SB 10.14.35 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एषां घोषनिवासिनामुत भवान् किं देव रातेति न- श्चेतो विश्वफलात् फलं त्वदपरं कुत्राप्ययन् मुह्यति । सद्वेषादिव पूतनापि सकुला त्वामेव देवापिता यद्धामार्थसुहृत्प्रियात्मतनयप्राणाशयास्त्वत्कृते ॥ ३५ ॥

Verse text

eṣāṁ ghoṣa-nivāsinām uta bhavān kiṁ deva rāteti naś ceto viśva-phalāt phalaṁ tvad-aparaṁ kutrāpy ayan muhyati sad-veṣād iva pūtanāpi sa-kulā tvām eva devāpitā yad-dhāmārtha-suhṛt-priyātma-tanaya-prāṇāśayās tvat-kṛte

Synonyms

eṣām — to these ; ghoṣa — nivāsinām — residents of the cowherd community ; uta — indeed ; bhavān — Your Lordship ; kim — what ; deva — O Supreme Personality of Godhead ; rātā — will give ; iti — thinking thus ; naḥ — our ; cetaḥ — mind ; viśva — phalāt — than the supreme source of all benedictions ; phalam — a reward ; tvat — than You ; aparam — other ; kutra api — anywhere ; ayat — considering ; muhyati — becomes bewildered ; sat — veṣāt — by disguising herself as a devotee ; iva — indeed ; pūtanā — the demoness Pūtanā ; api — even ; sa — kulā — along with her family members, Bakāsura and Aghāsura ; tvām — You ; eva — certainly ; deva — O Lord ; āpitā — was made to attain ; yat — whose ; dhāma — homes ; artha — wealth ; suhṛt — friends ; priya — dear relatives ; ātma — bodies ; tanaya — children ; prāṇa — life air ; āśayāḥ — and minds ; tvat — kṛte — dedicated to You .

Translation

My mind becomes bewildered just trying to think of what reward other than You could be found anywhere. You are the embodiment of all benedictions, which You bestow upon these residents of the cowherd community of Vṛndāvana. You have already arranged to give Yourself to Pūtanā and her family members in exchange for her disguising herself as a devotee. So what is left for You to give these devotees of Vṛndāvana, whose homes, wealth, friends, dear relations, bodies, children and very lives and hearts are all dedicated only to You?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

My mind becomes bewildered just trying to think of what reward other than You could be found anywhere. You are the embodiment of all benedictions, which You bestow upon these residents of the cowherd community of Vṛndāvana. You have already arranged to give Yourself to Pūtanā and her family members in exchange for her disguising herself as a devotee. So what is left for You to give these devotees of Vṛndāvana, whose homes, wealth, friends, dear relations, bodies, children and very lives and hearts are all dedicated only to You? KB 10.14.35 Lord Brahmā continued: “My Lord, sometimes I am puzzled as to how Your Lordship will be able to repay, in gratitude, the devotional service of these residents of Vṛndāvana. Although I know that You are the supreme source of all benediction, I am puzzled to know how You will be able to repay all the service that You are receiving from these residents of Vṛndāvana. I think of how You are so kind, so magnanimous, that even Pūtanā, who came to cheat You by dressing herself as a very affectionate mother, was awarded liberation and the actual post of a mother. And other demons belonging to the same family, such as Aghāsura and Bakāsura, were also favored with liberation and achieved You. Under the circumstances, I am puzzled. These residents of Vṛndāvana have given You everything—their bodies, their minds, their love, their homes, their possessions. Everything is being utilized for Your purpose. So how will You be able to repay Your debt to them? You have already given Yourself to Pūtanā! I surmise that You shall ever remain a debtor to the residents of Vṛndāvana, being unable to repay their loving service. My Lord, I can understand that the superexcellent quality of the service rendered by the residents of Vṛndāvana is due to their spontaneously engaging all natural instincts in Your loving service.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"Perhaps you do not want to say if I can attain the dust of the feet of inhabitants of Vraja , but please answer one other thing that I am now asking. What reward can you give to the inhabitants of Vraja? This is the question I ask you." "Brahma, though you are knowledgeable of the meaning of the Vedas, you cannot understand the answer?" "Our minds (not only mine but those of Siva the kumaras and others ) are bewildered about this. What is the state of our minds? Our minds have become bewildered trying to think (ayat) of what type of reward you could give them from anywhere or anytime, as you are the final reward of all (visvaphala), and you have already given yourself (the final reward) as their son since eternity. But if there is some other thing you have worthy of giving, you should give it to them. But there is nothing else you could give them (since you have given yourself already). Thus our minds are bewildered." "O Brahma, you are really ignorant of the truth. Knowing they would manifest such astonishing spontaneous devotion, I have in advance given myself to them as their son. They are satisfied with this. I am knowledgeable about what to do in the future. In this way I have defeated you." "O Krsna, if you talk like this, this is how I answer. You are certainly doing what is proper. But though Putana was sinful, just by imitating a devotee, she and all her family attained you personally. But the inhabitants of Vraja , who gave up all attachments such as house, wealth, friends, objects, body, mind for you, out of great affection, also attained you. The same body that you have given to the low, sinful Putana you also gave to the most exalted, jewel like inhabitants of Vraja. This is, in essence, highly improper. Acceptance of your indebtedness to them is your atonement."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

