Shloka 21
Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā
दृष्टं वनं कुसुमितं राकेशकररञ्जितम् । यमुनानिललीलैजत्तरुपल्लवशोभितम् ॥ २१ ॥ तद् यात मा चिरं गोष्ठं शुश्रूषध्वं पतीन् सती: । क्रन्दन्ति वत्सा बालाश्च तान् पाययत दुह्यत ॥ २२ ॥
dṛṣṭaṁ vanaṁ kusumitaṁ rākeśa-kara-rañjitam yamunānila-līlaijat taru-pallava-śobhitam
汝らは花咲き満ちたこの森を見た。満月の光に染まり、ヤムナーからの柔らかな風に戯れて木々の若葉が震え、その美しさは際立つ。ゆえに今は遅れず牧人の里へ帰りなさい。貞節の妻たちよ、夫に仕え、泣く幼子と子牛に乳を与え、乳を搾って満たしてやりなさい。
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura further explains text 22 as follows: “Lord Kṛṣṇa says, ‘Therefore don’t wait a long time before going, but go immediately.’ The word satīḥ means that the gopīs are loyal to their husbands; therefore Kṛṣṇa indicates that the gopīs should serve their husbands so the latter can accomplish their religious duties, and that the gopīs should also be considered worshipable because of their chastity. All this Kṛṣṇa says to the gopīs who are married. And now to the unmarried girls He says, ‘The calves are crying, so see to it that they get milk.’ To the muni-cārī gopīs He says, ‘Your babies are crying, so feed them milk.’”
FAQs
In 10.29.21, Kṛṣṇa points to the blossoming forest illuminated by the full moon and stirred by Yamunā breezes, setting the devotional mood of His Vraja pastime with the gopīs.
He draws their attention to the sacred, beauty-filled setting of Vṛndāvana—an atmosphere that intensifies remembrance and loving devotion, framing the intimate līlā about to unfold.
Regularly contemplate Kṛṣṇa’s līlās with attention and reverence—using sacred descriptions to steady the mind, soften the heart, and turn everyday perception into devotion.