SB 10.77.9 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.77.9

వీక్ష్య తత్ కదనం స్వానాం నిరూప్య పురరక్షణమ్ । సౌభం చ శాల్వరాజం చ దారుకం ప్రాహ కేశవ: ॥ ౯ ॥

vīkṣya tat kadanaṁ svānāṁ

[veekshya tat kadanam svaanaam]

nirūpya pura-rakṣaṇam

[niroopya pura-rakshanam]

saubhaṁ ca śālva-rājaṁ ca

[saubham cha shaalva-raajam cha]

dārukaṁ prāha keśavaḥ

[daarukam praaha keshavah]

Word-for-word

vīkṣya — seeing tat — that kadanam — destruction svānām — of His own men nirūpya — arranging pura — of the city rakṣaṇam — for protection saubham — the vehicle Saubha ca — and śālva - rājam — the King of the Śālva province ca — and dārukam — to Dāruka, His chariot driver prāha — spoke keśavaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

vīkṣya tat kadanaṁ svānāṁ

vīkṣya

seeing

tat

that

kadanam

destruction

svānām

of His own men

nirūpya pura-rakṣaṇam

nirūpya

arranging

pura

of the city

rakṣaṇam

for protection

saubhaṁ ca śālva-rājaṁ ca

saubham

the vehicle Saubha

and

śālva - rājam

the King of the Śālva province

and

dārukaṁ prāha keśavaḥ

dārukam

to Dāruka, His chariot driver

prāha

spoke

keśavaḥ

Lord Kṛṣṇa .

Important Words

kadanam — destruction
Slaughter, devastation. The word is unsoftened — Dvārakā is being torn up. Bhāgavatam realism: the Lord's city, the Lord's people, are not immune to attack while He plays out the human role of king who must arrive.
nirūpya — having arranged
Gerund of ni + √rūp — to determine, set in order. Kṛṣṇa first sets His defenses, then speaks to His driver. Devotional action is sequenced: śaraṇa first for those one is responsible for, then engagement with the enemy.
keśavaḥ — Keśava
He of fine hair — also, as the ācāryas gloss, the slayer of Keśī. The name of Bhagavān as destroyer of demons; precisely the aspect of Kṛṣṇa that now steps forward as Śālva's slayer.
dārukam — to Dāruka
Kṛṣṇa's eternal charioteer in Dvārakā-līlā. Like Arjuna's sārathi-Kṛṣṇa, Dāruka models the inverse — the devotee who is so trusted by Bhagavān that he drives Bhagavān Himself into battle.

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] After He arrived at Dvārakā and saw how His people were threatened with destruction, and also saw Śālva and his Saubha airship, Lord Keśava arranged for the city’s defense and then addressed Dāruka as follows.

Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa placed Śrī Balarāma in a strategic position to guard the city, and He also appointed a special guard for Śrī Rukmiṇī and the other queens inside the palaces. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, by a secret route special soldiers conveyed the queens to safety inside Dvārakā.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Commentary

Thinking in this way, he arrived at Dvaraka. He saw the affliction caused to his people by Salva as well as Salva and his aircraft. Considering to protect Rukmini and the other queens in the inner chambers of the city, he spoke to Daruka, with the idea that generals should put them in the center of the city by a secret path.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Seeing the bad omens (kadaman) he returned.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

Kṛṣṇa spoke to Dāruka with affection, or with logic (pra āha) because he was the supreme Lord and Dāruka’s master (keśavaḥ).

Related values & verses

Related values

Mardava (Gentleness)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Discriminative WisdomAsteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

Analogy

He arrives, sees His people being slaughtered, sees Śālva and the Saubha overhead, organizes the city's defense first — and only then addresses Dāruka. Even when one's heart is on fire to engage the enemy, the protector first secures the householders behind him before charging the front line.

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Source: vedabase.io