Shloka 54

Uddhava Meets the Gopīs: Bhramara-gītā and Kṛṣṇa’s Message of Separation

Devanagari script

उवास कतिचिन्मासान्गोपीनां विनुदन् शुच: । कृष्णलीलाकथां गायन् रमयामास गोकुलम् ॥ ५४ ॥

Transliteration

uvāsa katicin māsān gopīnāṁ vinudan śucaḥ kṛṣṇa-līlā-kathāṁ gāyan ramayām āsa gokulam

Translation

อุทธวะพำนักอยู่ที่โคกุลหลายเดือน ขับร้องเรื่องราวลีลาของพระศรีกฤษณะเพื่อขจัดความโศกของเหล่าโคปี และทำให้ชาวโคกุลทั้งมวลยินดี

Synonyms

• uvāsa: he stayed/dwelt
• uvāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• katicit: some (a few)
• katicit: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kati + cit (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन (plural); ‘some, a few’

• māsān: months (for some months)
• māsān: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन (plural)

• gopīnām: of the gopīs
• gopīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (plural)

• vinudan: dispelling
• vinudan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√nud (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपद; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘while dispelling’

• śucaḥ: sorrows
• śucaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन (plural)

• kṛṣṇa-līlā-kathām: the narration of Krishna’s pastimes
• kṛṣṇa-līlā-kathām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kṛṣṇasya līlāyāḥ kathā)

• gāyan: singing
• gāyan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपद; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘while singing’

• ramayāmāsa: he delighted/caused to rejoice
• ramayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ram (धातु) + causative (णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), णिजन्त (causative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; (ramayām + āsa)

• gokulam: Gokula
• gokulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gokula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

Purport

The great ācārya Jīva Gosvāmī comments in this regard that Uddhava, during his stay in Vṛndāvana, certainly took special care to enliven Kṛṣṇa’s foster parents, Nanda and Yaśodā.

Characters & Entities

• Uddhava
• Gopīs
• Kṛṣṇa
• Gokula (Vraja-vāsīs)

FAQs

How does Krishna-lila katha help a devotee overcome sorrow according to Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse states that by singing and narrating Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, the devotees’ grief is dispelled and the entire community is delighted—showing līlā-kathā as a direct balm for the heart.

Why did Uddhava stay in Gokula for months in Canto 10 Chapter 47?

Uddhava remained in Vraja to console the gopīs in separation from Kṛṣṇa, and to nourish them by speaking and singing about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, which restored joy in Gokula.

What is a practical application of this shloka in modern life?

When facing grief or anxiety, regularly hear, read, or sing devotional narrations of Kṛṣṇa’s līlās (kīrtana and śravaṇa) as a steady practice to transform sorrow into remembrance and inner joy.