Shloka 21

Kāliya-damana: Kṛṣṇa Subdues the Serpent and Purifies the Yamunā

Devanagari script

ता: कृष्णमातरमपत्यमनुप्रविष्टां तुल्यव्यथा: समनुगृह्य शुच: स्रवन्त्य: । तास्ता व्रजप्रियकथा: कथयन्त्य आसन् कृष्णाननेऽर्पितद‍ृशो मृतकप्रतीका: ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

tāḥ kṛṣṇa-mātaram apatyam anupraviṣṭāṁ tulya-vyathāḥ samanugṛhya śucaḥ sravantyaḥ tās tā vraja-priya-kathāḥ kathayantya āsan kṛṣṇānane ’rpita-dṛśo mṛtaka-pratīkāḥ

Translation

เหล่าโกปี แม้จะเจ็บปวดไม่ต่างกันและหลั่งน้ำตา ก็ช่วยกันประคองและยับยั้งพระมารดาของกฤษณะ ผู้มีสติจมอยู่กับบุตรโดยสิ้นเชิง พวกนางจ้องพระพักตร์ของกฤษณะราวกับศพไร้วิญญาณ และผลัดกันเล่าเรื่องลีลาของผู้เป็นที่รักแห่งวรชะ

Synonyms

• ताः: they (those gopīs)
• ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• कृष्ण-मातरम्: Krishna’s mother
• कृष्ण-मातरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य माता)

• अपत्यम्: her child
• अपत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘सन्तानम्/पुत्रम्’ अर्थे

• अनुप्रविष्टाम्: having entered (after him)/following in
• अनुप्रविष्टाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-प्र-विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); विशेषणम् (कृष्णमातरम्)

• तुल्य-व्यथाः: having equal pain
• तुल्य-व्यथाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य + व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (तुल्या व्यथा यासाम्) विशेषणम् (ताः)

• समनुगृह्य: having consoled/shown compassion
• समनुगृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अनु-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund)

• शुचः: sorrows/tears of grief
• शुचः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुच्/शोक (प्रातिपदिक: शुच् f.)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (or प्रथमा बहुवचनम् as object-like); here as object with sravantyaḥ: ‘tears of sorrow’

• स्रवन्त्यः: shedding/flowing
• स्रवन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्रु (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• ताः: they
• ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति

• ताः: each of them
• ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति (तास्ता = each and every one)

• व्रज-प्रिय-कथाः: beloved stories of Vraja
• व्रज-प्रिय-कथाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रज + प्रिय + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (व्रजस्य प्रियाः कथाः / व्रजप्रियाः कथाः) कर्म (कथयन्त्यः)

• कथयन्त्यः: speaking/telling
• कथयन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past) प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कृष्ण-आनने: on Krishna’s face
• कृष्ण-आनने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य आनने)

• अर्पित-दृशः: with eyes fixed (on him)
• अर्पित-दृशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्पित (√अर्प् क्त) + दृश्/दृश् (प्रातिपदिक: दृश् f./दृश् as ‘sight’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः (अर्पिताः दृशः यासाम् = whose eyes were fixed) विशेषणम् (ताः)

• मृतक-प्रतीकाः: appearing like dead
• मृतक-प्रतीकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृतक + प्रतीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (मृतकवत् प्रतीकाः = like dead persons) विशेषणम् (ताः)

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Mother Yaśodā
• Gopīs (women of Vraja)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the gopīs’ love when Kṛṣṇa is in danger?

This verse shows the Vraja women weeping, trying to console Yaśodā, yet remaining utterly fixed on Kṛṣṇa—so absorbed in love that they seem almost lifeless without His safety.

Why were the gopīs speaking Vraja stories to Mother Yaśodā?

Because they shared the same grief and tried to comfort Yaśodā by recalling dear, intimate memories of Vraja and Kṛṣṇa, even while their attention stayed on Kṛṣṇa’s face.

Practical application of Vraja-bhakti from this shloka in modern life?

It teaches steady remembrance of Kṛṣṇa in crisis—supporting others with compassion while keeping one’s mind and “gaze” (attention) anchored in the Lord.