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
Melihat gadis-gadis Vraja telah datang mendekat, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, yang paling unggul dalam tutur kata, menyapa mereka dengan kata-kata manis yang mengelirukan hati mereka.
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.