Shloka 86
कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः
सापह्नवं मम मनो यद् एतत् त्वयि जायते देवक्याश् चात्मजप्रीत्या तद् अत्यन्तविडम्बना
sāpahnavaṃ mama mano yad etat tvayi jāyate devakyāś cātmajaprītyā tad atyantaviḍambanā
That my mind should feel this tender, possessive love toward You—as though You were merely my own son—arising from Devakī’s motherly affection: this is indeed the deepest irony.
Devaki (addressing Sri Krishna)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: compassionate
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: He veils His supremacy to elicit intimate human love (vātsalya) in His devotees, especially Devakī.
Leela: Bala
Dharma Restored: Sanctifying human affection as a vehicle of bhakti toward the Supreme
Concept: Bhagavān’s self-veiling (sāpahnava) enables devotees to love Him with possessive tenderness, even while He remains the Supreme Lord.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Allow devotion to become personal and heartfelt while maintaining reverence—hold intimacy and transcendence together.
Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme, though unsurpassed, becomes accessible through grace by adopting relational modes that are real and salvific for the devotee.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Vatsalya
FAQs
This verse highlights how the Lord’s self-concealment allows pure, intimate bhakti—Devakī loves Krishna as her child even while He is the Supreme Reality.
By stating that the mind’s affection arises “with concealment,” the verse indicates that awareness of Krishna’s absolute divinity is veiled so human relationships and devotion can fully manifest.
Krishna is implied as Bhagavan—supreme and sovereign—yet He permits devotees to relate to Him through loving roles (like motherhood), showing bhakti as a direct mode of communion with the Supreme.