Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.73.18
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
adya prabhṛti
—
beginning from now
A datable benediction. The verse marks an actual start-line for these kings' bhakti — not a vague trajectory but a Bhagavān-fixed moment.
-
mayi-ātmani-akhila-īśvare
—
to Me, the Self, the controller of all
Three locatives in apposition: personal Lord (mayi), indwelling Self (ātmani), universal controller (akhila-īśvare). Gauḍīyas read this as the Bhāgavata's standard Brahman-Paramātmā-Bhagavān sequence, all collapsed into mayi.
-
su-dṛḍhā
—
very firm (devotion)
Dṛḍha — fixed, unshakeable; intensified by su-. The qualifier is essential: Kṛṣṇa does not promise mere bhakti but su-dṛḍhā, the kind that does not break when thrones return.
-
bāḍham
—
assuredly
An emphatic affirmative. Rare in Bhagavān's mouth; here it functions as a vow-particle. What follows is not contingent.
-
āśaṁsitam
—
what is desired / hoped for
From ā + √śaṁs. Kṛṣṇa frames the boon as fulfilling their own prayer — the kings asked for smṛti (v.15); He grants su-dṛḍhā bhakti, the soil in which that smṛti grows.
"O kings nourishers and protectors of the earth (bhu pa), by revealing the true nature of my devotee through your statements above you are nourishing the earth by spreading upon it the nectar of the practice of bhakti. I promise (badham) that steady bhakti by the means that you desired (asamsitam) will appear. The means is this: I will instruct, you will understand, practice, and then attain firm remembrance; and from the remembrance appears prema bhakti (drdha bhakti). Firmness in the practice and goal appears (jayate) at this moment, and the realization will come gradually, in ever newness from today (adya prabhrti).’
The Lord then states that they will have from this time on the highest, sweetest, indestructible bhakti with remembrance of him. You will have devotion to me, the supreme soul, suitable for prema (ātmani), with great reverence to me as the Lord of all beings. Their bhakti would be mixed with prema and reverence. Paṣcarātra says: māhāṭmya-jṣāna-pūrvas tu sudṛḍhaḥ sarvato ‘dhikaḥ sneho bhaktir iti proktaḥ tayā sārṣṭyādi nānyathā Strong bhakti with awareness of the Lord’s greatness is called sneha-bhakti (dāsya bhakti). One certainly attains sāṛsṭi and other benedictions. Their bhakti would become definitely (bāḍham) strong now since from this time obstacles were destroyed. The present tense is used to denote the near future. They would attain strong bhakti now. Just as you desired, that bhakti will appear. Śrīdhara Svāmī accepts yathā instead of tathā, though tathā is generally accepted.
You will have firm bhakti to me, son of Devakī, the antaryāmī of all (ātmani), the Lord of all (akhileśvare). He considers himself the lord of the Yadus. They had bhakti but now it becomes very firm. O kings! By bhakti to me, you can protect the earth. Śrīdhara Svāmī accepts yathā instead of tathā. Or from now, you kings alone will protect the earth because you have developed bhakti to me. Or “Please act according to our prayers.” Bhakti will automatically manifest. Why do I have to supply it? The blessing has been given by his words. The symptom of bhakti’s birth is indicated. Just as you desired it will be done. They had prayed for instructions on a method of remembrance of the Lord.
A gardener does not promise that the seed will sprout; he simply waters where the soil has been opened. The kings opened their soil in verses 8–16. Kṛṣṇa here only confirms: 'bāḍham' — assuredly — the bhakti you asked for will arise. The promise is given because the prayer was honest.
My note
Source: vedabase.io