FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.84.7

తానానర్చుర్యథా సర్వే సహరామోఽచ్యుతోఽర్చయత్ । స్వాగతాసనపాద్యార్ఘ్యమాల్యధూపానులేపనై: ॥ ౭ ॥
tān ānarcur yathā sarve
[taan aanarchur yathaa sarve]
saha-rāmo ’cyuto ’rcayat
[saha-raamo ’chyuto ’rchayat]
svāgatāsana-pādyārghya-
[svaagataasana-paadyaarghya-]
mālya-dhūpānulepanaiḥ
[maalya-dhoopaanulepanaih]
tān — them ānarcuḥ — they worshiped yathā — properly sarve — all of them saha - rāma — including Lord Balarāma acyutaḥ — and Lord Kṛṣṇa arcayat — worshiped them sv - āgata — with greetings āsana — sitting places pādya — water to wash the feet arghya — water to drink mālya — flower garlands dhūpa — incense anulepanaiḥ — and sandalwood paste .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tān ānarcur yathā sarve
tān
them
ānarcuḥ
they worshiped
yathā
properly
sarve
all of them
saha-rāmo ’cyuto ’rcayat
saha - rāma
including Lord Balarāma
acyutaḥ
and Lord Kṛṣṇa
arcayat
worshiped them
svāgatāsana-pādyārghya-
sv - āgata
with greetings
āsana
sitting places
pādya
water to wash the feet
arghya
water to drink
mālya-dhūpānulepanaiḥ
mālya
flower garlands
dhūpa
incense
anulepanaiḥ
and sandalwood paste .
  • ānarcuḥ — they worshiped
    From √arc (to worship, honor). The same root as arcana — the third limb of nava-vidha-bhakti. Gauḍīyas read this as showing that arcana is not only of mūrti but of sādhu and ācārya.
  • pādya — water for washing the feet
    One of the standard upacāras in Vaiṣṇava arcana-paddhati (Hari-bhakti-vilāsa). Offering pādya is an admission that the guest's feet are tīrtha — exactly the doctrine Kṛṣṇa will articulate two verses later.
  • arghya — water for drinking / offering
    From √arh (to be worthy). Arghya is given to one who is arha — worthy. The presence of all sixteen upacāras (svāgata, āsana, pādya, arghya, mālya, dhūpa, anulepana…) marks this as a full pūjā, not a casual welcome.
  • acyutaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, the infallible one
    From a- (not) + √cyu (to fall). The unfallen one. That He of all persons performs arcana of the sages is the verse's central scandal — only Acyuta can model what brāhmaṇa-pūjā truly is.
Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Balarāma and the other kings and leaders properly worshiped the sages by offering them words of greeting, sitting places, water for washing their feet, drinking water, flower garlands, incense and sandalwood paste.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Balarāma and the other kings and leaders properly worshiped the sages by offering them words of greeting, sitting places, water for washing their feet, drinking water, flower garlands, incense and sandalwood paste.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Kṛṣṇa, full of all powers (acyutaḥ), along with Balarāma and all others, worshipped the sages with items of worship starting with svāgata (welcome), using proper items (yathā). Since Kṛṣṇa was the root form of all of them, by worshiping them, worship of Kṛṣṇa was also accomplished. Another version has arcayan instead of arcayat. Each of the sages was worshiped with the articles as each arrived, but not in the order listed. Or, each was worshipped with the articles in this order, as part of the method of worship. One must first remedy any misfortune that has occurred to the protectors of the worlds by welcome. Then one should offer a seat. After that one should offer foot wash with drops of water using a pot for sprinkling water. Ācamana is also included in this. Then when the person is in good health, one should off arghya and other items with attention. Then one should offer unguents like sandalwood.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

As others worshiped the sages, Kṛṣṇa, though full of all powers, along with Balarāma, worshipped them. He then spoke (next verse).

Related values
Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Nishkama Karma (Selfless Action)
Related verses
Concepts
AsanaJiva

Kṛṣṇa offering pādya and arghya to the ṛṣis is the original temple ārati: the deity worshiping the devotee, hand-washing the very feet that would otherwise touch His own. The supreme arcya makes Himself arcaka so the order He upholds remains visible.

Caitanya washing Sārvabhauma's feet

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 6) records Mahāprabhu personally serving food and attending to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya after converting him.

Gauḍīyas read this Kurukṣetra scene as the source-pattern: Bhagavān serves His brāhmaṇa-devotees with His own hands. The Caitanya episode is not innovation but inheritance.

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