Shloka 15

The Gopīs Glorify the Song of Kṛṣṇa’s Flute

Veṇu-gīta

Devanagari script

नद्यस्तदा तदुपधार्य मुकुन्दगीत- मावर्तलक्षितमनोभवभग्नवेगा: । आलिङ्गनस्थगितमूर्मिभुजैर्मुरारे- र्गृह्णन्ति पादयुगलं कमलोपहारा: ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

nadyas tadā tad upadhārya mukunda-gītam āvarta-lakṣita-manobhava-bhagna-vegāḥ āliṅgana-sthagitam ūrmi-bhujair murārer gṛhṇanti pāda-yugalaṁ kamalopahārāḥ

Translation

നദികൾ മുകുന്ദന്റെ വേണുഗീതം കേൾക്കുമ്പോൾ അവരുടെ മനസ്സിൽ ആകാംക്ഷ ഉണരുന്നു; പ്രവാഹവേഗം തകർന്നു ചുഴികളായി കലങ്ങുന്നു. പിന്നെ തരംഗങ്ങളെന്ന ഭുജങ്ങളാൽ മുരാരിയുടെ പദ്മപാദങ്ങളെ ആലിംഗനം ചെയ്ത് പിടിച്ചു, താമരപ്പൂക്കൾ അർപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Synonyms

• nadyaḥ: rivers
• nadyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• tat: that (song)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• upadhārya: having listened to/absorbed
• upadhārya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upa-√dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): “having listened/attended to, having taken in”

• mukunda-gītam: Mukunda’s song
• mukunda-gītam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukunda (प्रातिपदिक) + gīta (कृदन्त; √gai)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः—“मुकुन्दस्य गीतम्”

• āvarta-lakṣita-manobhava-bhagna-vegāḥ: whose flow was checked by love, marked by whirlpools
• āvarta-lakṣita-manobhava-bhagna-vegāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āvarta (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣita (कृदन्त; √lakṣ) + manobhava (प्रातिपदिक) + bhagna (कृदन्त; √bhañj) + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1st), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुव्रीहिः—“आवर्तैः लक्षितः मनोभवः येषां, तेन भग्नः वेगः” (whose current is broken by love, indicated by whirlpools)

• āliṅgana-sthagitam: checked as if by an embrace
• āliṅgana-sthagitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āliṅgana (प्रातिपदिक) + sthagita (कृदन्त; √sthag ‘to cover/stop’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः—“आलिङ्गनेन स्थगितम्” (stopped by embracing)

• ūrmi-bhujaiḥ: with (their) wave-like arms
• ūrmi-bhujaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrmi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Inst. 3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुषः—“ऊर्मयः भुजाः इव” (with wave-arms)

• murāreḥ: of Murāri (Krishna)
• murāreḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: murāri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (Gen. 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• gṛhṇanti: they seize/hold
• gṛhṇanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pāda-yugalam: the pair of feet
• pāda-yugalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + yugala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः—“पादयोः युगलम्”

• kamala-upahārāḥ: bearing lotus-offerings
• kamala-upahārāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamala (प्रातिपदिक) + upahāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1st), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुव्रीहिः—“कमलानि उपहारः येषाम्” (those having lotuses as offerings)

Purport

Even such sacred bodies of water as the Yamunā and the Mānasa-gaṅgā are enchanted by the flute-song, and thus they are disturbed by conjugal attraction for young Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs are implying that since many different types of living beings are overwhelmed by conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa, why should the gopīs be criticized for their intense desire to serve Kṛṣṇa in the conjugal relationship?

Characters & Entities

• Mukunda
• Murāri (Krishna)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about nature responding to Krishna’s flute?

This verse says the rivers ‘hear’ Mukunda’s song, become overwhelmed with love, slow their currents, and symbolically embrace Krishna with wave-arms, offering lotuses—showing that all of nature participates in bhakti.

Why are the rivers described as embracing Krishna and offering lotuses?

In the poetic vision of Vraja-bhakti, the rivers personify devotional attraction: their waves become ‘arms’ that hug Krishna, and their lotuses become offerings, expressing spontaneous reverence and affection for His lotus feet.

Practical application of this shloka’s teaching in modern life?

Let sacred sound (kīrtana, remembrance of Krishna) redirect the mind’s ‘current’ toward devotion—slowing distractions and turning everyday surroundings into opportunities for offering and gratitude.