FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.68.20

బన్ధూన్ కుశలిన: శ్రుత్వా పృష్ట్వా శివమనామయమ్ । పరస్పరమథో రామో బభాషేఽవిక్లవం వచ: ॥ ౨౦ ॥
bandhūn kuśalinaḥ śrutvā
[bandhoon kushalinah shrutvaa]
pṛṣṭvā śivam anāmayam
[prishtvaa shivam anaamayam]
parasparam atho rāmo
[parasparam atho raamo]
babhāṣe ’viklavaṁ vacaḥ
[babhaashe ’viklavam vachah]
bandhūn — their relatives kuśalinaḥ — doing well śrutvā — hearing pṛṣṭvā — inquiring śivam — about their welfare anāmayam — and health parasparam — among one another atha u — thereupon rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma babhāṣe — spoke aviklavam — forthrightly vacaḥ — words .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bandhūn kuśalinaḥ śrutvā
bandhūn
their relatives
kuśalinaḥ
doing well
śrutvā
hearing
pṛṣṭvā śivam anāmayam
pṛṣṭvā
inquiring
śivam
about their welfare
anāmayam
and health
parasparam atho rāmo
parasparam
among one another
atha u
thereupon
rāmaḥ
Lord Balarāma
babhāṣe ’viklavaṁ vacaḥ
babhāṣe
spoke
aviklavam
forthrightly
vacaḥ
words .
  • kuśalinaḥ — doing well
    Kuśala — the standard greeting-word of Vedic kings, asking after welfare. Even on a tense mission, Balarāma honors hospitality fully before raising the issue.
  • aviklavam — forthrightly, without hesitation
    From a-vi-klav, 'not faltering, not bewildered.' Balarāma's speech is plain — no diplomatic evasion, no concealed threat. The elder speaks straight.
After both parties had heard that their relatives were doing well and both had inquired into each other’s welfare and health, Lord Balarāma forthrightly spoke to the Kurus as follows.

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “They all exchanged words of reception by asking one another of their welfare, and when such formality was finished, Lord Balarāma, in a great voice and very patiently, submitted before them the following words for their consideration.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
After both parties had heard that their relatives were doing well and both had inquired into each other's welfare and health, Lord Balarāma forthrightly spoke to the Kurus as follows.
Commentary

Both sides heard and asked about friends’ welfare.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

They mutually asked and then heard about their relatives’ welfare and health. After that, without fear (aviklava) Balarāma spoke

Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Bhakti (Devotion)
Concepts
JivaRasa

After the customary inquiries — 'are your people well, are your fields well?' — the elder rises and speaks his real errand. Balarāma observes courtesy first, then comes directly to the matter of Sāmba.

📝 My note

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