SB 10.13.30 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

द‍ृष्ट्वाथ तत्स्‍नेहवशोऽस्मृतात्मा स गोव्रजोऽत्यात्मपदुर्गमार्ग: । द्विपात्ककुद्ग्रीव उदास्यपुच्छो- ऽगाद्धुङ्कृतैरास्रुपया जवेन ॥ ३० ॥

Verse text

dṛṣṭvātha tat-sneha-vaśo ’smṛtātmā sa go-vrajo ’tyātmapa-durga-mārgaḥ dvi-pāt kakud-grīva udāsya-puccho ’gād dhuṅkṛtair āsru-payā javena

Synonyms

dṛṣṭvā — when the cows saw their calves below ; atha — thereafter ; tat — sneha — vaśaḥ — because of increased love for the calves ; asmṛta — ātmā — as if they had forgotten themselves ; saḥ — that ; go — vrajaḥ — herd of cows ; ati — ātma — pa — durga — mārgaḥ — escaping their caretakers because of increased affection for the calves, although the way was very rough and hard ; dvi — pāt — pairs of legs together ; kakut — grīvaḥ — their humps moving with their necks ; udāsya — pucchaḥ — raising their heads and tails ; agāt — came ; huṅkṛtaiḥ — lowing very loudly ; āsru — payāḥ — with milk flowing from the nipples ; javena — very forcibly .

Translation

When the cows saw their own calves from the top of Govardhana Hill, they forgot themselves and their caretakers because of increased affection, and although the path was very rough, they ran toward their calves with great anxiety, each running as if with one pair of legs. Their milk bags full and flowing with milk, their heads and tails raised, and their humps moving with their necks, they ran forcefully until they reached their calves to feed them.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When the cows saw their own calves from the top of Govardhana Hill, they forgot themselves and their caretakers because of increased affection, and although the path was very rough, they ran toward their calves with great anxiety, each running as if with one pair of legs. Their milk bags full and flowing with milk, their heads and tails raised, and their humps moving with their necks, they ran forcefully until they reached their calves to feed them. KB 10.13.30 Suddenly, on sighting the calves, the cows began to run toward them. They leaped downhill with joined front and rear legs. The cows were so melted with affection for the calves that they did not care about the rough path from the top of Govardhana Hill down to the pasturing ground. They approached the calves with their milk bags full of milk, and they raised their tails upwards. When they were coming down the hill, their milk bags were pouring milk on the ground out of intense maternal affection for the calves, although they were not their own calves.

Purport

Generally the calves and cows are pastured separately. The elderly men take care of the cows, and the small children see to the calves. This time, however, the cows immediately forgot their position as soon as they saw the calves below Govardhana Hill, and they ran with great force, their tails erect and their front and hind legs joined, until they reached their calves.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Forgetting themselves the cows (sa go vraja) ran off (agat). They overcame the obstacles of the cowherds (atmapa) and the difficult path (durga marga). With both front legs moving as one and both back legs as one, they appeared to run on two legs. They stretched their necks out in longing. Their heads and tails were raised. Their tears and milk flowed in streams.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Two verses describe what happened. Some versions have ca instead of atha. The word ca means “but” in this case to show something more unusual than previously. Though the cows’ nature was to have affection, this even happened unexpectedly. Atha has the same significance. The cows’ extraordinary affection is shown: they forgot themselves. The cows escaped from the cowherds and passed over the rough path (atyātmapa-durga-mārgaḥ). The contracted form of the compound is poetic license.