Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 6

Aghāsura-vadha: The Killing and Deliverance of Aghāsura

Devanagari script

यदि दूरं गत: कृष्णो वनशोभेक्षणाय तम् । अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमिति संस्पृश्य रेमिरे ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration

yadi dūraṁ gataḥ kṛṣṇo vana-śobhekṣaṇāya tam ahaṁ pūrvam ahaṁ pūrvam iti saṁspṛśya remire

Translation

Sometimes Kṛṣṇa would go to a somewhat distant place to see the beauty of the forest. Then all the other boys would run to accompany Him, each one saying, “I shall be the first to run and touch Kṛṣṇa! I shall touch Kṛṣṇa first!” In this way they enjoyed life by repeatedly touching Kṛṣṇa.

Synonyms

• यदि: if/when
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• दूरम्: far
• दूरम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु; √गम्-क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘gone’

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• वनशोभेक्षणाय: for beholding the forest’s beauty
• वनशोभेक्षणाय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन+शोभा+ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular ‘for the seeing of the forest’s beauty’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun ‘him’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 1st person pronoun

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; repeated for emphasis

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• संस्पृश्य: having touched
• संस्पृश्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having touched’

• रेमिरे: they enjoyed/played
• रेमिरे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they sported/enjoyed’

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Vraja-gopāḥ (cowherd boys)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the cowherd boys’ love for Krishna?

This verse shows their spontaneous sakhya-prema: even a brief separation makes them excited and playful, fully absorbed in being close to Kṛṣṇa and to one another in His līlā.

Why did the cowherd boys say “I’m first, I’m first” when Krishna went a little दूरं?

As Kṛṣṇa wandered slightly away to admire the forest, the boys, in carefree friendship, competed playfully for closeness and attention—an expression of intimate Vraja camaraderie rather than ego.

Practical application of sakhya-bhakti in modern life?

Serve and remember God with warmth and simplicity—cultivate friendly closeness through regular nāma-japa, sharing kṛṣṇa-kathā with friends, and keeping devotion joyful rather than merely formal.