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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.26.14

క్‍వ సప్తహాయనో బాల: క్‍వ మహాద్రివిధారణమ్ । తతో నో జాయతే శఙ్కా వ్రజనాథ తవాత్మజే ॥ ౧౪ ॥
kva sapta-hāyano bālaḥ
[kva sapta-haayano baalah]
kva mahādri-vidhāraṇam
[kva mahaadri-vidhaaranam]
tato no jāyate śaṅkā
[tato no jaayate shankaa]
vraja-nātha tavātmaje
[vraja-naatha tavaatmaje]
kva — where, in comparison sapta - hāyanaḥ — seven years old bālaḥ — this boy kva — where mahā - adri — of the great mountain vidhāraṇam — the lifting tataḥ — thus naḥ — for us jāyate — arises śaṅkā — doubt vraja - nātha — O master of Vraja tava — your ātmaje — concerning the son .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kva sapta-hāyano bālaḥ
kva
where, in comparison
sapta - hāyanaḥ
seven years old
bālaḥ
this boy
kva mahādri-vidhāraṇam
kva
where
mahā - adri
of the great mountain
vidhāraṇam
the lifting
tato no jāyate śaṅkā
tataḥ
thus
vraja-nātha tavātmaje
naḥ
for us
jāyate
arises
śaṅkā
doubt
vraja - nātha
O master of Vraja
tava
your
ātmaje
concerning the son .
  • kva — where, in comparison
    Kva ... kva is a classical Sanskrit idiom of incommensurability — 'where this and where that.' The gopas confess the categorial gap between Kṛṣṇa's body and Kṛṣṇa's act. Their grammar already grants His divinity.
  • mahā-adri — of the great mountain
    Mahā (great) + adri (mountain). Govardhana is mahā-adri, but Gauḻīyas teach he is also Hari Himself in mountain form (haridāsa-varya) — the chapter's central paradox already encoded in the noun.
  • vidhāraṇam — the lifting
    Vi + √dhṛ — to hold up, sustain. Same root as Govardhana ('the increaser of cows' or 'he who sustains the cattle'); the act and the place rhyme grammatically. Kṛṣṇa upholds the upholder.
  • śaṅkā — doubt
    Śaṅkā — apprehension, perplexity, not philosophical doubt of the Western kind. Gauḻīya commentaries read the gopas' śaṅkā as a tremor in vātsalya, immediately calmed when Nanda speaks Garga's words.
  • vraja-nātha — O master of Vraja
    Vraja + nātha (lord). Nanda is the nātha of Vraja in the kingly sense; Kṛṣṇa is the nātha of Vraja in the absolute sense. The verse addresses one, but the other listens.
On the one hand this boy is only seven years old, and on the other we see that He has lifted the great hill Govardhana. Therefore, O King of Vraja, a doubt about your son arises within us.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
On the one hand this boy is only seven years old, and on the other we see that He has lifted the great hill Govardhana. Therefore, O King of Vraja, a doubt about your son arises within us.
Commentary

Already they have described Krsna holding up Govardhana. They repeat the description again in this verse because of their astonishment.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

That Kṛṣṇa was only seven years old, a small child, can be understood from his birth and growth. This can also be understood from seeing other boys’ growth. By lifting Govardhana it could be understood that he was endowed with great powers, by which he could kill Pūtanā and other demons and that he was the natural shelter and object of natural prema. Because of his powers and his being the shelter and object of prema, he cannot be a child. He must be a devatā and among devatās he must be extraordinary since one does not see such things in other children. But since he is only seven years old, it is not possible from him to be anything except a child. Because he lifted Govardhana he cannot be a child. Because of two opposing qualities in one person, we have doubt. This child is other than an ordinary child, or is some remarkable devatā.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Though your child is an ordinary boy, today we have experienced his great powers directly. They speak in astonishment. Because of the contradiction of being and ordinary child and having great powers, doubt arises in their minds. This is expressed in this verse. He is only seven years old. This is his aspect as a normal child. Holding up Govardhana is his aspect of great power. Since an ordinary child cannot hold up a big mountain, there is a great contradiction. Because of this we see him as a child and as the Lord. But that perception is also contradictory. Thus we have a doubt. Though he is the source of avatāras, avatārī (showing sweetness), he manifests as an avatāra (showing powers). Though he is the avatāra, appearing in this world with powers, he is the source, avatārī, showing sweetness. But we cannot be sure because he definitely shows ordinary aspects and aspects as the Lord. Or because he has manifested with powers (tasmāt) we do not have fear (śaṅkā). Thus we cannot give up our attraction to him. O lord of Vraja! Because you control Vraja, everyone here is fortunate. Or because you are the lord of all of Vraja, you can destroy our doubt. Or because he is your son, that doubt does not arise (no jāyate). Because he is repeatedly described as the son of Nanda, doubt does not arise that he is the Lord or the son of Vasudeva. And attachment for those forms does not arise. Or we cannot give up attachment because he is your son. This attraction is unconditional (nirupādhi). He exists eternally as your son. Attraction to him because of his form and qualities (which are upādhis) is also unconditional (nirupādhi). The eternal nature of his qualities will be discussed elsewhere.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
Concepts
Avatara

A man holds two pebbles, one in each hand: in the left, a seven-year-old's chubby fist; in the right, a mountain. He cannot put both pebbles in the same pocket. The gopas are not asking for argument; they are asking for a frame large enough to hold what they have seen.

📝 My note

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