SB 10.29.46 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नद्या: पुलिनमाविश्य गोपीभिर्हिमवालुकम् । जुष्टं तत्तरलानन्दिकुमुदामोदवायुना ॥ ४५ ॥ बाहुप्रसारपरिरम्भकरालकोरु- नीवीस्तनालभननर्मनखाग्रपातै: । क्ष्वेल्यावलोकहसितैर्व्रजसुन्दरीणा- मुत्तम्भयन् रतिपतिं रमयां चकार ॥ ४६ ॥

Verse text

nadyāḥ pulinam āviśya gopībhir hima-vālukam juṣṭaṁ tat-taralānandi kumudāmoda-vāyunā bāhu-prasāra-parirambha-karālakoru nīvī-stanālabhana-narma-nakhāgra-pātaiḥ kṣvelyāvaloka-hasitair vraja-sundarīṇām uttambhayan rati-patiṁ ramayāṁ cakāra

Synonyms

nadyāḥ — of the river ; pulinam — the bank ; āviśya — entering upon ; gopībhiḥ — together with the gopīs ; hima — cool ; vālukam — by its sand ; juṣṭam — served ; tat — of it ; tarala — by the waves ; ānandi — made joyful ; kumuda — of the lotuses ; āmoda — (carrying) the fragrance ; vāyunā — by the wind ; bāhu — of His arms ; prasāra — with the throwing ; parirambha — with embraces ; kara — of their hands ; alaka — hair ; ūru — thighs ; nīvī — belts ; stana — and breasts ; ālabhana — with the touching ; narma — in sport ; nakha — of fingernails ; agra — pātaiḥ — with the striking ; kṣvelyā — with playful conversation ; avaloka — glancing ; hasitaiḥ — and laughter ; vraja — sundarīṇām — for the beautiful young girls of Vraja ; uttambhayan — inciting ; rati — patim — Cupid ; ramayām cakāra — He took pleasure .

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa went with the gopīs to the bank of the Yamunā, where the sand was cooling and the wind, enlivened by the river’s waves, bore the fragrance of lotuses. There Kṛṣṇa threw His arms around the gopīs and embraced them. He aroused Cupid in the beautiful young ladies of Vraja by touching their hands, hair, thighs, belts and breasts, by playfully scratching them with His fingernails, and also by joking with them, glancing at them and laughing with them. In this way the Lord enjoyed His pastimes.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa went with the gopīs to the bank of the Yamunā, where the sand was cooling and the wind, enlivened by the river's waves, bore the fragrance of lotuses. There Kṛṣṇa threw His arms around the gopīs and embraced them. He aroused Cupid in the beautiful young ladies of Vraja by touching their hands, hair, thighs, belts and breasts, by playfully scratching them with His fingernails, and also by joking with them, glancing at them and laughing with them. In this way the Lord enjoyed His pastimes. KB 10.29.45-46 In this way the Lord and the gopīs reached the cool, sandy bank of the Yamunā, where there were lilies and lotus flowers. In such a transcendental atmosphere, the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa began to enjoy one another. While they were walking on the bank of the Yamunā, Kṛṣṇa would sometimes put His arms around a gopī’s head, breast or waist. Pinching one another and joking and looking at one another, they enjoyed. When Kṛṣṇa touched the bodies of the gopīs, their lust to embrace Him increased. They all enjoyed these pastimes. Thus the gopīs were blessed with all mercy by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for they enjoyed His company without a tinge of mundane sex life.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

He began to enjoy with the gopis on the sandy bank of the river, in the wind which got pleasure from the waves of the river by its coolness and gentle flowing, and which carried the fragrances of lotuses which started to bloom even at night. Instead of the word reme, justam is sometimes seen in this verse. In case justam is used in this verse, then this verse is connected to the next verse, where the main verb would be ramanam cakara. In the case of using justam, this verse would mean "Entering the sandy bank of the river with the gopis, served by the winds filled with lotus fragrance and causing joy to the waves." Instead of kumuda amoda sometimes the phrase tarala ananda (giving joy to the waves) is seen. The gopis usually had their arms crossed over their chests. He opened them up and made them embrace him. He touched (alabhanam) their hands, hair, thighs, breasts and belts. Playful he scratched them with his nails. He incited their and his desire (ratipatim) with his glances and smiles. With each gopi he began to enjoy individually. How was it possible for Krsna to enjoy with millions of young women on the limited bank of the river without suitable beds, without covering? Like the Lord himself, Vrndavana is endowed with great powers. The dimension of a sesame seed expanded unlimitedly. The groves had coverings. There were beds made of fragrant flowers with sandalwood, garlands and tambula. These were all revealed by the inconceivable power of Yogamaya, and were covered again at the end of the pastimes. In this way all is adjusted.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

He brought them to the Yamunā and then enjoyed with them with great cleverness. That is described in two verses. The sand was white like camphor (hima-vālukam). The forest was Vṛndāvana. The bank was served by wind fragrant with lotuses which played joyfully with the waves. The lotuses blossomed at night, like jasmines blooming in the autumn, by the influence of the pastimes filled with rasa. The wind served agreeably, with coolness and fragrance. Instead of ānandi sometimes ānanda is seem and instead of juṣṭam sometimes reme is seen. Though it was covered by natural shyness, he aroused their highest prema called mahābhāva (rati-patiim) or he aroused the master of rati, characterized by affection appropriate to a lover, by embracing them etc. This shows his great attraction to rati and his skill. Bāhu-prasāra-parirambha means he began to embrace them or he embraced them tightly with his two arms. He used playful words with allusions (kṣveli). These women were qualified because of their great beauty (vraja-sundarīnām). According to the logic of “Where there is beauty there are qualities (yatrākṛtis tata guṇā vasanti),” they also had great intelligence. The gopīs did not see each other enjoying with him because of his special power of bewilderment.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

He brought them to the Yamunā and then enjoyed with them with great cleverness. That is described in two verses. The river was the Yamunā as is confirmed in SB 1030.45. The name of the forest and the river are not mentioned since they would be inferred by the present descriptions, as they were well known. Or it is described simply as a river to emphasize the excellence of the bank and it flowed through the forest, to emphasis the solitary nature of the place. He entered the place with the gopīs, with great affection (āviśya). It had cool sand. It was thus suitable as a bed for love pastimes since it would bring relief from fatigue and would be soft. The bank was served by wind made blissful by the river’s waves and carrying the fragrance of lotuses. Or the bank was served by wind made fragrant by lotuses made to blossom at night though they were normally closed at that time, since they became blissful by waves shaking them. Another version has kumud. The bank was made cool by the waves, and fragrant and indolent by the wind. The bank was suitable for love. It was an uddīpana for love. He manifested (uttambhayan) the gopīs’ love though it was covered, by spreading his arms etc. Or though the love was present already in the form of special prema, now it increased particularly. Rati-patim means “one who nourishes prema.” Though Cupid’s body was burned up, to enjoy prema at this time he got a new body (uttambhayan). This shows his attraction for rati or prema, and his extreme cleverness in love. By spreading his arms he attracted the gopīs who were sitated far away. Or first he imitiated embracing them. Or he spread their arms. Or by spreading his arms he then embraced them tightly. Kṣeveli (play) indicates making allusions or biting or drinking the nectar of their lips. They were also skilful at love (vraja-sundarīṇām). Otherwise his skill in love would not manifest. He enjoyed with each of them by his special śakti.