FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.33

तदीक्षणोत्प्रेमरसाप्लुताशया जातानुरागा गतमन्यवोऽर्भकान् । उदुह्य दोर्भि: परिरभ्य मूर्धनि घ्राणैरवापु: परमां मुदं ते ॥ ३३ ॥
tad-īkṣaṇotprema-rasāplutāśayā
[tad-eekshanotprema-rasaaplutaashayaa]
jātānurāgā gata-manyavo ’rbhakān
[jaataanuraagaa gata-manyavo ’rbhakaan]
uduhya dorbhiḥ parirabhya mūrdhani
[uduhya dorbhih parirabhya moordhani]
ghrāṇair avāpuḥ paramāṁ mudaṁ te
[ghraanair avaapuh paramaam mudam te]
tat - īkṣaṇa - utprema - rasa - āpluta - āśayāḥ — all the thoughts of the cowherd men merged in the mellow of paternal love, which was aroused by seeing their sons jāta - anurāgāḥ — experiencing a great longing or attraction gata - manyavaḥ — their anger disappeared arbhakān — their young sons uduhya — lifting dorbhiḥ — with their arms parirabhya — embracing mūrdhani — on the head ghrāṇaiḥ — by smelling avāpuḥ — obtained paramām — the highest mudam — pleasure te — those cowherd men .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tad-īkṣaṇotprema-rasāplutāśayā
tat - īkṣaṇa - utprema - rasa - āpluta - āśayāḥ
all the thoughts of the cowherd men merged in the mellow of paternal love, which was aroused by seeing their sons
jātānurāgā gata-manyavo ’rbhakān
jāta - anurāgāḥ
experiencing a great longing or attraction
gata - manyavaḥ
their anger disappeared
uduhya dorbhiḥ parirabhya mūrdhani
arbhakān
their young sons
ghrāṇair avāpuḥ paramāṁ mudaṁ te
uduhya
lifting
dorbhiḥ
with their arms
parirabhya
embracing
mūrdhani
on the head
ghrāṇaiḥ
by smelling
avāpuḥ
obtained
paramām
the highest
mudam
pleasure
te
those cowherd men .
  • gata-manyavaḥ — their anger gone
    Compound: gata (gone) + manyu (anger). The same manyu of verse 32, now departed. Gauḍīyas note: anger does not have to be conquered; in the presence of Kṛṣṇa-vātsalya it simply leaves.
  • ghrāṇaiḥ — by smelling
    Instrumental plural of ghrāṇa (nose, sense of smell). The fathers smell their sons' heads. Vraja's specific gesture of father-vātsalya: head-smelling. Gauḍīyas note that olfaction is the most somatic of the senses, and Vraja-love uses it directly.
  • mūrdhani — on the head
    Locative of mūrdhan (head, crown). The site of the smelling. The crown of the child is where the father's love places itself — anatomically and emotionally.
  • paramām — highest
    Feminine accusative of parama (highest). Paired in the verse with mudam (joy): paramām mudam — the highest pleasure. Mud is the līlā's standing word for what Kṛṣṇa's presence produces; here it is paramā. Gauḍīyas read this superlative as the verse's quiet doctrinal claim: contact with Kṛṣṇa, even unknowing, produces parama-mud.
At that time, all the thoughts of the cowherd men merged in the mellow of paternal love, which was aroused by the sight of their sons. Experiencing a great attraction, their anger completely disappearing, they lifted their sons, embraced them in their arms and enjoyed the highest pleasure by smelling their sons’ heads.

After Brahmā stole the original cowherd boys and calves, Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself to become the boys and calves again. Therefore, because the boys were actually Kṛṣṇa’s expansions, the cowherd men were especially attracted to them. At first the cowherd men, who were on top of the hill, were angry, but because of Kṛṣṇa the boys were extremely attractive, and therefore the cowherd men immediately came down from the hill with special affection.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
At that time, all the thoughts of the cowherd men merged in the mellow of paternal love, which was aroused by the sight of their sons. Experiencing a great attraction, their anger completely disappearing, they lifted their sons, embraced them in their arms and enjoyed the highest pleasure by smelling their sons' heads.
Commentary

Oh ignorant men! Why were the cows drawn towards their calves? The elders wanted to scold the cows , but by glancing at their children, they became filled with prema. Having attained the fifth stage of prema, with two types of anuraga, (jatanuragah), intense thirst and intense happiness, they forgot their anger.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Though the boys made a mistake in bringing the calves in sight of the affectionate mother cows and did not take them away, the cowherds’ hearts, on seeing their sons, overflowed with intense prema-rasa. They raised (uduhya) them on their laps. Another version has udghṛya. The meaning is the same. Prema-rasa indicates extreme joy and anurāgāḥ indicates extreme thirst or attraction. Since the cowherds, like the cows, could have seen their sons from a distance, or even if they did not, on having a suddenly vision of their sons with the calves, it was possible that they could not become angry with them. Thus they instead showed anger towards the cows which disobeyed them. By coming close to their sons and realizing their sweetness, they developed prema and peacefulness.

Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Kartavya (Duty / Responsibility)Satya (Truthfulness)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)
Related verses
The men lift their sons, embrace them, and smell their heads — the highest pleasure. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that even when expanded as ordinary boys He draws love effortlessly out of those around Him.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I forcing affection that would arise naturally if I just spent unhurried time in the right presence?
  • Whose head, in tenderness, have I not 'smelled' lately because life has stayed too efficient?

As a father who came to scold but instead lifts the child onto his hip and breathes in the top of the head — anger drowning in a single inhalation — the gopas' rage drowns in the smell of their sons' hair. The līlā has multiplied this single inhalation across every Vraja father at once.

📝 My note

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