Devanagari
प्रजा भोजपतेरस्य वयं चापि वनेचरा:
करवाम प्रियं नित्यं तन्न: परमनुग्रह: ॥ ३७ ॥
Verse text
prajā bhoja-pater asya
vayaṁ cāpi vane-carāḥ
karavāma priyaṁ nityaṁ
tan naḥ param anugrahaḥ
Synonyms
prajāḥ
—
subjects
;
bhoja
—
pateḥ — of the King of the Bhojas
;
asya
—
of him
;
vayam
—
We
;
ca
—
also
;
api
—
even though
;
vane
—
carāḥ — wandering in the forest
;
karavāma
—
We must execute
;
priyam
—
his pleasure
;
nityam
—
always
;
tat
—
that
;
naḥ
—
for Us
;
param
—
the greatest
;
anugrahaḥ
—
benefit .
Translation
[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] Although forest-dwellers, We are also subjects of the Bhoja king. We must gratify his desires, for such behavior will confer upon Us the greatest benefit.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] Although forest-dwellers, We are also subjects of the Bhoja king. We must gratify his desires, for such behavior will confer upon Us the greatest benefit.
KB 10.43.37
“You are a subject of the King of the Bhojas, and you live in the jungle. We are also indirectly his subjects, and We try to please him as far as possible. This offer of wrestling is a great favor of his, …
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
He accepts Cāṇūra’s proposal in these words. He addresses Kaṁsa as king of the Bhojas to show respect and to indicate that the king was not Ugrasena. We are subjects of the king, but we are forest people. The word ca indicates “You are city dwellers.” Therefore we must obey the order of the king. This is the mercy of the king to us. Therefore we will do it. Actually the verse expresses disrespect. We are not your subjects since we eternally wander in Vṛndāvana. Kaṁsa is a recent person. Therefore we desire to do what is pleasing of the king of the cowherds, not what is pleasing to Kaṁsa. “It is impossible to obey the orders of your king here.” This is his mercy to us. Being the objects of his affection, our hearts melt. By that we are able to accomplish his wishes even here.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
We are the subjects of this person (asya) who harms our relatives and does violence against the citizens and we wander in the forest. Though because he is the king of the Bhojas it is not proper that we are his subjects, since we live in the forest, let that be. Let us accept that you and we are his subjects. We should please him and he will be purely (param) merciful to us, since we are not worthy. This means that without cause he will be merciful. The cause (or lack of cause) and the bestowal of mercy are both expressed in the word anugrahaḥ.
Another meaning is this. Since he does not protect the citizens, and harms our relatives as a king, we are not his citizens. Even so we will please him. If we are merciful to him, he will die.