FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.11.33

गोप्यो रूढरथा नूत्नकुचकुङ्कुमकान्तय: । कृष्णलीला जगु: प्रीत्या निष्ककण्ठ्य: सुवासस: ॥ ३३ ॥
gopyo rūḍha-rathā nūtna-
[gopyo roodha-rathaa nootna-]
kuca-kuṅkuma-kāntayaḥ
[kucha-kunkuma-kaantayah]
kṛṣṇa-līlā jaguḥ prītyā
[krishna-leelaa jaguh preetyaa]
niṣka-kaṇṭhyaḥ suvāsasaḥ
[nishka-kanthyah suvaasasah]
Word-for-word
gopyaḥ — all the cowherd women rūḍha - rathāḥ — while riding on the bullock carts nūtna - kuca - kuṅkuma - kāntayaḥ — their bodies, especially their breasts, were decorated with fresh kuṅkuma kṛṣṇa - līlāḥ — the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa jaguḥ — they chanted prītyā — with great pleasure niṣka - kaṇṭhyaḥ — decorated with lockets on their necks su - vāsasaḥ — very well dressed .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
gopyo rūḍha-rathā nūtna-
gopyaḥ
all the cowherd women
rūḍha - rathāḥ
while riding on the bullock carts
nūtna - kuca - kuṅkuma - kāntayaḥ
their bodies, especially their breasts, were decorated with fresh kuṅkuma
kuca-kuṅkuma-kāntayaḥ
kṛṣṇa-līlā jaguḥ prītyā
kṛṣṇa - līlāḥ
the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa
jaguḥ
they chanted
prītyā
with great pleasure
niṣka-kaṇṭhyaḥ suvāsasaḥ
niṣka - kaṇṭhyaḥ
decorated with lockets on their necks
su - vāsasaḥ
very well dressed .
The cowherd women, riding on the bullock carts, were dressed very nicely with excellent garments, and their bodies, especially their breasts, were decorated with fresh kuṅkuma powder. As they rode, they began to chant with great pleasure the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The cowherd women, riding on the bullock carts, were dressed very nicely with excellent garments, and their bodies, especially their breasts, were decorated with fresh kuṅkuma powder. As they rode, they began to chant with great pleasure the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.
Commentary

Yasoda and Rohini, holding their sons, sat on one cart, for the two sons could not bear separation from each other.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The gopīs are described in two verses. Having mounted a type of cart (rathā), ornamented with niṣkas around their necks (and other ornaments also). Śrīdhara Svāmī gives two meanings to the phrase nūtna- kuca-kuṅkuma-kāntayaḥ. They were beautiful with kuṁkuma freshly applied to their breasts or they were beautiful because of kuṁkuma on their youthful breasts. This first meaning is correct, since it is well known that all the people of Vraja glorify them in this way.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The gopīs are described in two verses. They mounted a type of cart (rathā). Or in order to sing loudly and display beauty they rode in a special vehicle which was higher and broader than a cart. They were especially beautiful because of the kuṅkuma on their young breasts. Thus these women were not old. Or all the women who rode on the carts were ever young. They sang about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa who attracts all hearts. The niṣkās (gold pendants) were the chief ornament, so only they are mentioned.

Related values & verses
Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Vinaya (Humility / Modesty)Discriminative WisdomAdambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)
Related verses
SB 4.29.2 SB 10.11.30 SB 10.11.31 SB 10.11.34 SB 10.11.35 SB 10.11.36 BG 18.64 BG 18.74 BG 4.8 BG 5.4 BG 3.21 BG 16.1
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When the heart is dressed in devotion, even ordinary travel becomes kīrtana — fill your daily commute with Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, not idle chatter.
Practical Applications
  • Convert one daily commute or transit time today into chanting or hearing Kṛṣṇa-līlā instead of scrolling or small talk.
  • Before stepping out of the house, deliberately 'dress' your consciousness — offer your work clothes and grooming to Kṛṣṇa as the gopīs adorned themselves for His sake.
  • Refuse the split between 'sacred time' and 'travel time' — speak of Kṛṣṇa with at least one fellow traveler today, with prīti, not duty.
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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