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Shloka 16

Gopī-Vipralambha: The Search for Kṛṣṇa and the Revelation of Divine Footprints

दैत्यायित्वा जहारान्यामेको कृष्णार्भभावनाम् । रिङ्गयामास काप्यङ्‌‌‌घ्री कर्षन्ती घोषनि:स्वनै: ॥ १६ ॥

daityāyitvā jahārānyām eko kṛṣṇārbha-bhāvanām riṅgayām āsa kāpy aṅghrī karṣantī ghoṣa-niḥsvanaiḥ

ഒരു ഗോപീ തൃണാവർത്ത ദൈത്യനായി അഭിനയിച്ച്, ശിശു-കൃഷ്ണനായി അഭിനയിച്ച മറ്റൊരു ഗോപിയെ എടുത്തുകൊണ്ടുപോയി. മറ്റൊരു ഗോപീ കാൽമണികളുടെ ഘോഷത്തോടെ ഇഴഞ്ഞു, കാലുകൾ വലിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് നീങ്ങി।

daityāyitvāhaving acted like a demon
daityāyitvā:
Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootdaitya (प्रातिपदिक) + √kṛ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive); अव्यय; ‘acting as a demon’
jahāracarried off
jahāra:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√hṛ (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन
anyāmanother (gopī)
anyām:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootanya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन
ekaḥone (gopī)
ekaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rooteka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन
kṛṣṇa-arbha-bhāvanāmthinking (her) to be baby Kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa-arbha-bhāvanām:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + arbha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvanā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कृष्णस्य अर्भभावना = imagining/considering as baby Kṛṣṇa)
riṅgayāmmade (her) crawl
riṅgayām:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√riṅg/raṅg (धातु; चलने)
Formलिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; causative stem (णिच्): ‘made (someone) crawl’
āsadid / was
āsa:
Kriya (क्रिया/auxiliary)
TypeVerb
Root√as (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; सहायक-क्रिया (auxiliary with riṅgayām)
some (gopī)
:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (some)
apialso
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (also/even)
aṅghrī(her) two feet
aṅghrī:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootaṅghri (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); द्विवचन (dual)
karṣantīdragging
karṣantī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Root√kṛṣ (धातु)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)
ghoṣa-niḥsvanaiḥwith the sounds of the cowherd-settlement
ghoṣa-niḥsvanaiḥ:
Karana (करण/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootghoṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + niḥsvana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental); बहुवचन; (घोषस्य निःस्वनैः)

The gopīs started imitating all of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, beginning from His earliest activities as a baby.

Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
G
Gopīs (Vraja-devīs)

FAQs

This verse shows the gopīs, overwhelmed by love in separation, reenacting roles connected to Kṛṣṇa—some imagining baby Kṛṣṇa, others even taking the part of a demoness—revealing how deeply their minds are absorbed in Him.

While searching for Kṛṣṇa, their intense prema makes them relive His Vraja-līlās. They spontaneously dramatize familiar childhood episodes, indicating that remembrance of Kṛṣṇa becomes their only shelter.

Sincere devotion grows by constant remembrance—hearing and recalling Kṛṣṇa’s līlās so deeply that the mind naturally returns to Him, especially during times of absence or difficulty.