Shloka 16

Balarāma Visits Vraja: Consoling the Gopīs and Dragging the Yamunā

Devanagari script

सङ्कर्षणस्ता: कृष्णस्य सन्देशैर्हृदयंगमै: । सान्‍त्‍वयामास भगवान् नानानुनयकोविद: ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

saṅkarṣaṇas tāḥ kṛṣṇasya sandeśair hṛdayaṁ-gamaiḥ sāntvayām āsa bhagavān nānānunaya-kovidaḥ

Translation

The Supreme Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, skilled in many ways of conciliation, consoled the gopīs by conveying to them the confidential, heart-touching messages Śrī Kṛṣṇa had sent.

Synonyms

• saṅkarṣaṇaḥ: Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• saṅkarṣaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅkarṣaṇa (सङ्कर्षण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tāḥ: them (those women)
• tāḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• kṛṣṇasya: of Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• sandeśaiḥ: with messages
• sandeśaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandeśa (सन्देश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• hṛdayaṁ-gamaiḥ: heart-touching
• hṛdayaṁ-gamaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdaya (हृदय प्रातिपदिक) + gama (गम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; tatpuruṣa: hṛdayaṃ gacchanti iti (heart-reaching) qualifying sandeśaiḥ

• sāntvayām: comforted/soothed
• sāntvayām: Kriyā (क्रिया/Periphrastic verbal complex)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāntvaya (सान्त्वय प्रातिपदिक; from √sāntv)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund in -ām? here as part of periphrastic perfect construction: sāntvayām āsa = causative/denominative 'comforted'; treated as verbal noun with āsa

• āsa: did/was (aux.)
• āsa: Kriyā (क्रिया/Auxiliary)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/Perfect) auxiliary in periphrastic perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (भगवत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• nānā-anunaya-kovidaḥ: skilled in many kinds of persuasion
• nānā-anunaya-kovidaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (नाना अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + anunaya (अनुनय प्रातिपदिक) + kovida (कोविद प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tatpuruṣa: nānāvidha-anunayeṣu kovidaḥ (skilled in various conciliations) qualifying bhagavān/saṅkarṣaṇaḥ

Purport

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī quotes the following verse from Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa (5.24.20), which describes the messages Lord Balarāma brought from Kṛṣṇa for the gopīs:

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about consoling devotees in separation from Krishna?

This verse shows Balarāma consoling the distressed devotees through Kṛṣṇa’s heart-entering messages—devotional counsel that directly soothes the mind and restores faith.

Why did Balarama speak Krishna’s messages to the distressed women?

Because he is skilled in gentle persuasion (anunaya) and acts as Kṛṣṇa’s well-wisher; by conveying Kṛṣṇa’s words, he pacifies their sorrow and steadies their devotion.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

When someone is grieving or anxious, offer sincere, compassionate words that reach the heart—grounded in truth and care—rather than arguments; steady them with remembrance of the Divine.