FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.20.25

ఏవం వనం తద్ వర్షిష్ఠం పక్‍వఖర్జురజమ్బుమత్ । గోగోపాలైర్వృతో రన్తుం సబల: ప్రావిశద్ధరి: ॥ ౨౫ ॥
evaṁ vanaṁ tad varṣiṣṭhaṁ
[evam vanam tad varshishtham]
pakva-kharjura-jambumat
[pakva-kharjura-jambumat]
go-gopālair vṛto rantuṁ
[go-gopaalair vrito rantum]
sa-balaḥ prāviśad dhariḥ
[sa-balah praavishad dharih]
evam — thus vanam — forest tat — that varṣiṣṭham — most resplendent pakva — ripe kharjura — dates jambu — and jambu fruits mat — having go — by the cows gopālaiḥ — and the cowherd boys vṛtaḥ — surrounded rantum — with the purpose of playing sa - balaḥ — accompanied by Lord Balarāma prāviśat — He entered hariḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evaṁ vanaṁ tad varṣiṣṭhaṁ
evam
thus
vanam
forest
tat
that
varṣiṣṭham
most resplendent
pakva-kharjura-jambumat
pakva
ripe
kharjura
dates
jambu
and jambu fruits
mat
having
go-gopālair vṛto rantuṁ
go
by the cows
gopālaiḥ
and the cowherd boys
vṛtaḥ
surrounded
rantum
with the purpose of playing
sa-balaḥ prāviśad dhariḥ
sa - balaḥ
accompanied by Lord Balarāma
prāviśat
He entered
hariḥ
Lord Kṛṣṇa .
  • hariḥ — Lord Hari (Kṛṣṇa)
    Hari — He who removes (kleśa, ignorance, distance). Gauḍīyas relish Hari as an early name for Kṛṣṇa in His Vraja-entering form: He removes by approaching.
  • sa-balaḥ — with Balarāma
    Compound: sa (with) + Bala (Balarāma). Kṛṣṇa is named relationally — He is the One-with-Bala. In Gauḍīya theology, Balarāma is His ādi-guru and prakāśa; they are never seen apart in Vraja-līlā.
  • gopālaiḥ — with the cowherd boys
    Compound: go (cow) + pāla (protector). Both Kṛṣṇa and His friends are gopālas. The plural here is the sakhya-rasa community — the boys whose entire dharma is to be with Him.
  • vanam — the forest
    The Vṛndāvana forest. Gauḍīyas refuse to flatten 'forest' to scenery — vana is Vraja-dhāma itself, eternal in Goloka, manifest on earth at this very moment in the verse.
  • rantum — to enjoy (to sport)
    Infinitive of √ram — to play, to delight. The same root as rāsa. Kṛṣṇa enters to play; play is His default mode. Gauḍīyas insist this is not metaphor — līlā is His ontological mode.
When the Vṛndāvana forest had thus become resplendent, filled with ripe dates and jambu fruits, Lord Kṛṣṇa, surrounded by His cows and cowherd boyfriends and accompanied by Śrī Balarāma, entered that forest to enjoy.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
When the Vṛndāvana forest had thus become resplendent, filled with ripe dates and jambu fruits, Lord Kṛṣṇa, surrounded by His cows and cowherd boyfriends and accompanied by Śrī Balarāma, entered that forest to enjoy.
Commentary

The description of the rainy season having been completed, now a description of Krsnas pastimes in the monsoon forests is described in seven verses. Krsna entered the forest of Vrnda which was flourishing (varsistham) with ripe date and jambu trees.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The monsoon having been described, now entering the forest for the Lord’s special pastimes-- the goal of the rains--is described. The word evam means “In the same way as I have described the monsoon I will describe Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in the forest.” The cows and boys surrounded him in order to see the beauty of his face.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The monsoon having been described, now entering the forest for the Lord’s special pastimes-- the goal of the rains--is described. They entered the forest splendid with the rains just described (varṣiṣṭham) or resplendent with beauty. Though Vṛndāvana is the shelter of all seasons with a wealth of all flowers and fruits at all times, at this time the forest was even more abundant with dates and jambu fruits. Kṛṣṇa was surrounded by the boys because they wanted to protect him from the rain, each trying to cover him with their umbrella. The cows surrounded him with satisfaction, flowing with milk, having more affection for him than for their calves, as if offering him their milk. Attracting all minds (hariḥ), since he was surrounded by everyone, greedy for the beauty of his face, he entered the forest and remained there because of the beauty of the forest (pra-viśat). There is also the hint that he did this every day during the rainy season.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses

Vṛndāvana, ripe with dates and jambus, becomes the Lord's own playground: Kṛṣṇa enters surrounded by cows and friends, with Balarāma at His side. The whole long meditation on rain that the chapter has built converges on this one verse — the season existed to set this entry. Vraja is not background; it is the stage on which Bhagavān walks.

The cows recognising His call

Across many chapters of Canto 10, Kṛṣṇa enters the forest with the herd and the cows know His call from any distance. Even when bewildered by Brahmā's theft of the calves (SB 10.13), the cows' bond holds. Their slow walk in v. 26 here is the same śāstric image of vātsalya-pulled motion.

Gauḍīyas read v. 25 as the doorway: Bhagavān enters, and every creature of Vraja begins moving with Him. The whole chapter has been waiting for this verb — prāviśat.

📝 My note

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