Devanagari
निशम्य गीतं तदनङ्गवर्धनंव्रजस्त्रिय: कृष्णगृहीतमानसा:
आजग्मुरन्योन्यमलक्षितोद्यमा:स यत्र कान्तो जवलोलकुण्डला: ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
niśamya gītāṁ tad anaṅga-vardhanaṁ
vraja-striyaḥ kṛṣṇa-gṛhīta-mānasāḥ
ājagmur anyonyam alakṣitodyamāḥ
sa yatra kānto java-lola-kuṇḍalāḥ
Synonyms
niśamya
—
hearing
;
gītam
—
the music
;
tat
—
that
;
anaṅga
—
Cupid
;
vardhanam
—
which fortifies
;
vraja
—
striyaḥ — the young women of Vraja
;
kṛṣṇa
—
by Kṛṣṇa
;
gṛhīta
—
seized
;
mānasāḥ
—
whose minds
;
ājagmuḥ
—
they went
;
anyonyam
—
to one another
;
alakṣita
—
unnoticed
;
udyamāḥ
—
their going forward
;
saḥ
—
He
;
yatra
—
where
;
kāntaḥ
—
their boyfriend
;
java
—
because of their haste
;
lola
—
swinging
;
kuṇḍalāḥ
—
whose earrings .
Translation
When the young women of Vṛndāvana heard Kṛṣṇa’s flute-song, which arouses romantic feelings, their minds were captivated by the Lord. They went to where their lover waited, each unknown to the others, moving so quickly that their earrings swung back and forth.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When the young women of Vṛndāvana heard Kṛṣṇa's flute song, which arouses romantic feelings, their minds were captivated by the Lord. They went to where their lover waited, each unknown to the others, moving so quickly that their earrings swung back and forth.
KB 10.29.4
Immediately upon hearing the vibration of the flute, they all left their respective engagements and proceeded to the spot where Kṛṣṇa was standing. While they ran very swiftly, their earrings swung back and forth. They all rushed toward the place known as Vaṁśīvaṭa.
Purport
Apparently each
gopī
went secretly, hoping to avoid advertising to her rivals the fact that young Kṛṣṇa was in the mood for romantic affairs. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī poetically describes the situation as follows:
“Kṛṣṇa instigated a terrible act of thievery in Vṛndāvana when He played on His flute. The song of His flute entered through the ears of the
gopīs,
into the inner treasure-chamber of their hearts. That wonderful music stole all their most valuable possessions — their sobriety, shyness, fear and discrimination, along with their very minds — and in a split second this music delivered all these goods to Kṛṣṇa. Now each
gopī
went to beg the Lord to return her personal property. Each beautiful young girl was thinking, ‘I have to capture that great thief,’ and thus they went forward, each unknown to the others.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The gopis went towards Krsna as if they were puppets pulled by the strings of song of the flute. The song was not only attractive, but increased their love (ananga).
Krsna sent the expert thief called the song of the flute. This thief entered through the open, innocent ears of the gopis into the treasury room of their hearts. Plundering the great treasures of control, shame, fear and discrimination along with their minds, the thief quickly returned and offered the treasures to Krsna. Thus the text says that the gopies , whose minds and things related to the mind were received by Krsna (krsna grhita manasah), went to Krsna, in order to retrieve these things from the thief. Thus afflicted the gopis were not aware of the other gopis’ going to Krsna, and began to chase the thief.to catch him. Where did they go? They went to that place where their beloved was standing, with great haste, with the earrings (indicating also bracelets and anklets) swinging. The thief did not regard the external ornaments worthy of stealing.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This verse indicates the special power of the flute: others could not hear it, but it attracted the gopīs. The flute song previously produced love for Kṛṣṇa but now it produced increased love.
Though the song was attractive and strengthened Cupid, the intention of the verse is to show intense love. That love (anaṅga) was previous situated as a sprouted seed, but now it was bearing shoots. Because they suddenly reached this state, they are compared to persons drinking nectar eagerly. Because of the context, “the women of Vraja” means specific women, the young gopīs, who from previous time had been attracted by Kṛṣṇa, the great attractor, or had unlimited surrender to him. Hearing that song, they now particularly came there. Not informing others (anyonyam alakṣitodyamāḥ), they were able to go there. That is Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation.
Or they went together in groups without telling others because their minds had lost power of discrimination arising from their attraction to Kṛṣṇa. The word saḥ indicates great desire to remember him. He (saḥ) was most desired by them and by Śukadeva from previous times and at present, because of his attractive form, qualities and flute. They went to the place where the enjoyer stood in an intensely joyfully state. They did not go elsewhere because of the most attractive flute playing.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
They heard the song which increased love (which was previously present) for the Lord.
In the last verse the song was described as attractive. The intention of the present description of the flute is to show the intensity of the attraction. This love (anaṅga—without material parts) is a type of prema and excludes material lust completely. Or though it is without material parts it has spiritual components. The women of Vraja, having new youth, had their minds attracted or absorbed in Kṛṣṇa previously because of his attractive nature. Hearing this song they went to him.
Or though they belonged to groups, they desired to go unseen by others on their own because now they had lost all discrimination, being attracted to him strongly. Or they had not formed groups, but out of rivalry which manifested as part of this special prema, they went alone. Or out of haste, they could not inform their friends that they were going.
With their earrings swaying they came. The word “came” is used because Śukadeva had Krṣṇa within himself. Thus the gopīs came to Kṛṣṇa who was in Śukadeva. Or because of describing the event, he also participating in going, and had a vision of Kṛṣṇa appearing close to him. Or ājagmuḥ can mean “they approached him.” Or they went, giving up everything (ā). This is explained later.
They came where he, the player of the attractive flute (saḥ), or he who was long desired by their vows, because he was their master or source of attraction (kāntaḥ), was standing. Or kāntaḥ can mean “he who produces lasting (anta) happiness (ka).”