FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.70.45

శ్రీశుక ఉవాచ తత్ర తేష్వాత్మపక్షేష్వగృణత్సు విజిగీషయా । వాచ: పేశై: స్మయన్ భృత్యముద్ధవం ప్రాహ కేశవ: ॥ ౪౫ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
tatra teṣv ātma-pakṣeṣv a-
[tatra teshv aatma-paksheshv a-]
gṛṇatsu vijigīṣayā
[grinatsu vijigeeshayaa]
vācaḥ peśaiḥ smayan bhṛtyam
[vaachah peshaih smayan bhrityam]
uddhavaṁ prāha keśavaḥ
[uddhavam praaha keshavah]
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said tatra — there teṣu — they (the Yādavas) ātma — His own pakṣeṣu — supporters agṛṇatsu — not agreeing vijigīṣayā — because of their desire to conquer (Jarāsandha) vācaḥ — of speech peśaiḥ — with charming usage smayan — smiling bhṛtyam — to His servant uddhavam — Śrī Uddhava prāha — spoke keśavaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
tatra teṣv ātma-pakṣeṣv a-
tatra
there
teṣu
they (the Yādavas)
ātma
His own
pakṣeṣu
supporters
agṛṇatsu
not agreeing
gṛṇatsu vijigīṣayā
vijigīṣayā
because of their desire to conquer (Jarāsandha)
vācaḥ peśaiḥ smayan bhṛtyam
vācaḥ
of speech
peśaiḥ
with charming usage
smayan
smiling
bhṛtyam
to His servant
uddhavaṁ prāha keśavaḥ
uddhavam
Śrī Uddhava
prāha
spoke
keśavaḥ
Lord Kṛṣṇa .
  • ātma-pakṣeṣu — His own supporters
    Pakṣa — wing, side, faction. The Yādavas are Bhagavān's pakṣa — those on His side. Bhakti has factional language: there is a side, and it is His.
  • vijigīṣayā — from the desire to conquer (Jarāsandha)
    Vi + ji — desiring victory. The Yādava warrior-bhaktas have not lost their kṣatriya-spirit; they want to settle the score. Bhagavān will redirect, not extinguish, that fire.
  • smayan — smiling
    Kṛṣṇa-smita — His smile — appears again (cf. verse 16). The smile here is a teacher's smile, the kind that knows the answer but waits for the student. Bhakti's life: living under that smile.
  • uddhavam — Uddhava
    Uddhava is named as bhṛtya — servant. The Gauḍīyas read his dāsya-bhāva (servitor mood) as the canonical mood for sober devotional counsel. Sakhya might want to fight; dāsya weighs and advises.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When His supporters, the Yādavas, objected to this proposal out of eagerness to defeat Jarāsandha, Lord Keśava turned to His servant Uddhava and, smiling, addressed him with fine words.

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, “Just before the great sage Nārada arrived in the Sudharmā assembly house of Dvārakā, Lord Kṛṣṇa and His ministers and secretaries had been considering how to attack the kingdom of Jarāsandha. Because they were seriously considering this subject, Nārada’s proposal that Lord Kṛṣṇa go to Hastināpura for Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s great Rājasūya sacrifice did not much appeal to them. Lord Kṛṣṇa could understand the intentions of His associates because He is the ruler of even Lord Brahmā. Therefore, in order to pacify them, He smilingly [spoke] to Uddhava.” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that the Lord smiled because He was about to demonstrate Uddhava’s brilliant ability to give counsel in difficult situations.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When His supporters, the Yādavas, objected to this proposal out of eagerness to defeat Jarāsandha, Lord Keśava turned to His servant Uddhava and, smiling, addressed him with fine words.
Commentary

In the assembly, the Yadavas , Krnsa’s allies, wanting to conquer Jarasandha, did not listen to Narada’s words. Smiling, with skilful words which would impress upon Uddhava his own desires in the matter, Krsna spoke to Uddava. He did this in order to make known to all the excellence of Uddhava’s skill in giving advice.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The Yādavas were silent. This was a sign that they did not agree to the proposal. Another version has gṛṇatsu instead of agṛṇatsu. Kṛṣṇa turned to Uddhava in order to spread Uddhava’s glories, since he killed Keśī out of affection for the people of Gokula. In Dvārakā he had special affection for Uddhava. He spoke to Uddhava deliberately (pra—āha) using fine words since Uddhava was the form of joy (uddhavam) for all people. He smiled because of his special intentions which Uddhava would know.

Related values
Discriminative WisdomAsteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva

The Yādavas eager to fight Jarāsandha first are like loyal dogs straining at the leash before the hunter has named the prey. Kṛṣṇa smiles, turns to His subtler servant Uddhava, and asks counsel — not because He doesn't know, but because devotees of different rasas serve through different limbs.

📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 70