Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.29
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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govardhana-adri-śirasi
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on the summit of Govardhana Hill
Compound: Govardhana (the cow-prospering hill) + adri (mountain) + śiras (head, summit). Govardhana is itself a recurring Vraja-pilgrimage site. Gauḍīyas hold Govardhana as Kṛṣṇa's own form — the hill from which the cows look down is also the Lord.
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vidūrāt
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from a distance
Ablative of vidūra (far). The cows see their calves from far away. Gauḍīyas note the visual mechanics: distance does not dim vātsalya; if anything, distance sharpens the vātsalya-eye.
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carataḥ
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grazing
Present participle of √car (to move). The calves are not stationary; the cows track movement. Vraja's economy is constant gentle motion.
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upavrajam
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near Vrajabhūmi
Compound: upa (near) + vraja. The calves are 'near Vraja' — at the foot of Govardhana, in the pasturage. Gauḍīyas pinpoint this as one of the standing cow-grazing sites of the Vraja-maṇḍala.
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tṛṇam
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tender grass
Same tṛṇa that lured the calves into the forest at verse 12. The chapter's framing word: grass is the small substance around which the whole cosmic līlā has rotated.
While the cows were eating grass (trnam carantah) on top of Govardhana they saw not far off from there (tatah) near vraja (upavrajam) their calves grazing.
After this (tataḥ), the cows saw the calves grazing near Vraja (upavrajam). This was near Rādhā-kuṇḍa, north-east of Govardhana, where Vraja also spread. This is four krośas in a straight path from Saṭṭīkara. This is within Vraja for later it will be said atha tarhy āgato goṣṭham ariṣṭo vṛṣabhāsuraḥ: the demon Ariṣṭa then came to the cowherd village. (SB 10.36.1) The cows were absorbed in chewing delicious grass, but then they saw the calves. Kṛṣṇa was a little older now, and thus was qualified to herd the older calves.
At that time (tataḥ) the cows saw their calves near Rādhā-kuṇḍa at the edge of Vraja (upavrajam). Or the cows were grazing far from the calves (tataḥ). Or far from Govadhana the cows saw the calves grazing at Upavraja. Even though they were grazing they saw the calves, because of great affection.
- Where is my love quietly trying to go to its actual object, while I keep insisting it stay in its 'correct' place?
- What 'view from Govardhana' might let me see what my heart is truly after?
Like a herd of mares grazing on a hilltop that suddenly catches the scent of their foals across the valley — the cows look down from Govardhana and see their calves below, and time stops. The līlā that has been hidden in a year of substituted vātsalya is about to release itself through a single downward look.
My note
Source: vedabase.io