Shloka 23

The Brāhmaṇas’ Wives Blessed (Brāhmaṇa-patnī-prasāda) — Ritualism Humbled by Bhakti

Devanagari script

प्राय:श्रुतप्रियतमोदयकर्णपूरै- र्यस्मिन् निमग्नमनसस्तमथाक्षिरन्ध्रै: । अन्त: प्रवेश्य सुचिरं परिरभ्य तापं प्राज्ञं यथाभिमतयो विजहुर्नरेन्द्र ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

prāyaḥ-śruta-priyatamodaya-karṇa-pūrair yasmin nimagna-manasas tam athākṣi-randraiḥ antaḥ praveśya su-ciraṁ parirabhya tāpaṁ prājñaṁ yathābhimatayo vijahur narendra

Translation

O ruler of men, those brāhmaṇa ladies had long heard of Kṛṣṇa, their Beloved; His glories had become the constant ornaments of their ears, and their minds were ever absorbed in Him. Now, through the openings of their eyes, they drew Him into their hearts and embraced Him within for a long time, casting off the pain of separation—just as sages relinquish the anxiety of false ego by embracing their innermost consciousness.

Synonyms

• प्रायः: mostly / generally
• प्रायः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायस् (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• श्रुत-प्रियतम-उदय-कर्णपूरैः: through the ear-ornaments of the rise of (their) most-beloved, heard of (before)
• श्रुत-प्रियतम-उदय-कर्णपूरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत + प्रियतम + उदय + कर्णपूर (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• यस्मिन्: in whom
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Locative, Singular)

• निमग्न-मनसः: whose minds were immersed (in Him)
• निमग्न-मनसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-मज्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: तत्पुरुष (निमग्नं मनः येषाम्); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Plural) — स्त्रियः इत्यर्थे

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/conjunction)

• अक्षि-रन्ध्रैः: through the openings of the eyes
• अक्षि-रन्ध्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि + रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (अक्ष्णोः रन्ध्राणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• अन्तः: within
• अन्तः: Desha (देश/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• प्रवेश्य: having entered
• प्रवेश्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• सु-चिरम्: for a long time
• सु-चिरम्: Kala (काल/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु + चिर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (सु + चिरम्) क्रियाविशेषणम्

• परिरभ्य: having embraced
• परिरभ्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-रभ् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• तापम्: distress / burning pain
• तापम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• प्राज्ञम्: intense / wise (here: profound)
• प्राज्ञम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular) — तापम् इति विशेषणम्

• यथा-अभिमतयः: as they wished
• यथा-अभिमतयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + अभिमत (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (यथा + अभिमत) ‘as desired’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• विजहुः: they gave up / abandoned
• विजहुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हā (धातु: हा)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचनम् (3rd person plural)

• नर-इन्द्र: O king
• नर-इन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचनम्

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• brāhmaṇa-patnīḥ (wives of the brāhmaṇas)
• Mahārāja Parīkṣit

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about relieving the pain of separation (viraha) from Krishna?

This verse says the brāhmaṇas’ wives, absorbed in Kṛṣṇa and nourished by hearing His glories, brought Him into their hearts through loving darśana and inner embrace, thereby giving up the burning distress of separation.

Why are the brāhmaṇas’ wives described as bringing Krishna in through their eyes?

It poetically describes how their loving gaze (darśana), rooted in devotion and prior hearing of His qualities, carried Kṛṣṇa into their inner consciousness—culminating in heart-embrace (antar-hṛdaya-āliṅgana) and spiritual relief.

Practical application: how can a devotee ‘embrace Krishna within the heart’ today?

By regularly hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, taking darśana of Kṛṣṇa’s form (deity/holy image) with attentive love, and meditating on His qualities—letting that remembrance displace anxiety and inner heat with devotional steadiness.