Verse 1.14.136

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.14.136:

বেইন্গ্ সেন্ত্ ব্য্ বসুদেব, মহর্ষি গর্গ, থে fঅমিল্য্ প্রিএস্ত্ ওf থে যদুস্, চমে তো থে হোউসে ওf নন্দ মহারাজ ইন্ ব্রজ. অfতের্ বেইন্গ্ প্রোপের্ল্য্ wওর্স্হিপেদ্ ব্য্ নন্দ, ইন্ ওর্দের্ তো fউল্fইল্ হিস্ ওwন্ দেসিরে অন্দ্ থে প্রযের্ ওf নন্দ মহারাজ, হে সেচ্রেত্ল্য্ পের্fওর্মেদ্ থে নমে-গিবিন্গ্ পুরিfইচতোর্য্ রিতে ওf থে ত্wইচে-বোর্ন্ তো বোথ্ বলরাম অন্দ্ কৃষ্ণ. Wহিলে নর্রতিন্গ্ থেইর্ গ্লোরিএস্, হে fইর্স্ত্ এxপ্লৈনেদ্ থে মেঅনিন্গ্ ওf থে নমে বলরাম অন্দ্ থেন্ এxপ্লৈনেদ্ থে মেঅনিন্গ্ ওf থে নমে কৃষ্ণ অস্ fওল্লোwস্: আসন্ বর্ণাস্ ত্রযো হ্য্ অস্য গৃহ্ণতো ‘নুযুগং তনূঃ শুক্লো রক্তস্ তথা পীত ইদানীং কৃষ্ণতাং গতঃ ॥ ১৩৬ ॥

बेइन्ग् सेन्त् ब्य् वसुदेव, महर्षि गर्ग, थे fअमिल्य् प्रिएस्त् ओf थे यदुस्, चमे तो थे होउसे ओf नन्द महाराज इन् व्रज. अfतेर् बेइन्ग् प्रोपेर्ल्य् wओर्स्हिपेद् ब्य् नन्द, इन् ओर्देर् तो fउल्fइल् हिस् ओwन् देसिरे अन्द् थे प्रयेर् ओf नन्द महाराज, हे सेच्रेत्ल्य् पेर्fओर्मेद् थे नमे-गिविन्ग् पुरिfइचतोर्य् रिते ओf थे त्wइचे-बोर्न् तो बोथ् बलराम अन्द् कृष्ण. Wहिले नर्रतिन्ग् थेइर् ग्लोरिएस्, हे fइर्स्त् एxप्लैनेद् थे मेअनिन्ग् ओf थे नमे बलराम अन्द् थेन् एxप्लैनेद् थे मेअनिन्ग् ओf थे नमे कृष्ण अस् fओल्लोwस्: आसन् वर्णास् त्रयो ह्य् अस्य गृह्णतो ‘नुयुगं तनूः शुक्लो रक्तस् तथा पीत इदानीं कृष्णतां गतः ॥ १३६ ॥

Being sent by Vasudeva, Maharṣi Garga, the family priest of the Yadus, came to the house of Nanda Mahārāja in Vraja. After being properly worshiped by Nanda, in order to fulfil his own desire and the prayer of Nanda Mahārāja, he secretly performed the name-giving purificatory rite of the twice-born to both Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa. While narrating Their glories, he first explained the meaning of the name Balarāma and then explained the meaning of the name Kṛṣṇa as follows: āsan varṇās trayo hy asya gṛhṇato ‘nuyugaṃ tanūḥ śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṃ kṛṣṇatāṃ gataḥ || 136 ||

Being sent by Vasudeva, Maharsi Garga, the family priest of the Yadus, came to the house of Nanda Maharaja in Vraja. After being properly worshiped by Nanda, in order to fulfil his own desire and the prayer of Nanda Maharaja, he secretly performed the name-giving purificatory rite of the twice-born to both Balarama and Krsna. While narrating Their glories, he first explained the meaning of the name Balarama and then explained the meaning of the name Krsna as follows: asan varnas trayo hy asya grhnato ‘nuyugam tanuh suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah (136)

English translation:

(136) “‘Your son Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, He assumed three different colors—white, red and yellow—and now He has appeared in a blackish color. [In another Dvāpara- yuga, He appeared (as Lord Rāmacandra) in the color of śuka, a parrot.] All such incarnations have now assembled in Kṛṣṇa.’

