bhāgavata verb for this unique act. Gauḍīyas use it as a Sanskrit signature of acintya-bhedābheda in action.
-
viśva-kṛt īśvaraḥ
—
the Lord who is creator of the universe
Compound: viśva (universe) + kṛt (maker) + īśvara (Lord). The doctrinal flag: if He has made universes, multiplying into a hundred boys is trivial. The verse undercuts any astonishment in advance.
Although Brahmā was already entangled in bewilderment, he wanted to show his power to the cowherd boys; but after he took away the boys and their calves and returned to his abode, Kṛṣṇa created further astonishment for Brahmā, and for the mothers of the boys, by establishing the lunch pastimes in the forest again and replacing all the calves and boys, just as they had appeared before. According to the Vedas, ekaṁ bahu syām: the Personality of Godhead can become many, many millions upon millions of calves and cowherd boys, as He did to bewilder Brahmā more and more.
While Brahma, bewildered by the Lord’s energy, believed he had bewildered Krsna, Krsna returned home and began performing his pastimes such as eating, as if not bewildered by Brahma, along with the calves and boys. This is not at all astonishing. In order to show his power of illusion of all people even up to Balarama, in order to fulfill the desires of the gopas and gopis to have Krsna as their own son, in order to bewilder Brahma and throw him into the ocean of dismay, in order to show him thousands of forms of Vasudeva, the object of brahma’s devotion, having taught him the Bhagavatam, Krsna took the form of all the calves and boys. To give bliss to Lord Brahma (ka) and the mothers, he expanded himself into both the calves and boys (ubhayayitam). He could do this because he is the master of the mahat tattva which creates the universe (visvakrt isvara).
He expanded himself for all the other mothers who constantly desired Kṛṣṇa to be their own son. The word ca indicates that for some days he also kept safely the cowherd boys, who could not tolerate even a moment’s separation from him, just as he kept the Yādavas safely in Dvārakā since he feared some other disturbances such their entrance into Agha’s stomach, while he was absorbed in pastimes. Thus, because the boys were sleeping due to Brahmā’s māyā, they would not experience suffering from separation. And by seeing the boys (which Kṛṣṇa produced), Kṛṣṇa would not feel extreme separation from them. Another goal is stated. He wanted to give joy to Brahmā since Brahmā worships him with the eighteen syllable mantra. It should be understood that the boys were bewildered by the will of Kṛṣṇa, not by the power of Brahmā’s māyā. The Lord’s pastimes are not understood by ordinary vision. Kṛṣṇa performed actions (cakre) like the calves and the boys. Because of their extreme difference (jīva and īśvāra) he did not become the boys and calves. He could do this quickly since he was the lord of Mahā-viṣṇu and his expansions (viśva-kṛd īśvāraḥ). He was svayam avatārī.
Kṛṣṇa made second forms of the calves and boys because he was attracted to the devotees’ affection (kṛṣṇaḥ). This means that all these forms he created were full of eternity, knowledge and bliss. “How would it be possible to see forms which are beyond māyā?” He was the lord of Brahmā (viśva-krḍ-īṣvaraḥ). He gives all powers. Nothing is impossible for the Lord. Otherwise he would equated with Brahmā who creates the material world.
- Jitamitra Pr Hindi SB 10-13-18 - 10-13-64 - Part-01
- Jitamitra Pr Hindi SB 10-13-18 - 10-13-64 - Part-02
- Rajendranandana Pr SB 10-13-18 - 2020-05-29 ISKCON Mayapur
- Vaisesika Pr SB 10-13-18 - 2017-07-03 Bhaktivedanta Manor
- Vaisesika Pr SB 10-13-18 - 2017-07-03
- JPS SB 10-13-18 - Krishna can do anything - 2000-12-29 New Govardhan
Like a single performer who, behind a curtain, voices every part in a hundred-character play — Kṛṣṇa now becomes every missing boy and every missing calf at once, so that no mother in Vraja will sit down to a silent meal. The substitution is not for His own pleasure; it is for theirs.
The Bhāgavatam states the motive twice: to please the mothers of the boys and calves, and to please Brahmā. The verse names tat-mātṝṇām — 'of the mothers' — first. Brahmā is named second, almost incidentally.
Gauḍīyas treasure this ordering. Kṛṣṇa's primary motive in the cosmic-scale līlā that follows is not to instruct Brahmā but to spare Yaśodā and the gopīs the grief of empty cradles. Vātsalya-rasa is so weighty in svayaṁ-bhagavān that He multiplies Himself into a hundred forms for a year just to keep his mothers' hands full.
My note
Source: vedabase.io