FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.90.13

కృష్ణస్యైవం విహరతో గత్యాలాపేక్షితస్మితై: । నర్మక్ష్వేలిపరిష్వఙ్గై: స్‍త్రీణాం కిల హృతా ధియ: ॥ ౧౩ ॥
kṛṣṇasyaivaṁ viharato
[krishnasyaivam viharato]
gaty-ālāpekṣita-smitaiḥ
[gaty-aalaapekshita-smitaih]
narma-kṣveli-pariṣvaṅgaiḥ
[narma-kshveli-parishvangaih]
strīṇāṁ kila hṛtā dhiyaḥ
[streenaam kila hritaa dhiyah]
kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa evam — thus viharataḥ — who was sporting gati — by the movements ālāpa — conversing īkṣita — glancing smitaiḥ — and smiling narma — by the jokes kṣveli — playful exchanges pariṣvaṅgaiḥ — and embraces strīṇām — of the wives kila — indeed hṛtāḥ — stolen dhiyaḥ — the hearts .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kṛṣṇasyaivaṁ viharato
kṛṣṇasya
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
evam
thus
viharataḥ
who was sporting
gaty-ālāpekṣita-smitaiḥ
gati
by the movements
ālāpa
conversing
īkṣita
glancing
smitaiḥ
and smiling
narma-kṣveli-pariṣvaṅgaiḥ
narma
by the jokes
kṣveli
playful exchanges
pariṣvaṅgaiḥ
and embraces
strīṇāṁ kila hṛtā dhiyaḥ
strīṇām
of the wives
kila
indeed
hṛtāḥ
stolen
dhiyaḥ
the hearts .
  • smitaiḥ — by smiles
    Instrumental plural of smita. The Bhāgavatam's recurring weapon-of-grace. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.30 names the smiling face as His emblem (smerāṁ bhaṅgī-traya-paricitām…). The smile binds more than any aiśvarya.
  • ālāpa — talk, conversation
    From ā + √lap — to speak intimately. Distinct from formal vāc; ālāpa is the murmured exchange of lovers and friends. Gauḍīyas note this is where mādhurya lives — in the small talk, not the sermons.
  • narma — joking
    Sanskrit word for playful banter. Rūpa Gosvāmī (Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi) catalogues narma as one of mādhurya-rasa's essential ingredients. Bhagavān is the supreme narmī — humor is theologically high.
  • hṛtāḥ — stolen
    Past participle of √hṛ — to seize. Kṛṣṇa is hari, the thief of hearts. Here the thief steals not yogurt but the queens' dhī — their entire intellect. Total absorption is the goal of mādhurya-bhakti.
  • dhiyaḥ — intelligences, minds
    Plural of dhī. Not just hearts (hṛd) — the discerning faculty itself is taken. Compare Bhagavad-gītā 2.49: yoga-buddhi (yoked intelligence). The queens' dhī has only one object.
In this way Lord Kṛṣṇa would sport with His queens, totally captivating their hearts with His gestures, talks, glances and smiles, and also with His jokes, playful exchanges and embraces.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In this way Lord Kṛṣṇa would sport with His queens, totally captivating their hearts with His gestures, talks, glances and smiles, and also with His jokes, playful exchanges and embraces.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Two verses describe an astonishing fact. In this way, sometimes in the house and sometimes in the water, because of his actions and smiles etc. as he played, the women’s intelligence was stolen away by prema which surpassed all discrimination. Kṣveli means grabbing them. The order of items is of increasing ability to bewilder them. (Embraces were the most bewildering). Kila indicates “Thus it is said” or “Please hear this astonishing fact.”

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

After describing water pastimes, the special results of the Lord’s unlimited pastimes are described in twelve verses. When Kṛṣṇa, who attracts all hearts, played in the palaces and in the water, the minds of the women were stolen by his gestures, talks, glances, smiles, jokes, touches and embracees. These all attracted their hearts. The sequence is in order increasing power to steal the mind. Because these women had special prema, it was suitable that their minds would be stolen (hrtā dhiyaḥ). Dhiyaḥ means their ability to discriminate and judge properly. Kila means certainly. Because of their special bhāva, certainly this happened.

Related values
Sthitaprajna (Steady Wisdom)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomSeva (Service / Selfless Action)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses

Gestures, talk, glances, smiles, jokes, embraces — six small things. Kṛṣṇa steals the queens' hearts with what is least, not what is most. Bhagavān's irresistibility is not in His weapons but in His smile.

📝 My note

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