Shloka 21
Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā
दृष्टं वनं कुसुमितं राकेशकररञ्जितम् । यमुनानिललीलैजत्तरुपल्लवशोभितम् ॥ २१ ॥ तद् यात मा चिरं गोष्ठं शुश्रूषध्वं पतीन् सती: । क्रन्दन्ति वत्सा बालाश्च तान् पाययत दुह्यत ॥ २२ ॥
dṛṣṭaṁ vanaṁ kusumitaṁ rākeśa-kara-rañjitam yamunānila-līlaijat taru-pallava-śobhitam
Ihr habt diesen blühenden Wald gesehen, vom Licht des Vollmondes verklärt, und geschmückt von Bäumen, deren junge Blätter im sanften Hauch des Yamunā-Windes erzittern. Kehrt nun ohne Zögern ins Hirtenlager zurück. O keusche Frauen, dient euren Ehemännern; stillt die weinenden Kinder und Kälber und melkt, um sie zu sättigen.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura further explains text 22 as follows: “Lord Kṛṣṇa says, ‘Therefore don’t wait a long time before going, but go immediately.’ The word satīḥ means that the gopīs are loyal to their husbands; therefore Kṛṣṇa indicates that the gopīs should serve their husbands so the latter can accomplish their religious duties, and that the gopīs should also be considered worshipable because of their chastity. All this Kṛṣṇa says to the gopīs who are married. And now to the unmarried girls He says, ‘The calves are crying, so see to it that they get milk.’ To the muni-cārī gopīs He says, ‘Your babies are crying, so feed them milk.’”
FAQs
In 10.29.21, Kṛṣṇa points to the blossoming forest illuminated by the full moon and stirred by Yamunā breezes, setting the devotional mood of His Vraja pastime with the gopīs.
He draws their attention to the sacred, beauty-filled setting of Vṛndāvana—an atmosphere that intensifies remembrance and loving devotion, framing the intimate līlā about to unfold.
Regularly contemplate Kṛṣṇa’s līlās with attention and reverence—using sacred descriptions to steady the mind, soften the heart, and turn everyday perception into devotion.