| Canto 10: The Summum Bonum | Chapter 35: The Gopis Sing of Krsna as He Wanders in the Forest |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.35.8-11
vana-caro giri-tatesu carantir
vana-latas tarava atmani visnum
vyanjayantya iva puspa-phaladhyah
pranata-bhara-vitapa madhu-dharah
prema-hrsta-tanavo vavrsuh sma
divya-gandha-tulasi-madhu-mattaih
ali-kulair alaghu gitam abhistam
hanta milita-drso dhrta-maunah
SYNONYMS
anucaraih -- by His companions; samanuvarnita -- being elaborately described; viryah -- whose prowess; adi-purusah -- the original Personality of Godhead; iva -- as if; acala -- unchanging; bhutih -- whose opulences; vana -- in the forest; carah -- moving about; giri -- of the mountains; tatesu -- on the sides; carantih -- who are grazing; venuna -- with His flute; ahvayati -- calls; gah -- the cows; sah -- He; yada -- when; hi -- indeed; vana-latah -- the forest creepers; taravah -- and the trees; atmani -- within themselves; visnum -- the Supreme Lord, Visnu; vyanjayantyah -- revealing; iva -- as if; puspa -- with flowers; phala -- and fruits; adhyah -- richly endowed; pranata -- bowed down; bhara -- because of the weight; vitapah -- whose branches; madhu -- of sweet sap; dharah -- torrents; prema -- out of ecstatic love; hrsta -- hairs standing on end; tanavah -- on whose bodies (trunks); vavrsuh sma -- they have rained down; darsaniya -- of persons who are attractive to see; tilakah -- the most excellent; vana-mala -- upon His garland made of forest flowers; divya -- divine; gandha -- whose fragrance; tulasi -- of the tulasi flowers; madhu -- by the honeylike sweetness; mattaih -- intoxicated; ali -- of bees; kulaih -- by the swarms; alaghu -- strong; gitam -- the singing; abhistam -- desirable; adriyan -- thankfully acknowledging; yarhi -- when; sandhita -- placed; venuh -- His flute; sarasi -- in the lake; sarasa -- the cranes; hamsa -- swans; vihangah -- and other birds; caru -- charming; gita -- by the song (of His flute); hrta -- taken away; cetasah -- whose minds; etya -- coming forward; harim -- Lord Krsna; upasata -- worship; te -- they; yata -- under control; cittah -- whose minds; hanta -- ah; milita -- closed; drsah -- their eyes; dhrta -- maintaining; maunah -- silence.
TRANSLATION
Krsna moves about the forest in the company of His friends, who vividly chant the glories of His magnificent deeds. He thus appears just like the Supreme Personality of Godhead exhibiting His inexhaustible opulences. When the cows wander onto the mountainsides and Krsna calls out to them with the sound of His flute, the trees and creepers in the forest respond by becoming so luxuriant with fruits and flowers that they seem to be manifesting Lord Visnu within their hearts. As their branches bend low with the weight, the filaments on their trunks and vines stand erect out of the ecstasy of love of God, and both the trees and the creepers pour down a rain of sweet sap.
Maddened by the divine, honeylike aroma of the tulasi flowers on the garland Krsna wears, swarms of bees sing loudly for Him, and that most beautiful of all persons thankfully acknowledges and acclaims their song by taking His flute to His lips and playing it. The charming flute song then steals away the minds of the cranes, swans and other lake-dwelling birds. Indeed they approach Krsna, close their eyes and, maintaining strict silence, worship Him by fixing their consciousness upon Him in deep meditation.
PURPORT
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has made several illuminating comments on these verses. He gives the analogy that just as when householder Vaisnavas hear a sankirtana party approaching they become ecstatic and offer obeisances, so the trees and creepers in Vrndavana became ecstatic when they heard Krsna's flute and bowed low with their branches and vines. The word darsaniya-tilaka in Text 10 indicates not only that the Lord is "the most excellent (to see)," but also that He decorated Himself with attractive reddish tilaka taken from the mineral rich earth of Vrndavana forest.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti also points out that tulasi, although exalted in many ways, is not normally considered an especially fragrant plant. However, early in the morning tulasi emits a transcendental fragrance that ordinary people cannot perceive but that transcendental personalities fully appreciate. The bees who are privileged to swarm about the flower garlands worn by the Supreme Personality of Godhead certainly appreciate this fragrance, and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti quotes from the Bhagavatam (3.15.19) to the effect that the most fragrant plants in Vaikuntha also appreciate the special qualifications of Tulasi-devi.
The word sandhita-venuh in Text 10 indicates that Lord Krsna placed His flute firmly upon His lips. And the melody emanating from that flute is certainly the most enchanting of sounds, as the gopis describe in this chapter.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari