FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.18.3

స చ వృన్దావనగుణైర్వసన్త ఇవ లక్షిత: । యత్రాస్తే భగవాన్ సాక్షాద్ రామేణ సహ కేశవ: ॥ ౩ ॥
sa ca vṛndāvana-guṇair
[sa cha vrindaavana-gunair]
vasanta iva lakṣitaḥ
[vasanta iva lakshitah]
yatrāste bhagavān sākṣād
[yatraaste bhagavaan saakshaad]
rāmeṇa saha keśavaḥ
[raamena saha keshavah]
saḥ — this (hot season) ca — nevertheless vṛndāvana — of Śrī Vṛndāvana guṇaiḥ — by the transcendental qualities vasantaḥ — springtime iva — as if lakṣitaḥ — manifesting symptoms yatra — in which (Vṛndāvana) āste — remains bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead sākṣāt — personally rāmeṇa saha — together with Lord Balarāma keśavaḥ — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa ca vṛndāvana-guṇair
saḥ
this (hot season)
ca
nevertheless
vṛndāvana
of Śrī Vṛndāvana
guṇaiḥ
by the transcendental qualities
vasanta iva lakṣitaḥ
vasantaḥ
springtime
iva
as if
lakṣitaḥ
manifesting symptoms
yatrāste bhagavān sākṣād
yatra
in which (Vṛndāvana)
āste
remains
bhagavān
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
sākṣāt
personally
rāmeṇa saha keśavaḥ
rāmeṇa saha
together with Lord Balarāma
keśavaḥ
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa .
  • bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead
    Bhagavān = possessor of the six opulences in full. The verse uses this title precisely where He looks least bhagavān — barefoot, in a forest, with a flute — to insist that the disguise does not reduce the Person.
  • sākṣāt — personally
    Indeclinable: directly, in person. The Bhāgavatam keeps inserting sākṣāt during Vraja-līlā to refuse any reading that Kṛṣṇa here is only a partial expansion or symbol. Gauḍīyas read sākṣāt as the doctrinal anchor for svayaṁ-bhagavān.
  • vṛndāvana-guṇaiḥ — by the qualities of Vṛndāvana
    Vṛndāvana is not inert real estate — it has guṇas, transcendental qualities. Gauḍīyas regard the dhāma itself as cit-śakti, a person, the wife of Govinda whose mood pervades every leaf.
  • vasantaḥ-iva — as if spring
    Vasanta (spring) is Kṛṣṇa's preferred ṛtu (in Gītā 10.35 He says ṛtūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ — among seasons I am the flowering one). Where He stays, His own season manifests through whatever season is technically in force.
  • keśavaḥ — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
    He of beautiful hair; or, by Gauḍīya parsing, ka (Brahmā) + īśa (Śiva) + va (master) — the Lord of both. The name is chosen here to underline that summer-becoming-spring is not an aesthetic effect but the sovereignty of Keśava.
Nevertheless, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally staying in Vṛndāvana along with Balarāma, summer manifested the qualities of spring. Such are the features of the land of Vṛndāvana.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Nevertheless, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally staying in Vṛndāvana along with Balarāma, summer manifested the qualities of spring. Such are the features of the land of Vṛndāvana.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Summer however (ca) was like spring because of the qualities of Vṛndāvana. By contact with Vṛndāvana with eternal spring, it took on the qualities of spring. That is the power of Vṛndāvana. Because of its nature, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma stayed there. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says: tasmāt tvayāiṣa duṣṭātmā hataḥ keśī janārdana Tasmāt keśava-nāmā tvaṁ loke geyo bhaviṣyasi O Janārdana! Because Keśī was killed by you, you will be glorified as Keśava in the world. Bhagavān, full of all qualities, eternally plays there (aste). The present tense is used to indicate that Kṛṣṇa makes his appearance to the individual there even now.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Ca means however. Keśava means he who makes Brahmā (ka), Viṣṇu (a), and Śiva (īśa) manifest, or he who has Brahmā and Śiva as servants. Thus it refers to Kṛṣṇa who reveals his powers as Bhagavān. Another meaning is found in Viṣṇu Purāṇa: tasmāt tvayāiṣa duṣṭātmā hataḥ keśī janārdana tasmāt keśava-nāmā tvaṁ loke geyo bhaviṣyasi O Janārdana! Because Keśī was killed by you, you will be glorified as Keśava in the world. Thus Keśava means the killer of Keśī, Kṛṣṇa, who revealed powers and sweetness in Vṛndāvana. In that place Kṛṣṇa remains (āste) manifested (sākṣāt) with Balarāma, who gives him great pleasure (rāmena saha). Balarāma was most helpful, assisting him in the pastimes (saha).

Related values
Dana (Charity / Generosity)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Santosha (Contentment)Discriminative Wisdom
Related verses
Concepts
JivaGuna

Where Kṛṣṇa stays, the calendar negotiates with Him. Summer in Vraja behaves like spring the way iron behaves like fire when the fire enters it — not by abolishing its own nature but by borrowing the qualities of what dwells inside it.

📝 My note

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