Text 140
gopyaḥ kim ācarad ayaṁ kuśalaṁ sma veṇur
dāmodarādhara-sudhām api gopikānām
bhuṅkte svayaṁ yad avaśiṣṭa-rasaṁ hradinyo
hṛṣyat-tvaco ’śru mumucus taravo yathāryāḥ
gopyaḥ — O gopīs; kim — what; ācarat — performed; ayam — this; kuśalam — auspicious activities; sma — certainly; veṇuḥ — flute; dāmodara — of Kṛṣṇa; adhara-sudhām — the nectar of the lips; api — even; gopikānām — which is owed to the gopīs; bhuṅkte — enjoys; svayam — independently; yat — from which; avaśiṣṭa — remaining; rasam — the taste only; hradinyaḥ — the rivers; hṛṣyat — feeling jubilant; tvacaḥ — whose bodies; aśru — tears; mumucuḥ — shed; taravaḥ — the trees; yathā — exactly like; āryāḥ — old forefathers.
“ ‘My dear gopīs, what auspicious activities must the flute have performed to enjoy the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lips independently and leave only a taste for us gopīs, for whom that nectar is actually meant. The forefathers of the flute, the bamboo trees, shed tears of pleasure. His mother, the river on whose bank the bamboo was born, feels jubilation, and therefore her blooming lotus flowers are standing like hair on her body.’ ”
This verse, quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.21.9), is part of a discussion the gopīs had among themselves. As the autumn season began in Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa was tending the cows and blowing on His flute. The gopīs then began to praise Kṛṣṇa and discuss the fortunate position of His flute.