CHAPTER 29 Edited

CHAPTER 29
in this chapter Lord Sri Krishna, intending to enjoy the [rasa] dance,
engages in arguments and counter-arguments with the [gopis.] after
this, the beginning of the [rasa] dance and the Lord's pastime of
disappearing will be described.
remembering the promise he had made to the [gopis] at the time of

stealing their clothes, Lord Krishna resorted to his [yoga-maya]
potency and manifested within himself the desire to enjoy pastimes
during the spring night. Thus he began to play his flute. When the
[gopis] heard this sound of the Lord's flute, which violently aroused the
impulses of Cupid within them, they immediately abandoned all their
household duties, even though their various engagements were only
half-finished or less, and hastily went to Krishna. When some of the
[gopis], whose bodies were purely spiritual, found themselves
prevented from going by their husbands and other family members,
Lord Krishna arranged by his transcendental will for them to
temporarily exhibit material bodies, which they then left at the sides of
their husbands. In this way deceiving their husbands, they went off to
meet Krishna.
When the [gopis] arrived in his presence, Lord Krishna inquired from
them what was the reason for their coming there, and began to
confidentially advise them that it is not good for women to travel in
such a place during the fearful night, full as it is
with violent creatures. He further told them that their husbands and
children would soon come searching after them to come home and
carry out their household duties, and after all it is the prime religious
duty of women to serve their husbands, children
and other relatives. For women of respectable families to consort with
a paramour is worthy of all contempt and certainly sure to obstruct
their progress to heaven. Moreover, it is not by physical proximity with
the Lord that one can develop the
pure love of God that is actually based on hearing topics connected
with him, viewing his deity in the temple, meditating upon him and
faithfully chanting his glories. Therefore, he told them, you young
cowherd ladies would do best to return to your
homes.
the [gopis] were simply brokenhearted upon hearing this, and after
crying a little they replied in slight anger that he, Krishna, was very
unfair to reject young girls who had abandoned everything in their
lives with the exclusive desire of being able
to serve him. By serving their husbands and children, they went on,
they only receive pain, whereas by their serving Sri Krishna, the
dearmost soul of all living beings, the true religious duty of the self is
perfectly fulfilled. What woman is there who doesn't
deviate from her prescribed duties as soon as she hears the song of Sri
Krishna's flute and sees that form of his, which enchants the three
worlds? in the same way as the supreme Lord Visnu is the protector of
the demigods, Sri Krishna is the destroyer of the unhappiness of the
people of Vrndavana. Krishna, the [gopis] concluded, should take it as
his is immediate responsibility to relieve the torment of separation felt
by the poor, suffering cowherd girls.
the always-satisfied Lord Krishna replied to these outcries of the

[gopis] by playing with them in various pastimes to make them happy.
But when this show of attention induced them to pride, he removed
that pride by suddenly disappearing from the arena of the [rasa]
dance.
TEXT 1
sri-badarayanir uvaca
bhagavan api ta ratrih
saradotphulla-mallikah
viksya rantum manas cakre
yoga-mayam upasritah
TRANSLATION
Sri Krishna is the supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all

opulences, yet still he became attracted by the sight of the autumn
nights, with jasmine flowers blossoming in the cool night air. Taking
help of his [yoga-maya] potency, he turned his mind
toward loving affairs. Sridhara svami
in the twenty-ninth Chapter are related the arguments and counter-

arguments of Lord hari and the [gopis], which were meant for inspiring
the [rasa] dance, and the Lord's curious pastime of disappearing from
the midst of the cowherd girls.
all glories to the master of the goddess of fortune, who is now

decorated by the surrounding circle of [gopis] in the [rasa] dance!
Cupid has become overly proud by his defeating Brahma and other
demigods, but now Lord Krishna is taking away that pride of his.
But, it may be questioned, isn't there something wrong with this
situation, since we can ascertain the victory of Cupid in this dallying
with other men's wives? no, we shouldn't speak thus, because Lord
Krishna is referred to as fully independent in
such words as [yoga-mayam upasritah, a`tmaramo 'py ariramat] (text
42), and [a`tmany avaruddha-sauratah]. Consequently this pretense of
sporting in the [rasa] dance serves in fact to declare conquest over
Cupid. And furthermore, in the guise of presenting topics of conjugal
love, this [Pancadhyayi] (five chapters of the
[rasa-lila]) aims at the conclusion of renunciation, as we intend to
demonstrate herein. "those nights" are the ones mentioned by the
Lord in his promise, [yatabala vrajam siddha/ mayema ramsyatha
ksapah] (10.22.27).
Jiva Gosvami
By the words [bhagavan api] are implied as an amalgamation (those

