Devanagari
वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते ऋते कैवल्यमद्य न: ।
एक एवेश्वरस्तस्य भगवान् विष्णुरव्यय: ॥ २० ॥
Verse text
varaṁ vṛṇīṣva bhadraṁ te
ṛte kaivalyam adya naḥ
eka eveśvaras tasya
bhagavān viṣṇur avyayaḥ
Synonyms
varam
—
a benediction
;
vṛṇīṣva
—
choose
;
bhadram
—
all good
;
te
—
unto you
;
ṛte
—
except
;
kaivalyam
—
liberation
;
adya
—
today
;
naḥ
—
from us
;
ekaḥ
—
one
;
eva
—
only
;
īśvaraḥ
—
capable
;
tasya
—
of that
;
bhagavān
—
the Supreme Lord
;
viṣṇuḥ
—
Śrī Viṣṇu
;
avyayaḥ
—
the inexhaustible .
Translation
“All good fortune to you! Now please choose a benediction from us — anything but liberation, since only the infallible Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, can bestow that.”
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"All good fortune to you! Now please choose a benediction from us—anything but liberation, since only the infallible Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, can bestow that."
KB 10.51.20
Thus addressing Mucukunda, the demigod requested him to ask any benediction he might be pleased with, except the benediction of liberation. Liberation cannot be awarded by any living entity but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Therefore another name of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa is Mukunda, “He who can award liberation.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Only Visnu can grant that liberation (tasya).
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Good fortune to you! This is their general blessing. “Ask a boon.” This is their particular blessing. Kaivalyam means freedom from saṁsāra and attainment of the spiritual world. Viṣṇu is the only person capable of bestowing it (īśvaraḥ) since he is endowed with all powers (bhagavān), inexhaustible though giving benedictions to unlimited people. He is not like us, who have very little power. We become weak by doing austerities etc.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Good fortune! They say this because they were very pleased with him. Or everything is auspicious for you. Now ask for a boon. Or ask for some auspicious boon, except for liberation or exclusive devotion to the Lord’s feet. Only the Lord endowed with all powers can give this (īśvaraḥ) or is its master. Liberation depends on him. By giving himself he is not depleted (avyayaḥ). Since he is spread inside and outside (viśṇuḥ) he has the power to bestow such a condition of being everywhere: he can award liberation.