Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

ततश्च कृष्णोपवने जलस्थल- प्रसूनगन्धानिलजुष्टदिक्तटे । चचार भृङ्गप्रमदागणावृतो यथा मदच्युद् द्विरद: करेणुभि: ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

tataś ca kṛṣṇopavane jala-sthala prasūna-gandhānila-juṣṭa-dik-taṭe cacāra bhṛṅga-pramadā-gaṇāvṛto yathā mada-cyud dviradaḥ kareṇubhiḥ

Translation

Dann wandelte der Herr Śrī Kṛṣṇa durch ein kleines Wäldchen am Ufer der Yamunā. Lüfte, die den Duft der Blumen von Land und Wasser trugen, erfüllten alle Himmelsrichtungen. Umgeben von Bienenschwärmen und den schönen gopīs erschien der Herr wie ein berauschter Elefant unter seinen Elefantenkühen.

Synonyms

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तदर्थे—‘ततः’ = ‘thereafter/from there’ (adverb)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• kṛṣṇa-upavane: in Krishna’s grove
• kṛṣṇa-upavane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + upavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘कृष्णस्य उपवनम्’

• jala-sthala-prasūna-gandha-anila-juṣṭa-dik-taṭe: on the banks of the quarters scented by flower-fragrant breezes
• jala-sthala-prasūna-gandha-anila-juṣṭa-dik-taṭe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + sthala (प्रातिपदिक) + prasūna (प्रातिपदिक) + gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + anila (प्रातिपदिक) + juṣṭa (कृदन्त, √juṣ सेवने) + dik (प्रातिपदिक) + taṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘जलस्थलप्रसूनगन्धानिलेन जुष्टाः दिशः, तासां तटे’ (on the bank/shore of the directions/quarters perfumed by breezes carrying scents of flowers from water and land)

• cacāra: he wandered
• cacāra: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhṛṅga-pramadā-gaṇa-āvṛtaḥ: surrounded by a group of bee-like maidens
• bhṛṅga-pramadā-gaṇa-āvṛtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + pramadā (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त, √vṛ आवरणे, उपसर्ग ā-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the subject); तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘भृङ्गप्रमदागणेन आवृतः’

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानार्थक (comparative particle: ‘as/like’)

• mada-cyut: oozing rut
• mada-cyut: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mada (प्रातिपदिक) + cyut (कृदन्त, √cyu/√cyut पतने/स्रवणे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of dviradaḥ); तत्पुरुष: ‘मदं च्युतः’ (oozing rut)

• dviradaḥ: an elephant
• dviradaḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvirada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kareṇubhiḥ: with female elephants
• kareṇubhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kareṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

Purport

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, it is implicit here that after playing in the water Lord Kṛṣṇa had His body massaged, and that He then dressed Himself in His favorite clothing before resuming His pastimes with the gopīs.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Gopīs

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna wandering with the gopis in the Vrindavan forest?

In this verse, Śukadeva describes Kṛṣṇa roaming along fragrant forest banks, surrounded by the gopīs, using the poetic image of a powerful elephant moving among his female companions.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī compare Krishna to an elephant in rut in Canto 10 Chapter 33?

The comparison highlights Kṛṣṇa’s majestic, irresistible presence and the gopīs’ close, delighted accompaniment—an intense poetic way to portray the momentum and intimacy of the rāsa-līlā setting.

How can a devotee apply the message of this rāsa-līlā verse in modern life?

A devotee can remember Kṛṣṇa as the supreme attractor and cultivate focused bhakti—hearing and meditating on His līlā with reverence—so the mind is drawn from worldly attraction toward divine love.