nights) which were very dear to him. Those (nights) which, by their
own sweetness, attract our minds (Sukadeva speaking); this is
established by the fact, due to it being the
autumn season, that this is the time for pastimes filled with such [rasa]
as is manifest by the jasmine flowers blossoming. [Yoga-maya] is the
potency which makes the impossible possible; he is closely ([upa] =
[samipe]) resorting to her. The idea
implied is that that particular potency of his is present at that time
because of there being an opportunity to render her particular kind of
service.
Visvanatha Cakravarti
First I lovingly offer my obeisances to my spiritual master, srila

ramakrsna Gangacarana, and my respects to srila narottama dasa
t=hakura and Lord sri Gauranga. I then bow down to Sri Krishna, the
ultimate spiritual master.
Let me take shelter of sri Lokanatha Gosvami, the eye of this universe,
and srila Sukadeva Gosvami. I offer myself and everything I possess to
the darling of the life of the young cowherd women, the almighty
Personality of Godhead, with the hope of attaining servitude to him.
now the sage Sukadeva relates in five chapter, which can be compared
to the five airs of life, the [rasa-lila] of Lord hari. This pastime is the
prize jewel to be found in the treasury of all his pastimes. all glories to
the [rasa] dance! By the good fortune the cowherd damsels acquired
for themselves by participating in it, they, even while present on this
earth, took to their own lips the supermost manifestation of all divine
tastes. in this twenty-ninth Chapter, the [gopis] are inundated with the
harshly poisonous shower of the sound of Lord Krishna's flute. But
these [gopis] become like [cataki] birds eagerly drinking up
this rain. Also described in this chapter is the playful disappearance of
the Lord.
herein ([iha]), during his seventh year, the Lord enacted the stopping
of indra's sacrifice, by proposing the philosophy of [karma-vada], on
the new moon day of the month Karttika. On the first lunar day of the
bright fortnight of that same month (I.e.,
the next day), he celebrated the sacrifice to Govardhana, on the
second day he observed the festivity of accepting his lunch on the
shore of the Yamuna on the occasion of Bhratr-dvitiye (the holiday on
which sisters traditionally show honor to their brothers); this latter
pastime we may understand took place even though it is not
mentioned by sri munindra, Sukadeva. On the same day, it is
described, indra spoke out in anger, and then, from the third [tithi] to
the ninth of the bright fortnight, the Lord held up Govardhana hill. On
the tenth day the cowherd men discussed much in surprise about
Krishna, on the eleventh Lord Govinda received [abhiseka], and on the
twelfth he traveled to the planet of Varuna. On the full moon day (the
fifteenth [tithi] of the [sukla-paksa]), he went to Brahmaloka.
and then, it now being his next year because of the fall season
reaching its conclusion (with this purnima), now being in his eighth
year he performed, on this a=svina-purnima, the celebration of the
[rasa-lila], which is the crest-jewel of all
his pastimes. In order to describe this, Sukadeva begins with this
verse. Even though he is [bhagavan], full in six varieties of opulences,
he turned his mind toward enjoying, because the time, place and
participants, namely the autumn night, Vrndavana and the damsels of
Vraja, served to enflame the passion of
enjoyment by their supreme capacity to attract the mind with their
sweetness. That is to say, he became desirous of relishing with his own
ears and other senses the variegated charms of the topmost experts
among billions of women in the arts of amorous love; he wanted to
enjoy with his own senses the sweet sounds of
their voices, their beauty and gentleness, their fine fragrance,
tenderness, cleverness and skill in playing music. He also became
desirous of making them relish with their own ears and other senses
the sweet sound of his voice, and so on.
his [yoga-maya] potency, under the influence of pure love, and

