Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.7.16
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
sarva-guṇa-upetāḥ
—
fully qualified with all good qualities
Sarva (all) + guṇa (qualities) + upeta (endowed). Vaiṣṇava charity is graded — the cow given should be the first-class one, not the substandard. Prabhupāda often emphasized: Kṛṣṇa is satisfied by quality of bhakti, not quantity; the same applies to dāna offered through Him.
-
rukma-mālinīḥ
—
with garlands of gold
Rukma (gold) + mālā (garland). Vraja's wealth was real — Nanda was wealthy enough to gold-garland his charity-cows. The Gauḍīya frame: artha is to be used, not despised; it is purified by being routed through the Lord's servants.
-
ātmaja-abhyudaya-arthāya
—
for the purpose of his son's affluence
Ātmaja (own-born — son) + abhyudaya (rising, welfare) + artha (for the sake of). Nanda's charity is performed with a specific saṅkalpa — for Kṛṣṇa's welfare. Vaiṣṇava dāna is not vague good-feeling; it is dedicated, named, directed. The saṅkalpa carries the gift.
-
anvayuñjata
—
accepted them (with blessings)
From anu-yuj, to join, to unite. The brāhmaṇas do not merely accept — they yoke themselves to Nanda's saṅkalpa, joining their tapas to his offering. Vaiṣṇava charity is two-sided: the gift is one half; the recipient's blessing is the half that makes it yajña.
Nanda Mahārāja first fed the brāhmaṇas sumptuously and then gave them in charity first-class cows fully decorated with golden necklaces, garments and flower garlands.
He gave cows. They are described as sarvagunopetah , endowed with all qualities. That means they gave much milk. The brahmanas then (anu) accepted the cows (ayunjata).
The cows are described half the verse. He gave cows in order to produce prosperity for his son after destroying all disturbances, but this was only a symptom of his affection for his son, which was his goal in life. After taking their meal (anu), the brāhmaṇas gave blessings since this would naturally follow (though it not mentioned explicitly in the verse).
He gave the best cows fully ornamented, that gave abundant milk and were young, as gifts, for his son’s bodily health (abhyudaya) and dharma, artha etc. or for wealth (abhyudaya). Actual Kṛṣṇa himself is all puruṣārthas. Thus out of affection Nanda performed these actions. After eating (anu) the brāhmaṇas accepted gifts.
- DKP SB 10-07-16 - 2016-11-05 Los Angeles
- Mahatama Pr SB 10-07-16-18 - 2016-10-11 Bhaktivedanta Manor
- NNP SB 10-07-16 - Purpose of brahmanas - Navina Nirada Pr ISKCON Slovenia
- NNP SB 10-07-16 Slovenian Translation - Pomen brahman - 2023-09-22 ISKCON Slovenia
- Sarvabhauma Pr SB 10-07-16-17 - 2021-04-14 ISKCON Vrindavan
- Vishwarup Pr SB 10-07-16 - Simple Loving Hearts of Brajavasis - 2012-03-07 ISKCON Chowpatty
- BhaktiVasudeva Sw SB 10-07-16 - 2012-04-02 ISKCON Alachua
- Today, give something tangible — money, food, or time — to a Vaiṣṇava or brāhmaṇa specifically as an offering for the welfare of someone you love.
- Refuse to hoard your 'best' things; identify one first-class item you've been saving and give it in charity rather than letting aparigraha curdle into possessiveness.
- Before any act of generosity, name the recipient's spiritual standing and the dependent you're offering it for, so the gift becomes yajña rather than transaction.
A father who wants his child to thrive does not buy the child a toy but pours water into the roots of the family tree — strengthening the soil under everyone. Nanda's gold-decorated cows given to brāhmaṇas are water poured at the roots: Kṛṣṇa's affluence flows from the soil that nourishes His servants.
Rantideva, after fasting forty-eight days, gave away his only meal to a hungry guest — and then the next portion to a still hungrier one, and then the water to a thirsty caṇḍāla (SB 9.21). His charity was not strategic; it was the natural overflow of one who saw Bhagavān in every recipient.
Nanda's charity is the householder version of Rantideva's: not the last meal, but the first-class cows; not stripped of family, but offered for his son. The shared principle: wealth purifies by flowing toward Bhagavān through His devotees.
My note
Source: vedabase.io