FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.58.40

శ్రీభగవానువాచ నరేన్ద్ర యాచ్ఞా కవిభిర్విగర్హితా రాజన్యబన్ధోర్నిజధర్మవర్తిన: । తథాపి యాచే తవ సౌహృదేచ్ఛయా కన్యాం త్వదీయాం న హి శుల్కదా వయమ్ ॥ ౪౦ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
narendra yācñā kavibhir vigarhitā
[narendra yaachnaa kavibhir vigarhitaa]
rājanya-bandhor nija-dharma-vartinaḥ
[raajanya-bandhor nija-dharma-vartinah]
tathāpi yāce tava sauhṛdecchayā
[tathaapi yaache tava sauhridechchayaa]
kanyāṁ tvadīyāṁ na hi śulka-dā vayam
[kanyaam tvadeeyaam na hi shulka-daa vayam]
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said nara - indra — O ruler of men yācñā — begging kavibhiḥ — by learned authorities vigarhitā — condemned rājanya — of the royal order bandhoḥ — for a member nija — in his own dharma — religious standards vartinaḥ — who is situated tathā api — nevertheless yāce — I am begging tava — with you sauhṛda — for friendship icchayā — out of desire kanyām — daughter tvadīyām — your na — not hi — indeed śulka - dāḥ — givers of payment vayam — We .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
narendra yācñā kavibhir vigarhitā
nara - indra
O ruler of men
yācñā
begging
kavibhiḥ
by learned authorities
vigarhitā
condemned
rājanya-bandhor nija-dharma-vartinaḥ
rājanya
of the royal order
bandhoḥ
for a member
nija
in his own
dharma
religious standards
vartinaḥ
who is situated
tathāpi yāce tava sauhṛdecchayā
tathā api
nevertheless
yāce
I am begging
tava
with you
sauhṛda
for friendship
icchayā
out of desire
kanyāṁ tvadīyāṁ na hi śulka-dā vayam
kanyām
daughter
tvadīyām
your
na
not
hi
indeed
śulka - dāḥ
givers of payment
vayam
We .
  • yācñā — begging
    From √yāc — to ask. Bhagavān names His own action as yācñā — begging. Gauḍīya: Bhagavān begs from His own devotees what is already His; the begging is His rasa-art, not His need.
  • vigarhitā — condemned
    Past participle of vi + √garh — censured. Kavayas (learned authorities) censure begging by a kṣatriya. Bhagavān acknowledges the censure even as He sets it aside. Gauḍīya: rasa sometimes overrides śāstra's surface; bhakti is the meta-rule.
  • sauhṛda - icchayā — desiring friendship
    Compound sauhṛda (friendship, well-wishing) + icchā (desire). The motive admitted openly: the Lord wants friendship with this household. Gauḍīya: His asking is not a transaction; it is the bid for sauhṛda.
  • śulka - dāḥ — bride-price givers
    Compound śulka (bride-price) + dā (giver). Kṛṣṇa declares He brings no bride-price — yet (as verse 45 will show) He pays the price the king set: subduing the bulls. The economic exchange is replaced by valour. Gauḍīya: Bhagavān pays in līlā, not coin.
The Supreme Lord said: O ruler of men, learned authorities condemn begging for a person in the royal order who is executing his religious duties. Even so, desiring your friendship, I ask you for your daughter, though We offer no gifts in exchange.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: O ruler of men, learned authorities condemn begging for a person in the royal order who is executing his religious duties. Even so, desiring your friendship, I ask you for your daughter, though We offer no gifts in exchange.
Commentary

"Even one who is an inferior kstariya should not ask from another. Tthough I am a superior ksatriya I am asking. I ask for your daughter without dowry."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

I act in accordance human pastimes which give the bliss of prema to my devotees. Because of your prema, I transgress the rules that should be followed. Kṛṣṇa speaks with a skilful request worthy of a kṣatriya, while indicating the scriptural conclusion. He addresses the king respectable as a father-in-law in order to make his relationship with him strong. O king (narendra)! Begging for even a fallen kṣatriya is strongly condemned (vi--garhitāḥ) by the wise sages like Vyāsadeva, since stealing by force is praised. With a desire of establishing a happy relationship with you (tava sauhṛdecchayā), or with a desire that you have prema for me, I, a kṣatriya, ask for your daughter, without offering any gifts. This is a profound joke, since in speaking of dharma, Kṛṣṇa understood the price of the bride to be his tying of the bulls.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

I will be satisfied by your giving your daughter. Begging by kṣatriyas is condemned by poets like Vyāsa and especially condemned (vi-garhitaḥ) for those following their own dharma. Stealing the girl in the svayaṁbara is praised for kṣatriyas. O king you know this (narendra)! For having a good relationship with you (tava sauhṛdecchayā), or desiring that you have prema for me, I do not give a gift for certain (hi) for respecting the family. He uses the plural (vayam) to indicate the Yadu dynasty, out of respect for being born among them or to indicate the huge family of Yadus. Otherwise others would think him insignificant.

Related values
Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Bhakti (Devotion)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Svadhyaya (Self-study & Scripture Study)
Related verses

A king does not ordinarily beg — yet the supreme Lord begs from a small king, and the begging is itself the great gift. Friendship's economy turns gifts inside out: in giving you nothing material, He gives you everything.

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