FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.53.22

భీష్మకన్యా వరారోహా కాఙ్‍క్షన్త్యాగమనం హరే: । ప్రత్యాపత్తిమపశ్యన్తీ ద్విజస్యాచిన్తయత్తదా ॥ ౨౨ ॥
bhīṣma-kanyā varārohā
[bheeshma-kanyaa varaarohaa]
kāṅkṣanty āgamanaṁ hareḥ
[kaankshanty aagamanam hareh]
pratyāpattim apaśyantī
[pratyaapattim apashyantee]
dvijasyācintayat tadā
[dvijasyaachintayat tadaa]
bhīṣma - kanyā — the daughter of Bhīṣmaka vara - ārohā — having lovely hips kāṅkṣantī — waiting for āgamanam — the arrival hareḥ — of Kṛṣṇa pratyāpattim — the return apaśyantī — not seeing dvijasya — of the brāhmaṇa acintayat — thought tadā — then .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhīṣma-kanyā varārohā
bhīṣma - kanyā
the daughter of Bhīṣmaka
vara - ārohā
having lovely hips
kāṅkṣanty āgamanaṁ hareḥ
kāṅkṣantī
waiting for
āgamanam
the arrival
hareḥ
of Kṛṣṇa
pratyāpattim apaśyantī
pratyāpattim
the return
apaśyantī
not seeing
dvijasyācintayat tadā
dvijasya
of the brāhmaṇa
acintayat
thought
tadā
then .
  • kāṅkṣantī — waiting for
    Present participle of √kāṅkṣ (to long for). The same root behind ākāṅkṣā, longing — Rūpa Gosvāmī's term for the seed of bhāva. Rukmiṇī's longing is described in the same grammar Gauḍīyas use for the highest devotional desire.
  • āgamanam hareḥ — the arrival of Kṛṣṇa
    Accusative + genitive. The first time in this chapter Kṛṣṇa is named Hari — 'the one who steals.' Vyāsa is queuing the rasa: the bride waits for Hari, and Hari is on His way to live up to His name.
  • acintayat — she thought
    Imperfect of √cint. The internal monologue that follows (verses 23–26) is one of the great proto-prayer passages of the Bhāgavatam. Gauḍīyas treat this thinking as antaraṅga-cintana — the inner movement of the devotee toward Bhagavān.
The lovely daughter of Bhīṣmaka anxiously awaited the arrival of Kṛṣṇa, but when she did not see the brāhmaṇa return she thought as follows.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The lovely daughter of Bhīṣmaka anxiously awaited the arrival of Kṛṣṇa, but when she did not see the brāhmaṇa return she thought as follows.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Five and a half verses describe again the pūrva-rāga of Rukmiṇī in order to show the rasa of fresh association. The present verse shows her good fortune of having proper inner impressions. She was the best of whose who had attained the highest state of greed for Kṛṣṇa as a husband (varārohā). This is Śukadeva’s intention in using the word. Or the phrase can mean “she who had the best hips.” This reveals her age, and thus her suitability to have intense feelings of love. She constantly desired the coming of Kṛṣṇa who stole her mind and would take her away (hareḥ). Not seeing the brāhmaṇa return with news about him, she began to think.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

After describing Kṛṣṇa’s preparations for abducting her, five and a half verses describe Rukmiṇī’s bhāva. She had the best hips. This indicates her great beauty. She constantly desired the coming of Kṛṣṇa who stole her mind and would take her away (hareḥ). Not seeing the return of the messenger who would speak of Kṛṣṇa coming, she began to worry in the early morning (tadā). Being the daughter of Bhīṣkama, she was anxious that Kṛṣṇa come and abduct her.

Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Bhakti (Devotion)Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Mardava (Gentleness)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Vinaya (Humility / Modesty)Kartavya (Duty / Responsibility)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)
Related verses
Concepts
BhavaJiva

A woman at the threshold of dawn watching the road — every sound is hooves, every silence a betrayal. Rukmiṇī's wait names the bhakta's classic posture: ākāṅkṣā, longing that has no other employment, looking for the one Person who has been promised.

The gopīs at the rāsa-sthala

When Kṛṣṇa withdrew Himself in the middle of the rāsa-līlā, the gopīs searched the forest, asked the trees, the creepers, the deer — every leaf interrogated. SB 10.30 is one long verse of waiting.

The Gauḍīyas read Rukmiṇī's wait here as a Dvārakā-side echo: the same longing wears different rasa-clothes. Vaidarbhī as the bride waiting; the gopīs as the lovers waiting — but the heart is one.

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