FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.53.45

తాం వై ప్రవయసో బాలాం విధిజ్ఞా విప్రయోషిత: । భవానీం వన్దయాంచక్రుర్భవపత్నీం భవాన్వితామ్ ॥ ౪౫ ॥
tāṁ vai pravayaso bālāṁ
[taam vai pravayaso baalaam]
vidhi-jñā vipra-yoṣitaḥ
[vidhi-jnaa vipra-yoshitah]
bhavānīṁ vandayāṁ cakrur
[bhavaaneem vandayaam chakrur]
bhava-patnīṁ bhavānvitām
[bhava-patneem bhavaanvitaam]
tām — her vai — indeed pravayasaḥ — elderly bālām — the young girl vidhi — of ritual injunctions jñāḥ — expert knowers vipra — of brāhmaṇas yoṣitaḥ — the wives bhavānīm — to Goddess Bhavānī vandayām cakruḥ — they led in offering respects bhava - patnīm — the wife of Bhava (Lord Siva) bhava - anvitām — accompanied by Lord Bhava .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tāṁ vai pravayaso bālāṁ
tām
her
vai
indeed
pravayasaḥ
elderly
bālām
the young girl
vidhi-jñā vipra-yoṣitaḥ
vidhi
of ritual injunctions
jñāḥ
expert knowers
vipra
of brāhmaṇas
yoṣitaḥ
the wives
bhavānīṁ vandayāṁ cakrur
bhavānīm
to Goddess Bhavānī
vandayām cakruḥ
they led in offering respects
bhava-patnīṁ bhavānvitām
bhava - patnīm
the wife of Bhava (Lord Siva)
bhava - anvitām
accompanied by Lord Bhava .
  • pravayasaḥ — elderly wives of brāhmaṇas
    Compound: pravayas (advanced in age) + vipra (brāhmaṇa) + yoṣit (woman). Senior brāhmaṇa-wives are the proper guides for a young bride's first arcana. Gauḍīyas read this as the female lineage of śikṣā-paramparā — sevā taught by elders to juniors.
  • bhava - patnīm bhava - anvitām — wife of Bhava, accompanied by Bhava
    Compound twice repeated: Bhava (Śiva) + patnī (wife) + anvitā (accompanied by). The verse names Pārvatī through her relation to Bhava. Gauḍīyas note: śakti is always related, never absolute; Ambikā derives her function from Bhava, as Bhava derives his from Viṣṇu (śiva-virañci-nutam).
  • vandayām cakruḥ — they led her in offering respects
    Periphrastic perfect causative of √vand. Vandanam — one of the nine limbs of bhakti. The verb is causative (they made her vandana) because bhakti is transmitted through living teachers' hands.
The older wives of brāhmaṇas, expert in the knowledge of rituals, led young Rukmiṇī in offering respects to Bhavānī, who appeared with her consort, Lord Bhava.

According to the ācāryas, here the term bhavānvitām indicates that in the Ambikā temple visited by Rukmiṇī, the presiding deity was the goddess, whose husband appeared in an accompanying role. Thus the ritual was properly performed by women. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments that the term vidhi-jñāḥ may be understood to mean that since the learned wives of brāhmaṇas knew of Rukmiṇī’s desire to marry Kṛṣṇa, the verb vandayāṁ cakruḥ thus indicates that they prompted her to pray for what she really wanted. In this way, like the goddess Bhavānī, Rukmiṇī could be united with her eternal male companion.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The older wives of brāhmaṇas, expert in the knowledge of rituals, led young Rukmiṇī in offering respects to Bhavānī, who appeared with her consort, Lord Bhava.
Commentary

The aged wives of the priests, knowing the rule of scripture and also the mind of Rukmini, had her worship Durga along with Siva. "O Durga, just you are the wife of Siva, and joined with him, make Rukmini the wife of Krsna, joined with him." Having seen Krsna, they prayed in the same way as the citizens had previously, "May our pious acts be given to her."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The words bhavānīm and bhava-patnīm indicate that Durgā was Śiva’s assistant in fulfilling desires (bhava= worldly desires) and in fulfilling dharma (bhava= excellence). In fulfilling desires, she arranges for women to marry men. In relation to fulfilling dharma she helps in sacrifices. The words show her intimate relationship with the great devotee Śiva. Rukmiṇī was made to offer respects to chaste Durgā, associated with Śiva. The elderly women also taught her the mantra in the next verse. They had realized the mantra.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Bhāvānī refers to Pārvatī. They had Ṛukmiṇi offer respects to bhava-patnim (wife of Śiva) with devotion (bhavānvitam). By offering respects to her, offering respects to Śiva was also accomplished. Or she worshipped her in order to gain similar chastity and good fortune.

Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Bhakti (Devotion)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)
Related verses
Concepts
BhavaJiva

Elder women guide a young bride's hands through the offering — bhakti is always given through paramparā. Even Lakṣmī-Herself-as-Rukmiṇī accepts initiation through senior devotees; the form of paramparā is never bypassed.

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