SB 10.46.12 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

वासितार्थेऽभियुध्यद्भ‍िर्नादितं शुश्मिभिर्वृषै: । धावन्तीभिश्च वास्राभिरुधोभारै: स्ववत्सकान् ॥ ९ ॥ इतस्ततो विलङ्घद्भ‍िर्गोवत्सैर्मण्डितं सितै: । गोदोहशब्दाभिरवं वेणूनां नि:स्वनेन च ॥ १० ॥ गायन्तीभिश्च कर्माणि शुभानि बलकृष्णयो: । स्वलङ्कृताभिर्गोपीभिर्गोपैश्च सुविराजितम् ॥ ११ ॥ अग्‍न्यर्कातिथिगोविप्रपितृदेवार्चनान्वितै: । धूपदीपैश्च माल्यैश्च गोपावासैर्मनोरमम् ॥ १२ ॥ सर्वत: पुष्पितवनं द्विजालिकुलनादितम् । हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णै: पद्मषण्डैश्च मण्डितम् ॥ १३ ॥

Verse text

vāsitārthe ’bhiyudhyadbhir nāditaṁ śuśmibhir vṛṣaiḥ dhāvantībhiś ca vāsrābhir udho-bhāraiḥ sva-vatsakān itas tato vilaṅghadbhir go-vatsair maṇḍitaṁ sitaiḥ go-doha-śabdābhiravaṁ veṇūnāṁ niḥsvanena ca gāyantībhiś ca karmāṇi śubhāni bala-kṛṣṇayoḥ sv-alaṅkṛtābhir gopībhir gopaiś ca su-virājitam agny-arkātithi-go-vipra- pitṛ-devārcanānvitaiḥ dhūpa-dīpaiś ca mālyaiś ca gopāvāsair mano-ramam sarvataḥ puṣpita-vanaṁ dvijāli-kula-nāditam haṁsa-kāraṇḍavākīrṇaiḥ padma-ṣaṇḍaiś ca maṇḍitam

Synonyms

vāsita — of the fertile (cows) ; arthe — for the sake ; abhiyudhyadbhiḥ — who were fighting with one another ; nāditam — resounding ; śuśmibhiḥ — sexually aroused ; vṛṣaiḥ — with the bulls ; dhāvantībhiḥ — running ; ca — and ; vāsrābhiḥ — with the cows ; udhaḥ — by their udders ; bhāraiḥ — burdened ; sva — after their own ; vatsakān — calves ; itaḥ tataḥ — here and there ; vilaṅghadbhiḥ — jumping ; go — vatsaiḥ — by the calves ; maṇḍitam — adorned ; sitaiḥ — white ; go — doha — of the milking of the cows ; śabda — by the sounds ; abhiravam — reverberating ; veṇūnām — of flutes ; niḥsvanena — with the loud vibration ; ca — and ; gāyantībhiḥ — who were singing ; ca — and ; karmāṇi — about the deeds ; śubhāni — auspicious ; bala — kṛṣṇayoḥ — of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa ; su — finely ; alaṅkṛtābhiḥ — ornamented ; gopībhiḥ — with the cowherd women ; gopaiḥ — the cowherd men ; ca — and ; su — virājitam — resplendent ; agni — of the sacrificial fire ; arka — the sun ; atithi — guests ; go — the cows ; vipra — the brāhmaṇas ; pitṛ — forefathers ; deva — and demigods ; arcana — with worship ; anvitaiḥ — filled ; dhūpa — with incense ; dīpaiḥ — lamps ; ca — and ; mālyaiḥ — with flower garlands ; ca — also ; gopa — āvāsaiḥ — because of the homes of the cowherds ; manaḥ — ramam — very attractive ; sarvataḥ — on all sides ; puṣpita — flowering ; vanam — with the forest ; dvija — of birds ; ali — and bees ; kula — with the swarms ; nāditam — resounding ; haṁsa — with swans ; kāraṇḍava — and a certain species of duck ; ākīrṇaiḥ — crowded ; padma — ṣaṇḍaiḥ — with bowers of lotuses ; ca — and ; maṇḍitam — beautified .

Translation

Gokula resounded on all sides with the sounds of bulls in rut fighting with one another for fertile cows; with the mooing of cows, burdened by their udders, chasing after their calves; with the noise of milking and of the white calves jumping here and there; with the loud reverberation of flute-playing; and with the singing of the all-auspicious deeds of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma by the cowherd men and women, who made the village resplendent with their wonderfully ornamented attire. The cowherds’ homes in Gokula appeared most charming with their abundant paraphernalia for worship of the sacrificial fire, the sun, unexpected guests, the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the forefathers and the demigods. On all sides lay the flowering forest, echoing with flocks of birds and swarms of bees and beautified by its lakes crowded with swans, kāraṇḍava ducks and bowers of lotuses.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Gokula resounded on all sides with the sounds of bulls in rut fighting with one another for fertile cows; with the mooing of cows, burdened by their udders, chasing after their calves; with the noise of milking and of the white calves jumping here and there; with the loud reverberation of flute-playing; and with the singing of the all-auspicious deeds of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma by the cowherd men and women, who made the village resplendent with their wonderfully ornamented attire. The cowherds' homes in Gokula appeared most charming with their abundant paraphernalia for worship of the sacrificial fire, the sun, unexpected guests, the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the forefathers and the demigods. On all sides lay the flowering forest, echoing with flocks of birds and swarms of bees and beautified by its lakes crowded with swans, kāraṇḍava ducks and bowers of lotuses. KB 10.46.9-13 He saw bulls running after cows for mating; other cows, with overladen milk bags, were running after their calves to feed them with milk. Uddhava saw that the entire land of Vṛndāvana was filled with white cows and their calves, running here and there all over Gokula, and he could hear the sound of milking. Every residential house in Vṛndāvana was decorated for the worship of the sun-god and the fire-god and for the reception of guests, cows, brāhmaṇas and demigods. Every home was sanctified by lights and incense. All over Vṛndāvana there were nice gardens filled with flowers and the sounds of humming bees and singing birds. The lakes were filled with lotus flowers and with ducks and swans.

