Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रिय-राव-पदानि भाषसे मृत-सञ्जीविकयानयाऽनया गिरा ।

करवाणि किमद्य ते प्रियं वद मे वल्गित-कण्ठ कोकिल ॥

Transliteration

priya-rāva-padāni bhāṣase mṛta-sañjīvikayānayā girā / karavāṇi kim adya te priyaṃ vada me valgita-kaṇṭha kokila //

Translation

เจ้ากล่าวถ้อยคำอันไพเราะน่ารัก; ด้วยเสียงดุจยาชุบชีวิตนี้ แม้ผู้ตายก็เหมือนฟื้นได้. บอกเถิด โอเจ้าโคกิลา ผู้มีลำคอพลิ้วไหว! วันนี้เราควรทำสิ่งใดจึงจะเป็นที่พอใจของเจ้า?

Synonyms

• priya-rāva-padāni: sweet-sounding notes/words
• priya-rāva-padāni: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक) + rāva (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative): ‘words/notes of dear sound’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; द्वितीया (accusative)

• bhāṣase: you speak/sing
• bhāṣase: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhāṣ (भाष् धातु)
• Form: लट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• mṛta-sañjīvikayā: with (your) life-restoring (song)
• mṛta-sañjīvikayā: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + sañjīvikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘reviver of the dead’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया (instrumental)

• anayā: by this
• anayā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: anā/ayam)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया; ‘by this’ (agreeing with girā)

• girā: with (your) voice
• girā: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया (instrumental)

• karavāṇi: shall I do? let me do
• karavāṇi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive-like injunctive usage); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘let me do’

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (accusative)

• adya: today/now
• adya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today/now)

• te: for you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (genitive/dative) — here dative ‘for you’

• priyam: a pleasing thing
• priyam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया

• vada: tell/say
• vada: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (वद् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (dative/genitive enclitic) — here dative ‘to me’

• valgita-kaṇṭha: O warble-throated
• valgita-kaṇṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: valgita (वल्ग्/वल्गित प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘(one) with warbling/throbbing throat’; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन; विशेषण (to kokila)

• kokila: O cuckoo
• kokila: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kokila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन

Purport

In this verse a queen of Śrī Kṛṣṇa reveals the intensity of conjugal devotion (mādhurya-bhakti). Kṛṣṇa’s speech is described as “mṛta-sañjīvikā”—a life-restoring elixir—because His words awaken the heart from the deathlike condition of separation, sorrow, and material fatigue. The queen addresses Him as a kokila (cuckoo), a classical Sanskrit image for irresistibly sweet, melodious sound. Her question—“What can I do that is dear to You?”—shows the essence of bhakti: the devotee’s happiness is to discover and fulfill the Lord’s pleasure. Although Kṛṣṇa is fully satisfied in Himself, He reciprocates with love, allowing His devotees to serve Him and thus taste ever-fresh intimacy. The verse also highlights how divine sound (Kṛṣṇa’s vāṇī) is not merely aesthetic; it is transformative, reviving devotion and restoring meaning to life.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam mean by Krishna’s words being ‘mṛta-sañjīvikā’?

It means Kṛṣṇa’s speech is so spiritually potent and sweet that it revives a person from deathlike despair—especially the pain of separation—awakening life and devotion.

Why does a queen call Krishna a ‘kokila’ (cuckoo)?

The cuckoo symbolizes irresistibly sweet, melodious sound; the queen uses the image to praise the enchanting music of Kṛṣṇa’s voice.

Practical application: how can I live this verse in modern life?

Cultivate the bhakti attitude of asking, “What is pleasing to the Lord?” and regularly hear/chant Kṛṣṇa’s words, letting divine sound revive the heart from stress and emptiness.