FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.60.41

యద్వాఞ్ఛయా నృపశిఖామణయోఽఙ్గవైన్య- జాయన్తనాహుషగయాదయ ఐక్యపత్యమ్ । రాజ్యం విసృజ్య వివిశుర్వనమమ్బుజాక్ష సీదన్తి తేఽనుపదవీం త ఇహాస్థితా: కిమ్ ॥ ౪౧ ॥
yad-vāñchayā nṛpa-śikhāmaṇayo ’nga-vainya-
[yad-vaanchayaa nripa-shikhaamanayo ’nga-vainya-]
jāyanta-nāhuṣa-gayādaya aikya-patyam
[jaayanta-naahusha-gayaadaya aikya-patyam]
rājyaṁ visṛjya viviśur vanam ambujākṣa
[raajyam visrijya vivishur vanam ambujaaksha]
sīdanti te ’nupadavīṁ ta ihāsthitāḥ kim
[seedanti te ’nupadaveem ta ihaasthitaah kim]
yat — for whom vāñchayā — out of desire nṛpa — of kings śikhāmaṇayaḥ — the crown jewels aṅga - vainya - jāyanta - nāhuṣa - gaya - ādayaḥ — Aṅga (the father of Vena), Vainya (Pṛthu, the son of Vena), Jāyanta (Bharata), Nāhuṣa (Yayāti), Gaya and others aikya — exclusive patyam — having sovereignty rājyam — their kingdoms visṛjya — abandoning viviśuḥ — entered vanam — the forest ambuja - akṣa — O lotus-eyed one sīdanti — suffer frustration te — Your anupadavīm — on the path te — they iha — in this world āsthitāḥ — fixed kim — whether .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yad-vāñchayā nṛpa-śikhāmaṇayo ’nga-vainya-
yat
for whom
vāñchayā
out of desire
nṛpa
of kings
śikhāmaṇayaḥ
the crown jewels
jāyanta-nāhuṣa-gayādaya aikya-patyam
aṅga - vainya - jāyanta - nāhuṣa - gaya - ādayaḥ
Aṅga (the father of Vena), Vainya (Pṛthu, the son of Vena), Jāyanta (Bharata), Nāhuṣa (Yayāti), Gaya and others
aikya
exclusive
patyam
having sovereignty
rājyaṁ visṛjya viviśur vanam ambujākṣa
rājyam
their kingdoms
visṛjya
abandoning
viviśuḥ
entered
vanam
the forest
ambuja - akṣa
O lotus-eyed one
sīdanti te ’nupadavīṁ ta ihāsthitāḥ kim
sīdanti
suffer frustration
te
Your
anupadavīm
on the path
te
they
iha
in this world
āsthitāḥ
fixed
kim
whether .
  • nṛpa-śikhāmaṇayaḥ — crown jewels of kings
    Compound: nṛpa (king) + śikhā (crest) + maṇi (jewel). The 'crest-jewel kings' — the highest-class rulers. They left dominion to seek Him; the present verse refutes His v. 17 advice that she should accept a 'kṣatra-bandhu' instead of Him.
  • anupadavīm — on Your path
    Compound: anu (following) + padavī (path). The 'after-path' — the trail of Your footprints. Cf. Bhāgavatam's gopī-songs: anugacchantī (10.30). The forest-path is the bhakta's path, named after His feet.
  • vanam — they entered the forest
    Vana (forest) + viviśuḥ (entered, aorist plural of vi + √viś). The renunciation-marker. The kings entered the forest precisely to find what You are pretending it is shameful to be near.
Wanting Your association, the best of kings — Aṅga, Vainya, Jāyanta, Nāhuṣa, Gaya and others — abandoned their absolute sovereignty and entered the forest to seek You out. How could those kings suffer frustration in this world, O lotus-eyed one?

Here Queen Rukmiṇī refutes the ideas put forth by Lord Kṛṣṇa in text 13. In fact Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī repeats Lord Kṛṣṇa’s own words. The Lord said, āsthitāḥ padavīṁ su-bhru prāyaḥ sīdanti yoṣitaḥ: “Women who follow My path generally suffer.” Here Rukmiṇī-devī says, sīdanti te ’nupadavīṁ ta ihāsthitāḥ kim: “Why should those fixed on Your path suffer in this world?” She gives the example of many great kings who renounced their powerful sovereignty to enter the forest, where they performed austerities and worshiped the Lord, intensely desiring His transcendental association. Thus, according to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī here intends to tell Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “You have said that I, a king’s daughter, am unintelligent and frustrated because I married You. But how can You accuse all these great enlightened kings of being unintelligent? They were the wisest of men, yet they gave up everything to follow You and were certainly not frustrated by the result. Indeed, they achieved the perfection of Your association.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Wanting Your association, the best of kings—Aṅga, Vainya, Jāyanta, Nāhuṣa, Gaya and others—abandoned their absolute sovereignty and entered the forest to seek You out. How could those kings suffer frustration in this world, O lotus-eyed one?
Commentary

"You have said that almost all women who follow your path end up suffering. That is also a foolish statement. Bharata (Jayanta) and other great kings took shelfer of you, but did they suffer? Were they foolish? You have said that because I am a foolish princess I suffer."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

With particular anger she responds to his suggestion that he should be given up. She rejects his assertions of verse 13 that women become unhappy because of him. Desiring you, topmost kings gave up kingdoms desired even by the devatās and entered the forest. They had faith in you, the son of Nanda and thus remained fixed at your feet somewhere in this world (iha). Nu indicates a question. This verse replies to his statement that all women become miserable because of him. Kings and others also included in his statement. Thus she replies by mentioning kings.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Yad is the correlative of te in the sentence. The best of kings, possessing kingdoms, gave up their kingdoms which they controlled completely (eka-patyam) and entered the forest. Or te distinguishes these kings from Jarāsandha. Ādayaḥ indicates Priyavrata and others. Nu indicates a question or can be the words anupadavīm. Will they who are situated on your path suffer, even in the forest (iha)? O lotus eyed lord! They wait to see your beauty.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Brahmacharya (Self-discipline / Restraint)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses

Crown-jewel kings — Aṅga, Vainya, Bharata-Jāyanta, Nāhuṣa-Yayāti, Gaya — abandoned absolute sovereignty and walked into the forest to seek You. They did not 'suffer frustration' there; they found You. So why do You speak as if association with You were a misfortune?

Pṛthu and Bharata renouncing kingdoms

Vainya (Pṛthu Mahārāja, SB 4.15–23) emerged from his father Vena's body as an avatāra of Viṣṇu and after a perfect reign retired to the forest for tapasyā. Bharata (SB 5.7–14, the great-soul whose name India bears) renounced his throne, his wife, his children — first for the forest, ultimately for the path of pure bhakti.

Rukmiṇī's catalogue of forest-bound kings is not invented; each entry is a name from the earlier cantos of the very book whose tenth canto she is in. The Bhāgavatam is quoting itself through her mouth.

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