SB 1.9.20 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यं मन्यसे मातुलेयं प्रियं मित्रं सुहृत्तमम् । अकरो: सचिवं दूतं सौहृदादथ सारथिम् ॥ २० ॥

Verse text

yaṁ manyase mātuleyaṁ priyaṁ mitraṁ suhṛttamam akaroḥ sacivaṁ dūtaṁ sauhṛdād atha sārathim

Synonyms

yam — the person ; manyase — you think ; mātuleyam — maternal cousin ; priyam — very dear ; mitram — friend ; suhṛt — tamam — ardent well-wisher ; akaroḥ — executed ; sacivam — counsel ; dūtam — messenger ; sauhṛdāt — by good will ; atha — thereupon ; sārathim — charioteer .

Translation

O King, that personality whom, out of ignorance only, you thought to be your maternal cousin, your very dear friend, well-wisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor, etc., is that very Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

You think of Kṛṣṇa as your cousin, as a dear friend, as your selfless helper, and out of affection made him your counselor, messenger, and charioteer.

Purport

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, although acting as the cousin, brother, friend, well-wisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor, etc., of the Pāṇḍavas, was still the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of His causeless mercy and favor upon His unalloyed devotees, He performs all kinds of service, but that does not mean that He has changed His position as the Absolute Person. To think of Him as an ordinary man is the grossest type of ignorance.

Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse shows Kṛṣṇa’s anubhāvas or actions performed out of deep love. Though Kṛṣṇa is the supreme lord he displays actions indicating that he is under your control by being your counselor and messenger. The verse is actually a continuation of the previous verse: no one knows the actions of Kṛṣṇa whom you consider your cousin and friend.