Devanagari
या दोहनेऽवहनने मथनोपलेप-प्रेङ्खेङ्खनार्भरुदितोक्षणमार्जनादौ
गायन्ति चैनमनुरक्तधियोऽश्रुकण्ठ्योधन्या व्रजस्त्रिय उरुक्रमचित्तयाना: ॥ १५ ॥
Verse text
yā dohane ’vahanane mathanopalepa
preṅkheṅkhanārbha-ruditokṣaṇa-mārjanādau
gāyanti cainam anurakta-dhiyo ’śru-kaṇṭhyo
dhanyā vraja-striya urukrama-citta-yānāḥ
Synonyms
yaḥ
—
who (the gopīs )
;
dohane
—
while milking
;
avahanane
—
threshing
;
mathana
—
churning
;
upalepa
—
smearing
;
preṅkha
—
on swings
;
iṅkhana
—
swinging
;
arbha
—
rudita — (taking care of) crying babies
;
ukṣaṇa
—
sprinkling
;
mārjana
—
cleaning
;
ādau
—
and so on
;
gāyanti
—
they sing
;
ca
—
and
;
enam
—
about Him
;
anurakta
—
very much attached
;
dhiyaḥ
—
whose minds
;
aśru
—
with tears
;
kaṇṭhyaḥ
—
whose throats
;
dhanyāḥ
—
fortunate
;
vraja
—
striyaḥ — the ladies of Vraja
;
urukrama
—
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
;
citta
—
by consciousness
;
yānāḥ
—
whose acquisition of all desired objects .
Translation
The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women because, with their minds fully attached to Kṛṣṇa and their throats always choked up with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, taking care of their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. By their exalted Kṛṣṇa consciousness they automatically acquire all desirable things.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women because, with their minds fully attached to Kṛṣṇa and their throats always choked up with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, taking care of their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. By their exalted Kṛṣṇa consciousness they automatically acquire all desirable things.
KB 10.44.15
“The gopīs are so fortunate that they can see and think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, beginning from their milking the cows or husking the paddy or churning the butter in the morning. While engaged in cleaning their houses and washing their floors, they are always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa.”
The gopīs give a perfect example of how one can execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness even while performing various types of material engagements. By constantly being absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot be affected by the contamination of material activities. The gopīs, therefore, are perfectly in trance, samādhi, the highest perfectional stage of mystic power. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is confirmed that one who is constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa is a first-class yogī among all kinds of yogīs.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"And even while doing household chores, the gopis were not stopped from drinking the nectar of his sweetness." That is the intent of this verse.
"While milking the cows and doing other chores, such as swinging or sprinkling water on the ground (uksana), they would sing about his name, qualities and form and (ca) see him. In this way, with their tongues they tasted and with their eyes they tasted, without interruption. Krsna, being completely attracted to them (anurakta dhiyah), carries them in his heart (urukrama citta yanah) (though brahma and others carry him in their hearts)." In this way the great fortune of the gopis is expressed.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Even when the gopīs could not directly see Kṛṣṇa, he manifested to them as if he was present. While milking cows or threshing grains, they sometimes saw him (ca) and sometimes sang about him. When they did not see that form, that form (enam) appeared before them as a sphūrti. Because we do not sing like that, we are most unfortunate. Out of great attraction their throats became filled with tears. Or, because they were attached to him, they became overcome with crying (aśru-kaṇṭyaḥ). He made his appearance in their hearts, wherever they went (urukrama -citta-yānāḥ). Another version has cintayānāḥ (their thoughts went to him).
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Even when the gopīs could not directly see Kṛṣṇa, he manifested to them as if he was present. While milking cows or threshing grains, they sometimes saw him (ca) and sometimes sang about him. When they did not see that form, that form (enam) appeared before them as a sphūrti. Because we do not sing like that, we are most unfortunate. Out of great attraction their throats became filled with tears. Or, because they were attached to him, they became overcome with crying (aśru-kaṇṭyaḥ). He made his appearance in their hearts, wherever they went (urukrama –citta-yānāḥ). Another version has cintayānāḥ (their thoughts went to him).