FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.38.27

దేహంభృతామియానర్థో హిత్వా దమ్భం భియం శుచమ్ । సన్దేశాద్ యో హరేర్లిఙ్గదర్శనశ్రవణాదిభి: ॥ ౨౭ ॥
dehaṁ-bhṛtām iyān artho
[deham-bhritaam iyaan artho]
hitvā dambhaṁ bhiyaṁ śucam
[hitvaa dambham bhiyam shucham]
sandeśād yo harer liṅga-
[sandeshaad yo harer linga-]
darśana-śravaṇādibhiḥ
[darshana-shravanaadibhih]
deham - bhṛtām — of embodied beings iyān — this much arthaḥ — the goal of life hitvā — giving up dambham — pride bhiyam — fear śucam — and sorrow sandeśāt — beginning from his being ordered (by Kaṁsa) yaḥ — which hareḥ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa liṅga — the signs darśana — with the seeing śravaṇa — hearing about ādibhiḥ — and so on .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dehaṁ-bhṛtām iyān artho
deham - bhṛtām
of embodied beings
iyān
this much
arthaḥ
the goal of life
hitvā dambhaṁ bhiyaṁ śucam
hitvā
giving up
dambham
pride
bhiyam
fear
śucam
and sorrow
sandeśād yo harer liṅga-
sandeśāt
beginning from his being ordered (by Kaṁsa)
yaḥ
which
hareḥ
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
liṅga
the signs
darśana-śravaṇādibhiḥ
darśana
with the seeing
śravaṇa
hearing about
ādibhiḥ
and so on .
  • arthaḥ — the goal of life
    The fourth puruṣārtha in the conventional list is artha, but here arthaḥ means "the meaning, the purpose." Gauḍīyas read this as the parama-puruṣārtha — kṛṣṇa-prema — replacing dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa together (cf. Caitanya-caritāmṛta on prema-prayojana).
  • dambham — pride
    Vanity, hypocrisy, self-display. Bhāgavata lists dambha as the chief impediment to bhakti (cf. 11.19.40). Gauḍīyas read its absence in Akrūra's roll as the precondition for the experience — he is not performing devotion; the devotion is performing him.
  • bhiyam — fear
    Fear — the second impurity Akrūra has set down. The state of abhaya (fearlessness) Kṛṣṇa promises to the surrendered (cf. BG 18.30, 34) is the inverse. Gauḍīyas regard abhaya as a fruit of śaraṇāgati.
  • śucam — sorrow
    Grief, lamentation. The same śoca that Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna to abandon (BG 18.66, mā śucaḥ). Gauḍīyas pair these three — dambha, bhī, śoka — as the entry-fee one pays at the threshold of bhakti.
  • liṅga — the signs
    Marks, indications. Here the liṅga of Hari — the dust, footprints, news of His doings. Gauḍīyas treasure this principle: Bhagavān is met not only directly but through His signs, and the signs are full of Him.
  • darśana — with the seeing
    From √dṛś. The first of the three modes Akrūra has been engaged in: seeing, hearing, describing. Gauḍīyas identify these as the foundational triad of bhakti-life: śravaṇa, kīrtana, smaraṇa unfolding through the senses.
  • śravaṇa — hearing about
    From √śru. The first of the nine limbs of bhakti per SB 7.5.23 (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ). Akrūra's whole inner monologue has been a form of self-administered śravaṇa, recalling what he has heard about Kṛṣṇa.
The very goal of life for all embodied beings is this ecstasy, which Akrūra experienced when, upon receiving Kaṁsa’s order, he put aside all pride, fear and lamentation and absorbed himself in seeing, hearing and describing the things that reminded him of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that Akrūra gave up fear by openly showing his love and reverence for Kṛṣṇa, even though he or his family might have been punished by the angry Kaṁsa. Akrūra gave up his pride in being an aristocratic member of society and worshiped the cowherd residents of the simple village of Vṛndāvana. And he gave up lamenting for his house, wife and family, which were in danger from King Kaṁsa. Giving up all these things, he rolled in the dust of the lotus feet of God.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The very goal of life for all embodied beings is this ecstasy, which Akrūra experienced when, upon receiving Kaṁsa's order, he put aside all pride, fear and lamentation and absorbed himself in seeing, hearing and describing the things that reminded him of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Commentary

