Canto 10: The Summum BonumChapter 27: Lord Indra and Mother Surabhi Offer Prayers

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.27.2

vivikta upasańgamya

vrīḍītaḥ kṛta-helanaḥ

pasparśa pādayor enaḿ

kirīṭenārka-varcasā

SYNONYMS

viviktein a solitary place; upasańgamya — approaching; vrīḍitaḥ — ashamed; kṛta-helanaḥ — having committed offense; pasparśahe touched; pādayoḥ — upon His feet; enam — Him; kirīṭena — with his helmet; arka — like the sun; varcasā — the effulgence of which.

TRANSLATION

Indra was very ashamed of having offended the Lord. Approaching Him in a solitary place, Indra fell down and lay his helmet, whose effulgence was as brilliant as the sun, upon the Lord's lotus feet.

PURPORT

The specific "solitary place" where Indra approached Śrī Kṛṣṇa is mentioned by the sage Śrī Vaiśampāyana in the Hari-vaḿśa (Viṣṇu-parva 19.3): sa dadarśopaviṣṭaḿ vai govardhana-śilā-tale. "He saw Him [Kṛṣṇa] sitting at the base of Govardhana Hill."

From the commentaries of the ācāryas we understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted to provide a solitary meeting for Indra so that he would not be further humiliated. Indra came to surrender and beg forgiveness, and the Lord allowed him to do so privately.

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