SB 10.26.16 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

वर्णास्त्रय: किलास्यासन् गृह्णतोऽनुयुगं तनू: शुक्लो रक्तस्तथा पीत इदानीं कृष्णतां गत: ॥ १६ ॥

Verse text

varṇās trayaḥ kilāsyāsan gṛhṇato ’nu-yugaṁ tanūḥ śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ

Synonyms

varṇāḥ trayaḥ — three colors ; kila — indeed ; asya — by your son Kṛṣṇa ; āsan — were assumed ; gṛhṇataḥ — accepting ; anu — yugam tanūḥ — transcendental bodies according to the different yugas ; śuklaḥ — sometimes white ; raktaḥ — sometimes red ; tathā — as well as ; pītaḥ — sometimes yellow ; idānīm kṛṣṇatām gataḥ — at the present moment He has assumed a blackish color .

Translation

[Garga Muni had said:] Your son Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past He assumed three different colors — white, red and yellow — and now He has appeared in a blackish color.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

[Garga Muni had said:] Your son Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past He assumed three different colors—white, red and yellow—and now He has appeared in a blackish color. KB 10.26.16 “When he came to perform the name-giving ceremony, he said that this boy descends in different periods of time in different colors and that this time He has appeared in Vṛndāvana in a blackish color, known as kṛṣṇa. Previously He had a white color, then a red color, then a yellow color.

Purport

This and the next six verses (17 through 22) are taken from the eighth chapter of this canto, in which Garga Muni instructs Nanda Mahārāja about Nanda’s son Kṛṣṇa. The translations found herein for these verses are based on those of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. In Chapter Eight, where the verses originally appear, the reader will find extensive purports by Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Nanda repeats Garga’s words till verse 22. One should see the previous verses (SB 10.8.13-19) for the meaning. However in verse 22 there is a slight alteration of the words. In verse 23 Nanda indicates he is repeating the words of Garga.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Nanda quotes Garga’s words (SB 10.8.13-19) to instill faith in the cowherds till verse 22. However in verse 22 there is a slight alteration of the words (na viṣmayaḥ from gopāyasva samāhitaḥ). Nanda’s changed words since Garga’s words did not indicate Kṛṣṇa’s greatness but rather decrease his greatness since he is to be protected by others. Another version is gopāya susamāhitaḥ: be attentive regarding profit (aya) to the cowherds (gopa). This is not suitable since there was no worry of Nanda becoming proud from wealth and power. Garga’s statement would also not indicate his benefit to the world and Nanda thought Kṛṣṇa’s equality with Nārāyaṇa was impossible. Instead he says “Do not be astonished by his astonishing activities.” They were aware of Garga’s words previously for, after the killing of Baka, they said: aho brahma-vidāṁ vāco nāsatyāḥ santi karhicit gargo yad āha bhagavān anvabhāvi tathaiva tat The words of persons in full knowledge of Brahman never become untrue. It is very wonderful that whatever Gargamuni predicted we are now actually experiencing in all detail. SB 10.11.57 However, now the words taken together in seven verses had special significance.