impelled to act by his other potency of "perfectly effective desire"
[satya-sankalpa], brought millions of other nights, which were all
needed for carrying out such loving pastimes, into that single night of
merely four [praharas] (twelve hours),
and so, by the manifestation of so many nights, the words [ta ratrih]
have been spoken here in the plural grammatical number. along the
same line the words will later be spoken, [brahma- ratrya upavrtte].
The use of the word [tat] in this verse (in
the form [tah]) is in the sense of "very well-known", and thus is
expressed the excellence of those nights on account of their exhibiting
many wonderful qualities. The word [sarada] is carrying the inflection
[ta] (the instrumental singular ending
[-a]), expressing "those nights of the autumn in which the jasmine
flowers are blossoming." these "jasmines" which are appearing even
during the autumn are actually [kunda] flowers, as follows from the
words, [kunda-srajah kula-pater iha
vati-gandhah]. In accordance with another verse, [reme tat-
taralanandi-kamalamoda-vayuna], this is the superexcellence of
Vrndavana, that there lotuses open their flowers even during the night.
If we take an alternate reading, [saradotphulla-
mallikah], the idea is that both the [sarada] flowers and the [mallikas]
were blooming.
the Lord got ready to enjoy those nights; the word [reme] in this
regard may be interpreted by some as meaning that since he is
actually self-satisfied and innately full in all desires, this apparent
enjoyment on the part of the supreme Personality of
Godhead with young women is only an external show, a false imitation
of human life. It is in reply to such a possible interpretation that the
words [rantum manas cakre] are given, to inform us that this
enjoyment is indeed internal and not just a
superficial appearance. Very well, someone may say in agreement, this
enjoyment is internal, but only for the young girls of the cowherd
village, because they are devotees. To answer such an idea the word
[cakre] ([a`tmanepada] instead of [parasmaipada]) is intentionally
used to express that this enjoyment is for his own satisfaction. This
moreover shows just how much pure love of God these young girls of
Vraja had, that the supreme Lord himself, although already fulfilled in
all possible pleasures, was thinking of enjoying with them. By the
words [ittham-bhuta-guno harih] in the [a`tmaramas ca munayah]
verse, the supreme excellence of the [vraja-sundaris] is thus
established.
We also have the following two verses, the first from [sri Visnu
Purana,] and the other from [hari-vamsa:]
[so 'pi kaisoraka-vayo]

[manayan madhusudanah]
[reme tabhir ameyatma]
[ksapasu ksapitahitah]
"the Lord madhusudana, even though free from all flaws of passion
and imperfect qualities, fulfilled his youth by enjoying with these young
girls in the night."
[yuvatir gopa-kanyas ca]

[ratrau sankalya kala-vit]
[kaisorakam manayanah]
[saha tabhir mumoda sah]
"the Lord brought together in the night all the young cowherd girls,
both unmarried and married, and fulfilled the purpose of his youth by
enjoying with them." here [manayan] means "showing honor to." if he
failed to enjoy with them his youthfulness would become subject to
contempt, and therefore great authorities
have made such statements in this regard as, [kaisoram saphali- karoti
kalayan kunje viharam harih] ("Lord hari perfects his youth by
arranging loving pastimes in the bushes of Vrndavana Forest"), which
subtly hints at the topmost supremacy of the
young ladies of Vraja. And finally everything contradictory is reconciled
and everything left unsaid is made explicit, by the word [yoga-
mayam], indicating the action of his personal, inconceivable [cit-sakti].
Resorting fully ([upa] = [a`dhikyena]) to her. The fact that he resorted
to her out of all the potencies that lie at his disposal shows that in this
pastime she is getting special good fortune.
TEXT 2
tadodurajah kakubhah karair mukham

