Shloka 22
Brahmā’s Bewilderment and Kṛṣṇa Becoming the Calves and Cowherd Boys
Brahma-vimohana-līlā
तन्मातरो वेणुरवत्वरोत्थिता उत्थाप्य दोर्भि: परिरभ्य निर्भरम् । स्नेहस्नुतस्तन्यपय:सुधासवं मत्वा परं ब्रह्म सुतानपाययन् ॥ २२ ॥
tan-mātaro veṇu-rava-tvarotthitā utthāpya dorbhiḥ parirabhya nirbharam sneha-snuta-stanya-payaḥ-sudhāsavaṁ matvā paraṁ brahma sutān apāyayan
Nghe tiếng sáo và tù và, các bà mẹ của những bé chăn bò lập tức bỏ dở việc nhà mà đứng dậy. Họ bồng con lên lòng, ôm chặt bằng cả hai tay và cho bú dòng sữa tuôn trào vì tình yêu mãnh liệt, như thể cam lộ. Thật ra, trong cơn yêu thương dâng tràn, họ đang nuôi dưỡng chính Parabrahman—Śrī Kṛṣṇa—như con mình, và Kṛṣṇa uống sữa ấy như mật ngọt.
Although all the elderly gopīs knew that Kṛṣṇa was the son of mother Yaśodā, they still desired, “If Kṛṣṇa had become my son, I would also have taken care of Him like mother Yaśodā.” This was their inner ambition. Now, in order to please them, Kṛṣṇa personally took the role of their sons and fulfilled their desire. They enhanced their special love for Kṛṣṇa by embracing Him and feeding Him, and Kṛṣṇa tasted their breast milk to be just like a nectarean beverage. While thus bewildering Brahmā, He enjoyed the special transcendental pleasure created by yoga-māyā between all the other mothers and Himself.
FAQs
This verse shows that in Vraja, the mothers’ love is so pure that the milk they offer is understood as nectarean and identical with the Supreme Brahman—indicating Kṛṣṇa as the Absolute Truth experienced through devotion.
The flute-sound is Kṛṣṇa’s personal call; it awakens irresistible affection (vatsalya). Hearing it, they hurried to gather and nurse their children, overwhelmed by love.
Respond quickly to reminders of Kṛṣṇa (name, kīrtana, scripture) with heartfelt service; the verse emphasizes that loving devotion transforms ordinary acts into direct experience of the Divine.