FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.52.38

కా త్వా ముకున్ద మహతీ కులశీలరూప- విద్యావయోద్రవిణధామభిరాత్మతుల్యమ్ । ధీరా పతిం కులవతీ న వృణీత కన్యా కాలే నృసింహ నరలోకమనోఽభిరామమ్ ॥ ౩౮ ॥
kā tvā mukunda mahatī kula-śīla-rūpa-
[kaa tvaa mukunda mahatee kula-sheela-roopa-]
vidyā-vayo-draviṇa-dhāmabhir ātma-tulyam
[vidyaa-vayo-dravina-dhaamabhir aatma-tulyam]
dhīrā patiṁ kulavatī na vṛṇīta kanyā
[dheeraa patim kulavatee na vrineeta kanyaa]
kāle nṛ-siṁha nara-loka-mano-’bhirāmam
[kaale nri-simha nara-loka-mano-’bhiraamam]
kā — who tvā — You mukunda — O Kṛṣṇa mahatī — aristocratic kula — in terms of family background śīla — character rūpa — beauty vidyā — knowledge vayaḥ — youth draviṇa — property dhāmabhiḥ — and influence ātma — to Yourself only tulyam — equal dhīrā — who is sober patim — as her husband kula - vatī — of a good family na vṛṇīta — would not choose kanyā — marriageable young lady kāle — at such a time nṛ — among men siṁha — O lion nara - loka — of human society manaḥ — to the minds abhirāmam — who give pleasure .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kā tvā mukunda mahatī kula-śīla-rūpa-
kā
who
tvā
You
mukunda
O Kṛṣṇa
mahatī
aristocratic
kula
in terms of family background
śīla
character
rūpa
beauty
vidyā-vayo-draviṇa-dhāmabhir ātma-tulyam
vidyā
knowledge
vayaḥ
youth
draviṇa
property
dhāmabhiḥ
and influence
ātma
to Yourself only
tulyam
equal
dhīrā patiṁ kulavatī na vṛṇīta kanyā
dhīrā
who is sober
patim
as her husband
kula - vatī
of a good family
na vṛṇīta
would not choose
kanyā
marriageable young lady
kāle nṛ-siṁha nara-loka-mano-’bhirāmam
kāle
at such a time
nṛ
among men
siṁha
O lion
nara - loka
of human society
manaḥ
to the minds
abhirāmam
who give pleasure .
  • mukunda — O Kṛṣṇa (the giver of liberation)
    Vocative. Mukunda — mukti-da — is the very name Rukmiṇī first encountered Kṛṣṇa by (v. 23). She returns to it in the letter's opening address; the relationship is bracketed by His liberator-aspect.
  • ātma-tulyam — equal only to Yourself
    Compound: ātma (Self) + tulya (equal). The Bhāgavata's stock formula for Bhagavān's incomparability — only Bhagavān is the measure of Bhagavān. Gauḍīyas pair this with Brahma-saṁhitā's īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.
  • nṛ-siṁha — O lion among men
    Compound vocative: nṛ (man) + siṁha (lion). Not to be confused with the avatāra Nṛsiṁha — this is the standard epithet for a paramount human male. Rukmiṇī's vocabulary intensifies through the letter; she is now framing Kṛṣṇa as the pinnacle of nara-loka.
  • kula-vatī — of a good family
    Compound: kula (family) + vatī (possessing). The feminine bahuvrīhi for a woman of dynastic standing. Rukmiṇī generalizes her case — what kula-vatī kanyā, hearing of Kṛṣṇa, would choose another? — making her decision representative rather than idiosyncratic.
  • nara-loka-manaḥ-abhirāmam — who pleases the minds of mankind
    Compound: nara-loka (the human world) + manas (mind) + abhirāma (delighter). Mano-abhirāma is a recurring Bhāgavata epithet for Kṛṣṇa — Rukmiṇī invokes the universal aspect of His appeal even as she stakes a particular claim.
O Mukunda, You are equal only to Yourself in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, youthfulness, wealth and influence. O lion among men, You delight the minds of all mankind. What aristocratic, sober-minded and marriageable girl of a good family would not choose You as her husband when the proper time has come?
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Mukunda, You are equal only to Yourself in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, youthfulness, wealth and influence. O lion among men, You delight the minds of all mankind. What aristocratic, sober-minded and marriageable girl of a good family would not choose You as her husband when the proper time has come?
Commentary

"Granted, I may be the most incomparable man in the universe, but are you the only girl in the whole universe with eyes and ears? I do not see anyone else with such shamelessness." "O Mukunda, with smile like the kunda flower (mukha +_ kunda), who should also smile on me! What intelligent girl endowed with beauty and good qualities would not accept you as a husband? Only those who are ugly, without good qualities and unintelligent, or who have not heard about you would not accept you. Those with good qualities accept you, incomparable in qualities, beauty, knowledge, youth wealth and power. Like me there are many other girls who will accept you when their times comes. But now it is may time. O lion among of men ( nr simha), who is uncontrollable like a lion! I have no desire to control you. Your incomparable beauty and qualities play in the minds of all humans. So what fault is there if you also reside in my mind?"

