Shloka 18
गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः
शनैः शनैर् जगौ गोपी काचित् तस्य लयानुगम् दत्तावधाना काचिच् च तम् एव मनसास्मरत्
śanaiḥ śanair jagau gopī kācit tasya layānugam dattāvadhānā kācic ca tam eva manasāsmarat
One gopī, little by little, began to sing, following the very cadence of his melody; another, wholly attentive, remembered only him within her mind.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: He draws the minds of the gopīs into ekāgratā (single-pointedness) through melody, turning their inner life into continuous remembrance.
Leela: Dharma-upadesa
Dharma Restored: Establishing smaraṇa and kīrtana as direct modes of communion with Bhagavān.
Concept: Bhakti matures as the mind harmonizes with the Lord’s ‘laya’—outer song becomes inner smaraṇa.
Vedantic Theme: Atman
Application: Use japa/kīrtana with steady rhythm to cultivate uninterrupted remembrance through the day.
Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin-bhāva is implied: the Lord becomes the sole inner object of attention, not an impersonal void but a personal indweller.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
Antaryamin: Yes
FAQs
It shows devotion becoming attuned to the Lord’s own “measure”—the heart begins to move with his divine cadence, turning ordinary song into worshipful absorption.
By contrasting responses: one gopī expresses devotion outwardly through song, while another internalizes it as uninterrupted mental recollection—both centered exclusively on Krishna.
Krishna is portrayed as the supreme object of mind and devotion: the soul’s attention naturally gathers to him alone, indicating his sovereignty over thought, emotion, and spiritual fulfillment.