Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 26

Akrūra’s Journey to Vraja and His Devotional Vision of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma

Devanagari script

तद्दर्शनाह्लादविवृद्धसम्भ्रम: प्रेम्णोर्ध्वरोमाश्रुकलाकुलेक्षण: । रथादवस्कन्द्य स तेष्वचेष्टत प्रभोरमून्यङ्‍‍‍‍‍घ्रिरजांस्यहो इति ॥ २६ ॥

Transliteration

tad-darśanāhlāda-vivṛddha-sambhramaḥ premṇordhva-romāśru-kalākulekṣaṇaḥ rathād avaskandya sa teṣv aceṣṭata prabhor amūny aṅghri-rajāṁsy aho iti

Translation

Increasingly agitated by ecstasy at seeing the Lord’s footprints, his bodily hairs standing on end because of his pure love, and his eyes filled with tears, Akrūra jumped down from his chariot and began rolling about among those footprints, exclaiming, “Ah, this is the dust from my master’s feet!”

Synonyms

• तत्-दर्शन-आह्लाद-विवृद्ध-सम्भ्रमः: (he) whose agitation was increased by the joy of seeing Him
• तत्-दर्शन-आह्लाद-विवृद्ध-सम्भ्रमः: Karta (कर्ता/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + आह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक) + विवृद्ध (कृदन्त, √वृध्) + सम्भ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (तस्य दर्शनस्य आह्लादेन विवृद्धः सम्भ्रमः यस्य)

• प्रेम्णा: with love
• प्रेम्णा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्व-रोम-अश्रु-कला-आकुल-ईक्षणः: whose eyes were filled with tears and whose hairs stood on end
• ऊर्ध्व-रोम-अश्रु-कला-आकुल-ईक्षणः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (ऊर्ध्वानि रोमाणि, अश्रुकलाभिः आकुलं ईक्षणं यस्य)

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अवस्कन्द्य: having jumped down
• अवस्कन्द्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्कन्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वक्रिया

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेषु: among them/therein (in those footprints)
• तेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अचेष्टत: moved/acted (busied himself)
• अचेष्टत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रभोः: of the Lord
• प्रभोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अमूनि: these (those)
• अमूनि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अत्र कर्मत्वे

• अङ्घ्रि-रजांसि: the dust of (His) feet
• अङ्घ्रि-रजांसि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अङ्घ्रेः रजांसि)

• अहो: ah!/indeed
• अहो: Sambandha (भाव-प्रकाशक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक अव्यय (exclamation)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/विचार-समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय

Characters & Entities

• Akrūra
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Balarāma

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the symptoms of pure devotion (prema-bhakti)?

This verse describes classic signs of prema—ecstatic agitation, hairs standing on end, and tear-filled eyes—arising simply from the devotee’s darśana of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Why did Akrura jump down from his chariot when he saw Krishna and Balarama?

Akrūra was overwhelmed by love and reverence; he immediately dismounted and approached Them, cherishing even the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet as supremely sacred.

Practical application of reverence for the Lord’s lotus feet in modern life?

Cultivate humility and devotion by honoring sacred reminders of Bhagavān—regular darśana, mantra-japa, and service—seeing them as “the dust of the Lord’s feet” that purifies the heart.