Shloka 17
Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā
ता दृष्ट्वान्तिकमायाता भगवान् व्रजयोषित: । अवदद् वदतां श्रेष्ठो वाच: पेशैर्विमोहयन् ॥ १७ ॥
tā dṛṣṭvāntikam āyātā bhagavān vraja-yoṣitaḥ avadad vadatāṁ śreṣṭho vācaḥ peśair vimohayan
ヴラジャの乙女たちが近くまで来たのを見て、語りの最勝者である主シュリー・クリシュナは、心を惑わすほど甘美な言葉で彼女らに語りかけた。
Having established the spiritual nature of the gopīs’ love for Kṛṣṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī proceeds with his narration.
FAQs
It describes Kṛṣṇa as the supreme, most expert speaker who addresses the gopīs with irresistibly sweet and refined words, intensifying the divine drama of their devotion.
Within the līlā, Kṛṣṇa’s charming speech deepens the gopīs’ exclusive love and heightens the rasa of the meeting, drawing out the intensity and purity of their bhakti.
It teaches discernment: spiritual life is shaped by what we hear and how we respond—seek words that elevate devotion and truth, and be cautious of speech that merely enchants the mind without wisdom.