Devanagari
दिष्टया भ्रात: प्रवयस इदानीमप्रजस्य ते ।
प्रजाशाया निवृत्तस्य प्रजा यत् समपद्यत ॥ २३ ॥
Verse text
diṣṭyā bhrātaḥ pravayasa
idānīm aprajasya te
prajāśāyā nivṛttasya
prajā yat samapadyata
Synonyms
diṣṭyā
—
it is by great fortune
;
bhrātaḥ
—
O my dear brother
;
pravayasaḥ
—
of you whose age is now quite advanced
;
idānīm
—
at the present moment
;
aprajasya
—
of one who did not have a son before
;
te
—
of you
;
prajā
—
āśāyāḥ nivṛttasya — of one who was almost hopeless of getting a son at this age
;
prajā
—
a son
;
yat
—
whatever
;
samapadyata
—
has been gotten by chance .
Translation
My dear brother Nanda Mahārāja, at an advanced age you had no son at all and were hopeless of having one. Therefore, that you now have a son is a sign of great fortune.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
My dear brother Nanda Mahārāja, at an advanced age you had no son at all and were hopeless of having one. Therefore, that you now have a son is a sign of great fortune.
KB 10.5.23
Vasudeva then addressed Nanda, “My dear brother, you were old and very anxious to beget a son, and yet you had none. Now by the grace of the Lord you are fortunate to have a very nice son. I think that this incident is very auspicious for you.
Purport
At an advanced age one generally cannot beget a male child. If by chance one does beget a child at this age, the child is generally female. Thus Vasudeva indirectly asked Nanda Mahārāja whether he had actually begotten a male child or a female child. Vasudeva knew that Yaśodā had given birth to a female child, whom he had stolen and replaced with a male child. This was a great mystery, and Vasudeva wanted to determine whether this mystery was already known to Nanda Mahārāja. On inquiring, however, he was confident that the mystery of Kṛṣṇa’s birth and His being placed in the care of Yaśodā was still hidden. There was no danger, since Kaṁsa at least could not learn what had already happened.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
For Vasudeva to say to Nanda that in old age he had son would be a lie, and to say that he actually had a daughter would not be believed by Nanda. Therefore Vasudeva used the word "praja" which can mean offspring (either male or female). Also being in doubt whether Nanda knew or not that Vasudeva had put his own son in Yasoda’s bed and taken away Nanda’s daughter, he used the word "praja."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Vasudeva understood about Nanda’s activities by sending messengers secretly to Vraja. It was good fortune that he had a son, since even after performing many sacrifices Nanda did not have a son. Though he had given up hopes for a son now, Nanda was most fortunate in having the Lord as his son. Samapadyate means mean “factually (sam) obtained.” Though Vasudeva spoke these words to cover the facts, they actually express the truth. However he used the word prajā, which simply means offspring, not distinguishing it as a male or female, since he knew that Nanda wife had given birth to a daughter. He also says simply that Nanda desired offspring, without being aware of Nanda’s desires. Actually Nanda previously had a strong desire for such a son, for from the result, the birth of the son, the cause should be inferred. There was delay in having the child in order to make Nanda understand the rarity of this son. This understanding would stimulate great affection for the Lord who appeared as his son. In the material world it is seen that when an elderly person without a son, even after many attempts, gives up hope, and then suddenly obtains a son, he develops the greatest affection when a son of great qualities is born.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Though Nanda had many sacrifices performed, a son had not been born. It is by good fortune that a son has been produced now in your old age. It is excellent to have a son. This was known by the people because of the great celebration Nanda performed. Another version has samjāyate (born). He says this, hiding the fact that he exchanged the two children. The affix sam indicates most excellent. Nanda had a son late in life so that the affection for the Lord would be intense. In the material world it is seen that when an elderly person, even after many attempts, fails to have a son, gives up hope, and then suddenly obtains a son, he develops the greatest affection when a son of great qualities is born.