FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.14.19

न पिबन्ति स्तनं वत्सा न दुह्यन्ति च मातर: । रुदन्त्यश्रुमुखा गावो न हृष्यन्त्यृषभा व्रजे ॥ १९ ॥
na pibanti stanaṁ vatsā
[na pibanti stanam vatsaa]
na duhyanti ca mātaraḥ
[na duhyanti cha maatarah]
rudanty aśru-mukhā gāvo
[rudanty ashru-mukhaa gaavo]
na hṛṣyanty ṛṣabhā vraje
[na hrishyanty rishabhaa vraje]
na — does not pibanti — suck stanam — breast vatsāḥ — the calves na — do not duhyanti — allow milking ca — also mātaraḥ — the cows rudanti — crying aśru-mukhāḥ — with a tearful face gāvaḥ — the cows na — do not hṛṣyanti — take pleasure ṛṣabhāḥ — the bulls vraje — in the pasturing ground.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na pibanti stanaṁ vatsā
na
does not
pibanti
suck
stanam
breast
vatsāḥ
the calves
na duhyanti ca mātaraḥ
na
do not
duhyanti
allow milking
ca
also
mātaraḥ
the cows
rudanty aśru-mukhā gāvo
rudanti
crying
aśru-mukhāḥ
with a tearful face
gāvaḥ
the cows
na hṛṣyanty ṛṣabhā vraje
na
do not
hṛṣyanti
take pleasure
ṛṣabhāḥ
the bulls
vraje
in the pasturing ground.
The calves do not suck the teats of the cows, nor do the cows give milk. They are standing, crying, tears in their eyes, and the bulls take no pleasure in the pasturing grounds.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The calves do not drink milk and the cows do not give milk. The cows wail with tearful faces and the bulls do not enjoy the fields.
Commentary

Na duhyanti as a reflexive verb (the cows do not milk themselves) is poetic license. It means that the cows do not give milk.

Calves don't suck cows; cows give no milk. They stand, crying. Bulls take no pleasure in pasture. Even animal joy has withdrawn. Generosity dries up when era is wrong.
Reflection Questions
  • Where has joy withdrawn from a place that used to nourish?
  • What might be restored if I tended the basics again?
📝 My note

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