ŚB 10.84.15
Devanagari
चिरं विमृश्य मुनय ईश्वरस्येशितव्यताम् ।
जनसङ्ग्रह इत्यूचु: स्मयन्तस्तं जगद्गुरुम् ॥ १५ ॥
जनसङ्ग्रह इत्यूचु: स्मयन्तस्तं जगद्गुरुम् ॥ १५ ॥
Verse text
ciraṁ vimṛśya munaya
īśvarasyeśitavyatām
jana-saṅgraha ity ūcuḥ
smayantas taṁ jagad-gurum
īśvarasyeśitavyatām
jana-saṅgraha ity ūcuḥ
smayantas taṁ jagad-gurum
Synonyms
ciram — for some time; vimṛśya — thinking; munayaḥ — the sages; īśvarasya — of the supreme controller; īśitavyatām — the status of being controlled; jana-saṅgrahaḥ — 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.