FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.53.40-41

పద్‍భ్యాం వినిర్యయౌ ద్రష్టుం భవాన్యా: పాదపల్ల‍వమ్ । సా చానుధ్యాయతీ సమ్యఙ్‍ముకున్దచరణామ్బుజమ్ ॥ ౪౦ ॥ యతవాఙ్‍మాతృభి: సార్ధం సఖీభి: పరివారితా । గుప్తా రాజభటై: శూరై: సన్నద్ధైరుద్యతాయుధై: । మృదఙ్గశఙ్ఖపణవాస్తూర్యభేర్యశ్చ జఘ్నిరే ॥ ౪౧ ॥
padbhyāṁ viniryayau draṣṭuṁ
[padbhyaam viniryayau drashtum]
bhavānyāḥ pāda-pallavam
[bhavaanyaah paada-pallavam]
sā cānudhyāyatī samyaṅ
[saa chaanudhyaayatee samyan]
mukunda-caraṇāmbujam
[mukunda-charanaambujam]
yata-vāṅ mātṛbhiḥ sārdhaṁ
[yata-vaan maatribhih saardham]
sakhībhiḥ parivāritā
[sakheebhih parivaaritaa]
guptā rāja-bhaṭaiḥ śūraiḥ
[guptaa raaja-bhataih shooraih]
sannaddhair udyatāyudhaiḥ
[sannaddhair udyataayudhaih]
mṛḍaṅga-śaṅkha-paṇavās
[mridanga-shankha-panavaas]
tūrya-bheryaś ca jaghnire
[toorya-bheryash cha jaghnire]
padbhyām — on foot viniryayau — went out draṣṭum — in order to see bhavānyāḥ — of mother Bhavānī pāda - pallavam — the lotus-petal feet sā — she ca — and anudhyāyatī — meditating samyak — totally mukunda — of Kṛṣṇa caraṇa - ambujam — on the lotus feet yata - vāk — maintaining silence mātṛbhiḥ — by her mothers sārdham — accompanied sakhībhiḥ — by her female companions parivāritā — surrounded guptā — guarded rāja — of the King bhaṭaiḥ — by soldiers śūraiḥ — valiant sannaddhaiḥ — armed and ready udyata — upraised āyudhaiḥ — with weapons mṛdaṅga - śaṅkha - paṇavāḥ — clay drums, conchshells and side drums tūrya — wind instruments bheryaḥ — horns ca — and jaghnire — played .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
padbhyāṁ viniryayau draṣṭuṁ
padbhyām
on foot
viniryayau
went out
draṣṭum
in order to see
bhavānyāḥ pāda-pallavam
bhavānyāḥ
of mother Bhavānī
pāda - pallavam
the lotus-petal feet
sā cānudhyāyatī samyaṅ
sā
she
ca
and
anudhyāyatī
meditating
samyak
totally
mukunda-caraṇāmbujam
mukunda
of Kṛṣṇa
caraṇa - ambujam
on the lotus feet
yata-vāṅ mātṛbhiḥ sārdhaṁ
yata - vāk
maintaining silence
mātṛbhiḥ
by her mothers
sārdham
accompanied
sakhībhiḥ parivāritā
sakhībhiḥ
by her female companions
parivāritā
surrounded
guptā rāja-bhaṭaiḥ śūraiḥ
guptā
guarded
rāja
of the King
bhaṭaiḥ
by soldiers
śūraiḥ
valiant
sannaddhair udyatāyudhaiḥ
sannaddhaiḥ
armed and ready
udyata
upraised
āyudhaiḥ
with weapons
mṛḍaṅga-śaṅkha-paṇavās
mṛdaṅga - śaṅkha - paṇavāḥ
clay drums, conchshells and side drums
tūrya-bheryaś ca jaghnire
tūrya
wind instruments
bheryaḥ
horns
ca
and
jaghnire
played .
  • mukunda - caraṇa - ambujam — the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa
    Compound: Mukunda (giver of liberation) + caraṇa (foot) + ambuja (lotus). The threefold name-of-feet is the central object of Gauḍīya meditation. Rūpa Gosvāmī's Stava-mālā repeats this exact image.
  • anudhyāyatī samyak — totally meditating
    Present participle of anu-√dhyai + adverb samyak (completely). Dhyāna is the seventh limb of aṣṭāṅga-yoga and a major Gauḍīya limb of bhakti (smaraṇam, SB 7.5.23). Rukmiṇī performs dhyāna while walking — sādhana inside daily life.
  • yata - vāk — maintaining silence
    Compound: yata (controlled) + vāk (speech). Mauna-vrata. Gauḍīyas distinguish empty silence (śūnya-mauna) from kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa-mauna; Rukmiṇī's silence is the latter — speech is restrained so that smaraṇa can flow.
  • padbhyām viniryayau — went out on foot
    Instrumental dual + perfect verb. She walks to the temple, not in a palanquin — Gauḍīyas read this as the bhakta's humility before the deity: the legs themselves become offerings.
Rukmiṇī silently went out on foot to see the lotus feet of the deity Bhavānī. Accompanied by her mothers and girlfriends and protected by the King’s valiant soldiers, who held their upraised weapons at the ready, she simply absorbed her mind in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And all the while mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, paṇavas, horns and other instruments resounded.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Rukmiṇī silently went out on foot to see the lotus feet of the deity Bhavānī. Accompanied by her mothers and girlfriends and protected by the King's valiant soldiers, who held their upraised weapons at the ready, she simply absorbed her mind in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And all the while mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, paṇavas, horns and other instruments resounded.
Commentary

