SB 10.6.43 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नन्द: स्वपुत्रमादाय प्रेत्यागतमुदारधी: । मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय परमां मुदं लेभे कुरूद्वह ॥ ४३ ॥

Verse text

nandaḥ sva-putram ādāya pretyāgatam udāra-dhīḥ mūrdhny upāghrāya paramāṁ mudaṁ lebhe kurūdvaha

Synonyms

nandaḥ — Mahārāja Nanda ; sva — putram ādāya — taking his son Kṛṣṇa on his lap ; pretya — āgatam — as if Kṛṣṇa had returned from death (no one could even imagine that from such danger a child could be saved) ; udāra — dhīḥ — because he was always liberal and simple ; mūrdhni — on the head of Kṛṣṇa ; upāghrāya — formally smelling ; paramām — highest ; mudam — peace ; lebhe — achieved ; kuru — udvaha — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit .

Translation

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of the Kurus, Nanda Mahārāja was very liberal and simple. He immediately took his son Kṛṣṇa on his lap as if Kṛṣṇa had returned from death, and by formally smelling his son’s head, Nanda Mahārāja undoubtedly enjoyed transcendental bliss.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of the Kurus, Nanda Mahārāja was very liberal and simple. He immediately took his son Kṛṣṇa on his lap as if Kṛṣṇa had returned from death, and by formally smelling his son's head, Nanda Mahārāja undoubtedly enjoyed transcendental bliss. KB 10.6.43 After the burning of Pūtanā, Nanda Mahārāja came home and immediately took up the child on his lap and began to smell His head. In this way, he was quite satisfied that his little child was saved from this great calamity.

Purport

Nanda Mahārāja could not understand how the inhabitants of his house had allowed Pūtanā to enter the house, nor could he imagine the gravity of the situation. He did not understand that Kṛṣṇa had wanted to kill Pūtanā and that His pastimes were performed by Yoga-māyā. Nanda Mahārāja simply thought that someone had entered his house and created havoc. This was Nanda Mahārāja’s simplicity.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Returning from his visit (prosyagatah), Nanda began to lament, "In my absence so much misfortune as occurred. Why did I go to Mathura?" Udara dhi indicates that he began to criticize everyone’s intelligence: "How could the dull doorkeepers not prevent anyone from entering the house?"

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Among the Nanda is described. When his agitation ceased, he became filled with joy which is indicated by his name. Because of that joy, his mind became filled with an ocean of good qualities including compassion. Thus he took his son on his lap. Coming from a distant place (proṣyāgataḥ is an alternative version pretyāgatam—the son who had returned from death), he smelled his head. He lamented “Ah! Because I went far away, such calamities have occurred.” O best of the Kurus! This indicates what was explained previously in SB 10.5.19. Just as Yudhiṣṭhira protected you, Nanda desired to protect his son. From this time Kṛṣṇa got the name Adhokṣaja. Hari-vaṁśa says: adho ‘nena śayānena śakaṭāntara cāriṇā rākṣasī nihatā raudrā śakuṇī-veśa-dhāriṇī pūtanā nāma ghorā sā mahākāyā mahābalā visa-dagdhaṁ stanaṁ kṣudrā prayacchantī janaṛdane dadṛśur nihatāṁ tatra rākṣasīṁ vana-gocarāḥ punar jāto ‘yam ityāhur uktas tasmaḍ adhokṣajaḥ An angry Rākṣasī, entering the cart, was killed as Kṛṣṇa slept beneath the cart’s axel. Fierce Pūtanā with great strength and huge body, dressing herself auspiciously, gave her poisonous breast to Kṛṣṇa. Seeing that she was killed, the cowherds said “He has been born again.” Therefore he was called Adhokṣaja (beneath the axe -adhokṣa and born again--ja).

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

With such astonishment, Nanda was very blissful. He attained the highest bliss, because he put his son on his lap. In spite of Vasudeva’s statements, Nanda never doubted that Kṛṣṇa was his son (sva-putram). He did not think that Kṛṣṇa had great power on seeing Pūtanā fall. Rather his affection increased. Moreover he was very magnanimous (ūdāra-dhiḥ). Though astonished, he was not disturbed. Rather his heart developed more affection for Kṛṣṇa. That is the nature of affection. These causes of bliss are in order of increasing excellence. O best of Kurus! Yudhiṣṭhira attained similar bliss by seeing you, a great devotee, the seed of the Kuru dynasty. Or Śukadeva calls out in bliss on seeing the good fortune of Nanda.