Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच अथोषस्युपवृत्तायां कुक्कुटान् कूजतोऽशपन् । गृहीतकण्ठ्य: पतिभिर्माधव्यो विरहातुरा: ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca athoṣasy upavṛttāyāṁ kukkuṭān kūjato ’śapan gṛhīta-kaṇṭhyaḥ patibhir mādhavyo virahāturāḥ

Translation

ศรีศุกเทวกล่าวว่า เมื่อรุ่งอรุณใกล้เข้ามา เหล่าพระมเหสีของพระมาธวะ ซึ่งถูกสามีกอดคล้องคอไว้ ต่างพากันสาปแช่งไก่ที่ขัน พวกนางร้อนรนเพราะต้องพรากจากพระองค์ในไม่ช้า

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘venerable Śuka’

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथम-पुरुष), Singular

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक/मङ्गलार्थक)

• uṣasi: at dawn
• uṣasi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; ‘at dawn’

• upavṛttāyām: when (dawn) had come
• upavṛttāyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√vṛt (धातु) + upavṛtta (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; क्त-प्रत्यय used adjectivally with uṣasi: ‘having arrived/come on’

• kukkuṭān: roosters
• kukkuṭān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• kūjataḥ: crowing
• kūjataḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kūj (धातु) + kūjat (कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; qualifies kukkuṭān: ‘crowing’

• aśapan: cursed
• aśapan: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śap (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथम-पुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• gṛhīta-kaṇṭhyaḥ: (women) wearing necklaces
• gṛhīta-kaṇṭhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhīta (कृदन्त; √grah/ग्रह्, क्त) + kaṇṭhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; तत्पुरुष: ‘having taken/held necklaces’ (i.e., adorned)

• patibhiḥ: by (their) husbands
• patibhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• mādhavyaḥ: the Mādhavīs (Kṛṣṇa’s wives)
• mādhavyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mādhavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; ‘Mādhavī women’ (wives of Mādhava/Kṛṣṇa)

• viraha-āturāḥ: distressed by separation
• viraha-āturāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viraha (प्रातिपदिक) + ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; तत्पुरुष: ‘distressed by separation’

Purport

This description of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s daily activities starts with the crowing of the rooster. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s wives knew that the Lord would dutifully get up and perform His prescribed morning rituals, and thus they were agitated at their coming separation from Him and cursed the roosters.

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Yādava ladies (Mādhavyaḥ)
• Yādava husbands

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about viraha (devotional separation)?

This verse shows how intense love makes devotees feel pain at the very approach of dawn, because it signals separation; their emotion is so strong they even resent the roosters that announce morning.

Why did the Yādava ladies curse the roosters in Canto 10?

Because the roosters’ crowing indicated that night was ending; for women absorbed in love, dawn meant the time of union was passing and separation was coming.

Practical application of viraha-bhakti in modern life?

Use feelings of distance from God as fuel for remembrance—turn longing into steady sādhana (japa, prayer, hearing), rather than letting it become discouragement.