pracya vilimpann arunena santamaih
sa carsaninam udagac chuco mrjan
priyah priyaya iva dirgha-darsanah
TRANSLATION
the moon then rose, smearing with the reddish hue of his own
comforting rays the face of the western horizon. He dispelled the pain
of all who watched his rising just as a beloved husband returning from
a long absence adorns the face of his beloved wife
with red [kunkuma]. Sridhara svami
then, at that very moment, for his satisfaction, the king of the stars,
the moon, arose ([udagat = uditah]). Doing what? Just as a beloved
(husband) who is being seen again for the first time after a long
absence smears the face of his beloved (wife)
with red [kunkuma] powder, similarly the moon was smearing, making
reddish by the hue of his rising, the face of the western direction with
his most auspicious, most comforting, rays ([kara = rasmi]). The word
[sah] indicated the already mentioned moon. and in the same way he
(the moon) was was wiping away, removing,
the unhappiness, the heat and languor, of those who were watching
him.
Jiva Gosvami
With his rays, with the redness, with the hue of his rising.
Vissvanatha Cakravarti
and at that time there also appeared another cause for the enflaming
of passionate desires, as stated: The moon ([udurajah = candra]) then
arose. Furthermore, this moon is not merely a stimulater of conjugal
feelings, but also serves as an example to
prove the fact of the condition of the Lord who enjoys the cowherd
girls. A dear lover is appearing after a long absence, and he smears the
face of his beloved consort with red [kunkuma] held in his own hands;
in the same way (the moon) smears,
reddens, the face of the western direction with the reddish hue of the
moonrise which is being carried by his own rays ([kara = kirana]). The
word [sah] expresses that he has already been mentioned. Washing
away, removing, the unhappiness, the
discomfort, of the [carsanis], which word in the genitive case means
means "of humankind," according to the verse,
[aryamno matrka patni

tayos carsanayah sutah
yatra vai manusi jatir
brahmana parikalpita]
"the sons of the mother and the wife of the demigod a=ryama are
called the Carsanis. Lord Brahma arranged for these Carsanis to be the
forefathers of the human race."
the idea of this verse is as follows: The moon-god-- although the

original personality of the dynasty in which Lord Krishna appeared and
the most ancient leader of the [brahmana] community, and although
already possessing many wives of his own who were all quite fit to be
enjoyed-- is touching with his hands the face of the western direction,
who is another's wife, namely indra's. and by touching her, while
being attracted to her, he is also making her attracted to him. If this is
the case then certainly there is no blame in Krishna, the descendent of
his dynasty, enjoying with the [gopis], since he is in his new youth a
yet unmarried member of the cowherd community, and thus has no
wife of his own, and since indeed by his personal beauty he gives joy
to all women of the human race.
_jatir
brahmana parikalpita]
"the sons of the mother and the wife of the TEXT 3
drstva kumudvantam akhanda-mandalam

ramananabham nava-kunkumarunam
vanam ca tat-komala-gobhi ranjitam
jagau kalam vama-drsam manoharam
TRANSLATION
Lord Krishna was inspired to see the unbroken face of the moon
glowing with the red effulgence of newly applied vermilion as if it were
the face of the goddess of fortune, the [kumuda] lotuses opening in
response to the moon's presence, and the forest being gently
illuminated by the its rays. Therefore the Lord began to play sweetly
on his flute in such a way as to attract the minds of the beautiful-eyed
[gopis].
Sridhara Svami
[Kumudvantam] means that place (the face of the moon) where (or
rather in the presence of which) the [kumut] (or, more commonly,
[kumuda]) flowers can blossom (this kind of lotus opens at night).
Whose (the moon's) effulgence is like the complexion of the face of the
goddess of fortune Laksmi, and is reddened as her
face is reddened by newly-applied [kunkuma]. Seeing the moon like
this, and also seeing the forest colored by the moon's gentle rays, he
sang ([jagau] = [agayata]) sweetly. In what way? in such a way as to
charm those girls whose eyes were so charming ([vama = manohara]).
Jiva Gosvami
(the moon) appearing with the form of mahalaksmi, or else, because

she is the actual cause of Sri Krishna's pleasure [Rama] in this context
means sri radha; this is as has been stated previously (10.21.6), [iti
venu-ravam rajan sarva-bhuta-manoharam] ("When the young girls of
Vraja heard Krishna play his flute in such a way as to attract all living
creatures, they all began to chant his glories and embrace one
another"). The special quality (of the sound of his flute) is stated by the
words [vama-drsam manoharam], implying that this is a special song
which enhances the feelings of transcendental conjugal love [a`di-
rasa].
and then Lord Krishna, experiencing a transformation of lust inspired

