SB 10.83.9 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीसत्यभामोवाच यो मे सनाभिवधतप्तहृदा ततेन लिप्ताभिशापमपमार्ष्टुमुपाजहार । जित्वर्क्षराजमथ रत्नमदात् स तेन भीत: पितादिशत मां प्रभवेऽपि दत्ताम् ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

śrī-satyabhāmovāca yo me sanābhi-vadha-tapta-hṛdā tatena liptābhiśāpam apamārṣṭum upājahāra jitvarkṣa-rājam atha ratnam adāt sa tena bhītaḥ pitādiśata māṁ prabhave ’pi dattām

Synonyms

śrī — satyabhāmā uvāca — Śrī Satyabhāmā said ; yaḥ — who ; me — my ; sanābhi — of my brother ; vadha — by the killing ; tapta — distressed ; hṛdā — whose heart ; tatena — by my father ; lipta — tainted ; abhiśāpam — with condemnation ; apamārṣṭum — to cleanse away ; upājahāra — He removed ; jitvā — after defeating ; ṛkṣa — rājam — the king of the bears, Jāmbavān ; atha — then ; ratnam — the jewel (Syamantaka) ; adāt — gave ; saḥ — He ; tena — because of this ; bhītaḥ — afraid ; pitā — my father ; adiśata — offered ; mām — me ; prabhave — to the Lord ; api — although ; dattām — already given .

Translation

Śrī Satyabhāmā said: My father, his heart tormented by his brother’s death, accused Kṛṣṇa of killing him. To remove the stain on His reputation, the Lord defeated the king of the bears and took back the Syamantaka jewel, which He then returned to my father. Fearing the consequences of his offense, my father offered me to the Lord, even though I had already been promised to others.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Śrī Satyabhāmā said: My father, his heart tormented by his brothers death, accused Kṛṣṇa of killing him. To remove the stain on His reputation, the Lord defeated the king of the bears and took back the Syamantaka jewel, which He then returned to my father. Fearing the consequences of his offense, my father offered me to the Lord, even though I had already been promised to others. KB 10.83.9 After this, Satyabhāmā began to speak. She said, “My dear Draupadī, my father was very much afflicted by the death of his brother, Prasena, and he falsely accused Lord Kṛṣṇa of killing his brother and stealing the Syamantaka jewel, which had actually been taken by Jāmbavān. Lord Kṛṣṇa, in order to establish His pure character, fought with Jāmbavān and rescued the Syamantaka jewel, which He later delivered to my father. My father was very much ashamed and sorry for accusing Lord Kṛṣṇa of his brother’s death. After getting back the Syamantaka jewel, he thought it wise to rectify his mistake, so although he had promised others my hand in marriage, he submitted the jewel and me at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and thus I was accepted as His maidservant and wife.”

Purport

As described in Chapter Fifty-six of this canto, King Satrājit had already compromised himself by promising his daughter’s hand first to Akrūra and then again to a number of other suitors. But after the return of the Syamantaka jewel, he felt impelled by his shame to offer her to Lord Kṛṣṇa instead. According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the word prabhave (“unto the Lord”) answers any doubt as to the propriety of offering Kṛṣṇa a bride who had already been promised to others. It is perfectly proper to offer Him everything one owns, and improper to withhold anything from Him.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In order to remove the ill fame, created by my father (tatena) who, aggrieved by the killing of his brother (sanabhi) prasena, accused Krsna of the deed, Krsna defeated Rksaraja and brought back the syamantaka jewel. Then he gave the jewel to my father. My father, fearing his offense, gave me, already promised to Akrura (dattam) to Krsna (prabhave).

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

“That she was given because of fear is not proper.” He gave me, though given to others, to the Supreme Lord (prabhave). Actually everything belongs to him. It is proper to give everything to him. Giving to others is wrong. Or, my father gave me, promised but not given to others, to Kṛṣṇa out of fear of Kṛṣṇa so he could protect himself. Her father’s offense was removed. Because my father was insane with grief for his brother, he accused the Lord. This was not intentional. The Lord who took the jewel to remove the accusation, the Lord to whom my father gave me, gave the jewel back to my father. This verse has a grammatical construction similar to the last verse. Or, my father gave me to the Lord who took the jewel and gave it to my father. Like Rukmiṇī who prays to be a servant, most of the queens had prominent dāsya attitude, but Satyabhāmā had prominent sakhya because of strong feelings as a lover.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

He gave me, though given to others, to the Supreme Lord (prabhave) who is capable of doing anything. Or he gave me to he who is my lord, being king of the Yadus (prabhave). Or he gave me to the lord of my life. For the very beginning she had love for him. Or “It was improper to give her since she had been given to others.” But he is the supreme Lord. It is proper to give me to him, since by doing so all faults are removed. Thus her father’s offense was annulled. Because my father was insane with grief for his dead brother, he accused the Lord. She does not pray like Rukminī, because of her strong prema or great shyness.