upasthāyārkam udyantaḿ
tarpayitvātmanaḥ kalāḥ
devān ṛṣīn pitṝn vṛddhān
viprān abhyarcya cātmavān
dhenūnāḿ rukma-śṛńgīnāḿ
sādhvīnāḿ mauktika-srajām
payasvinīnāḿ gṛṣṭīnāḿ
sa-vatsānāḿ su-vāsasām
dadau rūpya-khurāgrāṇāḿ
kṣaumājina-tilaiḥ saha
alańkṛtebhyo viprebhyo
badvaḿ badvaḿ dine dine
upasthaya -- worshiping; arkam -- the sun; udyantam -- rising; tarpayitva -- propitiating; atmanah -- His own; kalah -- expansions; devan -- the demigods; rishin -- sages; pitrin -- and forefathers; vriddhan -- His elders; vipran -- and brahmanas; abhyarcya -- worshiping; ca -- and; atma-van -- self-possessed; dhenunam -- of cows; rukma -- (covered with) gold; sringinam -- whose horns; sadhvinam -- good-natured; mauktika -- of pearls; srajam -- with necklaces; payasvininam -- giving milk; grishtinam -- having given birth only once; sa-vatsanam -- together with their calves; su-vasasam -- nicely dressed; dadau -- He gave; rupya -- (covered with) silver; khura -- of their hooves; agranam -- the fronts; kshauma -- linen; ajina -- deerskins; tilaih -- and sesame seeds; saha -- together with; alankritebhyah -- who were given ornaments; viprebhyah -- to learned brahmanas; badvam badvam -- (one hundred and seven) groups of 13,084 (thus totaling 1,400,000); dine dine -- each day.
Each day the Lord worshiped the rising sun and propitiated the demigods, sages and forefathers, who are all His expansions. The self-possessed Lord would then carefully worship His elders and the brahmanas. To those well-attired brahmanas He would offer herds of tame and peaceful cows with gold-plated horns and pearl necklaces. These cows were also dressed in fine cloth, and the fronts of their hooves were plated with silver. Providers of abundant milk, they had each given birth only once and were accompanied by their calves. Daily the Lord gave many groups of 13,084 cows to the learned brahmanas, together with linen, deerskins and sesame seeds.
Sridhara Svami quotes several Vedic scriptures to show that in the context of Vedic ritual, a badva here refers to 13,084 cows. The words badvam badvam dine dine indicate that Lord Krishna would give the learned brahmanas many such groups of cows on a daily basis. Sridhara Svami further gives evidence that the usual practice for great saintly kings in previous ages was to give 107 such badva, or groups of 13,084 cows. Thus the total number of cows given in this sacrifice, known as Mancara, is 14 lakhs, or 1,400,000.
The words alankritebhyo viprebhyah indicate that in Lord Krishna's kingdom the brahmanas were given nice clothes and ornaments and were thus well attired.
In Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Prabhupada writes with striking and profound insight on these pastimes of Lord Krishna. The reader is strongly urged to study this book, which contains an invaluable wealth of information and commentary on the pastimes described in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Our humble attempt here can never equal the consummate purity and skill of our great master. Still, as a service offered at his lotus feet, we are simply presenting the original Sanskrit text of the Tenth Canto, word-for-word meanings, a clear translation and essential commentary, for the most part based on the statements of the great spiritual masters in our line.
