Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.84.15

ciraḿ vimṛśya munaya

īśvarasyeśitavyatām

jana-sańgraha ity ūcuḥ

smayantas taḿ jagad-gurum

SYNONYMS

ciram — for some time; vimṛśya — thinking; munayaḥ — the sages; īśvarasya — of the supreme controller; īśitavyatām — the status of being controlled; jana-sańgrahaḥ — the enlightenment of the people in general; iti — thus (concluding); ūcuḥ — they said; smayantaḥ — smiling; tam — to Him; jagat — of the universe; gurum — the spiritual master.

TRANSLATION

For some time the sages pondered the Supreme Lord's behavior, which resembled that of a subordinate living being. They concluded that He was acting this way to instruct the people in general. Thus they smiled and spoke to Him, the spiritual master of the universe.

PURPORT

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains the word īśitavyatā as referring to one's not being a controller, or in other words, to being under the law of karma, obliged to work and experience the results of one's work. While addressing the sages, Lord Kṛṣṇa accepted the role of a subordinate living being to emphasize the importance of hearing and serving saintly Vaiṣṇavas. The Personality of Godhead is also the supreme teacher of spiritual surrender.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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