FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.80.12-13

స ఏవం భార్యయా విప్రో బహుశ: ప్రార్థితో ముహు: । అయం హి పరమో లాభ ఉత్తమ:శ్లోకదర్శనమ్ ॥ ౧౨ ॥ ఇతి సఞ్చిన్త్య మనసా గమనాయ మతిం దధే । అప్యస్త్యుపాయనం కిఞ్చిద్ గృహే కల్యాణి దీయతామ్ ॥ ౧౩ ॥
sa evaṁ bhāryayā vipro
[sa evam bhaaryayaa vipro]
bahuśaḥ prārthito muhuḥ
[bahushah praarthito muhuh]
ayaṁ hi paramo lābha
[ayam hi paramo laabha]
uttamaḥśloka-darśanam
[uttamahshloka-darshanam]
iti sañcintya manasā
[iti sanchintya manasaa]
gamanāya matiṁ dadhe
[gamanaaya matim dadhe]
apy asty upāyanaṁ kiñcid
[apy asty upaayanam kinchid]
gṛhe kalyāṇi dīyatām
[grihe kalyaani deeyataam]
saḥ — he evam — in this way bhāryayā — by his wife vipraḥ — the brāhmaṇa bahuśaḥ — profusely prārthitaḥ — entreated muhuḥ — over and over ayam — this hi — indeed paramaḥ — the supreme lābhaḥ — gain uttamaḥ - śloka — of Lord Kṛṣṇa darśanam — the sight iti — so sañcintya — thinking manasā — within his mind gamanāya — to go matim dadhe — he made his decision api — whether asti — there is upāyanam — gift kiñcit — some gṛhe — in the house kalyāṇi — my good woman dīyatām — please give .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa evaṁ bhāryayā vipro
saḥ
he
evam
in this way
bhāryayā
by his wife
vipraḥ
the brāhmaṇa
bahuśaḥ prārthito muhuḥ
bahuśaḥ
profusely
prārthitaḥ
entreated
muhuḥ
over and over
ayaṁ hi paramo lābha
ayam
this
hi
indeed
paramaḥ
the supreme
lābhaḥ
gain
uttamaḥśloka-darśanam
uttamaḥ - śloka
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
darśanam
the sight
iti sañcintya manasā
iti
so
sañcintya
thinking
manasā
within his mind
gamanāya matiṁ dadhe
gamanāya
to go
matim dadhe
he made his decision
apy asty upāyanaṁ kiñcid
api
whether
asti
there is
upāyanam
gift
kiñcit
some
gṛhe kalyāṇi dīyatām
gṛhe
in the house
kalyāṇi
my good woman
dīyatām
please give .
  • paramaḥ — the supreme
    Adjective from para. Sudāmā names Kṛṣṇa-darśana as parama-lābha — the highest gain. Gauḍīyas read this as classical Bhāgavata-mukhya-phala: not mukti, but seeing Him.
  • uttamaḥ - śloka — of Lord Kṛṣṇa
    Compound recurring across this chapter (also v.2). The name binds the chapter's emphasis: kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-darśana, kṛṣṇa-saṅga — all converge in the One praised by the finest verses.
  • darśanam — the sight
    From √dṛś. Darśana is not mere seeing but mutual seeing — the Lord sees and is seen. Gauḍīyas note that ākasmika-darśana (sudden sight) of a Vaiṣṇava or Bhagavān is itself a complete fruit of bhakti.
  • upāyanam — gift
    Noun from upa-√i. The token brought when approaching a superior — never empty-handed. Sudāmā's chipped rice will become the most famous upāyana in the Bhāgavatam.
  • kalyāṇi — my good woman
    Vocative of kalyāṇī — auspicious one. Sudāmā honors his wife by addressing her this way before asking. Gauḍīyas note the gentleness — the bhakta is a husband first to a pativratā, not a peer to a beggar.
  • matim dadhe — he made his decision
    Idiom: 'placed his mind.' The interior moment of saṅkalpa — resolve. Sudāmā's whole journey, externally, follows this single interior placement of the mind.
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] When his wife thus repeatedly implored him in various ways, the brāhmaṇa thought to himself, “To see Lord Kṛṣṇa is indeed the greatest achievement in life.” Thus he decided to go, but first he told her, “My good wife, if there is anything in the house I can bring as a gift, please give it to me.”

Sudāmā was naturally humble, and thus although at first he was dissatisfied with his wife’s proposal, finally he settled his mind and decided to go. Now the last detail was that he had to take a gift for his friend.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] When his wife thus repeatedly implored him in various ways, the brāhmaṇa thought to himself, "To see Lord Kṛṣṇa is indeed the greatest achievement in life." Thus he decided to go, but first he told her, "My good wife, if there is anything in the house I can bring as a gift, please give it to me."
Commentary

The brahmana being constantly asked in this way by his wife, since she was dong her duty as a wife and since he was very tolerant, was disturbed by her constant requests. But his mind became pacified on consideration. "It will be greatly fortunate, because I will see the Lord." "If there is some gift in the house please give it. How can I go empty handed to my friend’s house?"

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Bhārya or wife means “one whom the husband must support.” He had to follow her words in order to maintain her. The word vipra hear means “one who fulfills someone’s wish in a particular way (viśeṣeṇa pratikāmam pūrayati).” She implored him with many logical arguments (bahuśaḥ), and many times (muhuḥ). Another version has mṛdu. She implored him gently. Thinking that seeing the Lord was the greatest attainment, he decided to go. He then said (verb should be supplied), “There must be some gift in the house. Please give it.” O auspicious wife! You have inspired me with the auspicious act of seeing the lord. To avoid the fault of going empty handed he requests his wife for something to offer to the Lord.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Bhārya or wife means “one whom the husband must support.” He had to follow her words in order to maintain her. The word vipra hear means “one who fulfills someone’s wish in a particular way (viśeṣeṇa pratikāmam pūrayati).” She implored him with many logical arguments (bahuśaḥ), and many times (muhuḥ). Another version has mṛdu. She implored him gently and he decided to go. Or she simply implored him and, after doing so many times, destroying his doubts, he decided to go. “It would be unsuitable for a great devotee to desire wealth from the Lord.” Seeing the Lord was the greatest attainment. Or though he did not want to go, he began to reason: directly seeing he alone (hi) who destroys saṁsāra by hearing his glories is the greatest attainment. He then determined with his mind to go. O wife who has inspired the auspicious darśana of the Lord (kalyāṇi)! He asks her to give something to take to him because there is a saying “One should not go empty-handed to the king, the Lord or guru.” Or he made the request because of his natural friendship with Kṛṣṇa.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)
Related verses
Concepts
Guru

A pilgrim who has been told the temple is open does not first count his coins: Sudāmā's mental conversion happens before his pantry's accounting. The greatest gain is Kṛṣṇa's darśana; everything else, including a gift, is afterthought.

Vidura sweeping his hut for the Lord

When Kṛṣṇa came to stay at Vidura's hut instead of Duryodhana's palace, Vidura had little to offer — yet the Lord ate banana peels there with great pleasure (Mahābhārata).

Sudāmā's worry — 'is there any small thing in the house?' — has Vidura's exact shape. Gauḍīyas note: the bhakta knows Kṛṣṇa needs nothing, and yet bhakti requires the offered token. The token, not the contents, is the rasa.

📝 My note

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