FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.69.13

తస్మిన్ సమానగుణరూపవయ:సువేష- దాసీసహస్రయుతయానుసవం గృహిణ్యా । విప్రో దదర్శ చమరవ్యజనేన రుక్‍మ- దణ్డేన సాత్వతపతిం పరివీజయన్త్యా ॥ ౧౩ ॥
tasmin samāna-guṇa-rūpa-vayaḥ-su-veṣa-
[tasmin samaana-guna-roopa-vayah-su-vesha-]
dāsī-sahasra-yutayānusavaṁ gṛhiṇyā
[daasee-sahasra-yutayaanusavam grihinyaa]
vipro dadarśa cāmara-vyajanena rukma-
[vipro dadarsha chaamara-vyajanena rukma-]
daṇḍena sātvata-patiṁ parivījayantyā
[dandena saatvata-patim pariveejayantyaa]
tasmin — therein samāna — equal guṇa — whose personal qualities rūpa — beauty vayaḥ — youth su - veṣa — and fine dress dāsī — by maidservants sahasra — a thousand yutayā — joined anusavam — at every moment gṛhiṇyā — together with His wife vipraḥ — the learned brāhmaṇa (Nārada) dadarśa — saw cāmara — of yak-tail vyajanena — with a fan rukma — gold daṇḍena — whose handle sātvata - patim — the Lord of the Sātvatas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa parivījayantyā — fanning .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasmin samāna-guṇa-rūpa-vayaḥ-su-veṣa-
tasmin
therein
samāna
equal
guṇa
whose personal qualities
rūpa
beauty
vayaḥ
youth
su - veṣa
and fine dress
dāsī-sahasra-yutayānusavaṁ gṛhiṇyā
dāsī
by maidservants
sahasra
a thousand
yutayā
joined
anusavam
at every moment
gṛhiṇyā
together with His wife
vipro dadarśa cāmara-vyajanena rukma-
vipraḥ
the learned brāhmaṇa (Nārada)
dadarśa
saw
cāmara
of yak-tail
vyajanena
with a fan
rukma
gold
daṇḍena sātvata-patiṁ parivījayantyā
daṇḍena
whose handle
sātvata - patim
the Lord of the Sātvatas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa
parivījayantyā
fanning .
  • gṛhiṇyā — together with His wife
    From gṛha (home). Gṛhiṇī is the one who makes the house a home — not merely a wife but the co-bearer of household dharma. The chapter is about gṛhastha-dharma at the highest pitch, and the word announces it.
  • sātvata-patim — the Lord of the Sātvatas
    Sātvata = the devotees, the Yādava-Sātvata clan; pati = Lord, husband, master. A title that braids three relations at once: clan-chief, devotee-master, husband. Each palace shows Him fulfilling all three to a single queen.
  • cāmara-vyajanena — with a yak-tail fan
    The cāmara is a standard royal/temple article — what attendants offer to deities and kings. That Rukmiṇī wields it herself rather than having a maid do so is a Vaiṣṇava signature: aiśvarya is real, but personal sevā outranks rank.
  • samāna-guṇa-rūpa-vayaḥ — equal in quality, beauty, and age
    Compound (joined from synonyms): samāna (equal) + guṇa + rūpa + vayaḥ. The maids are Rukmiṇī's peers, not subordinates — the dhāma admits no inferiors. Gauḍīyas read this as a glimpse of Vaikuṇṭha's nitya-siddha sakhīs.
In that palace the learned brāhmaṇa saw the Lord of the Sātvatas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, together with His wife, who fanned Him with a gold-handled yak-tail fan. She personally served Him in this way, even though she was constantly attended by a thousand maidservants equal to her in personal character, beauty, youth and fine dress.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In that palace the learned brāhmaṇa saw the Lord of the Sātvatas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, together with His wife, who fanned Him with a gold-handled yak-tail fan. She personally served Him in this way, even though she was constantly attended by a thousand maidservants equal to her in personal character, beauty, youth and fine dress.
Commentary

Narada saw Krsna in the palace with his queen, who was constantly (anusavam) fanning him with a camara.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

In that house Nārada saw Kṛṣṇa with Rukmiṇī, the mistress of the house, fanning him with a cāmara, using her whole body, out of great devotion, along with thousands of maid servants. “How could Nārada suddenly enter?” He was a brāhmaṇa. This by itself allowed him to enter. Nārada, who is the guru of scriptures on devotion, saw Kṛṣṇa the Lord of the devotees (sātvata-patim). This indicates that on seeing Kṛṣṇa intense bhakti arose in him. Or he saw the Lord of the Yadus. This indicates that Nārada was surprised to see Kṛṣṇa involved in such intimate dealings.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

In that house Nārada saw Kṛṣṇa with Rukmiṇī, the mistress of the house, fanning him with a cāmara, using her whole body, out of great devotion, along with thousands of maid servants. A cāmara is a type of deer. The tail was used for fanning. “How could Nārada suddenly enter?” He was a brāhmaṇa. This by itself allowed him to enter. He saw the lord of the Yadus, who appeared in their family to show his unlimited qualities like affection for brāhmaṇas. Or now more than before he was served by beautiful form and qualities since he appeared with unlimited qualities of bhagavān. Or he was lord of the devotees (sātvata-patim). This it was proper for the Lord to allow the best of devotees and a brāhmaṇa to enter. And he attained great bliss on seeing Nārada.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Prema (Divine Love)Svadhyaya (Self-study & Scripture Study)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)
Related verses
Concepts
GuruJiva

A queen attended by a thousand maids equal to her in beauty puts the cāmara into her own hand and fans her Lord herself — because no proxy can substitute for the touch of one's own service. Rukmiṇī's hand on the gold-handled fan is the very signature of aiśvarya-yoked-mādhurya: she is queen, He is King, and yet between them only personal sevā will do.

Rukmiṇī's choice in SB 10.52-53

Rukmiṇī had been promised to Śiśupāla by her brother, but she sent a brāhmaṇa with a letter to Kṛṣṇa: 'If You do not come, I will give up my life.' Kṛṣṇa came, took her from the temple of Ambikā in full view of the assembled kings, and made her His chief queen.

Gauḍīyas read the cāmara in her hand here as the completion of that act — having chosen Him with her whole life, she now serves Him with her whole hand, refusing the dignity of being merely served.

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