Shloka 18
गोवर्धनोत्तरविस्मयः, रासलीलाप्रसङ्गः, तथा सर्वव्याप्तिवेदान्तोपदेशः
शनैः शनैर् जगौ गोपी काचित् तस्य लयानुगम् दत्तावधाना काचिच् च तम् एव मनसास्मरत्
śanaiḥ śanair jagau gopī kācit tasya layānugam dattāvadhānā kācic ca tam eva manasāsmarat
โคปีคนหนึ่งค่อย ๆ เริ่มขับร้องตามจังหวะทำนองของพระองค์; อีกคนหนึ่งตั้งใจแน่วแน่ ระลึกถึงพระองค์เพียงผู้เดียวในใจ
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: He draws the minds of the gopīs into ekāgratā (single-pointedness) through melody, turning their inner life into continuous remembrance.
Leela: Dharma-upadesa
Dharma Restored: Establishing smaraṇa and kīrtana as direct modes of communion with Bhagavān.
Concept: Bhakti matures as the mind harmonizes with the Lord’s ‘laya’—outer song becomes inner smaraṇa.
Vedantic Theme: Atman
Application: Use japa/kīrtana with steady rhythm to cultivate uninterrupted remembrance through the day.
Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin-bhāva is implied: the Lord becomes the sole inner object of attention, not an impersonal void but a personal indweller.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
Antaryamin: Yes
FAQs
It shows devotion becoming attuned to the Lord’s own “measure”—the heart begins to move with his divine cadence, turning ordinary song into worshipful absorption.
By contrasting responses: one gopī expresses devotion outwardly through song, while another internalizes it as uninterrupted mental recollection—both centered exclusively on Krishna.
Krishna is portrayed as the supreme object of mind and devotion: the soul’s attention naturally gathers to him alone, indicating his sovereignty over thought, emotion, and spiritual fulfillment.