SB 10.13.11 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

बिभ्रद् वेणुं जठरपटयो: श‍ृङ्गवेत्रे च कक्षे वामे पाणौ मसृणकवलं तत्फलान्यङ्गुलीषु । तिष्ठन् मध्ये स्वपरिसुहृदो हासयन् नर्मभि: स्वै: स्वर्गे लोके मिषति बुभुजे यज्ञभुग् बालकेलि: ॥ ११ ॥

Verse text

bibhrad veṇuṁ jaṭhara-paṭayoḥ śṛṅga-vetre ca kakṣe vāme pāṇau masṛṇa-kavalaṁ tat-phalāny aṅgulīṣu tiṣṭhan madhye sva-parisuhṛdo hāsayan narmabhiḥ svaiḥ svarge loke miṣati bubhuje yajṣa-bhug bāla-keliḥ

Synonyms

bibhrat veṇum — keeping the flute ; jaṭhara — paṭayoḥ — between the tight clothing and the abdomen ; śṛṅga — vetre — both the horn bugle and the cow-driving stick ; ca — also ; kakṣe — on the waist ; vāme — on the left-hand side ; pāṇau — taking in hand ; masṛṇa — kavalam — very nice food prepared with rice and first-class curd ; tat — phalāni — suitable pieces of fruit like bael ; aṅgulīṣu — between the fingers ; tiṣṭhan — staying in this way ; madhye — in the middle ; sva — pari — suhṛdaḥ — His own personal associates ; hāsayan — making them laugh ; narmabhiḥ — with joking words ; svaiḥ — His own ; svarge loke miṣati — while the inhabitants of the heavenly planets, Svargaloka, were watching this wonderful scene ; bubhuje — Kṛṣṇa enjoyed ; yajṣa — bhuk bāla — keliḥ — although He accepts offerings in yajṣa, for the sake of childhood pastimes He was enjoying foodstuffs very jubilantly with His cowherd boyfriends .

Translation

Kṛṣṇa is yajṣa-bhuk — that is, He eats only offerings of yajṣa — but to exhibit His childhood pastimes, He now sat with His flute tucked between His waist and His tight cloth on His right side and with His horn bugle and cow-driving stick on His left. Holding in His hand a very nice preparation of yogurt and rice, with pieces of suitable fruit between His fingers, He sat like the whorl of a lotus flower, looking forward toward all His friends, personally joking with them and creating jubilant laughter among them as He ate. At that time, the denizens of heaven were watching, struck with wonder at how the Personality of Godhead, who eats only in yajṣa, was now eating with His friends in the forest.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Kṛṣṇa is yajṣa-bhuk—that is, He eats only offerings of yajṣa—but to exhibit His childhood pastimes, He now sat with His flute tucked between His waist and His tight cloth on His right side and with His horn bugle and cow-driving stick on His left. Holding in His hand a very nice preparation of yogurt and rice, with pieces of suitable fruit between His fingers, He sat like the whorl of a lotus flower, looking forward toward all His friends, personally joking with them and creating jubilant laughter among them as He ate. At that time, the denizens of heaven were watching, struck with wonder at how the Personality of Godhead, who eats only in yajṣa, was now eating with His friends in the forest. KB 10.13.11 While Lord Kṛṣṇa was thus enjoying lunch with His friends, His flute was pushed within the belt of His cloth on His right side, and His bugle and cane were pushed in on the left-hand side of His cloth. In His left palm He was holding a lump of food prepared with yogurt, butter, rice and pieces of fruit salad, which could be seen through His petallike finger-joints. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who accepts the results of all great sacrifices, was laughing and joking, enjoying lunch with His friends in Vṛndāvana. And thus the scene was being observed by the demigods from heaven. As for the boys, they were simply enjoying transcendental bliss in the company of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Purport

When Kṛṣṇa was eating with His cowherd boyfriends, a certain bumblebee came there to take part in the eating. Thus Kṛṣṇa joked, “Why have you come to disturb My brāhmaṇa friend Madhumaṅgala? You want to kill a brāhmaṇa. This is not good.” All the boys would laugh and enjoy, speaking such joking words while eating. Thus the inhabitants of the higher planets were astonished at how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who eats only when yajṣa is offered, was now eating like an ordinary child with His friends in the forest.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse describes the outstanding qualities of Krsna and his friends eating. Krsna had his flute tucked in his cloth at the waist at the right side. On the left side were tucked his horn and stick. In his left hand was a big lump of curd rice. And in between his fingers he held small pieces of things like lemon and amla pickles for spreading on it. Or the words can mean that he held small lumps of rice in his right hand, taking from the left hand small amounts into the right hand in order to eat. Sitting in a circle facing Krsna, they all chattered as they ate. "O bee, why are you flying near my face? Go to Madhumangala in front of you and get a drink." "O friend, do you want the bee to bite me? Are you not afraid of killing a brahmana?" " Look at that band of wild monkeys! Though you are hungry and alert, the boys are eating peacefully. Approach so they don’t see you and eat their food." His sarva kalpa sakti and lila sakti then fulfilled this wish. " O Lord! If you want some obstacle during this lunch for some amusement, then we will go and bring Brahma." While the inhabitants of svarga loka were watching in amazement, Krsna, the enjoyer of the offering of ghee purified by mantra and offered in sacrifice (yajna bhuk), absorbed in playing with his friends--scolding, praising, giving and taking half eaten food (balakeli)-- ate his lunch.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

After describing the eating pastimes of the Lord along with the boys, Śukadeva now describes Kṛṣṇa’s activities in particular. He held in his fingers various pickled fruits suitable to eat with the yogurt rice. Coming on their own (svaiḥ) the devatās watched. Though the Lord as yajṇa-bhuk is worshipped by offering him oblations which he eats simply by acceptance, he was now playing like human child and eating like the boys (bāla-keliḥ). The devatās saw this with astonishment. Another interpretation by using sandhi rules is to make the word ayajña-bhuk. Playing with the other boys, he did not accept the sacrificial offerings made with great effort. In the midst of eating (madhye) he played by accepting the food with joking, praising, criticizing, eating, making faces and laughing with them all or individually, while examining the food. And in eating, he showed his power by facing each one of them simultaneously and also acted in a superior role as a small boy by holding his flute and stick. As previously, this shows a special aspect of Bhagavān.