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

In this way, with a desire to gradually describe the birth of the Supreme Lord, or with a desire to expand the glories of the Supreme Lord according to the sucī-kaṭāha-nyāya (or according to the principal that one should first perform the easier activity and later perform the harder one) Garga Muni first described the meaning of the name Balarāma and then,

after concealing the kṛṣir-bhū-vācakaḥ śabdaḥ 41 meaning of the name of Kṛṣṇa, he awards in this verse the name Kṛṣṇa because He has a beautiful sweet blackish complexion. This (your) son previously appeared in the three different ages of Satya, Tretā, and Dvāpara in three different colors, beginning with white. The word hi is used to express certainty or well-known. He has appeared at the beginning of Kali-yuga just like He had formerly appeared in blackish form.

Although from the philosophical point of view this sac-cid-ānanda form and the owner of the form is nondifferent and although this blackish form of Kṛṣṇa is eternal, Garga Muni has spoken in this way in order to conceal this fact. Otherwise there will be a possibility that people will consider Him the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, who also possesses an eternal blackish form.

Otherwise this verse can be interpreted in the following way:

“‘This (your) son repeatedly accepts forms of three colors beginning with white, but now He has appeared as your son with an enchanting blackish

form.’ Such statements were spoken simply for the pleasure of Śrī Nanda Mahārāja. In this way because He is the source of the names and forms of all His incarnations, He has manifested as Kṛṣṇa. This meaning can also be seen.” (Śrī Sanātana Prabhu’s Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī)

“The Supreme Lord, who has now appeared in the form of this boy, appears in every yuga in one of three colors, such as white or red. But now on account of accepting a body (or on account of incarnating) as your son, He is still nondifferent from Śrī Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Nārāyaṇa; in other words, by His form and qualities this boy is equal to Them. Also in the following 19th verse [Bhāg. 10.8.19] it will be concluded: “He is equal to Nārāyaṇa in qualities.” In this way His previous behavior is described.

Therefore on account of His (this sweet form’s) eternal supreme attractiveness, the name Kṛṣṇa should be understand as His principle name. This is the purport.” (Krama-sandarbha)

“In this way, with a desire to describe the birth of the Supreme Lord, he [Garga] first revealed the names of Śrī Baladeva and thereafter, in this verse, he reveals the names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Supreme Lord in the form of this boy, who in every yuga repeatedly accepts bodies of three colors such as white, has now taken an enchanting blackish form as your son.

The explanation is that due to the independent use of the phrase ‘accepting a body,’ this action is being described as similar to a mystic feat. In that case, by His accepting the white and other colored forms, the nature of Śrī Nārāyaṇa is revealed, and He is ultimately worshiped in those forms. By worshiping one of the former incarnations, who assume various colors such as white and who are expansions of Nārāyaṇa, one achieves similar qualities and color; but now by worshiping this blackish boy, who is famous as Nārāyaṇa, one achieves color and qualities similar to His. In the following 19th verse it will be explained that ‘this boy is equal to Nārāyaṇa in qualities.’ In this way His previous activities were revealed and the great devotee Śrī Nanda was also pleased.

“Due to being situated on the platform of supreme attractiveness, it should be understood that the name ‘Kṛṣṇa’ is His principle name.

Therefore (not only in form) in name also He is Kṛṣṇa. This meaning is also applicable. The Supreme Lord, who takes different bodies in different yugas, manifests in three different colors. Among them, the white incarnations, the red incarnations, the yellow incarnations, and other incarnations that have different symptoms and colors (in other words, those incarnations who appear in other Dvāpara-yugas and resemble the color of a parrot) all of Them have now at the time of His appearance merged into the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the blackish form of this boy. Because He has personally appeared after gathering together all of His expansions, He is the original Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. In other words, because He has transformed all of His expansions into a blackish form, and because He has attracted everyone, His primary name is Kṛṣṇa. Since within the meaning of the name Kṛṣṇa all greatest happiness and all objects are included, the above-mentioned explanations are appropriate. Therefore such a great name is natural for Him. Just as all Vedic knowledge is included within the praṇava oṃkāra, all names of Viṣṇu are included within the name of Kṛṣṇa and all forms of Viṣṇu are included within the form of Kṛṣṇa. This is reasonable because the names of all viṣṇu-tattvas are adjectives to the name Kṛṣṇa, which is a noun. And in the verse of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa that states: ‘The sweetest of the sweet and the most auspicious of all auspicious things,’ the name ‘Kṛṣṇa’ is mentioned at the very end. And elsewhere it is stated: ‘O killer of the enemies, among all the names of Viṣṇu, this name of Mine, Kṛṣṇa, is the principle. Therefore the first syllable of the name Kṛṣṇa is also celebrated as the mahā-mantra.’” (Śrī Jīva Prabhu’s Laghu-toṣaṇī)