Shloka 39

Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā

Devanagari script

वीक्ष्यालकावृतमुखं तव कुण्डलश्री- गण्डस्थलाधरसुधं हसितावलोकम् । दत्ताभयं च भुजदण्डयुगं विलोक्य वक्ष: श्रियैकरमणं च भवाम दास्य: ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

vīkṣyālakāvṛta-mukhaṁ tava kuṇdala-śrī gaṇḍa-sthalādhara-sudhaṁ hasitāvalokam dattābhayaṁ ca bhuja-daṇḍa-yugaṁ vilokya vakṣaḥ śriyaika-ramaṇaṁ ca bhavāma dāsyaḥ

Translation

En voyant Ton visage ceint de boucles, Tes joues embellies par l’éclat des boucles d’oreilles, Tes lèvres pleines de nectar et Ton regard souriant; en voyant aussi Tes deux bras puissants qui ôtent la peur, et Ta poitrine, unique délice de Lakṣmī, nous devons devenir Tes servantes.

Synonyms

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) — ‘having seen’

• alaka-āvṛta-mukham: your face covered by curls
• alaka-āvṛta-mukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alaka (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त; √vṛ) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘face covered with curls’)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• kuṇḍala-śrī: the splendor of (your) earrings
• kuṇḍala-śrī: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा/द्वितीया? (contextual as qualifier), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘splendor of earrings’)

• gaṇḍa-sthala-adhara-sudham: the nectar of your lips (and) cheeks
• gaṇḍa-sthala-adhara-sudham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + sthala (प्रातिपदिक) + adhara (प्रातिपदिक) + sudhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘nectar of lips (and) cheeks/cheek-region’)

• hasita-avalokam: your smiling glance
• hasita-avalokam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + avaloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘smiling’ + ‘glance/look’)

• datta-abhayam: granting fearlessness
• datta-abhayam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: datta (कृदन्त; √dā) + abhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘given’ + ‘fearlessness’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhuja-daṇḍa-yugam: the pair of your arms
• bhuja-daṇḍa-yugam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuja (प्रातिपदिक) + daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘pair of arm-staffs’ = two arms)

• vilokya: having beheld
• vilokya: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lok (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) — ‘having looked at’

• vakṣaḥ: (your) chest
• vakṣaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• śriyā: with Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• śriyā: Sahakarana (सहकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• eka-ramaṇam: the sole delight/lover (of Śrī)
• eka-ramaṇam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + ramaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘only’ + ‘delighting/lover’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhavāma: we become / may we be
• bhavāma: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• dāsyaḥ: maidservants
• dāsyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāsī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural) — (Vedic/poetic form for dāsyāḥ)

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura envisions the gopīs’ dealings with Kṛṣṇa as follows:

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Śrī (Lakṣmī-devī)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the gopīs’ surrender to Kṛṣṇa in Rāsa-līlā?

In this verse, the gopīs, overwhelmed by Kṛṣṇa’s divine beauty and His fearlessness-giving presence, declare their identity as His dāsīs (maidservants), expressing total surrender and exclusive devotion.

Why do the gopīs mention Kṛṣṇa’s arms and His chest as the abode of Śrī (Lakṣmī)?

They praise Kṛṣṇa as the supreme protector (His arms grant fearlessness) and as the Lord of Śrī herself (Lakṣmī’s unique resting place is His chest), emphasizing His supremacy and their desire to belong to Him in devoted service.

How can this shloka be applied in modern spiritual life?

It teaches to shift the heart from fear and insecurity toward shelter in the Divine—cultivating remembrance of God’s protective nature and choosing humble service (dāsya-bhāva) as a steady form of devotion.