by the sight of the moon's rising, and by remembering the words [yad
yad a`carati sresthas tad tad evetaro janah] recognizing within himself
the behavior of the founder of his own
dynasty, thus felt free to make a definite effort to bring others' wives
there to enjoy with himself.
[Kumut] is the same as [kumuda], as stated in the [Visva-kosa,

kumude 'pi kumut proktam.] that moon in whose presence the
[kumuda] lotuses can open. Another interpretation can also be given
for this: Seeing the moon, whose presence served to give pleasure
([mud]) to the earth ([ku]), and also seeing himself as such, since
actually in this context the specific antecedent modified and modifier
are left unstated. That full moon whose image, manifest form, was an
unbroken disk.
Rama is Laksmi, since the moon, being her brother (because both of
them were born from the churning of the milk Ocean), has a face which
resembles hers. Or, alternately, Rama is sri radha, as we find in the
[smrti], [sarva-laksmi-mayi sarva-kantih sammohini para] ([Brhad-
gautamiya-tantra,] quoted in C.c., [a=di] 4.83). The [gopis] are also
[ramah] because they enjoy ([ramante]) and give pleasure
[ramayanti]), giving the meaning that by seeing that moon which
resembles their faces the Lord became absorbed in remembrance of
them. According to one possible interpretation, the complexion of the
faces of those [ramas] was a total
effulgence which revealed their inner transformations of Cupid and
consequently (the Lord saw) himself as red, just like a ball of
[kunkuma] powder, by the pervasiveness of the rising moonlight of
that moon (of the [gopis'] faces). According to another, that
moon (of their faces) was red due to the recent application of
[kunkuma] and his face (?) had become smeared ([ranjitam =
mraksitam]) by the gentle rays ([gobhih = kiranaih]) of that moon; or
else, the compound can be otherwise broken down to give the word
[abhiranjitam]. According to yet another interpretation, the path of his
walking was illuminated ([abhiranjita]) by the well-known rays of his
own bodily effulgence, or else by the cows whom he was tending
([gobhih = gavibhih]). The absence of the expected inflectional ending
[t`aj] is poetic license of the sages.
seeing these two opulent manifestations of the enflaming power of

Cupid, the Lord played sweetly ([kalam] = [madhuram]), "on his flute"
being the unspoken completion of the idea, as stated later on (text 40)
the words [ka stry anga te kala-padamrta-venu-gita-]. in what manner?
in such a way as to enchant even those young
girls whose eyes are most enchanting ([vama = manohara]), in
accordance with the statement of [sruti], [gayantam striyah
kamayantah]. Coincidentally, the word [kalam] indicates the two
consonants [ka-kara] and [la-kara], while if we remove the
grammatical inflection from [vama-drsam] we get [vama-drk], which is
name for the fourth vowel ([I]). Together with that vowel he sang the
fifteenth sound of the alphabet ([m]), giving the [kama-bija mantra]
([klim]). This mystery (of his vibrating the [kama-bija]) is enchanting
because of its power of drawing the mind, this [mantra] being the
original [mantra] of Cupid.
TEXT 4
nisamya gitam tad ananga-vardhanam

vraja-striyah krsna-grhita-manasah
a`jagmur anyonyam alaksitodyamah
sa yatra kanto java-lola-kundalah
TRANSLATION
When they heard the song of Krishna's flute the young [gopis] felt
their minds captured as the sound evoked the influence of Cupid over
them. Immediately they each went forward to find their lover Krishna,
trying to keep their separate endeavors secret from all the others, and
as they ran their earring rolled to and fro.
Sridhara Svami
in order to avoid rivalry they went forward unbeknownst to each other,

