FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.53.29

సా తం ప్రహృష్టవదనమవ్యగ్రాత్మగతిం సతీ । ఆలక్ష్య లక్షణాభిజ్ఞా సమపృచ్ఛచ్ఛుచిస్మితా ॥ ౨౯ ॥
sā taṁ prahṛṣṭa-vadanam
[saa tam prahrishta-vadanam]
avyagrātma-gatiṁ satī
[avyagraatma-gatim satee]
ālakṣya lakṣaṇābhijñā
[aalakshya lakshanaabhijnaa]
samapṛcchac chuci-smitā
[samaprichchach chuchi-smitaa]
Word-for-word
sa — she tam — him prahṛṣṭa — filled with joy vadanam — whose face avyagra — unagitated ātma — of whose body gatim — the movement satī — the saintly young woman ālakṣya — noting lakṣaṇa — of symptoms abhijñā — an expert knower samapṛcchat — inquired śuci — pure smitā — with a smile .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sā taṁ prahṛṣṭa-vadanam
sa
she
tam
him
prahṛṣṭa
filled with joy
vadanam
whose face
avyagrātma-gatiṁ satī
avyagra
unagitated
ātma
of whose body
gatim
the movement
satī
the saintly young woman
ālakṣya lakṣaṇābhijñā
ālakṣya
noting
lakṣaṇa
of symptoms
abhijñā
an expert knower
samapṛcchac chuci-smitā
samapṛcchat
inquired
śuci
pure
smitā
with a smile .
Important Words
  • lakṣaṇa - abhijñā — expert knower of symptoms
    Compound: lakṣaṇa (sign) + abhijñā (knowing well). Rukmiṇī reads signs the way a śāstra-jña reads texts. Gauḍīyas read lakṣaṇa-jñāna as a bhakti-virtue: the devotee perceives Bhagavān's signals everywhere.
  • prahṛṣṭa - vadanam — whose face was filled with joy
    Compound: pra-hṛṣṭa (very joyful) + vadana (face). The hṛṣṭa-state is one of Rūpa's anubhāvas. The brāhmaṇa's face itself broadcasts the good news; Rukmiṇī need not even hear the words yet.
  • śuci - smitā — with a pure smile
    Compound: śuci (pure) + smitā (smiling). The same śuci-smita epithet recurs for Rukmiṇī in 53.51–55. Gauḍīyas link it to viśuddha-sattva — the bhāva-bhakta's smile is unmixed with worldly motive.
Noting the brāhmaṇa’s joyful face and serene movements, saintly Rukmiṇī, who could expertly interpret such symptoms, inquired from him with a pure smile.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Noting the brāhmaṇa's joyful face and serene movements, saintly Rukmiṇī, who could expertly interpret such symptoms, inquired from him with a pure smile.
Commentary

"I, Sunanda brahmana, have come now from you beloved. Please cast your glance upon me,." said the brahmana in a loud voice. Rukmini, her meditation broken, then say him standing there. Because the brahmana’s mind was not disturbed he was smiling broadly. Seeing that, Rukmini ‘s anxiety disappeared, because she was knowledgeable of omens indicating success—the joy in the brahmana’s eyes and smile, and the quivering of the left side of her body. She them smiled slightly, indicating her genuine (suci) joy. Previously she had been falsely smiling, to hide her inner suffering.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

She smiled out of joy since she knew the symptoms of good news, since she was endowed to the highest degree with all good qualities (satī). She questioned him completely with respect, asking how he was etc. She asked the brāhmaṇa who was moving serenely with joyous face. Or she, with serenity (avyagrā), asked him thoroughly about Kṛṣṇa who was her shelter (ātma-gatim). Where is he? What did he say?

Related values & verses
Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Bhakti (Devotion)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
BG 14.1 BG 9.11 BG 12.6 BG 17.3 BG 5.18 BG 18.1 BG 18.65 BG 18.64 BG 10.3 BG 10.4 BG 5.12 BG 7.8 BG 18.37 SB 4.29.1
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Analogy

A devotee reads the master's face before any words are spoken — every gesture is scripture if you have learned the alphabet. Rukmiṇī is lakṣaṇa-abhijñā, a literate reader of bodily signs; her bhakti has trained her to interpret the smallest gesture as news of Kṛṣṇa.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 53