FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.20.46

గావో మృగా: ఖగా నార్య: పుష్పిణ్య: శరదాభవన్ । అన్వీయమానా: స్వవృషై: ఫలైరీశక్రియా ఇవ ॥ ౪౬ ॥
gāvo mṛgāḥ khagā nāryaḥ
[gaavo mrigaah khagaa naaryah]
puṣpiṇyaḥ śaradābhavan
[pushpinyah sharadaabhavan]
anvīyamānāḥ sva-vṛṣaiḥ
[anveeyamaanaah sva-vrishaih]
phalair īśa-kriyā iva
[phalair eesha-kriyaa iva]
gāvaḥ — the cows mṛgāḥ — the female deer khagāḥ — the female birds nāryaḥ — the women puṣpiṇyaḥ — in their fertile periods śaradā — because of the autumn abhavan — became anvīyamānāḥ — followed sva - vṛṣaiḥ — by their respective mates phalaiḥ — by good results īśa - kriyāḥ — activities performed in service to the Supreme Lord iva — as .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
gāvo mṛgāḥ khagā nāryaḥ
gāvaḥ
the cows
mṛgāḥ
the female deer
khagāḥ
the female birds
nāryaḥ
the women
puṣpiṇyaḥ śaradābhavan
puṣpiṇyaḥ
in their fertile periods
śaradā
because of the autumn
abhavan
became
anvīyamānāḥ sva-vṛṣaiḥ
anvīyamānāḥ
followed
sva - vṛṣaiḥ
by their respective mates
phalair īśa-kriyā iva
phalaiḥ
by good results
īśa - kriyāḥ
activities performed in service to the Supreme Lord
iva
as .
  • īśa-kriyāḥ — activities for the Supreme Lord
    Compound: Īśa (Lord) + kriyā (action). Actions whose object is the Lord. Gauḍīyas distinguish these from karma-kāṇḍa (actions for personal benefit) and from karma in the broader sense (any action). Only Īśa-kriyās yield bhakti-phala.
  • anvīyamānāḥ — being followed
    Passive participle of anu + √ī — being followed after. The mates follow; in the simile, the phalas follow. Results pursue, not the reverse. Gauḍīyas read this as the structural answer to Gītā 2.47 — non-attachment to phala is possible because phala does its own work of arriving.
  • puṣpiṇyaḥ — having become fertile (flowering)
    Plural feminine adjective from puṣpa (flower, ovum). The autumn's fertility is universal across species. Gauḍīyas note: Vraja's seasons are densely fertile because Kṛṣṇa is present; sterility is what saṁsāra produces.
  • sva-vṛṣaiḥ — by their own bulls
    Compound: sva (own) + vṛṣa (bull, male). Each species finds its own; phala finds its own action. The verse's image is bovine but the principle is universal.
  • śaradā — by the autumn
    Instrumental. Autumn is the agent of the fertility. Gauḍīyas extend: bhakti is the autumn of the inner life — it brings fertility (prīti, kṛpā, prema) without the practitioner forcing the harvest.
By the influence of the autumn season, all the cows, doe, women and female birds became fertile and were followed by their respective mates in search of sexual enjoyment, just as activities performed for the service of the Supreme Lord are automatically followed by all beneficial results.

Śrīla Prabhupāda comments, “On the arrival of the autumn season, all the cows, deer, birds and females in general become pregnant, because in that season generally all the husbands become impelled by sex desire. This is exactly like the transcendentalists who, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, are bestowed with the benediction of their destinations in life. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has instructed in his Upadeśāmṛta that one should perform devotional service with great enthusiasm, patience and conviction and should follow the rules and regulations, keep oneself clean from material contamination and stay in the association of devotees. By following these principles, one is sure to achieve the desired result of devotional service. For he who patiently follows the regulative principles of devotional service, the time will come when he will achieve the result, as the wives who reap results by becoming pregnant.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
By the influence of the autumn season, all the cows, doe, women and female birds became fertile and were followed by their respective mates in search of sexual enjoyment, just as activities performed for the service of the Supreme Lord are automatically followed by all beneficial results.
Commentary

The cows, does and female birds, though unwilling, were forcibly engaged in copulation by their mates (sva vrsaih) and became pregnant. This is compared to the worship of the Lord (isakriya), which, though performed without desire for results, yields many material advantages, like happiness and enjoyment.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Use of masculine forms (mṛgāḥ khagāḥ) instead of feminine is poetic license. Puṣpiṇyaḥ can mean they became pregnant or can indicate that they were fertile. They were followed by the males who could impregnate them. Without being asked they followed the females. Worship of the Lord is followed by special, most extraordinary results.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Use of masculine forms (mṛgāḥ khagāḥ) instead of feminine is poetic license. The animals, being fertile, were followed by their mates just as worship of the Lord (īśa-kriyā) produce internal flowers of knowledge and then fruits of prema.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)
Related verses

Cows, doe, women and birds — all become fertile in autumn and are followed by their mates — like the fruits that automatically follow any work done for Kṛṣṇa. The verse names the bhakti-economics: when service is offered to Bhagavān, results come uninvited. One does not chase phala; phala chases one. Vraja's autumn is bhakti's seasonal proof.

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