Shloka 40

Bhīṣmadeva’s Passing Away in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

ललितगतिविलासवल्गुहास- प्रणयनिरीक्षणकल्पितोरुमाना: । कृतमनुकृतवत्य उन्मदान्धा: प्रकृतिमगन् किल यस्य गोपवध्व: ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

lalita-gati-vilāsa-valguhāsa- praṇaya-nirīkṣaṇa-kalpitorumānāḥ kṛtam anukṛtavatya unmadāndhāḥ prakṛtim agan kila yasya gopa-vadhvaḥ

Translation

ขอให้จิตของข้าพเจ้าตรึงอยู่ที่พระภควาน ศรีกฤษณะ ผู้มีลีลาการก้าวย่างอ่อนช้อย การเล่นสนุกอันงดงาม รอยยิ้มหวาน และสายตาแห่งความรักที่ทำให้เหล่าโคปีแห่งวรชะเกิดความภาคภูมิใจอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ เมื่อพระองค์ทรงอันตรธานจากราสนฤตย์ เหล่าโคปีราวกับคลุ้มคลั่งด้วยความคิดถึง ได้เลียนแบบท่าทางของพระองค์แล้วจึงกลับสู่สภาพเดิมของตน

Synonyms

• lalita-gati-vilāsa-valgu-hāsa-praṇaya-nirīkṣaṇa-kalpita-uru-mānāḥ: whose great pride was aroused by his charming gait, play, sweet smile, affectionate glances
• lalita-gati-vilāsa-valgu-hāsa-praṇaya-nirīkṣaṇa-kalpita-uru-mānāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lalita (प्रातिपदिक) + gati (प्रातिपदिक) + vilāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + valgu (प्रातिपदिक) + hāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇaya (प्रातिपदिक) + nirīkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpita (√kḷp, क्त कृदन्त) + uru (प्रातिपदिक) + māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यासां (गोपवधूनां) उरुमानाः (महान् मानः/अभिमानः) कल्पितः (उत्पादितः) तस्य (कृष्णस्य) ललितगति-विलास-वल्गुहास-प्रणय-निरीक्षणैः

• kṛtam: the deed
• kṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘कृतम्’ = what was done

• anukṛtavatyaḥ: they imitated (in return)
• anukṛtavatyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√kṛ (धातु) → anukṛtavatī (कृदन्त, क्तवत्/वत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (having imitated/did in return); finite verb sense in context

• unmada-andhāḥ: mad and blinded
• unmada-andhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: unmada (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (उन्मदाः एव अन्धाः)

• prakṛtim: their natural state
• prakṛtim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• agan: they attained/went to
• agan: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• kila: indeed/it is said
• kila: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, reportative/emphatic)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• gopa-vadhvaḥ: the cowherd women (gopīs)
• gopa-vadhvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopa (प्रातिपदिक) + vadhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोपानां वध्वः)

Purport

By intense ecstasy in loving service, the damsels of Vrajabhūmi attained qualitative oneness with the Lord by dancing with Him on an equal level, embracing Him in nuptial love, smiling at Him in joke, and looking at Him with a loving attitude. The relation of the Lord with Arjuna is undoubtedly praiseworthy for devotees like Bhīṣmadeva, but the relation of the gopīs with the Lord is still more praiseworthy because of their still more purified loving service. By the grace of the Lord, Arjuna was fortunate enough to have the fraternal service of the Lord as chariot driver, but the Lord did not award Arjuna with equal strength. The gopīs, however, practically became one with the Lord by attainment of equal footing with the Lord. Bhīṣma’s aspiration to remember the gopīs is a prayer to have their mercy also at the last stage of his life. The Lord is satisfied more when His pure devotees are glorified, and therefore Bhīṣmadeva has not only glorified the acts of Arjuna, his immediate object of attraction, but has also remembered the gopīs, who were endowed with unrivalled opportunities for rendering loving service to the Lord. The gopīs ’ equality with the Lord should never be misunderstood to be like the sāyujya liberation of the impersonalist. The equality is one of perfect ecstasy where the differential conception is completely eradicated, for the interests of the lover and the beloved become identical.

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Gopis

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the gopis becoming ‘mad’ in love for Krishna?

This verse says the gopis were so captivated by Krishna’s graceful actions and affectionate glances that they became ‘unmadāndhāḥ’—as if blinded by ecstasy—and naturally began to imitate Him, forgetting normal social and bodily composure.

Why does Bhishma describe the gopis while speaking to Krishna in Canto 1 Chapter 9?

Bhishma is offering worship through remembrance of Krishna’s supreme sweetness and love-attracting power; by citing the gopis’ prema, he highlights Krishna as the ultimate object of devotion even for the greatest souls.

Practical application of this shloka’s teaching in modern life?

Regularly hear and remember Krishna’s qualities and pastimes; as attachment deepens, worldly distractions lose force and one’s mind naturally begins to follow (anukaraṇa) the Lord’s mood—becoming steadier, more loving, and more devotional.