FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.89.39

తదాహ విప్రో విజయం వినిన్దన్ కృష్ణసన్నిధౌ । మౌఢ్యం పశ్యత మే యోఽహం శ్రద్దధే క్లీబకత్థనమ్ ॥ ౩౯ ॥
tadāha vipro vijayaṁ
[tadaaha vipro vijayam]
vinindan kṛṣṇa-sannidhau
[vinindan krishna-sannidhau]
mauḍhyaṁ paśyata me yo ’haṁ
[maudhyam pashyata me yo ’ham]
śraddadhe klība-katthanam
[shraddadhe kleeba-katthanam]
tadā — then āha — said vipraḥ — the brāhmaṇa vijayam — to Arjuna vinindan — criticizing kṛṣṇa - sannidhau — in the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa mauḍhyam — foolishness paśyata — just see me — my yaḥ — who aham — I śraddadhe — trusted klība — of an impotent eunuch katthanam — the boasting .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tadāha vipro vijayaṁ
tadā
then
āha
said
vipraḥ
the brāhmaṇa
vijayam
to Arjuna
vinindan kṛṣṇa-sannidhau
vinindan
criticizing
kṛṣṇa - sannidhau
in the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa
mauḍhyaṁ paśyata me yo ’haṁ
mauḍhyam
foolishness
paśyata
just see
me
my
yaḥ
who
aham
I
śraddadhe klība-katthanam
śraddadhe
trusted
klība
of an impotent eunuch
katthanam
the boasting .
  • kṛṣṇa-sannidhau — in Kṛṣṇa's presence
    Compound: kṛṣṇa + sannidhi (proximity). The whole insult is delivered before Kṛṣṇa — necessary, because the lesson the chapter teaches is for Arjuna to learn in Kṛṣṇa's presence. Gauḍīyas note: even Arjuna's shame happens kṛṣṇa-sannidhau.
  • mauḍhyam — foolishness
    From mūḍha (deluded). The brāhmaṇa reverses verse 31's bāliśyāt back onto himself — 'I was foolish to believe him.' The Bhāgavatam will show that the foolishness was elsewhere: in misidentifying who saves.
  • klība — eunuch, impotent one
    The most cutting insult to a kṣatriya. Notable that the same word Kṛṣṇa uses to chastise Arjuna in BG 2.3 (klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ) the brāhmaṇa now flings as an insult — the Bhāgavatam knows its own internal echoes.
  • katthanam — the boasting
    From √kath (to talk). The pejorative form — empty talk. The chapter will redeem Arjuna's words by giving them a different agent: not katthana but pratijñā fulfilled through anukampā.
The brāhmaṇa then derided Arjuna in front of Lord Kṛṣṇa: “Just see how foolish I was to put my faith in the bragging of a eunuch!
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The brāhmaṇa then derided Arjuna in front of Lord Kṛṣṇa: "Just see how foolish I was to put my faith in the bragging of a eunuch !
Commentary

The brahmana criticized Arjuna in front of Krsna, because he would not get any pleasure in criticizing him in the privacy of his home.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He criticized Arjuna, who could conquer everyone (vijayam), and who could thus not tolerate any criticism.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Then the brāhmaṇa spoke, criticizing Arjuna, who had conquered everyone (vijayam), and whose promise should thus not have been broken. Thus the brāhmaṇa criticized intently, because of the disaster in the presence of Kṛṣṇa. He criticized severly, to cause Arjuna great shame. The severe criticism is stated. O Yādavas or all people! See my foolishness. I believed the proud words, the boasting (katthanam) of a eunuch.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Hrih (Modesty / Sense of Shame)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)
Related verses

The brāhmaṇa explodes — 'See how foolish I was to trust the bragging of a klība!' The insult lands in front of Kṛṣṇa Himself, which is the whole point. The Bhāgavatam is staging Arjuna's humiliation in the only audience that matters; the curriculum requires a witness.

📝 My note

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