FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.49.15

సమదు:ఖసుఖోఽక్రూరో విదురశ్చ మహాయశా: । సాన్‍త్‍వయామాసతు: కున్తీం తత్పుత్రోత్పత్తిహేతుభి: ॥ ౧౫ ॥
sama-duḥkha-sukho ’krūro
[sama-duhkha-sukho ’krooro]
viduraś ca mahā-yaśāḥ
[vidurash cha mahaa-yashaah]
sāntvayām āsatuḥ kuntīṁ
[saantvayaam aasatuh kunteem]
tat-putrotpatti-hetubhiḥ
[tat-putrotpatti-hetubhih]
sama — equal (with her) duḥkha — in distress sukhaḥ — and happiness akrūraḥ — Akrūra viduraḥ — Vidura ca — and mahā - yaśāḥ — most famous sāntvayām āsatuḥ — the two of them consoled kuntīm — Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī tat — her putra — of the sons utpatti — of the births hetubhiḥ — with explanations about the origins .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sama-duḥkha-sukho ’krūro
sama
equal (with her)
duḥkha
in distress
sukhaḥ
and happiness
akrūraḥ
Akrūra
viduraś ca mahā-yaśāḥ
viduraḥ
Vidura
ca
and
mahā - yaśāḥ
most famous
sāntvayām āsatuḥ
the two of them consoled
sāntvayām āsatuḥ kuntīṁ
kuntīm
Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī
tat-putrotpatti-hetubhiḥ
tat
her
putra
of the sons
utpatti
of the births
hetubhiḥ
with explanations about the origins .
  • sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ — who shared distress and happiness
    Compound: sama (equal) + duḥkha + sukha. The technical mark of a true bhakta-friend; Gītā 12.13 lists it among the qualities Kṛṣṇa most loves. Akrūra is named with the exact phrase.
  • mahā-yaśāḥ — most famous
    Vidura's epithet — his yaśas comes from his unwavering dharma-vision, not from rank. The Bhāgavata gives him this title because Kṛṣṇa Himself will later go to Vidura's house rather than Duryodhana's palace (Mahābhārata, Udyoga-parva).
  • sāntvayām āsatuḥ — the two of them consoled
    Periphrastic perfect, dual number. The dual is doctrinally lovely: two devotees together console one devotee — sat-saṅga as the antidote to viraha.
  • utpatti-hetubhiḥ — with explanations about the origins
    Utpatti (birth, arising) + hetu (cause). Devotional consolation in the Bhāgavata is not denial of grief but enlargement of context: see how Kṛṣṇa's hand has been there since the cause.
Both Akrūra, who shared Queen Kuntī’s distress and happiness, and the illustrious Vidura consoled the Queen by reminding her of the extraordinary way her sons had taken birth.

Akrūra and Vidura reminded Queen Kuntī that her sons were born of heavenly gods and thus could not be vanquished like ordinary mortals. In fact, an extraordinary victory awaited this most pious family.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Both Akrūra, who shared Queen Kuntī's distress and happiness, and the illustrious Vidura consoled the Queen by reminding her of the extraordinary way her sons had taken birth.
Commentary

He and Vidura consoled her by reminding her of the cause of the birth of her sons-- that is,through Dharma, Vayu, Indra and the Asvini Kumaras. Describing the Pandava’s powers, they said such things as, "Being expansions of Dharma and others, who could possibly destroy them?"

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The word ca here means “but.” Vidura however was very famous as a friend of the Pāṇḍavas, who sided with them. No harm could come to the sons since they were born of the best devatās. In this way they consoled her. Or, they consoled her by mentioning that the Pāṇḍavas appeared to assist Kṛṣṇa when he appeared to relieve the burden of the earth. This was the cause of their appearance.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Sharing her happiness and distress, Akrūṛa was most affectionate to Kuntī. Vidura by nature favored the Pāṇḍavas. Thus he is called greatly famous (mahā-yasāḥ). Thus they both consoled her. Or both shared her happiness and distress but were famous for qualities like self-control. Thus thought the two should have wept with her, they controlled themselves. Or having all knowledge (mahā-yasāḥ), they knew about the birth of her sons. Since the sons were born from the best devatās, no calamity could befall them. Soon they would have great fortune. What is the use of these talks? Or the causes of their birth was to help Kṛṣṇa to relieve the burden of the earth and spread bhakti.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Brahmacharya (Self-discipline / Restraint)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
Concepts
Dharma

Akrūra and Vidura stand on either side of Kuntī like the two banks of a swollen river, neither stopping its flow nor letting it spill — reminding her that her sons were born already as portions of the devas, that Kṛṣṇa's hand has been on this story from the womb.

The births of the Pāṇḍavas

Mahābhārata Ādi-parva tells how Kuntī, given a mantra by Durvāsā, invoked Dharma, Vāyu, and Indra to father Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, and Arjuna; Mādrī then invoked the Aśvins for the twins. Pāṇḍu fathered none of them directly — they are deva-aṁśas placed into Pāṇḍu's house by divine arrangement.

This is the 'extraordinary origin' Vidura and Akrūra remind her of. Her sons are not orphans of fortune; their birth was itself a līlā preparing the field for Kṛṣṇa's later work.

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