FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.44.15

యా దోహనేఽవహననే మథనోపలేప-ప్రేఙ్ఖేఙ్ఖనార్భరుదితోక్షణమార్జనాదౌ । గాయన్తి చైనమనురక్తధియోఽశ్రుకణ్ఠ్యోధన్యా వ్రజస్త్రియ ఉరుక్రమచిత్తయానా: ॥ ౧౫ ॥
yā dohane ’vahanane mathanopalepa
[yaa dohane ’vahanane mathanopalepa]
preṅkheṅkhanārbha-ruditokṣaṇa-mārjanādau
[prenkhenkhanaarbha-ruditokshana-maarjanaadau]
gāyanti cainam anurakta-dhiyo ’śru-kaṇṭhyo
[gaayanti chainam anurakta-dhiyo ’shru-kanthyo]
dhanyā vraja-striya urukrama-citta-yānāḥ
[dhanyaa vraja-striya urukrama-chitta-yaanaah]
yaḥ — who (the gopīs ) dohane — while milking avahanane — threshing mathana — churning upalepa — smearing preṅkha — on swings iṅkhana — swinging arbha - rudita — (taking care of) crying babies ukṣaṇa — sprinkling mārjana — cleaning ādau — and so on gāyanti — they sing ca — and enam — about Him anurakta — very much attached dhiyaḥ — whose minds aśru — with tears kaṇṭhyaḥ — whose throats dhanyāḥ — fortunate vraja - striyaḥ — the ladies of Vraja urukrama — of Lord Kṛṣṇa citta — by consciousness yānāḥ — whose acquisition of all desired objects .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yā dohane ’vahanane mathanopalepa
yaḥ
who (the gopīs )
dohane
while milking
preṅkheṅkhanārbha-ruditokṣaṇa-mārjanādau
gāyanti cainam anurakta-dhiyo ’śru-kaṇṭhyo
dhanyā vraja-striya urukrama-citta-yānāḥ
avahanane
threshing
mathana
churning
upalepa
smearing
preṅkha
on swings
iṅkhana
swinging
arbha - rudita
(taking care of) crying babies
ukṣaṇa
sprinkling
mārjana
cleaning
ādau
and so on
gāyanti
they sing
ca
and
enam
about Him
anurakta
very much attached
dhiyaḥ
whose minds
aśru
with tears
kaṇṭhyaḥ
whose throats
dhanyāḥ
fortunate
vraja - striyaḥ
the ladies of Vraja
urukrama
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
citta
by consciousness
yānāḥ
whose acquisition of all desired objects .
  • vraja - striyaḥ — the women of Vraja
    Compound: vraja + strī (woman). The gopīs again — the Mathurā women have shifted from generic praise (gopyaḥ in 14) to the more intimate ranking: vraja-striyaḥ are the most fortunate of all women, dhanyāḥ.
  • anurakta - dhiyaḥ — with attached minds
    Compound: anurakta (attached, dyed-after) + dhī (intelligence). The very technical Gauḍīya word — anurāga, the deep dye of attachment, is rāgānuga-bhakti's signature. The Mathurā women describe exactly the bhāva they themselves are aspiring to.
  • aśru - kaṇṭhyaḥ — with throats choked with tears
    Compound: aśru (tear) + kaṇṭha (throat). One of the eight sāttvika-bhāvas (svara-bheda) enumerated by Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. The Mathurā women diagnose the gopīs as exhibiting the highest bodily signs of prema.
  • urukrama - citta - yānāḥ — whose minds have gone to Urukrama
    Compound: urukrama (the wide-strider, Viṣṇu) + citta + yāna (going). Their cittas have left their bodies and gone to the Lord. Cf. SB 1.5.22 — Vyāsa's instruction to Nārada: glorify only Urukrama.
  • mathana — churning
    From √math. The Yaśodā verb (SB 10.9). The Mathurā women, listing the gopīs' daily work, name mathana first among the activities woven with kṛṣṇa-kīrtana — quoting, perhaps unknowingly, Vraja's most famous scene.
The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women because, with their minds fully attached to Kṛṣṇa and their throats always choked up with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, taking care of their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. By their exalted Kṛṣṇa consciousness they automatically acquire all desirable things.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women because, with their minds fully attached to Kṛṣṇa and their throats always choked up with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, taking care of their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. By their exalted Kṛṣṇa consciousness they automatically acquire all desirable things.
Commentary

"And even while doing household chores, the gopis were not stopped from drinking the nectar of his sweetness." That is the intent of this verse. "While milking the cows and doing other chores, such as swinging or sprinkling water on the ground (uksana), they would sing about his name, qualities and form and (ca) see him. In this way, with their tongues they tasted and with their eyes they tasted, without interruption. Krsna, being completely attracted to them (anurakta dhiyah), carries them in his heart (urukrama citta yanah) (though brahma and others carry him in their hearts)." In this way the great fortune of the gopis is expressed.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Even when the gopīs could not directly see Kṛṣṇa, he manifested to them as if he was present. While milking cows or threshing grains, they sometimes saw him (ca) and sometimes sang about him. When they did not see that form, that form (enam) appeared before them as a sphūrti. Because we do not sing like that, we are most unfortunate. Out of great attraction their throats became filled with tears. Or, because they were attached to him, they became overcome with crying (aśru-kaṇṭyaḥ). He made his appearance in their hearts, wherever they went (urukrama -citta-yānāḥ). Another version has cintayānāḥ (their thoughts went to him).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Even when the gopīs could not directly see Kṛṣṇa, he manifested to them as if he was present. While milking cows or threshing grains, they sometimes saw him (ca) and sometimes sang about him. When they did not see that form, that form (enam) appeared before them as a sphūrti. Because we do not sing like that, we are most unfortunate. Out of great attraction their throats became filled with tears. Or, because they were attached to him, they became overcome with crying (aśru-kaṇṭyaḥ). He made his appearance in their hearts, wherever they went (urukrama –citta-yānāḥ). Another version has cintayānāḥ (their thoughts went to him).

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)
Related verses

The gopīs sing of Him while milking, winnowing, churning, gathering cow-dung, swinging, soothing crying babies, sprinkling the courtyard, cleaning the house. The work goes on; the song does not stop. Their life is the perfected form of what Yaśodā's churning verse already showed — bhakti braided into the day's rope.

Yaśodā's churning song (SB 10.9)

In Canto 10's ninth chapter, mother Yaśodā churns yogurt while singing Kṛṣṇa's pastimes — the rope of the churn and the rope of remembrance pulled together. The Mathurā women in this verse are describing the same Vraja, only widened: every gopī, in every house, performing the same braid Yaśodā performs in one.

Gauḍīyas read this verse as the seed of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahāmantra's practical use: chanting and household work are not opposed; they are made for each other. The hand churns, the voice sings, the dhī attaches itself anyway.

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