FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.80.31

కచ్చిద్ గురుకులే వాసం బ్రహ్మన్ స్మరసి నౌ యత: । ద్విజో విజ్ఞాయ విజ్ఞేయం తమస: పారమశ్న‍ుతే ॥ ౩౧ ॥
kaccid gurukule vāsaṁ
[kachchid gurukule vaasam]
brahman smarasi nau yataḥ
[brahman smarasi nau yatah]
dvijo vijñāya vijñeyaṁ
[dvijo vijnaaya vijneyam]
tamasaḥ pāram aśnute
[tamasah paaram ashnute]
kaccit — whether gurukule — in the spiritual master’s school vāsam — residence brahman — O brāhmaṇa smarasi — you remember nau — our yataḥ — from which (spiritual master) dvijaḥ — a twice-born person vijñāya — understanding vijñeyam — what needs to be known tamasaḥ — of ignorance pāram — the transcending aśnute — experiences .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kaccid gurukule vāsaṁ
kaccit
whether
gurukule
in the spiritual master’s school
vāsam
residence
brahman smarasi nau yataḥ
brahman
O brāhmaṇa
smarasi
you remember
nau
our
yataḥ
from which (spiritual master)
dvijo vijñāya vijñeyaṁ
dvijaḥ
a twice-born person
vijñāya
understanding
vijñeyam
what needs to be known
tamasaḥ pāram aśnute
tamasaḥ
of ignorance
pāram
the transcending
aśnute
experiences .
  • kaccit — whether
    Interrogative particle expressing concerned inquiry — 'do you, by chance, remember?' Gauḍīyas note the warmth: this is not a quiz but an invitation.
  • gurukule — in the spiritual master's school
    Same word as v.27, recurring. The verse triple-marks the gurukula setting — this whole second half of the chapter is a hymn to guru-saṁskāra.
  • smarasi — you remember
    Present indicative of √smṛ — the same root as smaraṇa, the bhakti-limb. To remember the guru is itself sādhana. Kṛṣṇa is inviting Sudāmā into smaraṇa-sevā.
  • dvijaḥ — a twice-born person
    From dvi-ja. The 'second birth' is the gāyatrī-saṁskāra at the start of brahmacarya — and per this verse it is from the guru that the dvija attains beyond ignorance. Gauḍīyas: spiritual rebirth is guru-mediated.
  • tamasaḥ — of ignorance
    Genitive of tamas — darkness, ignorance, the lowest guṇa. The verse promises crossing-beyond it via guru-vidyā. Gauḍīyas: this 'tamas-transcending' is not impersonal mokṣa but the recognition of Kṛṣṇa as Bhagavān — the deepest tamas-piercing.
  • pāram — the transcending
    Accusative of pāra — far shore. Idiomatic for crossing beyond saṁsāra. Gauḍīyas: the 'far shore' is Vaikuṇṭha-prema, not formless Brahman.
My dear brāhmaṇa, do you remember how we lived together in our spiritual master’s school? When a twice-born student has learned from his guru all that is to be learned, he can enjoy spiritual life, which lies beyond all ignorance.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
My dear brāhmaṇa, do you remember how we lived together in our spiritual master's school? When a twice-born student has learned from his guru all that is to be learned, he can enjoy spiritual life, which lies beyond all ignorance.
Commentary

In his mind, Sudama was doubting, "Because he worships me in this way though I am so low, is he doing this because he thinks I am someone else?" In order to dispel this doubt, Krsna then makes him recall their school days together in twelve verses. Do you remember our living at the gurukula, by which, gaining knowledge of God (vijneyam) the brahmana crosses over the material world (tamasah)? "

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Maunam sammati-lakṣaṇam: silence is a sign of consent. Seeing that Sudāmā agreed by silence, Kṛṣṇa begins to relate a story to show the cause of their friendship. In order destroy criticizing the fault of enduring great hardships, which he will now relate, and show that this life was a cause of happiness, he glorifies service to guru in four verses. Do you remember our residence? Realizing that knowledge, one surpasses ignorance with all its suffering, and attains Vaikuṇṭha (param). The prefix vi in vijṣānāṁ indicates knowledge of the Lord.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Maunam sammati-lakṣaṇam: silence is a sign of consent. Seeing that Sudāmā agreed by silence, Kṛṣṇa begins to relate a story to show the cause of their friendship. In order destroy criticizing the fault of enduring great hardships, which he will now relate, and show that this life was a cause of happiness, he glorifies service to guru in four verses. O brahman! He is qualified to remember. Do you remember our living in the house of the guru? Understanding with faith and realization (vi-jṣāya) what is to be known about the Lord (vi-jṣeyam), very easily as a secondary result one crosses saṁsāra or attains Vaikuṇṭha which destroys all suffering completely.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)
Related verses
Concepts
Guru

A teacher pulling on a thread, drawing the student back into the old days at school: Kṛṣṇa is opening Sudāmā's memory — and through that opening, the Bhāgavatam will pour the entire guru-tattva lesson of verses 32-34. Memory, in this verse, is pedagogy.

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