Devanagari
योऽस्मभ्यं सम्प्रतिश्रुत्य कन्यारत्नं विगर्ह्य न: ।
कृष्णायादान्न सत्राजित् कस्माद् भ्रातरमन्वियात् ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
yo ’smabhyaṁ sampratiśrutya
kanyā-ratnaṁ vigarhya naḥ
kṛṣṇāyādān na satrājit
kasmād bhrātaram anviyāt
Synonyms
yaḥ
—
who
;
asmabhyam
—
to each of us
;
sampratiśrutya
—
promising
;
kanyā
—
his daughter
;
ratnam
—
jewellike
;
vigarhya
—
contemptuously neglecting
;
naḥ
—
us
;
kṛṣṇāya
—
to Kṛṣṇa
;
adāt
—
gave
;
na
—
not
;
satrājit
—
Satrājit
;
kasmāt
—
why
;
bhrātaram
—
his brother
;
anviyāt
—
should follow (in death) .
Translation
“Satrājit promised his jewellike daughter to us but then gave her to Kṛṣṇa instead, contemptuously neglecting us. So why should Satrājit not follow his brother’s path?”
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"Satrājit promised his jewellike daughter to us but then gave her to Kṛṣṇa instead, contemptuously neglecting us. So why should Satrājit not follow his brother's path?"
Purport
Since Satrājit’s brother, Prasena, had been violently killed, the implication of “following his brother’s path” is obvious. What we have here is an assassination plot.
It is well known that both Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā are exalted, pure devotees of the Supreme Lord, so their unusual behavior requires some explanation. The
ācāryas
provide it as follows: Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states that Akrūra, although a first-class, pure devotee of the Lord, was a victim of the anger directed against him by the residents of Gokula because he took Lord Kṛṣṇa away from Vṛndāvana. The
gosvāmī
further states that Kṛtavarmā had associated with Kaṁsa — both of them being members of the Bhoja dynasty — and thus Kṛtavarmā was now suffering from this undesirable association.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī offers an alternative explanation: Both Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā were furious with Satrājit because he had insulted Lord Kṛṣṇa and spread false rumors about Him in Dvārakā. Under normal circumstances Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā would have been most pleased that Lord Kṛṣṇa married the beautiful Satyabhāmā. Being pure devotees, they could not actually be unhappy about this match, nor could they become jealous rivals of the Lord. Therefore they had an ulterior motive in behaving like His rivals.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In this verse they speak of Satrajit’s faults. According to previous statements in the bhagavatam, many suitors requested her as their bride. Each one had requested and Satrajit had promised her to each one. Should he not follow his brother Prasena to death because of this? Old commentators say that Akrura and Krtavarma, great devotees of the Lord, became extremely angry at Satrajit because of his spreading rumors against Krsna, and therefore instigated Satadhanva to kill him.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Previously it was said that Satyabhāmā had been desired by many. That is explained in this verse. Previously they had requested her as a bride but she was not given. If she cannot be given now and we cannot accept her, we should take the jewel out of spite. The plural asmabhyam is used to indicate that she was even promised to Śatadhanvā. She was promised in marriage many times (sam) because she was the best of young women. We all desired her. But he criticized us, finding fault in us. He gave her to Kṛṣṇa. Saying Kṛṣṇa’s name directly here is to show disrespect. He was devious because he promised each one of us. Not obtaining that great jewel we have suffered greatly. Why should he not following his brother? This suggests a curse. This man’s brother has died. Being without help, Satrājit will die. If he dies, he had no heir since he had no son (kasmāt). The jewel will then be yours. Therefore you should kill him. Akrūra, a great devotee of the Lord, spoke in this way because of the anger of the people of Gokula upon him. As a member of the Bhoja dynasty Kṛtavarmā shared his fault by association. Others say that because Satrājit spread false rumors about Kṛṣṇa, two great devotees Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā became extremely angry with Satrājit. To provoke Śatadhanvā, they spoke in this way.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Previously it was said that Satyabhāmā had been desired by many. That is explained in this verse. Previously they had requested her as a bride but she was not given. If she cannot be given now and we cannot accept her, we should take the jewel out of spite. The plural asmabhyam is used to indicate that she was even promised to Śatadhanvā. She was promised in marriage many times (sam) because she was the best of young women. We all desired her. But Satrajit criticized us, finding fault in us. He gave her to Kṛṣṇa. Saying Kṛṣṇa’s name directly here is to show disrespect. He was devious because he promised each one of us. Not obtaining that great jewel, we have suffered greatly. Why should Satrajit not follow his brother? This suggests a curse. This man’s brother has died. Being without help, Satrājit will die. If he dies, he had no heir since he had no son (kasmāt). The jewel will then be yours. Therefore you should kill him. Akrūra, a great devotee of the Lord, spoke in this way because of the anger of the people of Gokula upon him. As a member of the Bhoja dynasty Kṛtavarmā shared his fault by association.
Or Akrura actually made no offense to the gopīs, since he was a secondary cause of the Lord’s leaving Vraja. Kṛṣṇa went by his own will in order to benefit his devotees, the Yadus, by killing Kaṁsa. Akrūra had special bhāva for the gopīs as expressed in the following:
yad arcitaṁ brahma-bhavādibhiḥ suraiḥ
śriyā ca devyā munibhiḥ sa-sātvataiḥ
go-cāraṇāyānucaraiś carad vane
yad gopikānāṁ kuca-kuṅkumāṅkitam
Those lotus feet are worshiped by Brahmā, Śiva and all the other devatās, by Lakṣmī and her associates and by devotees in this world, as well as the followers of Pañcarātra. Upon those lotus feet the Lord walks about the forest while herding the cows 8with his companions, and those feet are smeared with the kuṁkuma from the gopīs’ breasts. SB 10.38.8
samarhaṇaṁ yatra nidhāya kauśikas
tathā baliś cāpa jagat-trayendratām
yad vā vihāre vraja-yoṣitāṁ śramaṁ
sparśena saugandhika-gandhy apānudat
By offering water to that lotus hand, Purandara and Bali earned the status of Indra, and during the pastimes of the rāsa dance, the Lord relieved the gopīs’ fatigue instantly by the touch of his fragrant hand. SB 10.38.17
The following should be understood. When Satrājit spread false rumors about the Lord, the great devotees Akrūra and Kṛtavarmā became very angry. They thus provoked Śatandhanva to kill him, in order to gain his daughter, making Śatadhanvā believed the rumors though Satrājit was a friend, and even wanting Śatadhanvā dead. Akrūra had no desire to possess the jewel. That is clear later.