Shloka 22
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 Wald von Vṛndāvana gesehen—voller Blüten und im Glanz des Vollmondes strahlend. Ihr habt die Schönheit der Bäume gesehen, deren Blätter im sanften Wind von der Yamunā erzittern. Kehrt nun ohne Zögern ins Dorf der Kuhhirten zurück; säumt nicht. O keusche Frauen, dient euren Gatten und gebt den weinenden Kindern und Kälbern Milch; melkt auch die Kühe.
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
This verse portrays Vṛndāvana as blossoming and moonlit, with Yamunā breezes playfully moving the trees—nature itself becomes an ornament to Kṛṣṇa’s līlā.
To set the devotional and aesthetic mood (rasa) of the rāsa narrative, showing how the environment of Vraja mirrors and supports the divine pastime.
Cultivate remembrance of God through mindful observation—seeing beauty, harmony, and movement in nature as prompts for gratitude and devotion.