Verse 10.34

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 10.34:

मृत्युः सर्व-हरश् चाहम् उद्भवश् च भविष्यताम् ।
कीर्तिः श्रीर् वाक् च नारीणां स्मृतिर् मेधा धृतिः क्षमा ॥ ३४ ॥

mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham udbhavaś ca bhaviṣyatām |
kīrtiḥ śrīr vāk ca nārīṇāṃ smṛtir medhā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā || 34 ||

mṛtyuḥ–death; sarva-haraḥ–all-devouring; ca–and; aham–I; udbhavaḥ–birth;ca–and; bhaviṣyatām–of the six progressive transformations; kīrtiḥ–fame; śrīḥ–beauty; vāk–refined speech; ca–and; nārīṇām–among women; smṛtiḥ–memory; medhā–intelligence; dhṛtiḥ–fortitude; kṣamā–forgiveness.

I am all-devouring death, and of the six progressive transfor-mations experienced by all living beings, I am birth. Among women I am fame, beauty, fine speech, memory, intelligence, forbearance and forgiveness.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“For those who are dying at every moment, I am sarva-haraḥ, death, which takes away all memories.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.22.39) states, “mṛtyur atyanta-vismṛtiḥ–complete forgetfulness is death.” “The word bhaviṣyatām means that of the future transformations of the living entities, I am birth, the first. Of women I am the three qualities of fame (kīrtiḥ), beauty (śrī) and cultured speech (vāk); as well as the four qualities of memory (smṛtiḥ), intelligence (medhā), forbearance (dhṛtiḥ) and forgiveness (kṣamā).” The word ca indicates that the wives of Dharma such as Mūrtti, are also Him.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Here Śrī Bhagavān says that among women, He is kīrtiḥ (fame), śrī (beauty or fortune), vāk (fine speech), smṛtiḥ (memory), medhā (intelligence), dhṛtiḥ (fortitude or patience) and kṣamā (forgiveness). This can be understood in two ways:

(1) “The qualities that are found in women, such as fame, beauty, sweet speech, memory, sharp intelligence, fortitude and forgiveness, are indeed Me.” The qualities of fame, beauty, sweet speech, memory, subtle thinking and forgiveness that are found in Sītā-devī, Umā, Rukmiṇī, Draupadī and specifically in the vraja-gopīs, are all opulences of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

(2) Among the twenty-four daughters of Prajāpati Dakṣa, Kīrti, Medhā, Dhṛti, Smṛti and Kṣamā are ideal women in all respects. Kīrti, Medhā and Dhṛti were married to Dharma, Smṛti was married to Aṅgirā and Kṣamā to the great sage Pulaha. Śrī, the daughter of the great sage Bhṛgu, was born from the womb of Khyāti, the daughter of Dakṣa. Śrī Viṣṇu accepted her as His wife. Vāk is the daughter of Brahmā. According to their respective names, these seven women are the presiding deities of the seven qualities mentioned above. They have been included among the most blessed women; therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that they are His opulences.