FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.24

తతశ్చ కృష్ణోపవనే జలస్థల- ప్రసూనగన్ధానిలజుష్టదిక్తటే । చచార భృఙ్గప్రమదాగణావృతో యథా మదచ్యుద్ ద్విరద: కరేణుభి: ॥ ౨౪ ॥
tataś ca kṛṣṇopavane jala-sthala
[tatash cha krishnopavane jala-sthala]
prasūna-gandhānila-juṣṭa-dik-taṭe
[prasoona-gandhaanila-jushta-dik-tate]
cacāra bhṛṅga-pramadā-gaṇāvṛto
[chachaara bhringa-pramadaa-ganaavrito]
yathā mada-cyud dviradaḥ kareṇubhiḥ
[yathaa mada-chyud dviradah karenubhih]
tataḥ — then ca — and kṛṣṇā — of the river Yamunā upavane — in a small forest jala — of the water sthala — and the land prasūna — of flowers gandha — with the fragrance anila — by the wind juṣṭa — joined dik - taṭe — the edges of the directions cacāra — He passed bhṛṅga — of bees pramadā — and women gaṇa — by the groups āvṛtaḥ — surrounded yathā — just as mada - cyut — exuding a secretion from its forehead because of excitement dviradaḥ — an elephant kareṇubhiḥ — with his she-elephants .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tataś ca kṛṣṇopavane jala-sthala
tataḥ
then
ca
and
kṛṣṇā
of the river Yamunā
upavane
in a small forest
jala
of the water
sthala
and the land
prasūna-gandhānila-juṣṭa-dik-taṭe
prasūna
of flowers
gandha
with the fragrance
anila
by the wind
juṣṭa
joined
dik - taṭe
the edges of the directions
cacāra bhṛṅga-pramadā-gaṇāvṛto
cacāra
He passed
bhṛṅga
of bees
pramadā
and women
gaṇa
by the groups
āvṛtaḥ
surrounded
yathā mada-cyud dviradaḥ kareṇubhiḥ
yathā
just as
mada - cyut
exuding a secretion from its forehead because of excitement
dviradaḥ
an elephant
kareṇubhiḥ
with his she-elephants .
  • mada-cyut — exuding the secretion of excitement
    Mada (intoxicant) + cyut (dripping). Bull-elephant frame from v.22-23 continues. Gauḍīyas: Bhagavān is mada-cyut in līlā — flowing with rasa, never controlled by it. The metaphor preserves dignity and intensity together.
  • kṛṣṇā-upavane — in a small forest of the Yamunā
    Note: Kṛṣṇā (with long ā) here means Yamunā, the dark river — a clever pun shadowing Kṛṣṇa (short a) the dark Lord. Vraja's geography rhymes with its theology.
  • prasūna-gandha-anila — by the wind with the fragrance of flowers
    Sub-compound. Prasūna (flower) + gandha (fragrance) + anila (wind). Standard Gauḍīya uddīpana — environmental stimuli that intensify rasa. Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu catalogs precisely such breezes.
Then the Lord strolled through a small forest on the bank of the Yamunā. This forest was filled to its limits with breezes carrying the fragrances of all the flowers growing on the land and in the water. Followed by His entourage of bees and beautiful women, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared like an intoxicated elephant with his she-elephants.

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, it is implicit here that after playing in the water Lord Kṛṣṇa had His body massaged, and that He then dressed Himself in His favorite clothing before resuming His pastimes with the gopīs.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Then the Lord strolled through a small forest on the bank of the Yamunā. This forest was filled to its limits with breezes carrying the fragrances of all the flowers growing on the land and in the water. Followed by His entourage of bees and beautiful women, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared like an intoxicated elephant with his she-elephants.
Commentary

After enjoying in the water (tatah), and after (ca) drying their bodies, dressing in clothing and ornaments supplied by the vana devatas they entered countless groves on the bank of the Yamuna, for special pastimes. Those groves had wide horizons served by breezes carrying the aroma of flowers growing in the water. Surrounded by bees and by the possessors of prema, the gopis, Krsna, like an elephant exuding fluid from his temples in the mating season (mada cyuta), entered the groves.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

After playing in the water (tataḥ), and taking off those dresses, with a desire for intimate pastimes arising from their new forest costumes, Kṛṣṇa wandered in a small grove. The word ca means tu in this verse. It indicates a new topic. He wandered about picking flowers, hiding in the groves and playing in various ways. The bees came along with the flowers when he picked them and were attracted to the naturally sweet fragrance of his limbs cleansed by the water pastimes. For this reason the bees are again mentioned. The bees were attracted to him just as they are attracted to an elephant with sweet juice oozing from his temples in rutting season. Kṛṣṇa is compared to the elephant because of its excellence and its attachment to the she-elephants.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

After playing in the water (tataḥ), he strolled in the forest to pick flowers, since the flowers and garlands had withered during the water pastimes. The word ca means tu in this verse. It indicates a new topic. The directions were served gently by the breeze carrying the perfumes of lotuses and land flowers like jasmine and kuṇḍa. This made the breeze cool and fragrant. He wandered about picking flowers, hiding in the groves and playing in various ways. The bees came along with the flowers when he picked them or were attracted to the naturally sweet fragrance of his limbs cleansed by the water pastimes. Or the bees always were attracted because they served as uddīpanas as their natures. Or they were always attracted to the fragrance from his forest garland and face. Thus they are always described. The bees were attracted to him just as they are attracted to an elephant with sweet juice oozing from his temples in rutting season. Kṛṣṇa is compared to the elephant because of its excellence and its attachment to the she-elephants. And the she elephants are similarly attached to the male. All this is suggested in the comparison. There is mutualy affection between the male and female elephants as the elephant with intensified desire independently plays with them. Or he was surrounded with the women (pramadā) who were fickle like bees. This indicates their intoxication in prema. Pramadā means filled with joy.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Bhakti (Devotion)
Related verses

An intoxicated elephant in mating-season walks among his she-elephants, oblivious to anything but their company. Kṛṣṇa walks the Yamunā-grove with the gopīs in exactly that mood — drunk on rasa, attended by bees as ministers, framed by the breeze itself.

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