Shloka 23

Rāsa-līlā Begins; Divine Multiplication; Moral Doubt and Its Resolution

Devanagari script

सोऽम्भस्यलं युवतिभि: परिषिच्यमान: प्रेम्णेक्षित: प्रहसतीभिरितस्ततोऽङ्ग । वैमानिकै: कुसुमवर्षिभिरीड्यमानो रेमे स्वयं स्वरतिरत्र गजेन्द्रलील: ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

so ’mbhasy alaṁ yuvatibhiḥ pariṣicyamānaḥ premṇekṣitaḥ prahasatībhir itas tato ’ṅga vaimānikaiḥ kusuma-varṣibhir īdyamāno reme svayaṁ sva-ratir atra gajendra-līlaḥ

Translation

يا أيها الملك، في الماء كان كريشنا يُرشّ من كل جانبٍ بماء الغوبيات الضاحكات وهنّ ينظرن إليه بنظرات المحبة. وكانت الآلهة في مركباتها السماوية تعبده بمطرٍ من الزهور؛ فالربُّ المكتفي بذاته استمتع هناك بلهوٍ كملك الفيلة.

Synonyms

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अम्भसि: in the water
• अम्भसि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• अलम्: fully/abundantly
• अलम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/adverb) meaning ‘enough/fully’; here intensifier ‘abundantly’

• युवतिभिः: by the young women
• युवतिभिः: Karta (कर्ता; agents in passive participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• परिषिच्यमानः: being sprinkled
• परिषिच्यमानः: Karta (कर्ता; subject described as undergoing action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + सिच् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कर्तरि? actually कर्मणि वर्तमान कृदन्त (present passive participle) with यमान (शानच्/यमान): ‘being sprinkled’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; upasarga: परि-

• प्रेम्णा: with love
• प्रेम्णा: Karaṇa (करण; with love)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• ईक्षितः: looked upon
• ईक्षितः: Karta (कर्ता; predicate participle of सः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘looked at’

• प्रहसतीभिः: by (those) laughing
• प्रहसतीभिः: Karaṇa/Sahakāraka (करण/सह; by the laughing ones)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + हस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘laughing/smiling’; upasarga: प्र-

• इतस्: from here/this way
• इतस्: Deśa-avyaya (देश; directional adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘from here/this way’

• ततः: from there/that way
• ततः: Deśa-avyaya (देश; directional adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘from there/then’

• अङ्ग: O dear (friend)
• अङ्ग: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अङ्ग (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• वैमानिकैः: by the celestials
• वैमानिकैः: Karta (कर्ता; agents in passive participle ईड्यमानः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैमानिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘celestial beings (from vimānas)’

• कुसुम-वर्षिभिः: by those who shower flowers
• कुसुम-वर्षिभिः: Karta (कर्ता; agents in passive participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘kusuṃmāṇi varṣanti’ (flower-showerers); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ईड्यमानः: being praised
• ईड्यमानः: Karta (कर्ता; predicate participle of सः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईड् (धातु; √ईड् ‘to praise’)
• Form: वर्तमान कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being praised’

• रेमे: he sported/enjoyed
• रेमे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘by himself/alone’

• स्व-रतिः: whose delight is in himself
• स्व-रतिः: Karta (कर्ता; predicative complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘स्वा रतिः’ (his own delight); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate noun of सः

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deśa-avyaya (देश; locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘here/in this situation’

• गजेन्द्र-लीलः: (he) whose play is like that of a lordly elephant
• गजेन्द्र-लीलः: Karta (कर्ता; apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘गजेन्द्र इव लीलः’/‘gajendra-līlā’ as epithet; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Gopīs
• Devas (Vaimānikas)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna being “self-satisfied” (sva-ratiḥ) during the rāsa-līlā?

This verse describes Kṛṣṇa as sva-ratiḥ—fully satisfied in Himself—showing that His enjoyment is not born of need or lack, but is the Lord’s divine, transcendental līlā that reciprocates with the gopīs’ pure love.

Why do the devas shower flowers during Krishna’s rāsa-līlā in Canto 10?

The verse states that celestial beings in vimānas praise Kṛṣṇa and shower flowers, indicating divine approval and glorification of the Lord’s supreme pastime, which even the gods revere.

How can a devotee apply the mood of this shloka in modern life?

Cultivate loving remembrance of Kṛṣṇa’s līlā with reverence and purity, and practice devotion without selfish demand—aiming for love that seeks only to please the Lord, not personal gratification.