Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 18

The Gopīs Glorify the Song of Kṛṣṇa’s Flute

Veṇu-gīta

Devanagari script

हन्तायमद्रिरबला हरिदासवर्यो यद् रामकृष्णचरणस्परशप्रमोद: । मानं तनोति सहगोगणयोस्तयोर्यत् पानीयसूयवसकन्दरकन्दमूलै: ॥ १८ ॥

Transliteration

hantāyam adrir abalā hari-dāsa-varyo yad rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ mānaṁ tanoti saha-go-gaṇayos tayor yat pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kandamūlaiḥ

Translation

Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.

Synonyms

• hanta: alas!/indeed!
• hanta: Sambodhana/Exclamation (सम्बोधन/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hanta (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (निपात), exclamatory particle

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• adriḥ: mountain
• adriḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• abalāḥ: not weak; strong
• abalāḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular; adjective used predicatively (विशेषण) qualifying adriḥ; a- (नञ्) negation

• hari-dāsa-varyaḥ: the best servant of Hari
• hari-dāsa-varyaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + dāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + varya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: harer dāsaḥ (हरेर्दासः) + varyaḥ (श्रेष्ठः)

• yat: since/for which reason
• yat: Clause-linker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative particle (सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय), introducing reason/clause

• rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ: the joy from the touch of Rama and Krishna’s feet
• rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sparaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + pramoda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular; determinative chain: rāma-kṛṣṇayoḥ caraṇayoḥ sparaśaḥ (रामकृष्णयोः चरणयोः स्पर्शः) → tasya pramodaḥ (तस्य प्रमोदः)

• mānam: honor; esteem
• mānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular

• tanoti: extends; bestows
• tanoti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tan (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition/adverb (उपसर्गवत् अव्यय) meaning ‘together with’; governs instrumental sense

• go-gaṇayoḥ: of the herds of cows
• go-gaṇayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); tatpuruṣa: gāṃ gaṇaḥ (गां गणः) ‘herd of cows’

• tayoḥ: of those two (Rama and Krishna)
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive (षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन)

• yat: because/inasmuch as
• yat: Clause-linker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative particle (सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय), correlating with earlier clause

• pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kandamūlaiḥ: with water, good grass, caves, and edible roots
• pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kandamūlaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pānīya (प्रातिपदिक) + su-yavasa (प्रातिपदिक) + kandara (प्रातिपदिक) + kanda-mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); samāhāra-dvandva (समाहार-द्वन्द्व) listing means: ‘with water, good grass, caves, and roots/tubers’

Purport

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 18.34) .

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Balarama
• Govardhana Hill

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Govardhana Hill’s devotion to Krishna?

In this verse (10.21.18), the gopīs declare Govardhana to be the foremost servant of Hari because he rejoices in the touch of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s feet and serves Them by providing water, grass, sheltering caves, and nourishing roots and fruits.

Why do the gopīs praise Govardhana in Venu Gita (Canto 10 Chapter 21)?

Hearing Kṛṣṇa’s flute and remembering His Vraja pastimes, the gopīs recognize that Govardhana has the intimate fortune of receiving the Lord’s foot-touch and directly rendering practical service to Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, the cows, and the cowherd boys.

How can I apply the lesson of Govardhana’s service in modern life?

Serve the Lord and His devotees in simple, tangible ways—offering hospitality, support, nourishment, shelter, and resources—cultivating the mood that true greatness is to become a “servant of Hari” through steady, heartfelt seva.