FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.76.13

ప్రద్యుమ్నో భగవాన్ వీక్ష్య బాధ్యమానా నిజా: ప్రజా: । మా భైష్టేత్యభ్యధాద్ వీరో రథారూఢో మహాయశా: ॥ ౧౩ ॥
pradyumno bhagavān vīkṣya
[pradyumno bhagavaan veekshya]
bādhyamānā nijāḥ prajāḥ
[baadhyamaanaa nijaah prajaah]
ma bhaiṣṭety abhyadhād vīro
[ma bhaishtety abhyadhaad veero]
rathārūḍho mahā-yaśāḥ
[rathaaroodho mahaa-yashaah]
pradyumnaḥ — Pradyumna bhagavān — the Lord vīkṣya — seeing bādhyamānāḥ — being harassed nijāḥ — His own prajāḥ — subjects mā bhaiṣṭa — do not fear iti — thus abhyadhāt — addressed vīraḥ — the great hero ratha — on His chariot ārūḍhaḥ — mounted mahā — immense yaśāḥ — whose glory .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pradyumno bhagavān vīkṣya
pradyumnaḥ
Pradyumna
bhagavān
the Lord
vīkṣya
seeing
bādhyamānā nijāḥ prajāḥ
bādhyamānāḥ
being harassed
nijāḥ
His own
prajāḥ
subjects
ma bhaiṣṭety abhyadhād vīro
mā bhaiṣṭa
do not fear
iti
thus
abhyadhāt
addressed
vīraḥ
the great hero
rathārūḍho mahā-yaśāḥ
ratha
on His chariot
ārūḍhaḥ
mounted
mahā
immense
yaśāḥ
whose glory .
  • pradyumnaḥ — Pradyumna
    Pra + √dyut — 'shining forth.' Kṛṣṇa's first son, an expansion of Vāsudeva according to the Pāñcarātra catur-vyūha (Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha). When Pradyumna fights, an aṁśa of Bhagavān fights.
  • bhagavān — the Lord
    Applied here to Pradyumna. The Bhāgavatam reserves bhagavān for full Godhood, but extends it to Pradyumna because of his catur-vyūha status. Important Gauḍīya note: Bhagavān-hood is shareable through expansion, never through merging.
  • mā bhaiṣṭa — do not fear
    Imperative + negative particle. The signature reassurance in Bhāgavata-rakṣaṇa moments — Kṛṣṇa says it to Yaśodā (10.7), to the gopas at Govardhana (10.25). In a Vraja-rasa key, mā bhaiṣṭa is Bhagavān's first kindness.
  • ratha-ārūḍhaḥ — mounted on His chariot
    Contiguous join (ratha + ārūḍhaḥ). Echoes Arjuna ratha-sthaḥ in Gītā 1. In Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.3 the body is the chariot and ātmā the rider; here Pradyumna takes ratha as the warrior, but Gauḍīyas read every Bhāgavata chariot through that Upaniṣadic frame.
  • mahā-yaśāḥ — whose glory is immense
    Contiguous join (mahā + yaśāḥ). Yaśas — fame that survives the fame-holder. Pradyumna's yaśas is not earned by today's deed; the verse calls him mahā-yaśas as a stable epithet — fame already established by his Śambara-killing past.
Seeing His subjects so harassed, the glorious and heroic Lord Pradyumna told them, “Do not fear,” and mounted His chariot.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing His subjects so harassed, the glorious and heroic Lord Pradyumna told them, "Do not fear," and mounted His chariot.
Commentary

Though Balaram wanted to go out and fight, Pradumnya said, "We will kill Salva. You should remain inside comfortably." Saying this he went out with Samba and others.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Beginning to realize that his citizens were afflicted, Pradyumna said “Do not fear” since he was the third expansion in the catur-vyūha (bhagavān). In the pastimes in this world he was a warrior, and the best warrior (mahā-rathaḥ). This was most astonishing. He would have an amusing pastime with insignificant demons.

Concepts
Jiva

Like the eldest son who steps to the door when his Father is occupied within, Pradyumna mounts His chariot and tells the citizens 'do not fear' — the same mā bhaiṣṭa that Kṛṣṇa breathes everywhere, now spoken by His son for the first time on the battlefield of Dvārakā.

Pradyumna born and stolen, returned and reigning

In SB 10.55, Pradyumna — Kṛṣṇa's son by Rukmiṇī — is stolen at birth by Śambara, recognized as Cupid (Kāma-deva) reborn, raised in secret, kills Śambara, and returns to Dvārakā as a full warrior. Mother Rukmiṇī recognizes him by his face, which is Kṛṣṇa's.

That backstory is the necessary ground for this verse. Pradyumna is not merely a prince but a son who has already conquered an asura before — Śambara then, Śālva's commander now. Kṛṣṇa lets His son inherit the battlefield because the son has earned the chariot.

📝 My note

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