FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.26.2

బాలకస్య యదేతాని కర్మాణ్యత్యద్భ‍ుతాని వై । కథమర్హత్యసౌ జన్మ గ్రామ్యేష్వాత్మజుగుప్సితమ్ ॥ ౨ ॥
bālakasya yad etāni
[baalakasya yad etaani]
karmāṇy aty-adbhutāni vai
[karmaany aty-adbhutaani vai]
katham arhaty asau janma
[katham arhaty asau janma]
grāmyeṣv ātma-jugupsitam
[graamyeshv aatma-jugupsitam]
bālakasya — of the boy yat — because etāni — these karmāṇi — activities ati - adbhutāni — most amazing vai — certainly katham — how arhati — should deserve asau — He janma — birth grāmyeṣu — among worldly men ātma — for Himself jugupsitam — contemptible .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bālakasya yad etāni
bālakasya
of the boy
yat
because
etāni
these
karmāṇy aty-adbhutāni vai
karmāṇi
activities
ati - adbhutāni
most amazing
vai
certainly
katham arhaty asau janma
katham
how
arhati
should deserve
asau
He
janma
birth
grāmyeṣv ātma-jugupsitam
grāmyeṣu
among worldly men
ātma
for Himself
jugupsitam
contemptible .
  • ati-adbhutāni — most amazing
    Ati (exceedingly) + adbhuta (wonderful). Adbhuta-rasa is one of the seven secondary rasas in Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu; here it is the gopas' presenting bhāva, but it serves their underlying vātsalya rather than displacing it.
  • bālakasya — of the boy
    Genitive of bālaka (small child). The gopas keep the diminutive even as they list cosmic feats — Vraja never lets Kṛṣṇa stop being a boy. This is the acintya of acintya-bhedābheda: aiśvarya hidden inside mādhurya.
  • janma — birth
    From √jan. In Gauḻīya theology Kṛṣṇa's janma is not karma-baddha but a-prākṛta — He appears, He is not born. BG 4.9 (janma karma ca me divyam) is the doctrinal anchor the gopas do not yet possess.
  • grāmyeṣu — among worldly men
    From grāma (village). Connotes the ordinary, rural-mundane plane. The gopas' question carries an unintended humility — they reckon themselves grāmya while sensing their son is not.
  • jugupsitam — contemptible
    From √gup with desiderative — 'to be wished hidden, to be despised.' A strong word. The gopas cannot reconcile such a low-seeming birth with such high deeds; the answer (chapter's punchline at v.22) is that Nārāyaṇa Himself elected this 'low' birth out of love.
[The cowherd men said:] Since this boy performs such extraordinary activities, how could He warrant a birth among worldly men like us — a birth that for Him would seem contemptible?

An ordinary living being cannot avoid unpleasant circumstances, but the supreme controller can always make perfect arrangements for His pleasure.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
[The cowherd men said:] Since this boy performs such extraordinary activities, how could He warrant a birth among worldly men like us—a birth that for Him would seem contemptible?
Commentary

"Since this boy has performed such astonishing activities he cannot be an ordinary boy. He must be God. But if that is so, how could he be born in a cowherd family and become the object of criticism?" Use of the word asau to denote Krsna indicates that he was not present but had gone to the forest. The full expression of feelings could take place only in his absence. "Even the lesser avataras are not born in such low family as ours , what to speak of the outstanding avataras."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He is only a boy (vai) but performs these astonishing activities. Sometimes the word ca is seen instead of vai. Ca means “even though.” How could he take birth in a lowly family which would make him subject to criticism? The word asau indicates that he was not present, since he had gone to the forest. His presence when they spoke would be contrary to rasa.

Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Bhakti (Devotion)Nishkama Karma (Selfless Action)
Concepts
JivaRasaKarma

A prince raised in a forester's hut may eat from clay bowls and run barefoot, but the moment he draws the royal bow the cottage feels too small for him. The gopas sense the same here: Kṛṣṇa's deeds have outgrown the category 'our boy,' and they cannot understand why the prince consented to the cottage at all.

📝 My note

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