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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

เมื่อทรงเห็นเหล่าสาวชาววรชะมาถึงใกล้ พระภควาน ศรีกฤษณะ ผู้เลิศในวาจา ได้ตรัสต้อนรับด้วยถ้อยคำอ่อนหวานจนจิตใจของนางทั้งหลายเคลิบเคลิ้มสับสน

tāḥthem (those women)
tāḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)
dṛṣṭvāhaving seen
dṛṣṭvā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootdṛś (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having seen’
antikamnear, close by
antikam:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootantika (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), adverb of place (देशवाचक-अव्यय)
āyātāḥ(they) arrived
āyātāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootā-√yā (धातु)
FormKṛdanta past participle (क्त), Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; ‘having come/arrived’
bhagavānthe Lord
bhagavān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
vraja-yoṣitaḥthe women of Vraja
vraja-yoṣitaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvraja (प्रातिपदिक) + yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘of Vraja’ + ‘women’
avadatsaid, spoke
avadat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vad (धातु)
FormLaṅ lakāra (लङ्, imperfect/past), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana
vadatāmof those who speak
vadatām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeVerb
Root√vad (धातु)
FormŚatṛ-pratyaya present participle (शतृ), Genitive plural (षष्ठी बहुवचन) used comparatively: ‘of speakers’
śreṣṭhaḥthe best
śreṣṭhaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; superlative sense (श्रेष्ठ) qualifying bhagavān
vācaḥwords, speech
vācaḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvāc (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Bahuvacana (वाचः)
peśaiḥwith charming (expressions)
peśaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootpeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/करण), Bahuvacana
vimohayanbewildering, enchanting
vimohayan:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-√muh (धातु)
FormŚatṛ present participle (शतृ), Puṁliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; agreeing with bhagavān

Having established the spiritual nature of the gopīs’ love for Kṛṣṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī proceeds with his narration.

B
Bhagavān (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
V
Vraja-yoṣitaḥ (the gopīs of Vraja)

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.