From the city up to the temple complex of Durga, she was protected in a palanquin .She then went four of five prakosthas (fifteen feet) out side the palanquin into the temple, while the guards stood outside in all directions. Mrdanga and conches began to sound.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The details are described in four verses. She (sāḥ), who was endowed with such greatness, went on foot, out of respect, because she was going to see Durgā’ lotus feet. Durgā’s feet are described as lotuses because of the Rukmiṇī’s devotion. “If Rukmiṇī is directly Lakṣmī, why does she have devotion to Durgā?” She was constantly meditating on the lotus feet of Mukunda, endowed completely (samyak) with sweetness, which revealed their softness and other qualities (like jasmine flowers). This indicates that neither she or Kṛṣṇa revealed their greatness at this time. Because she was absorbed in devotion, she was silent. She also walked with devotion (vi—niryayau). Being surrounded by many people indicates that she would be hard to steal and was thus in great anxiety. This shows the seed of experiencing joy on suddenly attaining Kṛṣṇa, which is described later. She was surrounded by persons who had motherly affection (mātṛbhiḥ). She was surrounded by troops because Rukmī was afraid of Kṛṣṇa. They were brave, dressed in armor, and had their weapons raised. These were progressively better means of protecting her. Mṛdaṅgas, paṇavas, and tūryas are drums. Bherīs are wind instruments. Another type of bherī is a drum.

Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Bhakti (Devotion)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses

She walks to one temple but her mind walks to the other. Body in the Ambikā procession, mind on Mukunda's feet — the perfect picture of yukta-vairāgya: outer form preserved, inner attention undivided. This is exactly Rūpa Gosvāmī's prescription in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: do the world's duties while the heart is fixed elsewhere.

Mīrā walking through Mewar's court

Mīrābāī continued to attend the court of Mewar — to receive her brother-in-law, to follow protocol, to wear the queen's clothes — while her heart sang only kṛṣṇa-nāma. Outwardly the queen of Mewar; inwardly the bride of Giridhara.

Gauḍīyas read SB 10.53.40 as the prototype: Rukmiṇī walks to Ambikā with her mothers and guards, but mukunda-caraṇa-ambujam is what she actually approaches. Mīrā is her direct lineage.

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