SB 10.35.19 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

मणिधर: क्‍वचिदागणयन् गा मालया दयितगन्धतुलस्या: । प्रणयिनोऽनुचरस्य कदांसे प्रक्षिपन् भुजमगायत यत्र ॥ १८ ॥ क्‍वणितवेणुरववञ्चितचित्ता: कृष्णमन्वसत कृष्णगृहिण्य: । गुणगणार्णमनुगत्य हरिण्यो गोपिका इव विमुक्तगृहाशा: ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

maṇi-dharaḥ kvacid āgaṇayan gā mālayā dayita-gandha-tulasyāḥ praṇayino ’nucarasya kadāṁse prakṣipan bhujam agāyata yatra kvaṇita-veṇu-rava-vaṣcita-cittāḥ kṛṣṇam anvasata kṛṣṇa-gṛhiṇyaḥ guṇa-gaṇārṇam anugatya hariṇyo gopikā iva vimukta-gṛhāśāḥ

Synonyms

maṇi — (a string of) gems ; dharaḥ — holding ; kvacit — somewhere ; āgaṇayan — counting ; gāḥ — the cows ; mālayā — with a flower garland ; dayita — of His beloved ; gandha — having the fragrance ; tulasyāḥ — the tulasī flowers upon which ; praṇayinaḥ — loving ; anucarasya — of a companion ; kadā — at some time ; aṁse — on the shoulder ; prakṣipan — throwing ; bhujam — His arm ; agāyata — He sang ; yatra — when ; kvaṇita — vibrated ; veṇu — of His flute ; rava — by the sound ; vaṣcita — stolen ; cittāḥ — their hearts ; kṛṣṇam — Kṛṣṇa ; anvasata — they sat down beside ; kṛṣṇa — of the black deer ; gṛhiṇyaḥ — the wives ; guṇa — gaṇa — of all transcendental qualities ; arṇam — the ocean ; anugatya — approaching ; hariṇyaḥ — the does ; gopikāḥ — the gopīs ; iva — just like ; vimukta — having given up ; gṛha — for home and family ; āśāḥ — their hopes .

Translation

Now Kṛṣṇa is standing somewhere counting His cows on a string of gems. He wears a garland of tulasī flowers that bear the fragrance of His beloved, and He has thrown His arm over the shoulder of an affectionate cowherd boyfriend. As Kṛṣṇa plays His flute and sings, the music attracts the black deer’s wives, who approach that ocean of transcendental qualities and sit down beside Him. Just like us cowherd girls, they have given up all hope for happiness in family life.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Now Kṛṣṇa is standing somewhere counting His cows on a string of gems. He wears a garland of tulasī flowers that bear the fragrance of His beloved, and He has thrown His arm over the shoulder of an affectionate cowherd boyfriend. As Kṛṣṇa plays His flute and sings, the music attracts the black deer's wives, who approach that ocean of transcendental qualities and sit down beside Him. Just like us cowherd girls, they have given up all hope for happiness in family life. KB 10.35.18-19 Kṛṣṇa had many thousands of cows, and they were divided into groups according to their colors. They were also differently named according to color. When He would prepare to return from the pasturing ground, He would gather all the cows. As Vaiṣṇavas count 108 beads, which represent the 108 individual gopīs, so Kṛṣṇa would also count on 108 beads to count the different groups of cows. “When Kṛṣṇa returns, He is garlanded with tulasī leaves,” a gopī described Him to a friend. “He puts His hand on the shoulder of a cowherd boyfriend and begins to blow His transcendental flute. The wives of the black deer become enchanted upon hearing the vibration of His flute, which resembles the vibration of the vīṇā. The deer come to Kṛṣṇa and become so charmed that they stand still, forgetting their homes and husbands. Like us, who are enchanted by the ocean of the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa, the she-deer become enchanted by the vibration of His flute.”

Purport

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that in the afternoon Śrī Kṛṣṇa dressed Himself in new clothing and then went out to call the cows home. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī gives the following information about the transcendental cows of Vṛndāvana: “For each of the four colors of cows — white, red, black and yellow — there are twenty-five subdivisions, making a total of one hundred colors. And such qualities as being colored like sandalwood-pulp tilaka [speckled] or having a head shaped like a mṛdaṅga drum create eight further groups. To count these 108 groups of cows, distinguished by color and form, Kṛṣṇa is using a string of 108 jewel-beads.… “Thus when Kṛṣṇa calls out ‘Hey Dhavalī [the name of a white cow],’ a whole group of white cows come forward, and when He calls ‘Haṁsī, Candanī, Gaṅgā, Muktā‘ and so on, the twenty-four other groups of white cows come. The reddish cows are called Aruṇī, Kuṅkuma, Sarasvatī, etc., the blackish ones Śyāmalā, Dhūmalā, Yamunā, etc., and the yellowish ones Pītā, Piṅgalā, Haritālikā, etc. Those in the group with tilaka marks on their foreheads are called Citritā, Citra-tilakā, Dīrgha-tilakā and Tiryak-tilakā, and there are groups known as Mṛdaṅga-mukhī [ mṛdaṅga -head], Siṁha-mukhī [lion-head] and so on. “Thus being called by name, the cows are coming forward, and Kṛṣṇa, thinking that when it is time to bring them back from the forest none should be forgotten, is counting them on His jewel-beads.”

