Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.29.17
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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vraja-yoṣitaḥ
—
the women of Vraja
Compound: vraja + yoṣit (woman). Yoṣit is the more intimate word than strī; it foregrounds the womanly, the desiring. Rūpa Gosvāmī's rasa-categories rest on this specificity — these are not generic devotees but Vraja-yoṣits.
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vadatām-śreṣṭhaḥ
—
the best of speakers
Compound: vadat (speaker) + śreṣṭha (best). Kṛṣṇa's eloquence is named just before the chapter's most rhetorically dazzling speech (the dharma-test of verses 18–27). Gauḍīyas read this label as a wink — He will speak the opposite of what He means.
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vācaḥ-peśaiḥ
—
with the artistry of His words
Compound: vāc (speech) + peśas (ornament, skill). Peśa is a craftsman's word — the artistry of one who shapes. Kṛṣṇa's coming speech is artisanal; the test is designed.
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vimohayan
—
bewildering
Causative present participle of vi-√muh. Kṛṣṇa bewilders by his charming words. The same root that names the gopīs' state in verse 8 (mohitāḥ) — Kṛṣṇa-induced moha is the rasa, not the obstacle. Yogamāyā at work.
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antikam
—
near
Adverb of proximity. The gopīs have arrived at antikam — and Kṛṣṇa will spend ten verses telling them to go away. The geographical fact and the rhetorical fact are at war: this is the joke at the heart of the rāsa-prelude.
Having established the spiritual nature of the gopīs’ love for Kṛṣṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī proceeds with his narration.
After settling the contradictions, Sukadeva continues the present topic. Seeing those gopis who were attracted by the flute (ta), Krsna, who is most expert at using words according to time, place and person, bewildered them even more (vi - visesatah mohayan) by use of words (pesa). The divisions are: vacya, laksya, vyanga and bodhaka, both soft and rough. Though the flute sound bewildered the gopis, in order to bewilder them even more he began to speak using rough words. In this way Krsna fulfilled three of his desires.
Though it is inappropriate to interrupt topics in relation to the highest rasa of the rāsa dance, you asked this question to create a unified perspective in everyone’s heart. I have, following your request, indicated the conclusion. Then he suddenly begins speaking the topic again without being asked, out of great enthusiasm. Kṛṣṇa saw these women, qualified to live in Vraja, who were not materialistic persons, who had been drawn by the sound of his flute and had become most agitated (tāḥ). They had come very close to him, not keeping far away out of shyness. Seeing them, he spoke with playful words (vācaḥ peśaiḥ). Playful words are of two types: skilful presentation of words (śābdhika) and changing the meaning of the sentence (ārthika). “Use of words” refers to moving his eyebrows, eyes and face while smiling and speaking joyful words easy to understand, with graceful placement of syllables. “Play on meaning” refers to verses which are used as ornaments to intensify the emotions of rasa. There are of four types: statements suggesting indifference, words expressing a request for enjoying with the gopīs, statements with apparently both meanings, and statements expressing the truth (taken literally). By that means the gopīs became bewildered (vimohitāḥ): they became most attracted to him and lost their ability to judge. They became most attracted to him on accepting śabdhika meaning, with statements of request for enjoying and truthful statements. Later, they became devoid of ability to judge by understanding the statements as indifference or with double meaning. Śābdhika words particularly express real emotions. Among the ārthika expressions, those which show feigned indifference are meant to increase the gopīs longing for him, and are not real indifference, for it has already been said that in the autumn Kṛṣṇa desired to enjoy and that he played on his flute to attract the gopīs (verses 1 and 3). It is only playing with words and not the actual meaning. The mind thinks one thing and the words express another thing. This creates despair in their strong desire for him. By that, their discrimination becomes lost. Among the ārthika statements, his requests produce desire in himself. Expressing the desire to meet with them is for joking. His qualification to speak such words cannot be stated since he is the master of speaking, the best of speakers, since he is the topmost in such knowledge by his nature (bhagavān). Or, the word api can be added to each phrase. Though the women of Vraja were famous for their prema, though they had attained this transformation of prema, though they had come close to him, though he saw them, and though he knew their love for him since he was omniscient, he made them extremely agitated by his deceptive words and spoke while joking, since he was the best among clever jokers (vadatāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ).
He saw the women of Vraja, agitated, attractred by his flute (tāḥ). They were all at the age of new youth. Or he saw the women who should have remained in Vraja and should not have gone out of their houses. And they also came close to him. They did not remain at a distance out of shyness. He spoke to them with words like “Welcome.” (SB 10.29.18) He spoke words with playfulness (peśaiḥ), stealing their hearts to the extreme (vimohayan), in order to increase the desire in their hearts. That will be clear later. “How could he bewilder them just by skilful words?” He was the best among poets like Vyāsa or eloquent speakers like Brahmā with four heads. He was filled with all powers (bhagavān). Or he spoke with some deception of words (peśaiḥ). He was skilful at cheating: his words could be interpreted in two contrary ways--as indifferent or requesting association. Though he showed support for dharma, he had a desire to enjoy. Thus he strengthened the gopīs’ love for him through those words, since he was the best speaker.
Or his desire to enjoy with them was evident in SB 10.29.1 and 3. But he hid that and bewildered them with words about dharma, though his mind was otherwise, and with words whch had a different meaning since they could not discern the true meaning of his words. Actually he bewildered them by the beauty or skill of his words, not by an inappropriate bhāva. Or though the women of Vraja, and those who were there now were endowed with natural prema for him, and thought they had come close to him now, though he saw them, though he knew their love since he was Bhagavān, he confused them by speaking deceptive words. Why? He was the best among those who speak skillfully with jokes. He bewildered them as a joke. Or he spoke with skilful words so that they would hear him. Or he bewildered them with his beauty and then spoke. Why? They did not speak (avacaḥ) out of shyness. He spoke to get bliss from hearing their answers since he was the best among those skillful at word play. He thus enjoyed hearing their skillful words. All of this was for the purpose of increasing his and their bhāva. In writing the meaning of the words of he who is most skilful spoken to the gopīs worthy of worship for their skill, they and he are my only goal. I have no other shelter.
- What recent 'teasing' by the Lord — apparent rebuff — preceded a deepening of contact?
- Where am I taking His rhetorical distance as final?
A lover holds open a door and says, 'You should not have come.' The words push; the open door pulls. Kṛṣṇa speaks vimohayan — bewildering with charm — because the rebuke that follows is rasa, not refusal.
My note
Source: vedabase.io