Devanagari
हित्वा तदीप्सिततममप्याखण्डलयोषिताम् ।
किञ्चिच्चकार वदनं पुत्रविश्लेषणातुरा ॥ २० ॥
Verse text
hitvā tad īpsitatamam
apy ākhaṇḍala-yoṣitām
kiṣcic cakāra vadanaṁ
putra-viśleṣaṇāturā
Synonyms
hitvā
—
having given up
;
tat
—
that household
;
īpsita
—
tamam — most desirable
;
api
—
even
;
ākhaṇḍala
—
yoṣitām — by the wives of Lord Indra
;
kiṣcit cakāra vadanam
—
she wore a sorry look on her face
;
putra
—
viśleṣaṇa — by separation from her son
;
āturā
—
afflicted .
Translation
Although her position was unique from all points of view, saintly Devahūti, in spite of all her possessions, which were envied even by the ladies of the heavenly planets, gave up all such comforts. She was only sorry that her great son was separated from her.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Giving up that house, most desirable even to the wives of Indra, Devahūti became silent, overcome with grief, pained by the absence of her son.
She became silent (vadanaṁ kiṣcid cakāra) in the presence of all these things. This means she was filled with grief at seeing these things.
Purport
Devahūti was not at all sorry at giving up her material comforts, but she was very much aggrieved at the separation of her son. It may be questioned here that if Devahūti was not at all sorry to give up the material comforts of life, then why was she sorry about losing her son? Why was she so attached to her son? The answer is explained in the next verse. He was not an ordinary son. Her son was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can give up material attachment, therefore, only when one has attachment for the Supreme Person. This is explained in
Bhagavad-gītā.
Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate.
Only when one actually has some taste for spiritual existence can he be reluctant to follow the materialistic way of life.