SB 10.71.24

SB 10.71.24

Devanagari

गीतवादित्रघोषेण ब्रह्मघोषेण भूयसा । अभ्ययात्स हृषीकेशं प्राणा: प्राणमिवाद‍ृत: ॥ २४ ॥

Verse text

gīta-vāditra-ghoṣeṇa brahma-ghoṣeṇa bhūyasā abhyayāt sa hṛṣīkeśaṁ prāṇāḥ prāṇam ivādṛtaḥ

Synonyms

gīta of song ; vāditra and instrumental music ; ghoṣeṇa with the sound ; brahma of the Vedas ; ghoṣeṇa with the sound ; bhūyasā abundant ; abhyayāt went forth ; saḥ he ; hṛṣīkeśam to Lord Kṛṣṇa ; prāṇāḥ the senses ; prāṇam consciousness, or the air of life ; iva as ; ādṛtaḥ reverential .

Translation

As songs and musical instruments resounded along with the loud vibration of Vedic hymns, the King went forth with great reverence to meet Lord Hṛṣīkeśa, just as the senses go forth to meet the consciousness of life.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

As songs and musical instruments resounded along with the loud vibration of Vedic hymns, the King went forth with great reverence to meet Lord Hṛṣīkeśa, just as the senses go forth to meet the consciousness of life. KB 10.71.24 He ordered the musical vibration of different instruments and songs, and the learned brāhmaṇas of the city began to chant the hymns of the Vedas very loudly. Lord Kṛṣṇa is known as Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, and King Yudhiṣṭhira went forward to receive Him exactly as the senses meet the consciousness of life.

Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa is here described as Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses, and King Yudhiṣṭhira’s rushing to the Lord is compared to the senses eagerly joining the consciousness of life. Without consciousness, the senses are useless; indeed, the senses function through consciousness. Similarly, when the individual souls are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of God, they enter into a useless and illusory struggle called material existence. Pure devotees like King Yudhiṣṭhira are never bereft of the Lord’s association, for they keep Him always within their heart, and yet they feel special ecstasy when they see the Lord after long separation, as described here.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Hṛṣīkeśa means “having hair which shone.” Thus from far off, he shone because of his effulgence. Or, he controlled all the senses by prema. Ādṛtaḥ means respected or worshipped. Yudhiṣṭhira was respected by Kṛṣṇa when Kṛṣṇa came to his place, got off his chariot etc. The senses which become inactive without the life air, which leaves the body as when fainting, approach the life air when it returns.