O Lord! What can you give to the people of Vraja whose houses, possessions, friends, dear ones, bodies, sons, life airs and hearts are dedicated only to you, since there is nothing superior to you or Vraja (which you have already given)? Thinking of this, my mind becomes bewildered. You awarded yourself even to Pūtanā and her family members because she wore the disguise of a nurse. “If I give you the dust of their feet as the highest object, what can I give to them in exchange? Previously you said that you praise me in order to attain me. Now you ask for their foot dust only. Your steadiness is very good!” Fearing such a joking question from the Lord, Brahmā recites this verse. Eṣam indicates those people of Vraja possessing glories. Uta indicates a question. Api should be added after viśva-phalāt. There is no superior place to Vraja. There is no superior result that your svarūpa. What else can be given to them? I do not know (ayan) any fruit superior to you. I am bewildered since I cannot determine this. Pūtanā seemed to (iva) wear the clothing of a nurse of Vraja (sad-veśāt). The word iva indicates that it was a disguise to kill Kṛṣṇa, not worn with devotion. Therefore how could she get the same result as the devotee? That is the hint. aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema Oh! Evil Pūtanā, who offered her poisonous breast to Kṛṣṇa to drink with the intention of killing him, attained the position of a nurse in the spiritual world. How else is so merciful? I surrender to him! SB 3.2.23 The word api indicates “If Pūtanā attained your shelter what can be said of others?” The word api should also be added to other words in the sentence where suitable. She along with her family members past and present attained you by your mercy. Others in her family who were enemies of the Lord but obedient to her attained the same Lord. However Baka and Agha, wearing contrary clothing, attained only liberation. Suhṛt means one who gives benefit without asking for anything. Piraḥ means an object of affection. All people of Vraja spontaneously regard you alone as their treasure (tvat-kṛte). And you regard each of them as a treasure. Thus they are complete, but you cannot repay them and remain as if incomplete. What will you give them? Thinking that you are under their control because of debts to them, I have surrendered to the dust of their feet to have my desires fulfilled in relation to you. It should be understood that there is an unfailing bond between Kṛṣṇa and the people of Vraja. Defeating the question at the beginning of the paragraph, Brahmā presents the highest conclusion: the prema of the people of Vraja which controls Kṛṣṇa is the highest fruit.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

My mind is bewildered. It cannot determine with certainty. Or controlled by debts to them, you give up persons like me, and remain in Gokula. Thus my mind is bewildered with extreme lamentation and sadness. Pūtanā, Baka and Agha attained the Lord. Baka and Agha attained the Lord by his touch. Api should be added after viśva-phalāt. Since you are actually the embodiment of all results (viśva-phalāt), I do not know (ayan) what can be given to the cowherds other than yourself. Nowhere (kutra) is it possible, since being born in Mathurā or Vraja is perfection already. Or api can be connected with kutra. Ayan means “I do not know by any means at any time.” Event though she hated the devotees (sad-dveṣāt), desiring to kill them, Pūtanā and even her family members, who were famous for killing children, attained you. The reason was that she gave her breast for feeding Kṛṣṇa. This was already explained. One can only attain the Lord by having a favorable attitude to the Lord. For that reason iva is used for emphasis with sad-dveṣāt. She was made to attain (āpita) Kṛṣṇa, by becoming non-different from him by developing a favorable attitude to him. Being friendly, she must attain you. “Should I give myself to the people of Vraja along with my place and wealth?” They have given everything for serving you (tvat-kṛte). If you give similar things to them, then you are equal, showing gratitude. But this does not accomplish your special, famous compassion.