SB 10.21.2 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

कुसुमितवनराजिशुष्मिभृङ्ग- द्विजकुलघुष्टसर:सरिन्महीध्रम् । मधुपतिरवगाह्य चारयन् गा: सहपशुपालबलश्चुकूज वेणुम् ॥ २ ॥

Verse text

kusumita-vanarāji-śuṣmi-bhṛṅga dvija-kula-ghuṣṭa-saraḥ-sarin-mahīdhram madhupatir avagāhya cārayan gāḥ saha-paśu-pāla-balaś cukūja veṇum

Synonyms

kusumita — flowering ; vana — rāji — among the groups of trees ; śuṣmi — maddened ; bhṛṅga — with bees ; dvija — of birds ; kula — and flocks ; ghuṣṭa — resounding ; saraḥ — its lakes ; sarit — rivers ; mahīdhram — and hills ; madhu — patiḥ — the Lord of Madhu (Kṛṣṇa) ; avagāhya — entering ; cārayan — while tending ; gāḥ — the cows ; saha — paśu — pāla — balaḥ — in the company of the cowherd boys and Lord Balarāma ; cukūja — vibrated ; veṇum — His flute .

Translation

The lakes, rivers and hills of Vṛndāvana resounded with the sounds of maddened bees and flocks of birds moving about the flowering trees. In the company of the cowherd boys and Balarāma, Madhupati [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] entered that forest, and while herding the cows He began to vibrate His flute.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The lakes, rivers and hills of Vṛndāvana resounded with the sounds of maddened bees and flocks of birds moving about the flowering trees. In the company of the cowherd boys and Balarāma, Madhupati [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] entered that forest, and while herding the cows He began to vibrate His flute. KB 10.21.2 Kṛṣṇa was very much pleased with the atmosphere of the forest, where flowers bloomed and bees and drones hummed very jubilantly. While the birds, trees and plants were all looking very happy, Kṛṣṇa, tending the cows and accompanied by Śrī Balarāma and the cowherd boys, began to vibrate His transcendental flute.

Purport

As suggested by the words cukūja veṇum, Lord Kṛṣṇa skillfully blended the sound of His flute with the lovely sounds of Vṛndāvana’s multicolored birds. Thus an irresistible, heavenly vibration was created.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Krsna (madhupati) , entering (avagahya) the forest with its mountains, lakes , rivers, and flowering groves, resounding with the calling of birds and buzzing of bees, played sweetly on his flute (cukuja). The word madhu pati means master of spring (madhu month). The inference is that when Krsna (personification of spring) entered the forests in the autumn, the forests became beautiful with spring flowers. He entered along with Balarama and the cowherd boys (sa pasu pala bala) to herd the cows (gocarane, but it is not mentioned here that they played flutes. Only Krsna played the flute. The venu gita or song of the flute came from Krsna’s flute only.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The cowherds were called followers of Madhu (ancestor in the Yadu dynasty) since they were members of the Yadu dynasty and thus Kṛṣṇa is called Madhupati, lord of the cowherds. This indicates a complete gathering of boys for the pastimes. Also madhupati means the lord of spring, king of the seasons. When the lord of spring enters the forest, then the autumn forest becomes even more beautiful. The word avagāhya (immersing) indicates that he entered completely into the forest, appreciating its very essence. The phrase with saha-paśu-pāla-balaś (with the cowherd boys and Balarāma) goes with the verb cārayan (herding), not with the verb cukūja (playing the flute) since the next verse mentions that the women of Vraja were attracted by that flute. Cukūja has a causative meaning “he made the flute make sounds.”

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The setting is a stimulus for love. The previous verse mentioned that he entered the forest and remained there. This indicates daily pastimes there. He played his flute and the gopīṣ’ response is mentioned in the next verse. Sagogopālakaḥ of the previous verse refers to madhupatī (lord of the cowherds) in this verse. Or overcome by bhāva because of describing the pastimes, Śukadeva could not utter directly Kṛṣṇa’s name. In verse 5 also his name is not mentioned for the same reason. Citsukha accepts the version with acyutaḥ. As lord of the Yādavas (madhupatiḥ), herding cows is not possible. Herding cows suggests a special rasa filled with affection for the devotees. Thus madhupati can also mean “lord of a special intoxicating rasa.” The word suggests that Kṛṣṇa was intoxicated and caused intoxication. Kṛṣṇa entered into the forest completely (avagāhya), into its very nature. With the cowherds and Balarāṁa he played he flute. They all played. Or together with the boys and Balarāma he herded the cows, and played the flute alone.