SB 10.8.47 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पितरौ नान्वविन्देतां कृष्णोदारार्भकेहितम् । गायन्त्यद्यापि कवयो यल्लोकशमलापहम् ॥ ४७ ॥

Verse text

pitarau nānvavindetāṁ kṛṣṇodārārbhakehitam gāyanty adyāpi kavayo yal loka-śamalāpaham

Synonyms

pitarau — the actual father and mother of Kṛṣṇa ; na — not ; anvavindetām — enjoyed ; kṛṣṇa — of Kṛṣṇa ; udāra — magnanimous ; arbhaka — īhitam — the childhood pastimes He performed ; gāyanti — are glorifying ; adya api — even today ; kavayaḥ — great, great sages and saintly persons ; yat — which is ; loka — śamala — apaham — by hearing of which the contamination of the whole material world is vanquished .

Translation

Although Kṛṣṇa was so pleased with Vasudeva and Devakī that He descended as their son, they could not enjoy Kṛṣṇa’s magnanimous childhood pastimes, which are so great that simply chanting about them vanquishes the contamination of the material world. Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā, however, enjoyed these pastimes fully, and therefore their position is always better than that of Vasudeva and Devakī.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Although Kṛṣṇa was so pleased with Vasudeva and Devakī that He descended as their son, they could not enjoy Kṛṣṇa's magnanimous childhood pastimes, which are so great that simply chanting about them vanquishes the contamination of the material world. Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā, however, enjoyed these pastimes fully, and therefore their position is always better than that of Vasudeva and Devakī. KB 10.8.47 But it is surprising that Vasudeva and Devakī did not enjoy the transcendental bliss of Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes, although Kṛṣṇa was their real son. The childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are glorified even today by many sages and saintly persons, but Vasudeva and Devakī could not enjoy such childhood pastimes personally. The reason for this was explained by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as follows.

Purport

Kṛṣṇa actually took birth from the womb of Devakī, but just after His birth He was transferred to the home of mother Yaśodā. Devakī could not even have Kṛṣṇa suck her breast. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja was astonished. How had mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja become so fortunate that they enjoyed the complete childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, which are still glorified by saintly persons? What had they done in the past by which they were elevated to such an exalted position?

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Since Krsna also drank Devaki’s milk, what is the difference between her and Yasoda. This verse answers by saying that Devaki and Vasudeva (pitarau) who are famous in our family, could not enjoy with their eyes (na avindetam) Krsna’s joyful (udara-giving happiness) childhood pastimes. Udara (generous) also indicates that Rohini who took the role of Balarama’s mother, and the gopis who acted as mothers during the stealing of the calves, were not excluded whereas Vasudeva and Devaki were.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Though Vasudeva and Devakī attained the benediction of being Kṛṣṇa’s parents and were famous everywhere, they did not experience Kṛṣṇa’s infant activities, though he is the most generous giver, since infant activities were not possible after going to Mathurā. His generosity (udāra) is illustrated in the following verse. rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhavatāṁ yadūnāṁ daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiṅkaro vaḥ astv evam aṅga bhagavān bhajatāṁ mukundo muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam O King Parīkṣit! Kṛṣṇa was the protector, instructor, object of worship, giver of affection, and the protector of both the Yadus and Pāṇḍavas. But he was sometimes your servant. The Lord gives liberation but not bhāva-bhakti to those who worship him. SB 5.6.18 Even great devotees spend the second half a life time of Brahmā thinking themselves successful by glorifying him, and not even seeing him directly. Brahma and others (kavayaḥ) continue glorifying him even today, starting with giving instructions to Nārada and others in the first half of Brahmā’s life. This is a cause of good fortune of all people. Even in the age of Kali, this glorification destroys the sins of all people since it makes all people successful by being handed down in succession, though starting from one point. Mad-bhakti-yukto bhuvanaṁ punāti: a devotee thus fixed in loving service to me purifies the entire universe. (SB 11.14.24) nirapekṣaṁ muniṁ śāntaṁ nirvairaṁ sama-darśanam anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ I always follow the footsteps of my pure devotees, who are free from all personal desire, are rapt in thought of my pastimes, are fixed in me, without any feelings of enmity, and are equal to all conditions of the world. Let me be purified by the dust from their feet! SB 11.14.16 Suta also says kṛṣṇa-caritaṁ kali-kalmaṣa-ghnaṁ: the activities of Kṛṣṇa destroy the sins of Kali. (SB 10.1.14) Or the greatest of ātmarāmas such as you, the great devotees, from time without beginning till even today, sing what is sung in the śruti and Purāṇas. Filled with the highest bliss, they sing as if mad in various places, not simply reciting. Those topics of Kṛṣṇa’s infancy destroy the obstacles of karma of low people like me. Just by hearing them, persons like me become successful. What pious acts did those persons who experienced those pastimes perform? Parīkṣit shows great astonishment.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The great affection is described. The fortune greater than that of Janaka and his wife, and Vasudeva and Devakī , who performed austerities of bhakti spreading over four yugas, is described. These parents did not experience Kṛṣṇa’s infant pastimes directly since those pastimes were withdrawn when he went to Mathurā. They did not experience his infant actions, great because they belong to the source of all avatāras Kṛṣṇa, or great (udara) because they give unlimited results of bhukti, mukti and bhakti. What can be said about directly experiencing those pastimes? They are glorified and give the greatest results. Brahmā or Vyāsadeva (kavayaḥ) sing even today in Kaliyuga about these pastimes. Why? They completely uproot sin of all people. Otherwise the sins of Kaliyuga could not be destroyed. Or the poets sing from his birth till now, continuously, about these pastimes. For what purpose? They destroy the suffering of saṁsāra for all jīvas. Or even today after a long time has passed, even the ātmārāmas (kavayaḥ) sing about thses pastimes. Why? Those pastimes destroy (ham) the peace of mind (śama) and talking (lāpa) of the sages because they stimulate intense prema. Or the pastimes destroy the conversations of those who are ātmārāmas (śama). They speak only about those pastimes. Being full of rasa, they naturally become the highest goal. What pious acts did Nanda and Yaśodā perform so that they experienced his infant pastimes?