Shloka 49
Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa (Brahmā-stuti) and the Restoration of Vraja’s Lunch Pastime
श्रीराजोवाच ब्रह्मन् परोद्भवे कृष्णे इयान् प्रेमा कथं भवेत् । योऽभूतपूर्वस्तोकेषु स्वोद्भवेष्वपि कथ्यताम् ॥ ४९ ॥
śrī-rājovāca brahman parodbhave kṛṣṇe iyān premā kathaṁ bhavet yo ’bhūta-pūrvas tokeṣu svodbhaveṣv api kathyatām
King Parīkṣit said: “O brāhmaṇa, how did the gopīs develop for Kṛṣṇa—who was another’s son—such unprecedented, pure love, a love they never felt even for their own children? Please explain this.”
FAQs
This verse shows Parīkṣit’s inquiry that such extraordinary prema can manifest by Kṛṣṇa’s divine potency—bhakti is not merely biological affection but awakened devotion to the Supreme Source.
In the context of Brahmā’s bewilderment and Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, Parīkṣit wonders how unprecedented devotion arose even in calves and their own offspring, and asks Śukadeva to explain the spiritual cause behind it.
It encourages cultivating devotion beyond ordinary attachment—through hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, sincere practice of bhakti, and seeing relationships as opportunities to deepen love for God rather than mere possessiveness.