After describing the actions of Akrura’s body, words and mind, from his starting the journey in Mathura until his entrance in Vraja, the conclusion is given in this verse, as Akrura gave up all false pride on seeing the footprints and rolled on the ground. This is the goal of human life. He gave up the pride (hitva bambham) such as "How can I ,Akrura, minister of the king, worshipped by the king, roll in the dust of a cowherd boy?" He gave up fear of Kamsa being angry for rolling in the dust of Krsna, his enemy. He gave up lamentation (sucam) concerning destruction of his wife, children and house by angry Kamsa. Giving up the fear can also mean giving up fear of criticism from friends .Giving up lamentation can mean giving up the following considerations: "As we are born in good families with power, respected by all. how can we roll in the dust of vaisnas who are low, penniless, dressed in worn cloth, disrespected by all others?" The wise men, on seeing the vaisnava with tilaka and garland and marks of the Lord on his body, should roll in the dust of his feet. The phrase giving up pride, fear and lamentation can be a reference to the ordinary man, but not applicable to Akrura. Hearing and remembering the glories of Hari from Narada, Akrura had a desire to serve the lord in dasya rasa. "When will I serve Hari in this way, and when will I get the good fortune to see him?" This should be the desire of the devotee.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

In relating how Akrūra rolled in the foot dust, Śukadeva praises Akrūra because of his intense bhakti. This is the goal for those having bodies. Otherwise the body is useless. The statement that after giving up pride, fear and anxiety this goal arises applies to Akrūra as well. Akrūra gave up pride as illustrated in verse 18, “The infallible, omniscient Lord will (I hope) not consider me an enemy, even though Kaṁsa has sent me here as his messenger.” Though pride did not manifest, he had cause for lamentation and fear since his friends were being persecuted by Kaṁsa. But in front of Kṛṣṇa who had appeared to protect his family there was no cause for becoming overcome by lamentation and fear. Verse 26 stated that he experienced increasing bliss on seeing the foot prints. kaccid budhaḥ svasty anamīva āste śvaphalka-putro bhagavat-prapannaḥ yaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāṅkita-mārga-pāṁsuṣv aceṣṭata prema-vibhinna-dhairyaḥ How is wise, sinless Akrūra, surrendered to the Lord, who, losing control out of strong prema, rolled in the dusty path marked by the footprints of Kṛṣṇa? SB 3.1.32 He could not react in this way if all sorrow had not been removed. Instead of śucam the word śokaṁ is also seen. In order to bring the chariot into Gokula, after rolling in the dust, he again mounted it, for it is mentioned in verse 34 that again he dismounted to bow to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

In relating how Akrūra rolled in the foot dust, Śukadeva praises Akrūra because of his intense bhakti. This is the goal for those having bodies. Otherwise the body is useless. “He put aside all pride, fear and lamentation.” This is a general description. In prema, such qualities are not actually present. Dambha means falsity. Lamentation is caused by separation from things one treasures. One experiences fear because of wicked people. If these are present, he could not roll on the ground. Thus it says that he gave these up. Or it is meant as an instruction. Giving up is recommended because of the wealth of prema. Hareḥ means “of he who attracts the mind.” He absorbed himself in hearing, seeing and the symbols (liṅga). Remembering and chanting are also included and also serving as a messenger (sandeśāt). Or the goal of the living entities is rolling on the earth in prema (iyān). What was his verbal service? It is chanting such as verse 26. Liṅga can also mean the deity form. Chanting however is the main process since he was filled with prema. Later, he mounted the chariot to bring it into Gokula. In verse 34 it is described that he then dismounted the chariot.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses

When pride, fear, and grief simultaneously fall off a man and only Kṛṣṇa-remembrance is left, that residue is the human goal — the gold left when every impurity has burned away. Śuka pauses the narrative to name what Akrūra's rolling in the dust actually is: artha, the meaning, for which a body is born at all.

📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 38