Shloka 27
Uddhava’s Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa and the Theology of the Lord’s Disappearance
परीतो वत्सपैर्वत्सांश्चारयन् व्यहरद्विभु: । यमुनोपवने कूजद्द्विजसंकुलिताङ्घ्रिपे ॥ २७ ॥
parīto vatsapair vatsāṁś cārayan vyaharad vibhuḥ yamunopavane kūjad- dvija-saṅkulitāṅghripe
Surrounded by cowherd boys and calves, the all-powerful Lord herded them and wandered along the Yamunā’s bank, through groves thick with trees and alive with the chirping of birds.
Nanda Mahārāja was a landholder for King Kaṁsa, but because by caste he was a vaiśya, a member of the mercantile and agricultural community, he maintained thousands of cows. It is the duty of the vaiśyas to give protection to the cows, just as the kṣatriyas are to give protection to the human beings. Because the Lord was a child, He was put in charge of the calves with His cowherd boyfriends. These cowherd boys were great ṛṣis and yogīs in their previous births, and after many such pious births, they gained the association of the Lord and could play with Him on equal terms. Such cowherd boys never cared to know who Kṛṣṇa was, but they played with Him as a most intimate and lovable friend. They were so fond of the Lord that at night they would only think of the next morning when they would be able to meet the Lord and go together to the forests for cowherding.
FAQs
This verse depicts Kṛṣṇa, the supreme Lord (vibhuḥ), joyfully herding the calves in the Yamunā grove, emphasizing His intimate, sweet Vraja-līlā and the beauty of His natural, loving exchanges.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, describing Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities in Vṛndāvana as part of the sacred narration of the Lord’s pastimes.
It teaches that devotion grows through simplicity, remembrance, and seeing the divine hand in everyday duties—turning ordinary work into loving service and mindful appreciation of God’s presence.