Shloka 7

The Gopīs Glorify the Song of Kṛṣṇa’s Flute

Veṇu-gīta

Devanagari script

श्रीगोप्य ऊचु: अक्षण्वतां फलमिदं न परं विदाम: सख्य: पशूननु विवेशयतोर्वयस्यै: । वक्त्रं व्रजेशसुतयोरनवेणु जुष्टं यैर्वा निपीतमनुरक्तकटाक्षमोक्षम् ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-gopya ūcuḥ akṣaṇvatāṁ phalam idaṁ na paraṁ vidāmaḥ sakhyaḥ paśūn anuviveśayator vayasyaiḥ vaktraṁ vrajeśa-sutayor anaveṇu-juṣṭaṁ yair vā nipītam anurakta-kaṭākṣa-mokṣam

Translation

เหล่าโกปีตรัสว่า: โอ้สหายเอ๋ย เราไม่รู้ว่ามีผลแห่งดวงตาใดจะยิ่งกว่านี้—เมื่อโอรสทั้งสองของมหาราชนันทะเสด็จเข้าสู่ป่าพร้อมสหาย ขับฝูงโคไปเบื้องหน้า พระพักตร์อันงามที่แนบขลุ่ยไว้ และสายพระเนตรอันเปี่ยมรักที่ทอดสู่ชาววฤนทาวัน—ผู้ได้เห็นย่อมเป็นผู้มีบุญยิ่ง

Synonyms

• श्री-गोप्यः: the revered gopīs
• श्री-गोप्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + गोपी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘श्रियः गोप्यः’/‘श्रीमान्यः गोप्यः’ (honorific)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• अक्षण्वताम्: of those who have eyes
• अक्षण्वताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षण्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of those who have eyes’

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (refers to ‘this’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• परम्: greater/supreme
• परम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘supreme/greater’ (qualifies फलम्)

• विदामः: we know
• विदामः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘we know’ (with न = ‘we do not know’)

• सख्यः: O friends
• सख्यः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), बहुवचन; vocative ‘O friends’

• पशून्: the animals/cows
• पशून्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• अनु: along/after
• अनु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb) — ‘along/after’

• विवेशयतोः: of the two who were herding/leading in
• विवेशयतोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative + शतृ/शानच्-सम्भव (present participial stem), षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन; ‘of the two who were causing (them) to enter/leading in’

• वयस्यैः: by their companions
• वयस्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘by (their) companions/friends’

• वक्त्रम्: the face
• वक्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as object of implied ‘to behold’/relative clause—taken as द्वितीया

• व्रजेश-सुतयोः: of the two sons of the lord of Vraja
• व्रजेश-सुतयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रजेश (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रजेशस्य सुतौ)

• अनु-वेणु-जुष्टम्: accompanied by the flute
• अनु-वेणु-जुष्टम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + वेणु (प्रातिपदिक) + √जुष् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘जुष्ट’ (enjoyed/served) with उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘वेणुना अनुजुष्टम्’ (accompanied/enjoyed by the flute) (qualifies वक्त्रम्)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; relative pronoun ‘by whom’

• वा: or/indeed
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle) — ‘or/indeed’

• निपीतम्: sipped/drunk
• निपीतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘sipped/drunk’ (qualifies वक्त्रम्/its beauty)

• अनुरक्त-कटाक्ष-मोक्षम्: casting loving sidelong glances
• अनुरक्त-कटाक्ष-मोक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुरक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कटाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘अनुरक्तस्य कटाक्षस्य मोक्षः’ (the release/casting of loving glances) (qualifies वक्त्रम्/निपीतम्)

Purport

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi-līlā 4.155).

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Balarama
• Gopīs
• Cowherd boys (vayasyāḥ)
• Cows (paśu)

FAQs

What is the meaning of Veṇu-gīta in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.21?

Veṇu-gīta is the gopīs’ poetic glorification of Kṛṣṇa’s flute and His forest pastimes; here they declare that the greatest ‘fruit’ of having eyes is to behold Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, especially their faces adorned by the flute’s charm and their loving sidelong glances.

Why do the gopīs say the greatest reward is to see Krishna and Balarama entering the forest?

Because witnessing Their cowherding līlā—Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma going with friends and cows—reveals the sweetest form of divine intimacy, where even a glance from Them feels like the highest liberation and fulfillment.

How can this verse be applied in modern devotional life?

Cultivate “darśana-bhāva”: seek Kṛṣṇa’s presence through attentive worship, hearing, and remembrance, valuing loving connection over mere attainment—seeing life as fulfilled when it becomes oriented toward beholding and serving the Divine.