Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā
नद्या: पुलिनमाविश्य गोपीभिर्हिमवालुकम् । जुष्टं तत्तरलानन्दिकुमुदामोदवायुना ॥ ४५ ॥ बाहुप्रसारपरिरम्भकरालकोरु- नीवीस्तनालभननर्मनखाग्रपातै: । क्ष्वेल्यावलोकहसितैर्व्रजसुन्दरीणा- मुत्तम्भयन् रतिपतिं रमयां चकार ॥ ४६ ॥
nadyāḥ pulinam āviśya gopībhir hima-vālukam juṣṭaṁ tat-taralānandi kumudāmoda-vāyunā
シュリー・クリシュナはゴーピーたちとヤムナーの岸辺へ行かれた。そこは砂が涼しく、波に生気づけられた風が蓮の香りを運んでいた。そこで主は腕を広げて彼女たちを抱き、手や髪、腿、帯、胸に触れ、爪先で戯れにかすかに掻き、冗談と眼差しと笑いによって、ヴラジャの乙女たちの胸に愛神を呼び覚まし、御自身のリーラーを楽しまれた。
The riverbank becomes a sacred stage for Kṛṣṇa’s intimate līlā with the gopīs—cool, fragrant, and serene—highlighting the sweetness of Vraja-bhakti and the atmosphere that nourishes devotional rasa.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates these events to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, describing the setting and mood of Kṛṣṇa’s pastime with the gopīs.
By seeking sanctified environments and practices that cool the mind—hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, chanting, and serving—so the heart becomes receptive to devotion, just as the calm, fragrant riverbank supports divine remembrance.