Shloka 24

Brahmā’s Bewilderment and Kṛṣṇa Becoming the Calves and Cowherd Boys

Brahma-vimohana-līlā

Devanagari script

गावस्ततो गोष्ठमुपेत्य सत्वरं हुङ्कारघोषै: परिहूतसङ्गतान् । स्वकान् स्वकान् वत्सतरानपाययन् मुहुर्लिहन्त्य: स्रवदौधसं पय: ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

gāvas tato goṣṭham upetya satvaraṁ huṅkāra-ghoṣaiḥ parihūta-saṅgatān svakān svakān vatsatarān apāyayan muhur lihantyaḥ sravad audhasaṁ payaḥ

Translation

Kemudian semua sapi segera masuk ke kandang masing-masing sambil melenguh keras memanggil anak-anaknya. Ketika anak-anak sapi datang, para induk menjilati tubuh mereka berulang-ulang dan menyusui mereka dengan limpahnya susu yang mengalir dari ambing.

Synonyms

• gāvaḥ: the cows
• gāvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), बहुवचन (Pl.)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थे अव्ययम्—‘then/from there’ (adverb)

• goṣṭham: the cow-pen
• goṣṭham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: goṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (Sg.)

• upetya: having reached
• upetya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√i (इ धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having approached/reached’

• satvaram: quickly
• satvaram: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satvara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘quickly’

• huṅkāra-ghoṣaiḥ: with lowing sounds
• huṅkāra-ghoṣaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: huṅkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ghoṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr. 3), बहुवचन (Pl.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘huṅkāra-रूपैः घोषैः’

• parihūta-saṅgatān: (calves) called together
• parihūta-saṅgatān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parihūta (कृदन्त, pari-√hū) + saṅgata (कृदन्त, sam-√gam)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), बहुवचन (Pl.); कर्मधारय: ‘परिहूताः च ते सङ्गताः’ = ‘called and gathered’

• svakān: their own
• svakān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), बहुवचन (Pl.)

• svakān: each their own
• svakān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), बहुवचन (Pl.); पुनरुक्ति (repetition) for emphasis/distribution

• vatsatarān: calves
• vatsatarān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsatara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), बहुवचन (Pl.)

• apāyayan: they made (them) drink
• apāyayan: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-√pā (पा धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Pl.); णिच् (causative) ‘made (them) drink/suckled’

• muhuḥ: repeatedly
• muhuḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘again and again’

• lihantyaḥ: licking
• lihantyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lih (लिह् धातु) (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), बहुवचन (Pl.); कर्तरि प्रयोगः ‘licking’

• sravat: dripping
• sravat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sru (स्रु धातु) (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (Sg.); ‘flowing/dripping’

• audhasam: udder
• audhasam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūdhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (Sg.)

• payaḥ: milk
• payaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (Sg.); (क्वचित् प्रथमा-सम्भावना, परन्तु अत्र ‘लिहन्त्यः’ इत्यस्य कर्म)

Purport

All the dealings between the calves and their respective mothers taking care of them were enacted by Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Characters & Entities

• Gopīs (mother cows of Vraja)
• Calves of Vraja

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the love of the Vraja cows for their calves?

This verse describes the cows rushing to the goṣṭha, calling out and nursing their calves again and again, licking them while milk freely flows—showing intense, natural vatsalya (motherly devotion) that becomes a vehicle for divine līlā.

Why are the cows described as unusually eager and affectionate in Canto 10 Chapter 13?

In this chapter’s context (Brahmā’s bewilderment), Kṛṣṇa manifests as the calves (and boys). The mothers’ affection surges because their objects of love are directly connected with Kṛṣṇa’s own expansion, intensifying their nurturing behavior.

Practical application of vatsalya-bhakti in modern life?

Offer care, protection, and steadiness in relationships without selfish calculation—serve with warmth and consistency, and let devotion express itself through simple, repeated acts of love, like the cows’ constant nursing and affectionate attention.