Purport

Although Gokula was merged in grief because of separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord expanded His internal potency to cover that particular manifestation of Vraja and allow Uddhava to see the normal bustle and joy of Vraja at sunset.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Vraja is described in five verses. Inspired by the Lord’s iccha sakti, yogamaya said, "Let Uddahva see the splendor of my Vraja." Covering separation from Krsna--grief expressed through the sancari bhavas of nirveda, visada and dainya, she showed Uddhava a typical evening in Vraja in which Krsna was present, with positive sentiments of joy, eagerness, enthusiasm etc. Because the cows were in heat (vasitah), the maddened bulls were mooing loudly and fighting with each other to mate with the cows. Vraja echoed with the sounds of the cows who were running towards their new calves. Along with the sound of milking cows there were shouts in all directions such as "Let the cow loose" "Don’t let the cow loose" "Bring the cows here" Let the cows go." "Do this quickly" "Do this slowly." "Bring this." "Take this." "Give this. Receive this." There was also the sound of the flute, and the singing of the gopis. By all this Vraja appeared splendid. Vraja was made attractive by the houses of the cowherd men in which sacrifices and worship were performed.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Five verses describe the scene which gave joy to Uddhava. Yudhyadbhiḥ means “fighting with.” Vatsakān means calves which were objects of compassion. The cows and calves were brilliant white. The place was filled with the sound of milking cows. The place was made beautiful with the sound of flutes and with ornamented cowherds and women. The women described here are not the gopīs of Kṛṣṇa since those gopīs have already been described as giving up interest in their bodies. The cowherds described in this verse were those other than the cowherd boys like Śrīdāmā. After the depiction of normal activity, a depiction of Vedic activities is given. Respect was given to the sun and fire by daily sacrifice and worship, to the cows by feeding etc, and to the guests, brāhmaṇas, devatās and Pitṛs by proper respect. Or the fire, the sun, the guest, the cow, and the brāhmaṇa are the abodes where the Lord can be worshipped. The Pitṛs and devatās are necessarily to be worshipped in one’s house (by persons following dharma). As devotees the people of Vraja took all these entities as intimately related with Kṛṣṇa and thus worshipped them. Though the people of Vraja, most worthy of worship by the greatest souls, do not have to act according to the rules, as part of the pastimes they follow rules of dharma just like the Lord. But it is shown here that as vaiśyas of the abhīra group, Kṛṣṇa and the inhabitants of Vraja were twice born (able to perform sacrifices etc.). At the name giving ceremony of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma it was said: perform the saṁskāras of the twice born. (SB 10.8.10) kṛṣi-vāṇijya-go-rakṣā kusīdaṁ tūryam ucyate vārtā catur-vidhā tatra vayaṁ go-vṛttayo ‘niśam The occupational duties of the vaiśya are conceived in four divisions: farming, commerce, cow protection and moneylending. Out of these, we are always engaged in cow protection. SB 10.24.21 The beauty within the houses is then described: the houses were decorated with garlands, lamps and incense. The beauty of the surrounding environment is then described. The forests were replete with birds and flowers and decorated with groups of lotuses growing in the lakes.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Five verses describe the scene which gave joy to Uddhava. The cause of dust being raised is explained. There were sounds made by fighting bulls. Ca indicates the cows were mooing. The calves were newly born (vatsakān). Buffaloes are excluded in this description. The place was ornamented with white calves jumping about, or with cows running about, affectionate to their calves (go-vatsaiḥ). Though the cows and bulls were generally white, the new calves were especially white with purity. Having described the bliss of the animals, the activities of the cowherds is described. The sound of milking mixed with the sound of flutes (and other instruments not described). The flute sound can be connect with nāditam in the previous verse. The bliss of the gopīs is then described. They sang about the auspicious activities of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, while weeping with prema (ca). Though persons suffering greatly should not be causes of joy, since they appear dirty and disturbed, they manifest indescribable beauty because of astonishing deep prema for the Lord in spite of the dirt, and attractiveness in spite of their deformity. The bliss because of the beauty of the gopīs is described. They decorated themselves nicely with ornaments sent by the Lord, in order to please him. They thought that when he came, he would see them and be happy. The cowherds were also ornamented (ca). This made everything especially beautiful (su-virājitam). The bliss from a wealth of dharma is described. Fire and the sun were worshipped by nitya-homas. Cows were worshipped by feeding them. Guests, brāhmaṇas, pitṛs and devatās were worshipped by offerings. Or the first five are receptacles in which the Lord is worshipped. Worship of pitṛs and devatās is obligatory for householders. The houses were attractive with this worship. Though the people of Vraja are not obliligated to worship, being great devotees, like the Lord they perform these actions as pastimes. The bliss from the ingredients is described. The specific items are mentioned because of their auspiciousness. Flags and banners should also be included. The incense and garlands were for the worship or were decorations on the houses. Having described the bliss of the village, the outer areas are described. Since Vṛndāvana is the shelter of everything, in all places there were flowering trees and creepers and lakes full of swans and ducks and lotuses. Previously the joy of the cows and bulls was described. In the forests as well the animals were joyful. The cowherds thought that Kṛṣṇa would quickly return because of his words “I will come to see my relatives.”