Shloka 37
तदा वां परितुष्टोऽहममुना वपुषानघे । तपसा श्रद्धया नित्यं भक्त्या च हृदि भावित: ॥ ३७ ॥ प्रादुरासं वरदराड् युवयो: कामदित्सया । व्रियतां वर इत्युक्ते मादृशो वां वृत: सुत: ॥ ३८ ॥
tadā vāṁ parituṣṭo ’ham amunā vapuṣānaghe tapasā śraddhayā nityaṁ bhaktyā ca hṛdi bhāvitaḥ
O sinless Devakī, after twelve thousand celestial years in which you constantly contemplated Me within your heart with faith, austerity, and bhakti, I became greatly pleased with you.
Twelve thousand years on the celestial planets is not a very long time for those who live in the upper planetary system, although it may be very long for those who live on this planet. Sutapā was the son of Brahmā, and as we have already understood from Bhagavad-gītā (8.17) , one day of Brahmā equals many millions of years according to our calculation ( sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ ). We should be careful to understand that to get Kṛṣṇa as one’s son, one must undergo such great austerities. If we want to get the Supreme Personality of Godhead to become one of us in this material world, this requires great penance, but if we want to go back to Kṛṣṇa ( tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna ), we need only understand Him and love Him. Through love only, we can very easily go back home, back to Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore declared, premā pum-artho mahān: love of Godhead is the highest achievement for anyone.
FAQs
This verse says Bhagavan is pleased when devotees constantly hold Him in the heart with bhakti, supported by tapasya (austerity) and śraddhā (faith), leading to His personal appearance (darśana).
He reassures them that His manifestation is the direct fruit of their long-standing devotion, faith, and austerities, and He is responding to their heartfelt remembrance.
Keep daily remembrance of Krishna through japa, prayer, and study; maintain faith through satsanga; and practice simple austerities like regulated habits and self-control to deepen devotion.