Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.21.4
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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smarantyaḥ
—
remembering
Present participle feminine plural of √smṛ. Smaraṇa is the third of the navadhā-bhakti limbs (SB 7.5.23); here it is shown as so potent that it dissolves the very speech it was meant to generate.
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kṛṣṇa-ceṣṭitam
—
the activities of Kṛṣṇa
Ceṣṭita is from √ceṣṭ — to move, to act with intent. Kṛṣṇa-ceṣṭita is precisely līlā: not karma (which binds) but free play. Gauḍīyas insist His every gesture is non-binding and rasa-laden.
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smara-vegena
—
by the force of Cupid
Vega is a sudden surge or torrent. In rāgānuga psychology, smara-vega is the rush of mādhurya-bhāva that breaks ordinary mental composure — a sign, not of agitation, but of bhāva crossing into deeper transport.
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nṛpa
—
O King Parīkṣit
Śuka addresses Parīkṣit at the very moment the gopīs are losing speech. The vocative reminds us this teaching reaches the dying king specifically — Parīkṣit will leave the body absorbed in such kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa, the Bhāgavatam's prayojana.
When the gopis attempted to describe the song of the flute, they could not do so, because their hearts were overcome with strong desire for Krsna.
This verse describes the sequence of the arousal of love. They began to describe him privately, indirectly (parokṣam in the previous verse). But as they began they could not do so, because of the impulses of love (smara-vegena). They turned over again and again in their minds the activities of he who attracted their hearts (Kṛṣṇa), using his flute. O king! Śukadeva addresses Parīkṣit with great pain produced by his intense emotions. Or he calls to Parīkṣit to control him when he sees that Parīkṣit is developing strong emotions.
They were just beginning to describe his actions, but could not, because of the impulse of love with remembrance of Kṛṣṇa. They pondered the actions, consisting of playing the flute or what will be described later, of Kṛṣṇa, who attracts all hearts. Or some described his activities (from the previous verse) while others could not begin. O king! Śukadeva calls out with pain on attaining a special bhāva while relating this. Or, seeing Parīkṣit entering a special bhāva, he prevents it by addressing him.
- When did I last go speechless from devotional recollection, and what triggered it?
- Where am I rushing past wordlessness to compose articulate accounts?
They opened their mouths to describe Him and the description swallowed them. As when one tries to recount a dream and the dream returns instead of the words — kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa, once truly begun, replaces speech with bhāva.
My note
Source: vedabase.io