SB 10.56.5 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.56.5

తం విలోక్య జనా దూరాత్తేజసా ముష్టద‍ృష్టయ: । దీవ్యతేఽక్షైర్భగవతే శశంసు: సూర్యశఙ్కితా: ॥ ౫ ॥

taṁ vilokya janā dūrāt

[tam vilokya janaa dooraat]

tejasā muṣṭa-dṛṣṭayaḥ

[tejasaa mushta-drishtayah]

dīvyate ’kṣair bhagavate

[deevyate ’kshair bhagavate]

śaśaṁsuḥ sūrya-śaṅkitāḥ

[shashamsuh soorya-shankitaah]

Word-for-word

tam — him vilokya — seeing janāḥ — the people dūrāt — from some distance tejasā — by his effulgence muṣṭa — stolen dṛṣṭayaḥ — their ability to see dīvyate — who was playing akṣaiḥ — with dice bhagavate — to the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa śaśaṁsuḥ — they reported sūrya — the sun-god śaṅkitāḥ — presuming him .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

taṁ vilokya janā dūrāt

tam

him

vilokya

seeing

janāḥ

the people

dūrāt

from some distance

tejasā muṣṭa-dṛṣṭayaḥ

tejasā

by his effulgence

muṣṭa

stolen

dṛṣṭayaḥ

their ability to see

dīvyate ’kṣair bhagavate

dīvyate

who was playing

akṣaiḥ

with dice

bhagavate

to the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa

śaśaṁsuḥ sūrya-śaṅkitāḥ

śaśaṁsuḥ

they reported

sūrya

the sun-god

śaṅkitāḥ

presuming him .

Important Words

muṣṭa-dṛṣṭayaḥ — whose sight was stolen
Compound: muṣṭa (stolen) + dṛṣṭayaḥ (sights). A jewel can rob the eyes; the chapter quietly contrasts this with Kṛṣṇa, whose darśana never blinds but bestows sight.
dīvyate akṣaiḥ — (He) who was playing with dice
Kṛṣṇa at leisure with His associates. The Bhāgavatam loves these domestic glimpses — Bhagavān at dice — because they show His aiśvarya never erases His madhurya. The Lord plays.
bhagavate — to the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Dative of Bhagavān — the full ṣaḍ-aiśvarya. The citizens instinctively bring the puzzle to Bhagavān, not to a sage or a king. Right reflex of a city of devotees.

As the people looked at Satrājit from a distance, his brilliance blinded them. They presumed he was the sun-god, Sūrya, and went to tell Lord Kṛṣṇa, who was at that time playing at dice.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

As the people looked at Satrājit from a distance, his brilliance blinded them. They presumed he was the sun-god, Sūrya, and went to tell Lord Kṛṣṇa, who was at that time playing at dice.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The Lord was playing dice. This was an interesting feature of his human pastimes, performed with great attention. Even materialistic people would be surprised by his performing such human pastimes.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The Lord was playing dice. He was doing this without much thought, since he is the Lord, or out of great fun. Though playing among his friends, he knew everything. The people informed him. Thinking it was the sun god, they told Kṛṣṇa.

Related values & verses

Related values

Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Bhakti (Devotion)Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Mardava (Gentleness)

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

Analogy

A small, beloved scene: Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the universe, is playing dice with His friends, and the city runs to Him with a problem about an unknown god. Even in His casual rolls, He is the address to which every confusion eventually comes.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io