SB 10.70.7 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

उपस्थायार्कमुद्यन्तं तर्पयित्वात्मन: कला: । देवानृषीन् पितॄन्वृद्धान्विप्रानभ्यर्च्य चात्मवान् ॥ ७ ॥ धेनूनां रुक्‍मश‍ृङ्गीनां साध्वीनां मौक्तिकस्रजाम् । पयस्विनीनां गृष्टीनां सवत्सानां सुवाससाम् ॥ ८ ॥ ददौ रूप्यखुराग्राणां क्षौमाजिनतिलै: सह । अलङ्कृतेभ्यो विप्रेभ्यो बद्वं बद्वं दिने दिने ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

upasthāyārkam udyantaṁ tarpayitvātmanaḥ kalāḥ devān ṛṣīn pitṝn vṛddhān viprān abhyarcya cātmavān dhenūnāṁ rukma-śṛṅgīnāṁ sādhvīnāṁ mauktika-srajām payasvinīnāṁ gṛṣṭīnāṁ sa-vatsānāṁ su-vāsasām dadau rūpya-khurāgrāṇāṁ kṣaumājina-tilaiḥ saha alaṅkṛtebhyo viprebhyo badvaṁ badvaṁ dine dine

Synonyms

upasthāya — worshiping ; arkam — the sun ; udyantam — rising ; tarpayitvā — propitiating ; ātmanaḥ — His own ; kalāḥ — expansions ; devān — the demigods ; ṛṣīn — sages ; pitṝn — and forefathers ; vṛddhān — His elders ; viprān — and brāhmaṇas ; abhyarcya — worshiping ; ca — and ; ātma — vān — self-possessed ; dhenūnām — of cows ; rukma — (covered with) gold ; śṛṅgīnām — whose horns ; sādhvīnām — good-natured ; mauktika — of pearls ; srajām — with necklaces ; payasvinīnām — giving milk ; gṛṣṭīnām — having given birth only once ; sa — vatsānām — together with their calves ; su — vāsasām — nicely dressed ; dadau — He gave ; rūpya — (covered with) silver ; khura — of their hooves ; agrāṇām — the fronts ; kṣauma — linen ; ajina — deerskins ; tilaiḥ — and sesame seeds ; saha — together with ; alaṅkṛtebhyaḥ — who were given ornaments ; viprebhyaḥ — to learned brāhmaṇas ; badvam badvam — (one hundred and seven) groups of 13,084 (thus totaling 1,400,000) ; dine dine — each day .

Translation

Each day the Lord worshiped the rising sun and propitiated the demigods, sages and forefathers, who are all His expansions. The self-possessed Lord would then carefully worship His elders and the brāhmaṇas. To those well-attired brāhmaṇas He would offer herds of tame and peaceful cows with gold-plated horns and pearl necklaces. These cows were also dressed in fine cloth, and the fronts of their hooves were plated with silver. Providers of abundant milk, they had each given birth only once and were accompanied by their calves. Daily the Lord gave many groups of 13,084 cows to the learned brāhmaṇas, together with linen, deerskins and sesame seeds.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Each day the Lord worshiped the rising sun and propitiated the demigods, sages and forefathers, who are all His expansions. The self-possessed Lord would then carefully worship His elders and the brāhmaṇas. To those well-attired brāhmaṇas He would offer herds of tame and peaceful cows with gold-plated horns and pearl necklaces. These cows were also dressed in fine cloth, and the fronts of their hooves were plated with silver. Providers of abundant milk, they had each given birth only once and were accompanied by their calves. Daily the Lord gave many groups of 13,084 cows to the learned brāhmaṇas, together with linen, deerskins and sesame seeds. KB 10.70.7-9 When the sunrise became visible, the Lord would offer specific prayers to the sun-god. The sun-god and other demigods mentioned in the Vedic scriptures are described as different limbs of the body of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and it is the duty of the householder to offer respects to the demigods and great sages, as well as the forefathers. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord has no specific duty to perform in this world, and yet He acts just like an ordinary man living an ideal life within this material world. In accordance with Vedic ritualistic principles, the Lord would offer respects to the demigods. The regulative principle by which the demigods and forefathers are worshiped is called tarpaṇa, which means “pleasing.” One’s forefathers may have to take a body on another planet, but by performance of this tarpaṇa system they become very happy wherever they may be. It is the duty of the householder to make his family members happy, and by following this tarpaṇa system he can make his forefathers happy also. As the perfect exemplary householder, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa followed this tarpaṇa system and offered respectful obeisances to the elderly, superior members of His family. His next duty was to give cows in charity to the brāhmaṇas. Every day Lord Kṛṣṇa used to give many groups of 13,084 cows. Each of the cows was decorated with a silken cover and pearl necklace, their horns were covered with gold plating, and their hooves were silver-plated. All of them were full of milk, due to having their first-born calves with them, and they were very tame and peaceful. When the cows were given in charity to the brāhmaṇas, the brāhmaṇas also were given nice silken garments, and each was given a deerskin and sufficient quantity of sesame seeds. The Lord is generally known as go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, which means that His first duty is to see to the welfare of the cows and the brāhmaṇas. Thus He used to give cows in charity to the brāhmaṇas, with opulent decorations and paraphernalia.

Purport

Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes several Vedic scriptures to show that in the context of Vedic ritual, a badva here refers to 13,084 cows. The words badvaṁ badvaṁ dine dine indicate that Lord Kṛṣṇa would give the learned brāhmaṇas many such groups of cows on a daily basis. Śrīdhara Svāmī further gives evidence that the usual practice for great saintly kings in previous ages was to give 107 such badva, or groups of 13,084 cows. Thus the total number of cows given in this sacrifice, known as Maṣcāra, is 14 lakhs, or 1,400,000. The words alaṅkṛtebhyo viprebhyaḥ indicate that in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s kingdom the brāhmaṇas were given nice clothes and ornaments and were thus well attired. In Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes with striking and profound insight on these pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The reader is strongly urged to study this book, which contains an invaluable wealth of information and commentary on the pastimes described in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Our humble attempt here can never equal the consummate purity and skill of our great master. Still, as a service offered at his lotus feet, we are simply presenting the original Sanskrit text of the Tenth Canto, word-for-word meanings, a clear translation and essential commentary, for the most part based on the statements of the great spiritual masters in our line.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Being self controlled (atmavan), Krsna would execute his duties. Daily he would give 13,084 (baddham) cows with first born calves (grstinam).

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Many of his activities are now described in three verses. Or now the word ādi (other actions ) in the previous verse is explained. Kalāḥ refers to his vibhūtis or expansions and the deity of Vāmana and others. Vṛddha refers to the elders of the clan. He performed the worship with attention to the rules, with steady mind (ātmavān). The cows were the best in qualities and behavior (sādhvīnām). First decorating brāhmaṇas with gold earrings, he would then donate cows to them. One badva is 210,757,072. Daily he would give this many cows. This was his nitya-karma or daily duty (dine dine). Badvam is repeated to emphasize the fact that he gave this amount daily or to indicate that he gave more than a badva.