Canto 10: The Summum BonumChapter 21: The Gopīs Glorify the Song of Krishna's Flute

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.21.15

nadyas tadā tad upadhārya mukunda-gītam

āvarta-lakshita-manobhava-bhagna-vegāh

ālińgana-sthagitam ūrmi-bhujair murārer

grihnanti pāda-yugalam kamalopahārāh

SYNONYMS

nadyah — the rivers; tadā — then; tat — that; upadhārya — perceiving; mukunda — of Lord Krishna; gītam — the song of His flute; āvarta — by their whirlpools; lakshita — manifest; manah-bhava — by their conjugal desire; bhagna — broken; vegāh — their currents; ālińgana — by their embrace; sthagitam — held stationary; ūrmi-bhujaih — by the arms of their waves; murāreh — of Lord Murāri; grihnanti — they seize; pāda-yugalam — the two lotus feet; kamala-upahārāh — carrying offerings of lotus flowers.

TRANSLATION

When the rivers hear the flute-song of Krishna, their minds begin to desire Him, and thus the flow of their currents is broken and their waters are agitated, moving around in whirlpools. Then with the arms of their waves the rivers embrace Murāri's lotus feet and, holding on to them, present offerings of lotus flowers.

PURPORT

Even such sacred bodies of water as the Yamunā and the Mānasa-gańgā are enchanted by the flute-song, and thus they are disturbed by conjugal attraction for young Krishna. The gopīs are implying that since many different types of living beings are overwhelmed by conjugal love for Krishna, why should the gopīs be criticized for their intense desire to serve Krishna in the conjugal relationship?

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