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Shloka 20

The Gopīs Glorify the Song of Kṛṣṇa’s Flute

Veṇu-gīta

एवंविधा भगवतो या वृन्दावनचारिण: । वर्णयन्त्यो मिथो गोप्य: क्रीडास्तन्मयतां ययु: ॥ २० ॥

evaṁ-vidhā bhagavato yā vṛndāvana-cāriṇaḥ varṇayantyo mitho gopyaḥ krīḍās tan-mayatāṁ yayuḥ

ดังนั้น เหล่าโคปีเมื่อเล่าให้กันและกันฟังถึงลีลาสนุกของพระผู้เป็นเจ้า ผู้เสด็จดำเนินในป่า वृन्दावन ก็ซึมซาบและดื่มด่ำอยู่ในพระองค์โดยสิ้นเชิง

evam-vidhāḥsuch (in this manner)
evam-vidhāḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootevam (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural; avyayībhāva adjective: ‘of such a kind’ qualifying gopyaḥ
bhagavataḥof the Lord
bhagavataḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootbhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular
yāḥwho
yāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun referring to gopīs
vṛndāvana-cāriṇaḥof the one who wanders in Vrindavana
vṛndāvana-cāriṇaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeAdjective
Rootvṛndāvana (प्रातिपदिक) + cārin (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: vṛndāvane cārī (वृन्दावने चारी) ‘one who roams in Vṛndāvana’; here genitive agreeing with bhagavataḥ
varṇayantyaḥdescribing
varṇayantyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootvarṇay (धातु)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त), Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural; parasmaipada sense
mithaḥmutually; to one another
mithaḥ:
Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootmithaḥ (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)
gopyaḥthe gopīs
gopyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootgopī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural
krīḍāḥpastimes; plays
krīḍāḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkrīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (द्वितीया), Plural
tat-mayatāmabsorption in Him
tat-mayatām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + mayatā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular; abstract noun: ‘state of being absorbed in that (Him)’
yayuḥthey went; they attained
yayuḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootyā (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

In this regard Śrīla Prabhupāda comments, “This is the perfect example of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: to somehow or other remain always engrossed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. The vivid example is always present in the behavior of the gopīs; therefore Lord Caitanya declared that no one can worship the Supreme Lord by any method that is better than the method of the gopīs. The gopīs were not born in very high brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya families; they were born in the families of vaiśyas, and not in big mercantile communities but in the families of cowherd men. They were not very well educated, although they heard all sorts of knowledge from the brāhmaṇas, the authorities of Vedic knowledge. The gopīs’ only purpose was to remain always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa.”

K
Kṛṣṇa
G
Gopīs

FAQs

This verse states that by mutually describing Krishna’s Vṛndāvana pastimes, the gopīs entered tan-mayatā—complete absorption in Him—showing that Krishna-kathā naturally draws the heart into deep devotional identification with the Lord.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating to King Parīkṣit, describing the gopīs’ inner state as they discuss Krishna’s flute and His Vṛndāvana līlās.

Regularly hear, read, and discuss Krishna’s pastimes with other devotees; such shared remembrance (kīrtana and sādhusaṅga) deepens focus, reduces distraction, and strengthens loving devotion.