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse describes the bewilderment of the deer in the forest, similar to the bewilderment of the gopis in the village, on hear the flute. Krsna had a string of one hundred and eight beads of four different colors-white, red, black and yellow, twenty-five of each color. As well there were eight other beads to count cows of mixed color and different shaped heads. He would hold the beads in his hand and count the cows. Though the number of cows was unlimited, Krsna counted one hundred and eight different groups of cows using the beads. Calling "Dhavali" the dhavali groups of cows wound come. In that way, he called out for Hamsa, Ganga, mukti, (white). Similarly twenty four other groups would come. He would call for Aruna, Kumkuma, Sarasvati (red) , Syamala, Dhumala, Yamuna (black), Pita, Pingala, Haritalika (yellow) . and Citrika, Citratilaka, Dirgha tilaka, mangala tilaka (mixed), and mrdanga and simha mukhi. Calling all the cows in this way, he would not forget even one of them. He also wore a fragrant tulasi garland. When he placed his arm on a friend’s shoulder and began to play his flute, that sound stole the hearts of the female Krsna sara deer. They began to follow after Krsna, because they had tasted the qualities of Krsna, the ocean of all qualities. They gave up attachment to house and food, just as we gopis. We are in the same state as the deer.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

In the later afternoon, wearing a different dress, by playing his flute he gathers the cows in one place to count them and return home. “Even the deer are attracted to the flute, what to speak of us!” That is expressed in this verse. He holds a string of jewels and counts the cows. He calls out the names of the leaders of the groups of cows using his flute. He counts the groups of cows using different colored beads. Though the numbers of cows is unlimited (SB 10.12.3), he counts the group leaders or, he shows his skill by counting them all, for the Lord is more intelligent than the most intelligent. He wears a garland made of tulasī leaves endowed with the fragrance of his beloved. Or, imagining that the bees are singing in the garland, they speak with hatred. He is singing along with the garland. What audacity of the garland! He casually places his left or right arm (above the elbow) on the shoulder of a friends situated slightly lower. That friend is so fortunate to have prema, whereas we are not. He plays the flute in a special so that our hearts are stolen by that loud sound. The black deer’s wives approach. Though they are wives of the black deer which purifies the area, they approach Kṛṣṇa. Gṛhiṇyaḥ means wives or dear most women. They have given up their husbands and approach or take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, because he is an ocean of qualities (guṇa-gaṇārṇam). Another meaning is that they are Kṛṣṇa’s wives (krṣṇa-gṛhiṇyaḥ). They have given up all desires concerning their houses (vimukta-gṛhāśāḥ). Or, they have given up their houses (husbands and relatives) and eating food (āśāḥ). They give up interest in their houses like the gopīs. By mentioned gopīkā instead of “we”, they indicate that they are similar to Kṛṣṇa as cowherd people, whereas the deer, though not very similar, are still attracted to Kṛṣṇa. Or, mentioning the word gopīkā nourishes the rasa more than the word vayam (we), since it is an indirect expression.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

We devoted gopīs have bewilderment because of his actions and beauty, but from far off event the female animals become bewildered by his fragrance and song. Or following the sequence, in the afternoon as the time to return home approaches, putting on new clothing, when he plays his flute to call the cows even the female deer become bewildered, what to speak of us gopis. Two verses describe this. He counts the cows and bulls using pearls on rounding them up to take them back to Vraja. Though there are other animals, he counts the cows since he has special affection for them. kṛṣṇa-vatsair asaṅkhyātair yūthī-kṛtya sva-vatsakān cārayanto ’rbha-līlābhir vijahrus tatra tatra ha Along with Kṛṣṇa’s asaṅkhya of calves, they each put their calves in groups and, while herding them, sported in the forest in a playful spirit. SB 10.12.3 The calves are unlimited. The cows and other animals are also unlimited. Thus it is impossible to count them. However it is possible to count according to group divisions. Or though the cows are unlimited, the cowherds must count and gather them as their duty. The garland is made of tulasī leaves emitting fragrance of the beloved. Since animals have a strong sense of smell, the does approach because of smelling the fragrance from far off. Kṛṣṇa has his left arm on the shoulder of a friend. This shows affection and a place for pastimes. In playing his flute he generally assumes a position with three bends. His left arm is embracing his friend around his neck. That friend has prema and is most fortunate, whereas we are not. He has finished playing his flute at this time. Kvanita indicates the flute’s natural ability to make sounds. Rava indicates making a slight sound once. The sound does not depend on making songs with varieties of sweet notes. By its nature the sound is always sweet but in a song the sweetness becomes perfect. Thus the verse says agayata (he sings). Or first he sings and then plays the flute with special rasa. Their hearts are endowed with that sound or tricked by that sound otherwise they would not stand there with bewildered hearts. The does are there with their husbands (kṛṣṇa-gṛhiṇyaḥ). But they leave their husbands and become followers of Kṛṣṇa, since he is an ocean of all qualities. They approach or follow him (anugatā). As a pun, they have become Kṛṣṇa’s wives (kṛṣṇa-gṛhiṇyaḥ). They, like us, are completely free of desires for things related to the house (vimukta). Or they have attained freedom from the house. Bewildered by his clothing, pastimes and flute, following him, endowed with unlimited qualities, giving up unqualified husbands, the does have attained him as a husband, without desire for house, body, children or wealth. Pale from separation, we should do the same. They do not mentioned “we” but cowherd women to indicate that they are of the same type as Kṛṣṇa the cowherd. Or using the word gopikāḥ nourishes rasa more than the word “we.” Gopikā also means “those who protect their bodies.” Otherwise, out of separation they would die. Or the does are worthy of following (anugatya-hariṇyaḥ), but he causes such bewilderment that they follow him instead of his following them.