FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.23.34

శ్రీశుక ఉవాచ ఇత్యుక్తా ద్విజపత్‍న్యస్తా యజ్ఞవాటం పునర్గతా: । తే చానసూయవస్తాభి: స్త్రీభి: సత్రమపారయన్ ॥ ౩౪ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
ity uktā dvija-patnyas tā
[ity uktaa dvija-patnyas taa]
yajña-vāṭaṁ punar gatāḥ
[yajna-vaatam punar gataah]
te cānasūyavas tābhiḥ
[te chaanasooyavas taabhih]
strībhiḥ satram apārayan
[streebhih satram apaarayan]
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said iti — with these words uktāḥ — spoken to dvija - patnyaḥ — the wives of the brāhmaṇas tāḥ — they yajña - vāṭam — to the place of sacrifice punaḥ — again gatāḥ — went te — they, their husbands ca — and anasūyavaḥ — not inimical tābhiḥ — together with them strībhiḥ — their wives satram — the sacrificial performance apārayan — they completed .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
ity uktā dvija-patnyas tā
iti
with these words
uktāḥ
spoken to
dvija - patnyaḥ
the wives of the brāhmaṇas
tāḥ
they
yajña-vāṭaṁ punar gatāḥ
yajña - vāṭam
to the place of sacrifice
punaḥ
again
gatāḥ
went
te cānasūyavas tābhiḥ
te
they, their husbands
ca
and
anasūyavaḥ
not inimical
tābhiḥ
together with them
strībhiḥ satram apārayan
strībhiḥ
their wives
satram
the sacrificial performance
apārayan
they completed .
  • yajña-vāṭam — to the place of sacrifice
    Compound: yajña (sacrifice) + vāṭam (enclosure). The technical name for the bounded sacrificial ground. The wives, having crossed the boundary spiritually, re-cross it physically — without losing what they crossed for.
  • dvija-patnyaḥ — the wives of the brāhmaṇas
    Compound: dvija + patnyaḥ. Same designation as throughout the chapter — they keep their social identity. Bhakti does not require renouncing varṇāśrama-role; it requires re-locating the heart inside it.
  • anasūyavaḥ — not inimical
    Compound: an (not) + asūyavaḥ (those who envy). The husbands' anger is removed — Kṛṣṇa's promise in verse 31 has been fulfilled in this single word. Gauḍīya reads: when Bhagavān undertakes a social arrangement, it holds.
  • satram-apārayan — they completed the sacrifice
    Compound: satram (sacrifice) + apārayan (made to reach the far shore). The sacrifice does reach completion — but now it is a yajña whose offerings were already received by the Lord whose wives served Him in the forest.
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus instructed, the wives of the brāhmaṇas returned to the place of sacrifice. The brāhmaṇas did not find any fault with their wives, and together with them they finished the sacrifice.

The wives of the brāhmaṇas obeyed Lord Kṛṣṇa’s order and returned to the sacrificial arena of their husbands, whereas the gopīs, although ordered by Kṛṣṇa to go home, remained in the forest to dance with Him through the full-moon night. Both the gopīs and the brāhmaṇas’ wives achieved pure love of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus instructed, the wives of the brāhmaṇas returned to the place of sacrifice. The brāhmaṇas did not find any fault with their wives, and together with them they finished the sacrifice.
Commentary

At that sacrificial arena (tatra) there was one brahaman lady situated at the back, who was forcibly held by her husband. She gave up her body produced by material karma, not her body filled with prema. She embraced Krsna with a body filled with prema, attained by strong desire in separation. Unseen by others, she assumed her spiritual body and quickly left that place to meet Krsna. Having given up husband and other objects of attachment, is it surprising that someone also gives up the material body to meet Krsna? In order to show the strength of prema, the lord’s mercy made her give up the material body at the time of meeting Krsna and receive a spiritual body of prema. Like a touchstone, this action transformed the other wives’ material bodies into spiritual bodies as well. Thus, from that day onward, they did not associate intimately with their husbands. What is not possible for Krsna’s krpa sakti? One cannot say whether the one brahmana lady was superior in her bhakti to the others or not, since there is no indication given in scripture. But in any case, all became perfected by the mercy of Krsna. That is clear. There is a saying: krpasiddha yajna panti vairocani sukadayah (The wives of the brahmanas, Bali maharaja, Sukadeva and others are all krpa siddha.)

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The brāhmaṇas completed the sacrifice with their wives, who had received the mercy of the Lord. Because the Lord disregarded their immediate request, the fault in the sacrifice was removed and became endowed with all good qualities. Instead of tābhiḥ sometimes svābhiḥ is found. The brāhmaṇas with each of their wives individually completed the sacrifice.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The brāhmaṇas completed the sacrifice with their wives, who had received the mercy of the Lord. The fault in the sacrifice was removed and became endowed with all good qualities. Instead of tābhiḥ sometimes svābhiḥ is found. The brāhmaṇas with each of their wives individually completed the sacrifice. Without their wives the sacrifice could not be completed. By the mercy of the Lord’s words or by the influence of their returning with the Lord’s mercy, they did not find fault with them.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses

A river that returns to its bed after the flood, but now carrying gold dust in its silt — the wives return to the yajña, and the yajña is completed, but everything has changed under the surface.

📝 My note

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