FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.39.40

అక్రూరస్తావుపామన్‍త్ర్య నివేశ్య చ రథోపరి । కాలిన్ద్యా హ్రదమాగత్య స్‍నానం విధివదాచరత్ ॥ ౪౦ ॥
akrūras tāv upāmantrya
[akrooras taav upaamantrya]
niveśya ca rathopari
[niveshya cha rathopari]
kālindyā hradam āgatya
[kaalindyaa hradam aagatya]
snānaṁ vidhi-vad ācarat
[snaanam vidhi-vad aacharat]
akrūraḥ — Akrūra tau — from the two of Them upāmantrya — taking permission niveśya — having Them sit down ca — and ratha - upari — on the chariot kālindyāḥ — of the Yamunā hradam — to a pond āgatya — going snānam — his bath vidhi - vat — in accordance with scriptural injunction ācarat — he performed .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
akrūras tāv upāmantrya
akrūraḥ
Akrūra
tau
from the two of Them
upāmantrya
taking permission
niveśya ca rathopari
niveśya
having Them sit down
ca
and
ratha - upari
on the chariot
kālindyā hradam āgatya
kālindyāḥ
of the Yamunā
hradam
to a pond
āgatya
going
snānaṁ vidhi-vad ācarat
snānam
his bath
vidhi - vat
in accordance with scriptural injunction
ācarat
he performed .
  • upāmantrya — having taken leave / requested permission
    Upa + ā + √mantra — to formally request / invite. Akrūra observes the proper etiquette: even though Kṛṣṇa is his charge, he asks permission before leaving the chariot. Devotee's reverence does not lapse.
  • hradam — to the deep pool
    Hrada = a deep pool (as opposed to shallows). Akrūra goes to the deep part — a hint that this will not be an ordinary ablution but an immersion-encounter. Depth is preparation for darśana.
  • vidhi - vat — according to scripture / prescribed rules
    Vidhi-vat — 'as per vidhi.' Akrūra is a learned man; his bath follows śāstric procedure exactly. The Bhāgavata insists: extraordinary vision comes inside scrupulous ordinary practice, not despite it.
  • snānam — the bath
    Snāna = the prescribed Vedic bath with mantras. Akrūra is performing the same daily snāna any orthodox Yādava would do — yet inside this routine bath he will see all of Vaikuṇṭha. Routine is the site of revelation.
Akrūra asked the two Lords to take Their seats on the chariot. Then, taking Their permission, he went to a pool in the Yamunā and took his bath as enjoined in the scriptures.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Akrūra asked the two Lords to take Their seats on the chariot. Then, taking Their permission, he went to a pool in the Yamunā and took his bath as enjoined in the scriptures.
Commentary

Having Krsna and Balarama sit on the chariot, for their comfort or because of fear of enemies, Akrura when to the Yamuna.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Because of disturbing the minds of the gopīs, Akrūra could not bathe in the great sweetness of Kṛṣṇa as the devatās did. This is explained in three verses. Taking permission from Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, he took his bath. He kept them on the chariot so that they could sit comfortably. He bathed at Ananta-tīrtha (kālindyā hradam). Instead of hradam sometimes tīram (bank) is seen.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Seeing the two in the chariot, fearing enemies, he took permission and went to a pool of the Yamunā. Or he placed them in the chariot fearing they would go back to Vraja. The pool was a famouns tīrtha. According the rules he bathed. One should offer respects to the tīrtha and do ācamana. This is explained in Padma Purānā, concerning the glories of the Yamunā. This is also written in Bhagavat-bhakti-vilāsa.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)
Related verses

Like a brāhmaṇa-uncle who, having seated the prince in the chariot, requests permission to bathe in the river he has been longing to enter — Akrūra invites the two Lords to be seated, takes Their leave, and walks to a deep pool of the Yamunā for scripture-prescribed bathing. He has been waiting for this bath since he left Mathurā.

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