without informing each other. They came by the path of the flute's
sound to the place where he, their lover, was. By their speed ([javena
= vegena]) whose earrings were moving
unsteadily [(lolani = cancalani]).
Jiva Gosvami
"Came" means "arrived."
Just like puppets strung on the thread of the sweet song (of the flute),
they went into the presence of Krishna, as stated in this verse. That
song, while most enchanting, also increased the influence of Cupid
([manoja]). Furthermore, Krishna has instigated
a terrible act of thievery in Vraja, namely the playing of his flute, by
which (this song) openly enters the inner treasury chamber of the ears
of the young girls of Vraja and steals all their most valuable
possessions-- their sobriety, shyness, fear and discrimination, as well
as their very minds-- and in a split second delivers all these goods to
Krishna; this is stated: Those girls whose [manasani]-- meaning not
only their minds ([manamsi]) but also their qualities of determination,
remembrance,
discrimination, shyness, fear and thoughtfulness, which all are in
relation with the mind ([manasani])-- had been seized by Krishna, they
went in order, it is implied, to each beg for the return of their personal
property from Krishna, the great king of thieves. While they were thus
anxiously thinking, "I have to capture that great thief," they went
forward each unknown to the others; they each followed behind the
thief in pursuit of him. To where? to the place where he, their
boyfriend, was. Those girls whose earrings-- which word [kundala] also
indirectly indicates their bracelets, foot bells and other ornaments--
were moving about because of their speed; by this is also implied that
that thief did not take the external goods of their homes, thinking them
to be insignificant.
TEXT 5
duhantyo 'bhiyayuh kascid

doham hitva samutsukah
payo 'dhisritya samyavam
anudvasyapara yayuh
TRANSLATION
some of the [gopis] had been engaged in milking the cows at the
moment they hear Krishna's flute, yet they simply abandoned their
duty and went. Some left milk curdling on their stoves and others
ignored cakes which were burning in the ovens.
Sridhara Svami
upon hearing the sound which hinted at the presence of Sri Krishna,
they immediately went, leaving all their duties half-finished, as if they
whose minds were so inclined to absorption in that sound were
announcing their complete
renunciation of all [trai-vargika] activities (in the three categories of
[dharma, artha] and [kama]). This is spoken by the verse beginning
[duhantyah]. Some of them had placed milk in cooking vessels and put
it on the stove to cook, but now, without
waiting for the milk to start curdling, they went away. [samyava] is
wheat flour; without taking out (the cakes) which they were cooking.
Jiva Gosvami
[duhantyah] is equivalent to [dohayantyah]. [abhiyayuh] means "they

set off."
at the time when they went forward to join him, because in their great
eagerness they could not stand to wait, they neglected all their duties
based in material "I"-ness and
"mine"-ness. This is described in three verses, and in particular how
some of them left aside the particular duties of their social class is
stated in the present verse. While engaged in milking the cows they
abandoned their milking duties and went
off ([abhiyayuh = abhisasruh]). (the next sentence repeats Sridhara
Svami.)
TEXTS 6-7
parivesayantyas tad dhitva

payayantyah sisun payah
susrusantyah patin kascid
asnantyo 'pasya bhojanam
limpantyah pramrjantyo 'nya

anjantyah kasca locane
vyatyasta-vastrabharanah
kascit krsnantikam yayuh
TRANSLATION
some of them were just then getting dressed, feeding milk to infants
or rendering various services to their husbands, but they immediately
put everything down and went to meet Krishna. Other [gopis] were in
the middle of their evening meals, which they abandoned without a
thought, while still others stopped in the middle of washing
themselves, decorating their faces with cosmetics or applying
collyrium to their eyes, and went out, even though their clothes and
ornaments were in complete disarray.
Sridhara Svami
Others of them were performing the washing of their bodies with oil
and so forth. The word [kasca] is the same as [kascit]. indicating that
work done for the satisfaction of Krishna has its result for those whose
minds are attached to him even if executed imperfectly, the words
beginning [vyasta-] are spoken. Whose clothing and ornaments
became disordered, the upper being put below and vice versa,
becoming disordered both by items being put in the wrong place and
by the wrong items being used.
Jiva Gosvami
"infants" means the children of their sisters, sisters-in-law and so on.

