FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.15.41

కృష్ణ: కమలపత్రాక్ష: పుణ్యశ్రవణకీర్తన: । స్తూయమానోఽనుగైర్గోపై: సాగ్రజో వ్రజమావ్రజత్ ॥ ౪౧ ॥
kṛṣṇaḥ kamala-patrākṣaḥ
[krishnah kamala-patraakshah]
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
[punya-shravana-keertanah]
stūyamāno ’nugair gopaiḥ
[stooyamaano ’nugair gopaih]
sāgrajo vrajam āvrajat
[saagrajo vrajam aavrajat]
kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa kamala - patra - akṣaḥ — whose eyes are like lotus petals puṇya - śravaṇa - kīrtanaḥ — hearing and chanting about whom is the most pious activity stūyamānaḥ — being glorified anugaiḥ — by His followers gopaiḥ — the cowherd boys sa - agra - jaḥ — together with His elder brother, Balarāma vrajam — to Vraja āvrajat — He returned .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kṛṣṇaḥ kamala-patrākṣaḥ
kṛṣṇaḥ
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
kamala - patra - akṣaḥ
whose eyes are like lotus petals
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
puṇya - śravaṇa - kīrtanaḥ
hearing and chanting about whom is the most pious activity
stūyamāno ’nugair gopaiḥ
stūyamānaḥ
being glorified
anugaiḥ
by His followers
gopaiḥ
the cowherd boys
sāgrajo vrajam āvrajat
sa - agra - jaḥ
together with His elder brother, Balarāma
vrajam
to Vraja
āvrajat
He returned .
  • kamala-patra-akṣaḥ — whose eyes are like lotus petals
    kamala (lotus) + patra (petal) + akṣa (eye). Gauḍīya: the standard Vaiṣṇava epithet for Kṛṣṇa's eyes; the lotus-petal shape is the iconographic anchor. Eyes that wide, that pink-tinged, are described over and over in Vraja-poetry.
  • puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ — hearing and chanting about whom is the most pious activity
    puṇya (pious) + śravaṇa (hearing) + kīrtana (chanting). Gauḍīya: this compound is the verse-form of the first two limbs of navadhā-bhakti (SB 7.5.23). To hear and chant about Kṛṣṇa is itself puṇya — the practice already contains the result.
  • stūyamānaḥ — being glorified
    Present passive participle of √stu — to praise. Gauḍīya: He is being-praised continuously; the cowherds' kīrtana around Him doesn't pause. Vraja's walking-rhythm is praise-rhythm.
  • sa-agra-jaḥ — together with His elder brother, Balarāma
    sa (with) + agra-ja (elder-born). Gauḍīya: same as verse 4's agra-jam. The brothers walk together back into Vraja — they do not separate.
  • vrajam āvrajat — He returned to Vraja
    vraja (the village) + āvrajat (came toward). Word-play: vraja means both the place-name and 'to go' (root √vraj). He vraja'd to Vraja. Gauḍīya: the verb and the noun share the same root — homecoming IS the going.
Then lotus-eyed Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose glories are most pious to hear and chant, returned home to Vraja with His elder brother, Balarāma. Along the way, the cowherd boys, His faithful followers, chanted His glories.

When the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are vibrated, both the speakers and the hearers are purified and become pious.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Then lotus-eyed Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose glories are most pious to hear and chant, returned home to Vraja with His elder brother, Balarāma. Along the way, the cowherd boys, His faithful followers, chanted His glories.
Commentary

Entering the village after leaving the forest is described in three verses. Krsna, who attracted the hearts of all the inhabitants of Vraja, who had lotus petal eyes to attract both the eyes and nostrils, whose flute songs (kirtana)are good fortune (punya) for the ears (sravana), glorified by the cowherd boys, entered Vraja.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Having told an incidental story, the killing of Dhenuka, from another day, the description now returns to the evening pastimes on first day of herding the cows. Six verses describe the evening pastime. A description of the general devotees of Vraja as they gazing at the boys is given. By mentioning Kṛṣṇa, how he attracted everyone’s heart is indicated. This is particularized in the words following. His eyes like lotus petals indicate his beauty. He manifested a little of kaiśora beauty with redness at the tips of the eyes and with the length and width of the eyes. Because he is endowed with all good qualities and actions, hearing about him and glorifying him produces auspiciousness (puṇya-sravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ). This means that by hearing about him the people of Vraja diminished their pain of separation and gave bliss to those around them. After pointing out his beauty, the verse describes the beauty of his followers surrounding him.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Having told an incidental story, the killing of Dhenuka, from another day, the description now returns to the pastimes on first day of herding the cows. After concluding the forest pastimes there is a description of pastimes in Vraja. Six verses describe the evening pastime. Or the pastimes in Tālavana occurred on the first day of herding the cows since there is no words like “one day this happened.” At the end of Kārtika month the ripe tāla fruits are most abundant but all seasons take shelter of Vṛndāvana. Because of the nature of the place, an eastern wind occurs in order to have rain in autumn. Kṛṣṇa alone is mentioned since he is the prominent person. Generally he is the chief person in the pastimes. Also he was most eager to enter Vraja and wanted to give special bliss of everyone there. He also though of joyfully meeting the gopīs who would come in front to see him. Kṛṣṇa is he who attracts everyone’s heart. He is described. His lotus eyes indicate his beauty. Chanting and hearing his glories is auspicious. This indicates the greatness of his qualities and actions. By hearing that, the pain of separation was relieved for the general populace and joy produced for the gopīs. He desired to reveal his form and qualities to the people of Vraja by his arrival there. He was praised by cowherds and others following behind (anugaiḥ), showing his form and qualities particularly the killing of Dhenuka that day. This way both Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs could attain complete sight of each other. Or he was praised by cowherds like Śrīdāma who were naturally his followers, out of friendship. Those from Vraja were in front and other friends were there as well. While praising Kṛṣṇa they walked (āvrajat). Śukadeva, on the bank of the Gaṅgā had at this point developed a vision of being a member of Vraja

Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Kartavya (Duty / Responsibility)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)
Related verses

After a long expedition, a prince returns home with his retinue singing his praises — the entire approach to the city is one moving kīrtana. Kṛṣṇa returns to Vraja from Tālavana exactly so: lotus-eyed, with Balarāma, the boys behind chanting puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana. The walk back is itself sādhana; every step home is a verse of His glory.

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