Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 21
Gopī-gīta in Separation: The Flute’s Call and Vraja’s Ecstatic Response
कुन्ददामकृतकौतुकवेषो गोपगोधनवृतो यमुनायाम् । नन्दसूनुरनघे तव वत्सो नर्मद: प्रणयिणां विजहार ॥ २० ॥ मन्दवायुरुपवात्यनुकूलं मानयन् मलयजस्पर्शेन । वन्दिनस्तमुपदेवगणा ये वाद्यगीतबलिभि: परिवव्रु: ॥ २१ ॥
kunda-dāma-kṛta-kautuka-veṣo gopa-godhana-vṛto yamunāyām nanda-sūnur anaghe tava vatso narma-daḥ praṇayiṇāṁ vijahāra
Ang banayad na simoy ay humihip nang kaaya-aya, na wari’y nagbibigay-galang sa Kanya sa haplos ng malamig na halimuyak ng sandalwood ng Malaya. At ang mga Upadeva, gaya ng mga tagapuri, ay pumapaligid sa Kanya, nag-aalay ng tugtugin, awit, at mga handog na pagpupugay.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that the gopīs are again in the courtyard of mother Yaśodā, the queen of Vraja. They are trying to encourage her by describing Kṛṣṇa’s return to Vṛndāvana after He has spent the day herding cows and playing.
FAQs
In Canto 10, Chapter 35, the gopīs remember Kṛṣṇa sporting on the Yamunā’s bank, surrounded by cowherd boys and cows, delighting His loved ones through intimate, playful līlā.
The gopīs of Vraja are speaking; overwhelmed by separation, they lovingly describe Kṛṣṇa’s beauty and activities to nourish remembrance (smaraṇa) and deepen their devotion.
Meditate on Kṛṣṇa’s gentle, joyful presence in Vraja—His beauty, companions, and the Yamunā setting—and turn that remembrance into simple prayer and gratitude throughout the day.