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Shloka 24

Garga Muni Names Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; the Butter-Thief Pastimes; Yaśodā Sees the Universe in Kṛṣṇa’s Mouth

यर्ह्यङ्गनादर्शनीयकुमारलीला- वन्तर्व्रजे तदबला: प्रगृहीतपुच्छै: । वत्सैरितस्तत उभावनुकृष्यमाणौ प्रेक्षन्त्य उज्झितगृहा जहृषुर्हसन्त्य: ॥ २४ ॥

yarhy aṅganā-darśanīya-kumāra-līlāv antar-vraje tad abalāḥ pragṛhīta-pucchaiḥ vatsair itas tata ubhāv anukṛṣyamāṇau prekṣantya ujjhita-gṛhā jahṛṣur hasantyaḥ

ภายในเรือนของนันทมหาราช เหล่าสตรีคนเลี้ยงโคแห่งวรชะเพลิดเพลินกับการได้เห็นลีลาน่าชมของกุมารรามและกฤษณะ เด็กน้อยทั้งสองจับปลายหางลูกวัวไว้ แล้วลูกวัวก็ลากพระองค์ไปมาที่โน่นที่นี่ เมื่อเห็นเหตุการณ์นั้น เหล่าสตรีก็ละงานบ้านแล้วหัวเราะด้วยความรื่นเริง

yarhiwhen
yarhi:
Kāla (काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyarhi (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
aṅganā-darśanīya-kumāra-līlāthe boys’ play, delightful to the women
aṅganā-darśanīya-kumāra-līlā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootaṅganā + darśanīya + kumāra + līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (‘the child’s play that is delightful to the women’)
antar-vrajewithin Vraja
antar-vraje:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootantar + vraja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (‘within Vraja’)
tadāthen
tadā:
Kāla (काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (then)
abalāḥthe women
abalāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootabalā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
pragṛhīta-pucchaiḥwith (their) tails grasped
pragṛhīta-pucchaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpra-√gṛh (धातु) + puccha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) + तत्पुरुष (‘with tails held/grasped’), विशेषण (of vatsaiḥ)
vatsaiḥby the calves
vatsaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootvatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
itasfrom here/this way
itas:
Deśa (देश)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootitas (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (from here/this side)
tatasfrom there/then
tatas:
Deśa/Krama (देश/क्रम)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (अव्यय)
Formदेश/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (from there/then)
ubhauboth (boys)
ubhau:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootubha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन
anukṛṣyamāṇaubeing dragged along
anukṛṣyamāṇau:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootanu-√kṛṣ (धातु)
Formशानच्-वर्तमान कृदन्त (Present Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; ‘being dragged’
prekṣantyaḥwatching
prekṣantyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√īkṣ (धातु)
Formशतृ-वर्तमान कृदन्त (Present Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘seeing/watching’
ujjhita-gṛhāḥhaving left their homes
ujjhita-gṛhāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootud-√hā (धातु) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) ‘ujjhita’ + बहुव्रीहि (‘those who have left their houses’), विशेषण (of abalāḥ)
jahṛṣuḥrejoiced
jahṛṣuḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√hṛṣ (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
hasantyaḥlaughing
hasantyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Root√has (धातु)
Formशतृ-वर्तमान कृदन्त (Present Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

While crawling in curiosity, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would sometimes catch the ends of the tails of calves. The calves, feeling that someone had caught them, would begin to flee here and there, and the babies would hold on very tightly, being afraid of how the calves were moving. The calves, seeing that the babies were holding them tightly, would also become afraid. Then the ladies would come to rescue the babies and gladly laugh. This was their enjoyment.

K
Kṛṣṇa
B
Balarāma
G
Gopīs (vraja-abalāḥ)
C
Calves (vatsāḥ)

FAQs

This verse describes how the gopīs become so absorbed in Kṛṣṇa’s charming childhood pastimes that they abandon domestic concerns (ujjhita-gṛhāḥ) and simply watch, rejoice, and laugh—showing the supremacy of loving devotion over worldly obligation.

The gopīs held the calves by their tails, and as the calves moved, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were playfully dragged along—an affectionate Vraja scene highlighting the boys’ carefree bala-līlā and the gopīs’ delighted participation.

Cultivate moments of wholehearted absorption in God—through kīrtana, remembrance, and hearing līlā—so that devotion naturally loosens excessive anxiety about duties, while still living responsibly.