FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.85.32-33

చిరాన్మృతసుతాదానే గురుణా కిల చోదితౌ । ఆనిన్యథు: పితృస్థానాద్ గురవే గురుదక్షిణామ్ ॥ ౩౨ ॥ తథా మే కురుతం కామం యువాం యోగేశ్వరేశ్వరౌ । భోజరాజహతాన్ పుత్రాన్ కామయే ద్రష్టుమాహృతాన్ ॥ ౩౩ ॥
cirān mṛta-sutādāne
[chiraan mrita-sutaadaane]
guruṇā kila coditau
[gurunaa kila choditau]
āninyathuḥ pitṛ-sthānād
[aaninyathuh pitri-sthaanaad]
gurave guru-dakṣiṇām
[gurave guru-dakshinaam]
tathā me kurutaṁ kāmaṁ
[tathaa me kurutam kaamam]
yuvāṁ yogeśvareśvarau
[yuvaam yogeshvareshvarau]
bhoja-rāja-hatān putrān
[bhoja-raaja-hataan putraan]
kāmaye draṣṭum āhṛtān
[kaamaye drashtum aahritaan]
cirāt — for a long time mṛta — dead suta — the son ādāne — to return guruṇā — by Your spiritual master kila — it has been heard coditau — ordered āninyathuḥ — You brought him pitṛ — of the forefathers sthānāt — from the place gurave — to Your spiritual master guru - dakṣiṇām — as a token of thanksgiving for Your guru’s mercy tathā — in the same way me — my kurutam — please fulfill kāmam — the desire yuvām — You two yoga - īśvara — of the masters of yoga īśvarau — O masters bhoja - rāja — by the King of Bhoja (Kaṁsa) hatān — killed putrān — my sons kāmaye — I wish draṣṭum — to see āhṛtān — brought back .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
cirān mṛta-sutādāne
cirāt
for a long time
mṛta
dead
suta
the son
ādāne
to return
guruṇā kila coditau
guruṇā
by Your spiritual master
kila
it has been heard
coditau
ordered
āninyathuḥ pitṛ-sthānād
āninyathuḥ
You brought him
pitṛ
of the forefathers
sthānāt
from the place
gurave guru-dakṣiṇām
gurave
to Your spiritual master
guru - dakṣiṇām
as a token of thanksgiving for Your guru’s mercy
tathā me kurutaṁ kāmaṁ
tathā
in the same way
me
my
kurutam
please fulfill
kāmam
the desire
yuvāṁ yogeśvareśvarau
yuvām
You two
yoga - īśvara
of the masters of yoga
īśvarau
O masters
bhoja-rāja-hatān putrān
bhoja - rāja
by the King of Bhoja (Kaṁsa)
hatān
killed
putrān
my sons
kāmaye draṣṭum āhṛtān
kāmaye
I wish
draṣṭum
to see
āhṛtān
brought back .
  • guru-dakṣiṇām — the teacher's payment
    Compound: guru (teacher) + dakṣiṇā (offering, payment). The traditional gift to one's preceptor at the end of study. Kṛṣṇa offered the most expensive dakṣiṇā recorded — a son retrieved from death.
  • yoga-īśvara īśvarau — O supreme masters of all yoga masters
    Dual vocative compound. Devakī uses the technical address for the resurrection-act she is about to request. Bringing the dead back is a yoga-śakti act; only the īśvarau of yoga-īśvaras can do it.
  • bhoja-rāja-hatān — killed by the king of Bhoja (Kaṁsa)
    Compound: bhoja (the Bhoja clan) + rāja (king) + hata (slain). Kaṁsa is named by dynastic title — Devakī's wound is so old it has become a historical category. Bhoja-rāja-hatān is the heading under which her six children file.
  • draṣṭum — to see
    Infinitive of √dṛś. The whole request collapses to this verb. Devakī does not ask for justice or even for the children to live — only that she see them once. The infinite simplicity of mātṛ-vātsalya.
It is said that when Your spiritual master ordered You to retrieve his long-dead son, You brought him back from the forefathers’ abode as a token of remuneration for Your guru’s mercy. Please fulfill my desire in the same way, O supreme masters of all yoga masters. Please bring back my sons who were killed by the King of Bhoja, so that I may see them once again.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
It is said that when Your spiritual master ordered You to retrieve his long-dead son, You brought him back from the forefathers' abode as a token of remuneration for Your guru's mercy. Please fulfill my desire in the same way, O supreme masters of all yoga masters. Please bring back my sons who were killed by the King of Bhoja, so that I may see them once again.
Commentary

You brought back the sons of Sandipani as a form of guru daksina from the abode of Yama (pitr sthanat).

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Like your guru’s desire, my desire should also be fulfilled. You were requested by your guru to bring back his long dead son. Just as you brought back his son in the same form as before, as repayment to his guru, bring back my sons. Thinking of the importance of her desire, and thinking that previously the indication was unclear, she makes her intention clear: I desire to see my sons killed by Kaṁsa after they are brought back from Yama’s abode by you two.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Like your guru’s desire, my desire should also be fulfilled. You were requested by your guru to bring back his long dead son. Just as you brought back his son in the same form as before, as repayment to his guru, bring back my sons. Or similarly fulfill my desire. It is easy for you to do since you are have great powers (yogeśvareśvarau). O “O mother! How can you recognize these sons brought back, since they were killed long ago, just on being born?” You have unlimited, inconceivable powers (yogeśvareśvarau). Thinking of the importance of her desire, and thinking that previously she prayed in general, now she makes her intention clear with great sorrow: I desire to see my sons killed by Kaṁsa after they are brought back from Yama’s abode by you two. Kaṁsa, as the king was capable of killing them. I desire to see what condition they are in when they are brought back by you two.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)
Related verses
Concepts
IshvaraYogaGuru

A mother offers a precedent to her own son: 'You once brought back your teacher's lost child as guru-dakṣiṇā. Do for the mother what You did for the guru.' The teacher's payment becomes the mother's claim. Bhagavān honors both.

Sāndīpani's son returned

Earlier in this Tenth Canto (SB 10.45), Kṛṣṇa, having completed His studies under Sāndīpani Muni, asked the guru what dakṣiṇā he wanted. The guru and his wife asked for their long-drowned son. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma went to the ocean, retrieved the boy from the abode of Yama, and returned him.

Devakī's request now consciously cites that pastime: 'You did it for Your guru — do it for me.' The Bhāgavatam is showing the symmetry: guru-dakṣiṇā becomes mātṛ-prasāda.

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