Shloka 25
गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः
कृष्णो ऽहम् एतत् ललितं व्रजाम्य् आलोक्यतां गतिः अन्या ब्रवीति कृष्णस्य मम गीतिर् निशम्यताम्
kṛṣṇo 'ham etat lalitaṃ vrajāmy ālokyatāṃ gatiḥ anyā bravīti kṛṣṇasya mama gītir niśamyatām
One said, “I am Krishna. Behold how I move in this graceful, playful way—my gait is unlike any other. Let people speak of Krishna as they will; now listen to my song.”
Sri Krishna (speaking in a playful, self-referential tone within the Vraja narrative as recounted by Sage Parashara)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: revealing
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: He draws the gopīs into intensified loving identification and playful imitation, deepening their absorption in Him.
Leela: Bala
Dharma Restored: Sanctions līlā as a sacred mode of devotion where the heart imitates and remembers the Lord.
Concept: Loving imitation and singing about the Lord can function as concentrated remembrance, turning play into worship.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Use kīrtana and līlā-smaraṇa creatively—song, storytelling, embodied reverence—while keeping humility and devotion central.
Vishishtadvaita: Embodied expression (body-mind as modes of the self) can be offered in devotion; bhakti integrates aesthetics and spirituality without denying the world.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
FAQs
This verse frames Krishna’s actions—his gait and song—as purposeful lila: a divine self-manifestation that draws beings into devotion through beauty, intimacy, and wonder.
Even while narrating playful village scenes, the dialogue preserves Krishna’s self-affirmation (“I am Krishna”) and his exceptional nature (“my gait is unlike any other”), blending human accessibility with supreme identity.
Krishna’s self-revelation and the call to “listen to my song” highlights bhakti as a direct means to the Supreme—God’s sovereignty expressed not only in cosmic acts but also in tender, captivating presence.