Shloka 1
Bhadrā and Mitravindā: The Fruits of Namaskāra, Pradakṣiṇā, Hari-nāma, and Śravaṇa of Bhāgavata Kathā
ऽध्यायः श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / या पूर्वसर्गे नलसंज्ञस्य वीन्द्र पुत्री भूत्वा विष्णुपत्नी सकामा / प्रदक्षिणं भ्रमणं वै चकार गुणेन भद्रा भद्रसंज्ञा बभूव
'dhyāyaḥ śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / yā pūrvasarge nalasaṃjñasya vīndra putrī bhūtvā viṣṇupatnī sakāmā / pradakṣiṇaṃ bhramaṇaṃ vai cakāra guṇena bhadrā bhadrasaṃjñā babhūva
Śrī Kṛṣṇa bersabda: Dalam ciptaan terdahulu, dia pernah menjadi puteri kepada seorang raja bernama Nala; kemudian, sebagai isteri Viṣṇu, walaupun masih memiliki keinginan, dia benar-benar melakukan pradakṣiṇa—berpusing mengelilingi dengan penuh hormat. Dengan kebajikannya, dia menjadi membawa berkat dan dikenali dengan nama Bhadrā, Yang Auspisius.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Concept: Even when desire persists (sakāmā), devotional acts like pradakṣiṇā, performed with virtue (guṇa), transmute the practitioner toward auspiciousness and elevated identity.
Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as śuddhi-upāya (means of purification) leading from kāma-mixed devotion to sattva and eventual inner peace; karma-yoga flavor in ritualized reverence.
Application: Adopt simple devotional disciplines (circumambulation, respectful remembrance) consistently; do not wait for perfect purity—begin practice and let it refine motives.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.20.2 (Nala observes Bhadrā’s discipline and asks its fruit)
FAQs
This verse presents pradakṣiṇa as a devotional act that generates puṇya (merit) and transforms one’s spiritual standing, leading to auspiciousness (bhadra) through virtue (guṇa).
It links a concrete ritual action—reverential circumambulation—with an inner result: merit and the attainment of an auspicious state/name, showing how karma performed with devotion shapes one’s condition across cycles of creation.
Perform simple acts of reverence—like pradakṣiṇa in a temple or around a sacred symbol—with sincere intent, cultivating good qualities (guṇa) so that daily actions steadily build merit and character.