Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.40.26
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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praticchannam
—
concealed
Past participle of prati + chad — covered over. The pond is real but hidden by surface vegetation. Gauḍīya gloss: Kṛṣṇa is always present in the heart but covered by the vegetation of viṣaya-saṅga.
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mṛga-tṛṣṇām
—
a mirage (deer-thirst)
Compound: mṛga (deer) + tṛṣṇā (thirst). The classical image of the deer running after the heat-shimmer that looks like water. Gauḍīyas use it for material happiness — pursued, never caught, never quenching.
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abudhaḥ
—
the foolish one
a- + budha (wise). Lacking discrimination. The verse's epithet for Akrūra-as-self-portrayed and for every conditioned jīva. Pairs with mūḍha in v.24.
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parāk-mukhaḥ
—
having turned the face away
Compound: parāk (turned away) + mukha (face). The original disposition of the conditioned soul — face turned away from Bhagavān. Bhakti is the turning back: pratyak-mukha → bhagavad-abhimukha. The whole stuti is the act of turning.
He illustrates with an example. As a foolish man gives up water covered with grass growing from it, and runs after a mirage, I give up you, covered by maya, which emanates from you , and run towards the body (paranmukha).
The person with no discriminating power gives up water covered by vegetation, even though it is easy to discover, and goes far off seeking a mirage. Vai means this is well known. Similarly I have given up you (tvā), even though you are full of powers and sweetness.
A traveler dying of thirst sees green-covered water at his feet and walks past it toward a shimmer of heat on the sand. The pond was there; he chose the mirāge. Akrūra confesses the same with respect to Kṛṣṇa, present and overlooked, while the heart chased illusory objects.
My note
Source: vedabase.io