FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.58.21

నాన్యం పతిం వృణే వీర తమృతే శ్రీనికేతనమ్ । తుష్యతాం మే స భగవాన్ ముకున్దోఽనాథసంశ్రయ: ॥ ౨౧ ॥
nānyaṁ patiṁ vṛṇe vīra
[naanyam patim vrine veera]
tam ṛte śrī-niketanam
[tam rite shree-niketanam]
tuṣyatāṁ me sa bhagavān
[tushyataam me sa bhagavaan]
mukundo ’nātha-saṁśrayaḥ
[mukundo ’naatha-samshrayah]
na — no anyam — other patim — husband vṛṇe — will I choose vīra — O hero tam — Him ṛte — except for śrī — of the goddess of fortune niketanam — the abode tuṣyatām — may please be satisfied me — with me saḥ — He bhagavān — the Supreme Lord mukundaḥ — Kṛṣṇa anātha — of those who have no master saṁśrayaḥ — the shelter .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nānyaṁ patiṁ vṛṇe vīra
na
no
anyam
other
patim
husband
vṛṇe
will I choose
vīra
O hero
tam ṛte śrī-niketanam
tam
Him
ṛte
except for
śrī
of the goddess of fortune
niketanam
the abode
tuṣyatāṁ me sa bhagavān
tuṣyatām
may please be satisfied
me
with me
saḥ
He
bhagavān
the Supreme Lord
mukundo ’nātha-saṁśrayaḥ
mukundaḥ
Kṛṣṇa
anātha
of those who have no master
saṁśrayaḥ
the shelter .
  • vṛṇe — will I choose
    From √vṛ — to choose. The same verb-root as svayaṁvara (the self-choice). Kālindī performs a private svayaṁvara of one: she has already chosen, and the river-house is her waiting room.
  • śrī — goddess of fortune
    In the compound śrī-niketanam — abode of Śrī. Kṛṣṇa is where Lakṣmī lives. Gauḍīyas: Lakṣmī's chosen abode is the heart-test; whoever Lakṣmī chooses is the rightful Lord.
  • mukundaḥ — Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa)
    The liberator. Kālindī names Him three different ways across these verses — Viṣṇu, Mukunda, Acyuta — exhausting the names of Bhagavān. Gauḍīya: each name is a different facet of the same Person; her devotion is theologically literate.
  • anātha - saṁśrayaḥ — the shelter of the helpless
    Compound anātha (without master) + saṁśraya (shelter). Kālindī claims helplessness — she has no other refuge. Gauḍīya śaraṇāgati: kārpaṇya (acknowledgement of one's helplessness) is the sixth and key limb.
I will accept no husband other than Him, the abode of the goddess of fortune. May that Mukunda, the Supreme Personality, the shelter of the helpless, be pleased with me.

The beautiful Kālindī here reveals some apprehension. She insists that she will not accept any husband except Lord Kṛṣṇa, and she states that He is the shelter for those who have no other master. Since she will accept no other shelter, Kṛṣṇa must give her shelter. Also, she says, tuṣyatāṁ me sa bhagavān: “May that Supreme Lord be pleased with me.” This is her prayer. As Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out, although Kālindī is a young, helpless girl staying in a secluded place, she is not afraid. This staunch faith in and devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa is ideal Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Śrīmatī Kālindī’s desire will soon be fulfilled.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I will accept no husband other than Him, the abode of the goddess of fortune. May that Mukunda, the Supreme Personality, the shelter of the helpless, be pleased with me.
Commentary

Worrying, she spoke , to negate any other person as her husband. "Visnu is the shelter of those without a master. Visnu is the master of his devotees and their protector. With this faith I live alone, though just a young girl, and do not fear other men."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Lakṣmī always remains on his chest out of prema. Or he gives shelter to even Lakṣmī who shelters wealth. Who would not accept him? Or he is the shelter of all wealth. This excluded others such as Brahmā and Śiva. O hero of dharma! I do not desire anything else. “But he is rarely achieved.” But he will accept me because he is affectionate to the miserable. May he be pleased with me since he is endowed with all qualities like compassion (bhagavān) and delivers everyone from suffering (mukundaḥ). Moreover he is the shelter for those with no other master. Or even though he is the Supreme Lord (bhagavān), may he be pleased with me since he is the shelter of those with no master. “Why do you have such determination for him?” He will free me from misery by freeing me from other desires (mukundaḥ). Or, he is Kṛṣṇa, manifesting directly all unlimited powers (bhagavān). Being the shelter of those with no master, he alone gives the best results even to the demons, giving them liberation (mukundaḥ). He is thus better than the Lords of Vaikuṇṭha. The conversation between Yamarāja and Yamunā is also rejected as contradictory. evaṁ vadanti rājarṣe ṛṣayaḥ ke ca nānvitāḥ yat sva-vāco virudhyeta nūnaṁ te na smaranty uta Such is the account given by some sages, O wise King, but those who speak in this illogical way are contradicting themselves, having forgotten their own previous statements. SB 10.77.30 There are two forms of Yamunā. One is the direct form who is the consort of the Lord and the other is the shadow form who is the wife of the ocean. The consort form stays in Dvārakā. The shadow form was pulled by Balarāma and then praised him. If this had been Kṛṣṇa’s eternal consort, it would mean a frightful afterlife for the Lord who appears to protect dharma.

Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Bhakti (Devotion)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Dhriti (Resilience / Steadfastness / Fortitude)
Related verses

The lotus does not consider which pond is largest — it opens to the one sun that calls it open. Kālindī's vow is the lotus's logic spoken aloud: there is no second.

📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 58