Shloka 21
Chapter 90
प्रिय-राव-पदानि भाषसे मृत-सञ्जीविकयानयाऽनया गिरा ।
करवाणि किमद्य ते प्रियं वद मे वल्गित-कण्ठ कोकिल ॥
priya-rāva-padāni bhāṣase mṛta-sañjīvikayānayā girā / karavāṇi kim adya te priyaṃ vada me valgita-kaṇṭha kokila //
Du sprichst Worte von so lieblichem Klang; mit dieser Stimme, wie ein Elixier, das Tote belebt, würde selbst ein Toter erwachen. Sage mir, o Kokila mit spielerisch trillernder Kehle: Was kann ich heute tun, um dir zu gefallen?
In this verse a queen of Śrī Kṛṣṇa reveals the intensity of conjugal devotion (mādhurya-bhakti). Kṛṣṇa’s speech is described as “mṛta-sañjīvikā”—a life-restoring elixir—because His words awaken the heart from the deathlike condition of separation, sorrow, and material fatigue. The queen addresses Him as a kokila (cuckoo), a classical Sanskrit image for irresistibly sweet, melodious sound. Her question—“What can I do that is dear to You?”—shows the essence of bhakti: the devotee’s happiness is to discover and fulfill the Lord’s pleasure. Although Kṛṣṇa is fully satisfied in Himself, He reciprocates with love, allowing His devotees to serve Him and thus taste ever-fresh intimacy. The verse also highlights how divine sound (Kṛṣṇa’s vāṇī) is not merely aesthetic; it is transformative, reviving devotion and restoring meaning to life.
FAQs
It means Kṛṣṇa’s speech is so spiritually potent and sweet that it revives a person from deathlike despair—especially the pain of separation—awakening life and devotion.
The cuckoo symbolizes irresistibly sweet, melodious sound; the queen uses the image to praise the enchanting music of Kṛṣṇa’s voice.
Cultivate the bhakti attitude of asking, “What is pleasing to the Lord?” and regularly hear/chant Kṛṣṇa’s words, letting divine sound revive the heart from stress and emptiness.