FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.15.27

ఏవం సుహృద్వచ: శ్రుత్వా సుహృత్ప్రియచికీర్షయా । ప్రహస్య జగ్మతుర్గోపైర్వృతౌ తాలవనం ప్రభూ ॥ ౨౭ ॥
evaṁ suhṛd-vacaḥ śrutvā
[evam suhrid-vachah shrutvaa]
suhṛt-priya-cikīrṣayā
[suhrit-priya-chikeershayaa]
prahasya jagmatur gopair
[prahasya jagmatur gopair]
vṛtau tālavanaṁ prabhū
[vritau taalavanam prabhoo]
evam — thus suhṛt — of Their friends vacaḥ — the words śrutvā — hearing suhṛt — to Their friends priya — pleasure cikīrṣayā — desiring to give prahasya — laughing jagmatuḥ — the two of Them went gopaiḥ — by the cowherd boys vṛtau — surrounded tāla - vanam — to the Tāla forest prabhū — the two Lords .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evaṁ suhṛd-vacaḥ śrutvā
evam
thus
suhṛt
of Their friends
vacaḥ
the words
śrutvā
hearing
suhṛt-priya-cikīrṣayā
suhṛt
to Their friends
priya
pleasure
cikīrṣayā
desiring to give
prahasya jagmatur gopair
prahasya
laughing
jagmatuḥ
the two of Them went
gopaiḥ
by the cowherd boys
vṛtau tālavanaṁ prabhū
vṛtau
surrounded
tāla - vanam
to the Tāla forest
prabhū
the two Lords .
  • suhṛt — friends
    Literally su (good) + hṛt (heart) — those whose hearts are good toward us. Gauḍīya: suhṛt is a softer term than sakhā; the Bhāgavatam often calls Kṛṣṇa suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29) — friend of all. Here the relation reverses: He treats the boys as suhṛts.
  • priya-cikīrṣayā — desiring to give pleasure
    priya (pleasing) + cikīrṣā (desire to do). Gauḍīya: the Lord's deepest motive in Vraja-līlā is bhakta-priya-cikīrṣā — the desire to please His devotees. The whole canto unfolds along that axis.
  • prahasya — laughing
    Absolutive of pra + √has (to laugh aloud). Gauḍīya: laughter accompanies Kṛṣṇa's agreement; the līlā begins with His humor. The Lord's smile is the green-light of every Vraja-adventure.
  • tāla-vanam — to the Tāla forest
    tāla (palm) + vana (forest). The specific site of this līlā. Gauḍīya: Tālavana is preserved today by Vaiṣṇavas as one of the dvādaśa-vanas (twelve forests) of Vraja-maṇḍala; the Six Gosvāmīs mapped them.
  • prabhū — the two Lords
    Dual of prabhu — Lord. Gauḍīya: prabhū dual is the Bhāgavatam's standard way of referring to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma together — two Lords moving as one, distinct yet inseparable. The Caitanya line later applies the same dual to Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya.
Hearing the words of Their dear companions, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma laughed and, desiring to please them, set off for the Tālavana surrounded by Their cowherd boyfriends.

Lord Kṛṣṇa was thinking, “How can a mere ass be so formidable?” And thus He smiled at the petition of His boyfriends. As stated by Lord Kapila in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.28.32) , hāsaṁ harer avanatākhila-loka-tīvra-śokāśru-sāgara-viśoṣaṇam aty-udāram: “The smile and laughter of the Supreme Lord Hari is most magnanimous. Indeed, for those who bow down to the Lord, His smile and laughter dry up the ocean of tears caused by the intense suffering of this world.” Thus, to encourage Their boyfriends, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma smiled, laughed and immediately set out with them for the Tāla forest.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Hearing the words of Their dear companions, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma laughed and, desiring to please them, set off for the Tālavana surrounded by Their cowherd boyfriends.
Commentary

Krsna and Balarama laughed. "How can a donkey be so strong? That is impossible." Therefore they laughed loudly. Their friends must be telling a lie.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Surrounded by their friends, the two went to the forest. They showed their abilities (prabhū) to give joy to their friends.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The two boys heard the words of Śrīdāma and others and desired to please their friends by broadcasting their glories. They laughed loudly because they heard the fearful descriptions of the boys. Or they laughed to remove the worry of the boys. Kapila says: hāsaṁ harer avanatākhila-loka-tīvra- śokāśru-sāgara-viśoṣaṇam atyudāram sammohanāya racitaṁ nija-māyayāsya bhrū-maṇḍalaṁ muni-kṛte makara-dhvajasya One should meditate on the generous smile of the Lord which completely dries up the ocean of tears of intense grief in his devotees caused by separation. One should meditate on the Lord’s brow, manufactured by his own energy to bewilder Cupid for the benefit of the sages. SB 3.28.32 They were surrounded by the affectionate boys since the boys feared the demon would harm the boys. Another version has sārddham instead of vṛtau, with the same meaning. They showed their abilities (prabhū) in order to give the boys joy. Or as the lords of the boys (prabhū) they were suitable to please them.

Related values
Dhriti (Resilience / Steadfastness / Fortitude)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kartavya (Duty / Responsibility)Achapalya (Steadiness / Non-fickleness)Satya (Truthfulness)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Mardava (Gentleness)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva

An elder brother indulges his younger siblings' demands with a laugh — not because the request is wise but because pleasing them IS wise. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma laugh at the cowherd boys' Tālavana scheme, then go — suhṛt-priya-cikīrṣayā, wanting to please the friends. The Lord's motion in Vraja is set by His friends' wishes, not by His own assessment of risk.

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