Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.23.6
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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bhūmi-devāḥ
—
O earthly gods
Compound: bhūmi (earth) + devāḥ (gods). The traditional honorific for brāhmaṇas — gods walking on earth. The boys give them full address before the brāhmaṇas have given anything in return; etiquette is one-sided in bhakti.
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kṛṣṇasya-ādeśa-kāriṇaḥ
—
the executors of Kṛṣṇa's order
Compound: kṛṣṇasya (of Kṛṣṇa) + ādeśa (order) + kāriṇaḥ (doers). The boys define themselves entirely by whose instruction they carry — a perfect emblem of the servant's self-definition.
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rāma-coditān
—
sent by Lord Rāma
Compound: rāma (Balarāma) + coditān (impelled). The verb codita — 'urged on by' — has the flavor of inner inspiration, not just dispatch. Balarāma as the guru-tattva impels disciples.
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bhadram
—
all good
Auspiciousness-blessing. Even before being heard, the boys bless their hosts. Bhakta's first instinct is to wish well — the brāhmaṇas' silence in return is the contrast.
The term bhūmi-devāḥ, “gods on earth,” refers here to the brāhmaṇas, who are supposed to closely represent the will of the Supreme Lord. The philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a primitive polytheistic doctrine holding that human beings on the earth are gods. Rather, it is a science that traces the descent of authority from the Absolute Truth Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The authority and power of God naturally extend along with the extension of His creation, and on the earth the Lord’s will and authority are represented by purified, enlightened men called brāhmaṇas. This account will illustrate that the ritualistic brāhmaṇas approached by the cowherd boys were not at all properly enlightened and thus could not appreciate the position of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma or that of Their intimate associates. In fact, this pastime exposes the pretentious position of so-called brāhmaṇas who are not faithful devotees of the Supreme Lord.
We are following Krsna’s order. Because he is the son of King Nanda, he has more power than Balarama. We have been sent by Baladeva. We will give him the first rice that we receive.
They address the brāhmaṇas with devotion. They mention Kṛṣṇa first because their main attraction is for him, forgetting the order that Kṛṣṇa gave them. Balarāma was the main sender however. Covering their mistake they say, “Good fortune to you!” out of respect.
They spoke with devotion. O gods of the earth! They mentioned Kṛṣṇa first though they had been instructed to mention Balarāma first. By nature they had special devotion to Kṛṣṇa, and identified themselves as his servants since he had given the order. Not seeing any respect given when they spoke, they thought they had committed offense and asked forgiveness. Good fortune to you! Or they said this since it was natural for any person making a request. “Why have you servants of Kṛṣṇa come?” We have been sent by Balarāma. By the order of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma sent us. They were devoted to both but were more devoted to Kṛṣṇa. This shows that Kṛṣṇa was greater than Balarāma. Or ordered by Kṛṣṇa we came inspired by Balarāma. So both of them sent us. They did not follow Kṛṣṇa’s order out of devotion to Kṛṣṇa and thus mentioned Kṛṣṇa first. The power of both of them is indicated by their names which are famous and glorious everywhere. Thus we, his servants, have come by his order and not on our own.
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Heralds at a royal gate announce whose authority they carry before they speak their errand. The boys name Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma first — the sender's name is the credential, the request is afterwards.
My note
Source: vedabase.io