Shloka 24
Chapter 90
हंस स्वागतम् आस्यतां पिब पयो ब्रूहि अङ्ग शौरेः कथां
दूतं त्वां नु विदाम कच्चिद् अजितः स्वस्त्य् आस्त उक्तं पुरा ।
हंस स्वागतम् आस्यतां पिब पयो ब्रूहि अङ्ग शौरेः कथां
दूतं त्वां नु विदाम कच्चिद् अजितः स्वस्त्य् आस्त उक्तं पुरा ।
किं वा नश् चल-सौहृदः स्मरति तं कस्माद् भजामो वयं
क्षौद्रालापय काम-दं श्रियम् ऋते सैवैक-निष्ठा स्त्रियाम् ॥
haṃsa svāgatam āsyatāṃ piba payo brūhy aṅga śaureḥ kathāṃ $ dūtaṃ tvāṃ nu vidāma kaccid ajitaḥ svasty āsta uktaṃ purā & haṃsa svāgatam āsyatāṃ piba payo brūhy aṅga śaureḥ kathāṃ $ dūtaṃ tvāṃ nu vidāma kaccid ajitaḥ svasty āsta uktaṃ purā & kiṃ vā naś cala-sauhṛdaḥ smarati taṃ kasmād bhajāmo vayaṃ % kṣaudrālāpaya kāma-daṃ śriyam ṛte saivaika-niṣṭhā striyām //
O Schwan, willkommen! Setz dich, trink Milch und erzähle uns, Lieber, Neuigkeiten von Śauri (Śrī Kṛṣṇa). Wir erkennen dich als seinen Boten — ist der unbesiegbare Herr Ajita wohlauf, wie einst gesagt wurde? Doch warum sollte Er, dessen Freundschaft wechselhaft ist, an uns denken? Und warum sollten wir Ihn weiter verehren? O Süßzüngiger, sprich! Außer Ihm — dem Spender von Wünschen und Glück — gibt es für eine Frau keinen anderen einzigen Zufluchtsort.
This verse continues the queens’ intimate speech, in which they address a “haṃsa” (swan). In Sanskrit poetry, the swan can indicate a messenger-bird, a symbol of purity, and also a refined carrier of feelings between separated lovers. The queens project their longing onto this messenger and ask for kathā—narrations of Kṛṣṇa—because hearing about the Lord is itself a direct form of association in bhakti. Their words carry two simultaneous moods: (1) hospitality and eagerness to hear (āsya-tāṃ, piba payaḥ, brūhi kathām), and (2) wounded humility that sounds like doubt—“Would He even remember us?” The Bhāgavatam often portrays such apparent doubt not as lack of faith, but as the emotional intensity of prema. In love, even a moment’s delay feels like abandonment. The line “saivaika-niṣṭhā striyām” emphasizes exclusive devotion: for the queens, Kṛṣṇa is not one desirable object among many; He is the sole refuge and meaning of life. The phrase “kāma-dam śriyam ṛte” also teaches that true prosperity (śrī) and fulfillment (kāma in the sense of rightful desire) ultimately rest in the Lord’s grace—not merely in worldly arrangements. Thus, the verse becomes a theology of hearing (śravaṇa), remembrance (smaraṇa), and exclusive surrender (ananya-bhakti) expressed through the refined language of divine love.
FAQs
The swan functions as a poetic messenger and symbol of purity; addressing it lets the queens express separation while seeking Kṛṣṇa-kathā as a form of association.
Śauri is a name of Kṛṣṇa indicating His connection to the Yadu dynasty through Śūra; the queens use it affectionately while asking for news of Him.
When one feels distance from God, hearing and speaking His kathā becomes a powerful practice, and single-pointed dependence on the Lord steadies the heart.