As suggested by the words cukūja veṇum, Lord Kṛṣṇa skillfully blended the sound of His flute with the lovely sounds of Vṛndāvana’s multicolored birds. Thus an irresistible, heavenly vibration was created.

The gopīs remembered all the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa mentioned in this verse. Kṛṣṇa’s artful way of dressing and the beautiful blue flowers placed over His ears excited the gopīs’ romantic desires, and as He poured the nectar of His lips into His flute, they simply lost themselves in ecstatic love for Him.

The word iti here indicates that after becoming speechless by remembering Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd damsels then regained their composure and were thus able to ecstatically describe the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute. As a few gopīs began to exclaim, and the other gopīs realized that they shared the same ecstatic love within their hearts, all of them started embracing one another, overwhelmed with conjugal love for young Kṛṣṇa.

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 4.155).

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has commented as follows: “The gopīs meant to say, ‘O friends, if you simply remain in the shackles of family life in this material world, what will you ever get to see? The creator has granted us these eyes, so let us see the most wonderful thing there is to see, Kṛṣṇa.’”

The gopīs were aware that their mothers or other elder persons might hear their romantic words and disapprove, and thus they said, akṣaṇvatāṁ phalam: “To see Kṛṣṇa is the goal for all persons and not simply ourselves.” In other words, the gopīs indicated that since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme object of love for everyone, why couldn’t they also love Him in spiritual ecstasy?

According to the ācāryas, a different gopī spoke this and each of the following verses (through text 19).

The gopīs continue singing their ecstatic song as they remember the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs wanted to go to the forest where Kṛṣṇa was performing His pastimes and, while remaining concealed, peer through the leaves of the creepers and see the wonder of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma dancing and singing with Their boyfriends. This was their desire, but because they could not go, they sang this song in ecstatic love.

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya-līlā 16.140).

In the guise of releasing flowing sap, the bamboo trees are actually crying tears of ecstasy upon seeing their child become an exalted devotee-flute of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Sanātana Gosvāmī gives an alternate explanation: The trees are crying because they are unhappy at not being able to play with Kṛṣṇa themselves. One may object that the trees in Vṛndāvana should not lament for that which is impossible for them to obtain, just as a beggar certainly doesn’t lament because he is forbidden to meet the king. But the trees are actually just like intelligent persons who suffer when they cannot obtain the goal of life. Thus the trees are crying because they cannot get the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lips.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that because activities such as those described in this verse do not occur in any other world, the earth is unique. In fact, the earth’s glories are being spread by wonderful Vṛndāvana because it is the place of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.

The name Devakī also refers to mother Yaśodā, as stated in the Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa:

“The wife of Nanda had two names, Yaśodā and also Devakī. Therefore it was natural that she [the wife of Nanda] develop friendship with Devakī, the wife of Śauri [Vasudeva].”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains kṛṣṇa-līlā as follows: “In Vṛndāvana, the peacocks request Kṛṣṇa, ‘Govinda, please make us dance.’ Thus Kṛṣṇa plays His flute, and they surround Him in a circle and dance in time with the rhythm of His melody. And while standing in the midst of their dancing, He also sings and dances. Then those peacocks, who are fully satisfied with His musical performance, out of gratitude offer for His pleasure their own divine feathers. In the usual manner of musical performers, Kṛṣṇa gladly accepts these presentations and places a feather upon the turban atop His head. Gentle animals such as deer and doves greatly relish the transcendental entertainment presented by Kṛṣṇa, and to get a good view they flock to the peaks of hills. Then, as they watch the breathtaking program, they become stunned in ecstasy.”

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī comments that because in Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa goes barefoot and can thus directly mark the earth with the symbols of His lotus feet, that transcendental land is even more glorious than Vaikuṇṭha, where Viṣṇu wears slippers.

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 17.36).

According to the ācāryas, the gopīs were thinking as follows: “The female deer can approach Kṛṣṇa along with their husbands because Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate object of affection for the male deer. Because of their affection for Kṛṣṇa, they are encouraged by seeing their wives attracted to Him and thus consider their household lives fortunate. Indeed, they become joyful upon seeing how their wives are searching after Kṛṣṇa, and, following along, they urge their wives to go to the Lord. On the other hand, our husbands are jealous of Kṛṣṇa, and because of their lack of devotion to Him they cannot even stand to smell His fragrance. Therefore what is the use of our lives?”

In Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Prabhupāda comments: “[This verse indicates] that the transcendental sound of the flute of Kṛṣṇa extended to all corners of the universe. Also, it is significant that the gopīs knew about the different kinds of airplanes flying in the sky.”

