Shloka 4
Gopī-gīta in Separation: The Flute’s Call and Vraja’s Ecstatic Response
हन्त चित्रमबला: शृणुतेदं हारहास उरसि स्थिरविद्युत् । नन्दसूनुरयमार्तजनानां नर्मदो यर्हि कूजितवेणु: ॥ ४ ॥ वृन्दशो व्रजवृषा मृगगावो वेणुवाद्यहृतचेतस आरात् । दन्तदष्टकवला धृतकर्णा निद्रिता लिखितचित्रमिवासन् ॥ ५ ॥
hanta citram abalāḥ śṛṇutedaṁ hāra-hāsa urasi sthira-vidyut nanda-sūnur ayam ārta-janānāṁ narma-do yarhi kūjita-veṇuḥ
Ó moças, que maravilha—ouvi! Este filho de Nanda, que alegra os aflitos, traz no peito um brilho imóvel como relâmpago e um sorriso cintilante como um colar de joias. Quando Ele faz cantar a flauta, os touros, os veados e as vacas de Vraja, parados em grupos ao longe, ficam cativados pelo som. Param de mastigar, prendem o bocado entre os dentes, erguem as orelhas e, atônitos, parecem adormecidos ou figuras de uma pintura.
The word sthira-vidyut, “steady lightning,” refers to the goddess of fortune, who resides on the chest of the Supreme Lord. When the animals of Vṛndāvana hear the sound of the flute, they become stunned in ecstasy, and thus they stop chewing their food and cannot swallow it. The gopīs, in separation from Kṛṣṇa, marvel at the extraordinary effect of the Lord’s flute-playing.
FAQs
It describes Kṛṣṇa’s flute as irresistibly sweet and spiritually enlivening—so captivating that it stirs the hearts and even the ornaments of the Vraja women, bringing playful relief to those suffering in separation.
Because His flute-song is not merely music—it is Kṛṣṇa’s playful mercy that consoles and enchants the distressed lovers of Vraja, intensifying and sweetening their devotion even in separation.
By turning the mind toward Kṛṣṇa through śravaṇa (hearing) and kīrtana (chanting), one can transform distress into devotion—letting remembrance of the Lord become the heart’s highest delight.