Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 31

Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa (Brahmā-stuti) and the Restoration of Vraja’s Lunch Pastime

Devanagari script

अहोऽतिधन्या व्रजगोरमण्य: स्तन्यामृतं पीतमतीव ते मुदा । यासां विभो वत्सतरात्मजात्मना यत्तृप्तयेऽद्यापि न चालमध्वरा: ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

aho ’ti-dhanyā vraja-go-ramaṇyaḥ stanyāmṛtaṁ pītam atīva te mudā yāsāṁ vibho vatsatarātmajātmanā yat-tṛptaye ’dyāpi na cālam adhvarāḥ

Translation

噫！至能之主，弗林达文的母牛与牧女何其有福！你欢喜饮尽她们乳房的甘露，化作她们的犊子与儿女而令你满足；自古至今一切吠陀祭祀，也未能使你如此称意。

Synonyms

• aho: oh!
• aho: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: Exclamation particle (विस्मयादि-निपात)

• ati-dhanyāḥ: most fortunate
• ati-dhanyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + dhanya (धन्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); avyayībhāva: 'exceedingly fortunate'

• vraja-go-ramaṇyaḥ: the women of Vraja (gopīs)
• vraja-go-ramaṇyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vraja (व्रज प्रातिपदिक) + go (गो प्रातिपदिक) + ramaṇī (रमणी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa (multi-member): 'the women (gopīs) of the cows of Vraja' i.e., Vraja cowherd women

• stanya-amṛtam: nectar-like breast milk
• stanya-amṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stanya (स्तन्य प्रातिपदिक) + amṛta (अमृत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: 'milk which is nectar'

• pītam: drunk
• pītam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (पा धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with stanyāmṛtam

• atīva: very much
• atīva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) intensifier

• te: by you
• te: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun; here 'by you/through you' (context: by you, with joy)

• mudā: with joy
• mudā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudā (मुदा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• yāsām: of whom
• yāsām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun

• vibho: O all-powerful Lord
• vibho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (विभु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• vatsatara-ātmaja-ātmanā: by yourself as their calves and sons
• vatsatara-ātmaja-ātmanā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsatara (वत्सतर प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (आत्मज प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'by (your) self in the form of their calves and sons' (ātmanā = by yourself)

• yat-tṛptaye: for (your) satisfaction
• yat-tṛptaye: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् प्रातिपदिक) + tṛpti (तृप्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); relative-correlative sense: 'for whose satisfaction'

• adya-api: even today
• adya-api: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अद्य अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverbs/particles; 'even today'

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction particle (समुच्चय-निपात)

• alam: enough
• alam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/adverb (पर्याप्त्यर्थक अव्यय) meaning 'enough/sufficient'

• adhvarāḥ: sacrifices (rituals)
• adhvarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvara (अध्वर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); 'sacrifices'

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kṛṣṇa
• Vraja-gopīs

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the greatness of the Vraja gopīs?

This verse declares the Vraja cowherd women supremely fortunate because they directly nourished Kṛṣṇa with their breast-milk in loving intimacy—an access to the Lord that even elaborate Vedic sacrifices cannot attain.

Why does Brahmā say that sacrifices are not enough to satisfy the Lord?

Brahmā contrasts ritual performance with pure love: Kṛṣṇa is most pleased by intimate, selfless devotion (like the gopīs’ maternal affection), which surpasses formal sacrificial offerings.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

Prioritize heartfelt devotion and selfless service over mere external religiosity—offer your time, care, and sincerity to God and to others as an expression of bhakti.