In fact, even while sitting on the laps of their demigod husbands, the demigoddesses became agitated by hearing the sounds of Kṛṣṇa’s flute. Thus the gopīs thought that they themselves should not be blamed for their ecstatic conjugal attraction for Kṛṣṇa, who after all was a cowherd boy from their own village and thus a natural object of their love. If even demigoddesses became mad after Kṛṣṇa, how could poor, earthly cowherd girls from Kṛṣṇa’s own village avoid having their hearts completely conquered by His loving glances and the sounds of His flute?

The gopīs also considered that the demigods, although noting their wives’ attraction to Kṛṣṇa, did not become envious. The demigods are actually very refined in culture and intelligence, and therefore when flying in their airplanes they regularly take their wives along to see Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs thought, “Our husbands, on the other hand, are envious. Therefore even the inferior deer are better off than we, and the demigoddesses are also very fortunate, whereas we poor human beings in an intermediate position are most unfortunate.”

The birds resemble sages because they live in the forest, keep their eyes closed, observe silence and remain motionless. Significantly, it is stated here that even great sages become maddened by the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute, which is a completely spiritual vibration.

The word rucira-pravālān indicates that even the branches of the trees are transformed in ecstasy when struck by the vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute-song. Indra, Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu, being primordial gods, travel throughout the universe and have extensive knowledge of the science of music, and yet even these great personalities have never heard or composed music like that which emanates from Kṛṣṇa’s flute. Indeed, the birds are so moved by the blissful sound that in their ecstasy they close their eyes and cling to the branches to avoid falling off the trees.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the gopīs would sometimes address each other as amba, “mother.”

Even such sacred bodies of water as the Yamunā and the Mānasa-gaṅgā are enchanted by the flute-song, and thus they are disturbed by conjugal attraction for young Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs are implying that since many different types of living beings are overwhelmed by conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa, why should the gopīs be criticized for their intense desire to serve Kṛṣṇa in the conjugal relationship?

Śrīla Prabhupāda states in his Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “The scorching heat of the autumn sunshine was sometimes intolerable, and therefore the clouds in the sky appeared in sympathy above Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and Their boyfriends while They engaged in blowing Their flutes. The clouds served as a soothing umbrella over Their heads just to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this verse as follows: “The wanton aborigine girls also became fully satisfied when they smeared their faces and breasts with the dust of Vṛndāvana, which was reddish from the touch of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. The aborigine girls had very full breasts, and they were also very lusty, but when their lovers felt their breasts, they were not very satisfied. When they came out into the midst of the forest, they saw that while Kṛṣṇa was walking, some of the leaves and creepers of Vṛndāvana had turned reddish from the kuṅkuma powder which fell from His lotus feet. His lotus feet were held by the gopis on their breasts, which were also smeared with kuṅkuma powder, but when Kṛṣṇa travelled in the Vṛndāvana forest with Balarāma and His boy friends, the reddish powder fell on the ground. So the lusty aborigine girls, while looking toward Kṛṣṇa playing His flute, saw the reddish kuṅkuma on the ground and immediately took it and smeared it over their faces and breasts. In this way they became fully satisfied, although they were not satisfied when their lovers touched their breasts. All material lusty desires can be immediately satisfied if one comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 18.34).

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains the opulence of Govardhana Hill as follows: Pānīya refers to the fragrant, cool water from the Govardhana waterfalls, which Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma drink and use to wash Their feet and mouths. Govardhana also offers other beverages, such as honey, mango juice and pīlu juice. Sūyavasa indicates dūrvā grass, used to make the religious offering of arghya. Govardhana also has grass that is fragrant, soft and conducive to the strong growth of cows and increased production of milk. Thus this grass is used for feeding the transcendental herds. Kandara refers to the caves where Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Their friends play, sit and lie down. These caves give pleasure when the weather is too hot or too cold, or when it is raining. Govardhana also features soft roots for eating, jewels for ornamenting the body, flat places for sitting, and lamps and mirrors in the form of smooth stones, glistening water and other natural substances.

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would sometimes wear Their cowherding ropes on Their heads and sometimes carry them on Their shoulders, and thus They were beautifully decorated with all the equipment of cowherd boys.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the ropes of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are made of yellow cloth and have clusters of pearls at both ends. Sometimes They wear these ropes around Their turbans, and the ropes thus become wonderful decorations.

In this regard Śrīla Prabhupāda comments, “This is the perfect example of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: to somehow or other remain always engrossed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. The vivid example is always present in the behavior of the gopīs; therefore Lord Caitanya declared that no one can worship the Supreme Lord by any method that is better than the method of the gopīs. The gopīs were not born in very high brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya families; they were born in the families of vaiśyas, and not in big mercantile communities but in the families of cowherd men. They were not very well educated, although they heard all sorts of knowledge from the brāhmaṇas, the authorities of Vedic knowledge. The gopīs’ only purpose was to remain always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa.”