SB 10.36.27 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.36.27

ఇత్యాజ్ఞాప్యార్థతన్త్రజ్ఞ ఆహూయ యదుపుఙ్గవమ్ । గృహీత్వా పాణినా పాణిం తతోఽక్రూరమువాచ హ ॥ ౨౭ ॥

ity ājñāpyārtha-tantra-jña

[ity aajnaapyaartha-tantra-jna]

āhūya yadu-puṅgavam

[aahooya yadu-pungavam]

gṛhītvā pāṇinā pāṇiṁ

[griheetvaa paaninaa paanim]

tato ’krūram uvāca ha

[tato ’krooram uvaacha ha]

Word-for-word

iti — with these words ājñāpya — ordering artha — of personal interest and advantage tantra — of the doctrine jñaḥ — the knower āhūya — calling for yadu - puṅgavam — the most eminent of the Yadus gṛhītvā — taking pāṇinā — with his own hand pāṇim — his hand tataḥ — then akrūram — to Akrūra uvāca ha — he said .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

ity ājñāpyārtha-tantra-jña

iti

with these words

ājñāpya

ordering

artha

of personal interest and advantage

tantra

of the doctrine

jñaḥ

the knower

āhūya yadu-puṅgavam

āhūya

calling for

yadu - puṅgavam

the most eminent of the Yadus

gṛhītvā pāṇinā pāṇiṁ

gṛhītvā

taking

pāṇinā

with his own hand

pāṇim

his hand

tato ’krūram uvāca ha

tataḥ

then

akrūram

to Akrūra

uvāca ha

he said .

Important Words

artha - tantra - jñaḥ — knower of the science of self-interest
Artha (purpose, gain) + tantra (system, science) + jñā (knower). Kaṁsa is named as a master of the artha-śāstra — political calculation. The Bhāgavatam quietly contrasts him with Akrūra, who is about to act outside this calculus.
akrūram — Akrūra
A (not) + krūra (cruel) — 'the non-cruel one.' He is named for the opposite of Kaṁsa's whole disposition. Gauḍīya tradition reveres Akrūra as a great devotee and the chariot-driver who carried the Lord out of Vraja.
yadu - puṅgavam — best of the Yadus
Yadu (the Yadu clan) + puṅgava (bull, foremost). Akrūra is the foremost Yadu, the same lineage from which Kṛṣṇa Himself takes birth. Kaṁsa is sending a Yadu to bring two more Yadus — his own kinsmen executing his fall.
pāṇim — (his) hand
The hand-taking gesture (pāṇi-grahaṇa) is the language of intimate trust — used in marriage, in friendship-pacts. Kaṁsa imitates the form to extract Akrūra's cooperation; the Bhāgavatam wants the reader to feel the hollowness.

Having thus commanded his ministers, Kaṁsa next called for Akrūra, the most eminent of the Yadus. Kaṁsa knew the art of securing personal advantage, and thus he took Akrūra’s hand in his own and spoke to him as follows.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Having thus commanded his ministers, Kaṁsa next called for Akrūra, the most eminent of the Yadus. Kaṁsa knew the art of securing personal advantage, and thus he took Akrūra's hand in his own and spoke to him as follows.

Commentary

Kamsa was knowledgeable of artha sastra. That means he knew all about artha and kama, but not dharma and moksa.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Kaṁsa knew the conclusions (tantra) about artha, material benefits, or the scriptures concerning them, but not the scriptures about dharma. Akūra was the most trustworthy of the Yadus (yadu-puṅgavam). Therefore he was suitable to go. He called him, not because he was Kaṁsa’s man, but because Akrūra could deliberate on matters skillfully. He held Akrūra’s hand to show affection and to make sure that he would not tell others what he would say. He spoke to him among his own people, not others (tataḥ or tatra). Ha means he spoke clearly.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Svadhyaya (Self-study & Scripture Study)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Nishkama Karma (Selfless Action)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)

Concepts

JivaDharma

Related lectures

BKG SB 10-36-27 - Artha personal interest and advantage - 2022-06-07 New Goloka
His Holiness Bir Krishna Goswami· 2022-06-07· English

Personal Guidance

Analogy

Kaṁsa takes Akrūra's hand in his own — the very gesture of friendship, performed by a man whose every other gesture is murder. Bhakti's tragedy and comedy both: Akrūra, who lives inwardly already as Kṛṣṇa's devotee, is now to be sent on the perfect errand by the perfect enemy.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io