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

“Others will laugh on hearing this.” She then speaks to him with humility and to the others with anger. O Mukunda, you give the highest happiness while removing all suffering! O Nṛsimha, you are the best of all men in the material and spiritual worlds because of having the best qualities and form. You have this form by your very nature. “It is hard to understand all of this.” In your manifest pastimes you are unequalled in family, character etc. What woman desiring a man, would not accept you, who give happiness to the minds of all beings (nara-loka-mano-’bhirāmam)? What unmarried girl (kanyā) or a woman coming of good family (kulavatī) or of great qualities (mahatī) would not accept you? She expresses her lack of qualification. Having those qualities, what intelligent woman (dhīrāḥ) would not accept you? Only the most unintelligent woman will not accept. Who would not accept you as their husband at the time of marriage (kale)? This indicates that lack of intelligence and presence of shame are not suitable at the time of marriage. They will cause disaster. Or what young girl who has good qualities, is intelligent and comes from a good family would not accept you? Such a person who does not accept actually is not intelligent and does not come from a good family. Who would not accept you at the time of any type of marriage even if of secondary type (api)? You have unequally lineage, qualities like mercy and generosity, and new youth. Your exalted nature has made the family lineage most exalted. aho alaṁ ślāghyatamaṁ yadoḥ kulam aho alaṁ puṇyatamaṁ madhor vanam yad eṣa puṁsām ṛṣabhaḥ śriyaḥ patiḥ sva-janmanā caṅkramaṇena cāṣcati Oh, how supremely glorified is the dynasty of King Yadu, and how virtuous is the land of Mathurā, where the supreme leader of all living beings, the husband of the goddess of fortune, has taken his birth and wandered in his childhood. SB 1.10.26 Because the seven items mentioned in this verse are suitable for a woman lover they are mentioned but other items should also be included. Śṛṅgāra-tilaka says: Tyāgī kulinaḥ kuśalo rateṣu kalyaḥ kalāvit taruṇo Dhanāḍyaḥ bhavyaḥ, kṣamī sthira-ruciḥ subhago ‘bhimānī Strīṇaṁ mataḥ subhagavān iha nāyakaḥ syāt In this world the auspicious hero for women should be renounced, of good family, skillful in love, vigorous, knowledgeable of arts, young, wealthy, well-dressed, tolerant, steady in love, handsome, and proud. Good qualities (śīla) include being renounced, tolerant and steady in love. Knowledge (vidyā) includes skilful in love and knowledgeable of arts. Form or beauty (rūpa) includes

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

You have qualities like mercy and generosity (śīla). You have knowledge (vidyā). Aṅgāni vedāś catvāro mīmāṁsā nyāya-vistaraḥ Dharma-śāstraṁ purāṇaṁ ca vidyā hy etāś caturdaśah; The four Vedas, their six aṅgas, mīmāṁsa, nyāya, dharma-śāstra, and Purāṇas are the fourteen types of knowledge. Viṣṇu Purāṇa The sixty-four types of knowledge are also parts of this. Your age is new youth. In the list describing Kṛṣṇa, the former elements are causes of the latter. Since no one equals you, you are a lion among men. Thus you delight the minds of men. The latter is the effect. The cause of everything is he is Mukunda. Her nobility is matched with his unequalled qualities. Her choosing is matched with his qualification as a husband. Her sobriety is matched with his lion-like nature. His attraction to all minds is matched with her birth in a good family. Or because of her good family, sobriety and nobility, she is qualified as an equal to him. And in reverse order these are qualifications for marrying him. Or the three qualities together are reasons to marry him. His lion nature indicates his kṣatriya nature. And this quality is matched with her good family, sobriety and nobility. In the First Canto, thirty nine qualities of the Lord are enumerated when the earth laments. Seven of those qualities starting with good family are mentioned in this verse. The qualities of the hero are mentioned in Śṛṅgāra-tilaka: Tyāgī kulinaḥ kuśalo rateṣu kalyaḥ kalāvit taruṇo Dhanāḍyaḥ bhavyaḥ, kṣamī sthira-ruciḥ subhago ‘bhimānī Strīṇaṁ mataḥ subhagavān iha nāyakaḥ syāt In this world the auspicious hero for women should be renounced, of good family, skillful in love, vigorous, knowledgeable of arts, young, wealthy, well-dressed, tolerant, steady in love, handsome, and proud. Of these, renounced, tolerant and steady in love are qualities. Knowledge consists of skill in love, and knowledge in arts. Beauty consists of being well dressed and beautiful form. His power consists of his vigor and pride.

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

Rukmiṇī's calculation is precise: in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, youth, wealth and influence Kṛṣṇa is equal only to Himself — ātma-tulyam. There is no other yardstick by which to choose Him. The verse is the Vaiṣṇava version of 'there is no second': any aristocratic sober girl, given accurate information, would inevitably choose Him.

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