Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.21.15
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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mukunda
—
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
Mukunda — 'the giver of mukti.' Used at the precise moment the rivers stop flowing toward the sea; the name reminds the hearer that the one who can grant the highest impersonal liberation is here choosing instead to be embraced as a Vraja-beloved.
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āvarta
—
by their whirlpools
Āvarta — a turning-back, a whorl. The rivers' currents whirl backwards toward the sound — a hydrological mirror of how bhakti reverses the soul's outward saṁsāra-flow into a current returning to its source.
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manaḥ-bhava
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by their conjugal desire
Manaḥ (mind) + bhava (arising) — a name for Cupid (the one born in the mind). In Gauḍīya rasa-context, manaḥ-bhava is the river-personified mādhurya: even non-anthropomorphic Vraja loves Kṛṣṇa in the same rasa the gopīs do, only in their own substance (water).
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ūrmi-bhujaiḥ
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by the arms of their waves
Ūrmi (wave) + bhuja (arm). The metaphor is technical kāvya — waves are the river's hands. Gauḍīyas read here the prototype of all later sahajiyā-rejecting orthodox imagery: nature is personified not because she is divine, but because she loves the divine.
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kamala-upahārāḥ
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carrying offerings of lotus flowers
Upahāra — formal offering, pūjā-substance. The rivers offer lotuses to His feet — a Vraja-pūjā performed without priest or mantra, just by being a river in the presence of the flute.
Even such sacred bodies of water as the Yamunā and the Mānasa-gaṅgā are enchanted by the flute-song, and thus they are disturbed by conjugal attraction for young Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs are implying that since many different types of living beings are overwhelmed by conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa, why should the gopīs be criticized for their intense desire to serve Kṛṣṇa in the conjugal relationship?
One may say that the attractiveness of the flue is mainly among women. This verse answers. "All the rivers exhibited whirlpools, indicating their course had been interrupted by the influence of kama. They stopped flowing towards the ocean, their husband, because they had lost all shyness and control. With swelling of the excess water into waves, they embraced the two feet of Murari standing motionless on the river bank, held him in their bodies and offered him lotuses." Kamala besides meaning lotus can mean water according to Amara kosa. So the sentence can also mean that they offered him water. In other words they used their own water to offer him padya, foot wash. Or kamala can also mean wealth. "In order to please Krsna they offered all their wealth to him. The ocean did not hold any hatred towards those rivers for their love of Krsna, unlike our husbands. How unfortunate we are."
Unable to hide their emotions as previously, they attribute their emotions to an inanimate object out of intensity of attraction in attempting to describe their rasa. The rivers like Yamunā and Mānasa-gaṅgā come close and listen with attention (upadhārya) to the attractive sound at that moment. That song, having a rāga of the highest bliss, frees one from all suffering by his association (Mukunda), since he is the crest jewel of all bliss. The whirlpools indicate their agitated state. They offer lotuses in their waves acting as arms. They grasp Murāri’s feet with their waves, covering (sthagita) them by their embrace. The sequence is this. They first offer cut lotuses by the currents. Then they grasp his feet. Then they embrace him surrounding him with water up to his chest by increasing the flow of water. The rivers, hearing the song of the enchanting flute, give up their natural course flowing to the ocean and, offering lotuses dear to Kṛṣṇa, born from the rivers and particularly born in Vṛndāvana, become fixed by embracing with their waves acting as arms the feet of Kṛṣṇa. According to Vāmana Purāṇa, the Lord killed the ancient demon named Mura. The gopīs thus allude to the fact that Kṛṣṇa is like Nārāyaṇa, according to Garga’s words. In worshipping him, their vow of chastity is not broken. The rivers are most fortunate and we are not, since hearing his flute does not help us reach perfection. We cannot stop our course of household duties. We do not have many long arms by which we can embrace even one of his feet to our breasts. The truth is this. When the moon of Kṛṣṇa played his flute song, dry branches blossom, rocks melt and rivers stop flowing. When the water stops, the rivers swell and their waves overflow with lotuses, touching his lotus feet. Seeing this, the gopīs see the rivers as conscious entities.
Enough of speaking about conscious beings. One should describe the fortune of the rivers which are unconscious entities. The rivers like Yamunā and Mānasa-gaṅgā come close and listen with attention (upadhārya) to the attractive sound at that moment. At that moment (tadā), on hearing the sound of his flute, the rivers’ currents stopped and went in whirlpools. Mura was a powerful demon. By a boon from Śiva, he was able to kill anyone by placing his hand on their chest. This is related in Vāmana Purāṇa. He was an enemy of Nārāyaṇa. tasmān nandātmajo ’yaṁ te nārāyaṇa-samo guṇaiḥ: this child of yours is as good as Nārāyaṇa. SB 10.8.19) Because of this information from Garga the people in Vraja called Kṛṣṇa by these names of Nārāyaṇa and because of being similar in qualities. As you previously killed Mura, you prevent death from attacking us. Grasping his two lotus feet in great pain, they take lotuses, his favorite flower, and offer them to him as a gift. As we cannot do that, we are unfortunate. The rest is according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. Or, the song of Murārī gives the greatest happiness (mukunda) or is enchanting. It is filled with nectar. The waves break their course because of transformations (āvarta) of desire. Or mukundagīta-māvarta: the waves stop their course by their manifestation of desire indicated by turning around in circles or move to and fro because of the wealth (mā) of Kṛṣṇa’s song. The waves move erratically in one place because of deep emotion for Kṛṣṇa, and cannot proceed elsewhere. The word tat is used, not mentioning the flute sound directly, for fear of becoming bewildered. By the embrace of the waves, Kṛṣṇa becomes stunned. Or though he moves about in a variegated way, he becomes situated beautifully in one place to respond to the embrace. They make offerings of Lakṣmī (kamala), though she is to be worshipped as well. They have such fortune, but we are miserable. There is another meaning. Hearing the enchanting song of the flute, the rivers give up their natural, swift course to the sea and taking on forms with ornaments. Ornamented with the necklaces (upahāra) of the girls of Vraja (kamala), they stop the lotus feet of Murāri from moving and embrace them by their many long arms resembling waves. They are fortune and we are not, because the result of hearing the flute cannot be fulfilled by us. We cannot give up our household chores and service to our husbands. We cannot publicly wearing ornaments to please Kṛṣṇa. We cannot bring his feet to stop moving with our arms and embrace him on our chests.
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- What 'current' of mine could pause and redirect to His feet right now?
- Where am I letting habit carry me past a moment that calls for an eddy?
The rivers of Vraja hear the flute and their own currents fail. Whirlpools surface where smooth water had been; wave-arms reach for His feet and hold them with handfuls of lotus. Even watercourses, the gopīs say, have stopped doing their job because Mukunda is doing His.
My note
Source: vedabase.io