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
听到儿子们吹奏笛与角号的声音，牧童们的母亲立刻放下家务起身；她们把孩子抱上膝头，以双臂紧紧拥住，因对克里希纳的至爱而乳汁涌流，便如甘露般喂哺。其实她们是在爱意极盛中，把至上梵——圣克里希纳——当作自己的儿子来哺乳，而克里希纳也从各自的“母亲”处饮乳，如饮甘露。
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.