Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 22
Brahmā’s Bewilderment and Kṛṣṇa Becoming the Calves and Cowherd Boys
Brahma-vimohana-līlā
तन्मातरो वेणुरवत्वरोत्थिता उत्थाप्य दोर्भि: परिरभ्य निर्भरम् । स्नेहस्नुतस्तन्यपय:सुधासवं मत्वा परं ब्रह्म सुतानपाययन् ॥ २२ ॥
tan-mātaro veṇu-rava-tvarotthitā utthāpya dorbhiḥ parirabhya nirbharam sneha-snuta-stanya-payaḥ-sudhāsavaṁ matvā paraṁ brahma sutān apāyayan
The mothers of the boys, upon hearing the sounds of the flutes and bugles being played by their sons, immediately rose from their household tasks, lifted their boys onto their laps, embraced them with both arms and began to feed them with their breast milk, which flowed forth because of extreme love specifically for Kṛṣṇa. Actually Kṛṣṇa is everything, but at that time, expressing extreme love and affection, they took special pleasure in feeding Kṛṣṇa, the Parabrahman, and Kṛṣṇa drank the milk from His respective mothers as if it were a nectarean beverage.
Although all the elderly gopīs knew that Kṛṣṇa was the son of mother Yaśodā, they still desired, “If Kṛṣṇa had become my son, I would also have taken care of Him like mother Yaśodā.” This was their inner ambition. Now, in order to please them, Kṛṣṇa personally took the role of their sons and fulfilled their desire. They enhanced their special love for Kṛṣṇa by embracing Him and feeding Him, and Kṛṣṇa tasted their breast milk to be just like a nectarean beverage. While thus bewildering Brahmā, He enjoyed the special transcendental pleasure created by yoga-māyā between all the other mothers and Himself.
FAQs
This verse shows that in Vraja, the mothers’ love is so pure that the milk they offer is understood as nectarean and identical with the Supreme Brahman—indicating Kṛṣṇa as the Absolute Truth experienced through devotion.
The flute-sound is Kṛṣṇa’s personal call; it awakens irresistible affection (vatsalya). Hearing it, they hurried to gather and nurse their children, overwhelmed by love.
Respond quickly to reminders of Kṛṣṇa (name, kīrtana, scripture) with heartfelt service; the verse emphasizes that loving devotion transforms ordinary acts into direct experience of the Divine.