The word [payah] means cow's milk, since it would be incongruous to
the situation for them to be breast-feeding the children, and since it
would contradict the transcendental mood
which is later (10.33.25) going to be described in the words, [sarvah
sarat-kavya-katha-rasasrayah] ("the [gopis] were all absorbed in the
moods which are found in the springtime and in poetry"). The word
[susrusantyah] we should understand as
meaning that some of them were engaged in household affairs,
whereas other [gopis] had rejected such household life, as stated (text
32 of this chapter), [yat paty-apatya-suhrdam].
how they abandoned the basic duties of women is described in this

verse. While engaged in dressing, (abandoning) that business of
dressing, and while serving their husbands by bring warm water for
them and so on. Some of them failed to dress themselves adequately,
as stated: while anointing themselves, applying
sandalwood paste and so forth to their bodies, and while bathing
themselves, cleansing their bodies with oils, etc. Some of them were in
such a rush that they were failed to recognize which parts of their
bodies were which, as stated by the words beginning [vyasta]. This is
as is elsewhere described,
[vallabha-prapti-velayam
madanavesa-sambhramat
vibhramo hara-malyadi-
bhusa-sthana-viparyayah]
TEXT 8
ta varyamanah patibhih
pitrbhir bhratr-bandhubhih
govindapahrtatmano
na nyavartanta mohitah
TRANSLATION
their husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives tried to stop

them, but Krishna had already stolen their hearts. Entranced by the
sound of Krishna's flute, they refused to turn back. Sridhara svami
and neither can any disturbances have effect over those whose minds
are attracted to Krishna, as stated by the verse beginning
[varyamanah].
But, it may be questioned, it is quite proper that they forgot

everything, because of the predominance of their pure love of God, but
why would their husbands and other relatives give up concern about
them? this is replied to in this verse. Although
they were being checked-- those of them who were respectable young
wives by their husbands and those who were respectable unmarried
girls by their fathers and other family members-- still they would not
turn back. The reason for this is stated by the words beginning
[govinda:] why should we even consider the question of their fear,
shame and so on remaining, since everything they had, even their very
souls, had been taken away by Govinda? [mohitah] means "stunned"
([murcchitah]), like marionettes pulled by strings.
But their husbands and other relatives, out of fear of lose of
reputation, would never allow their wives, even their wives' dead
bodies, to go alone outside the house. Granted, but we should
understand that this contrary situation is reconciled by Yogamaya
herself; specifically she has arranged that at that time each of
the [gopis] left with their own husbands and relatives imaginary forms
which those relatives perceived as being them, and thus it seemed to
their husbands and relatives that they had gone back into their houses.
_le young wives by their husbands and those who were respectable
unmarried girls by their father
TEXT 9
antar-grha-gata kascid
gopyo 'labdha-vinirgamah
krsnam tad-bhavana-yukta
dadhyur milita-locanah
TRANSLATION
some of the [gopis], however, could not manage to get out of their
houses, and instead remained home with eyes closed, meditating in
pure love upon him.
Sridhara Svami
those who had not gotten the opportunity to go out; even previously
they were absorbed in love for him, but now they meditated especially
fervently upon him.
Jiva Gosvami
the following eight verses, beginning [antah], go together.
in this context we will make our analysis according to the method

described in (rupa Gosvami's) [ujjvala-nilamani]. There are two
categories of [gopis]-- the eternally perfect and those perfected by
practice. The [sadhana-siddhas] are furthermore of
two categories--those who belong to special groups and those who do
not. And their are two classes of these [gopis] belonging to special
groups, namely the [sruti-caris], who come from the group of the
personified [Vedas], and the [r`si-caris], who come from the group of
sages.
there is also another four-fold categorization of these [gopis] given in
the [Padma Purana]:
[gopyas tu srutayo jneya

r`si-ja gopa-kanyakah
deva-kanyas ca rajendra
na manusyah kathancana]
"some of the [gopis] should be understood to be personified Vedic

literatures, while others are daughters of sages, daughters of cowherds
and demigod maidens. But by no means, my dear King, are any of
them ordinary humans." By these words we are informed that although
they are appearing as human beings on account of being cowherd
girls, they are not actually such, and thus is refuted the contention that
they are mortal humans. The [gopa-kanyas] referred to here are
eternally perfected, since we never hear of them having executed any
[sadhana]. Their apparent [sadhana] of executing the worship of
goddess Katyayani in the role of [gopis] merely manifests their manner
of playing like human beings, and the topic of this worship is only
narrated to exemplify how they had fully taken on the role of cowherd
girls (since Katyayani is a goddess traditionally worshiped by cowherd
girls). Their being actually [nitya-siddha], on the other hand, is
established by the statement of [Brahma-samhita], [a`nanda-cinmaya-
rasa-pratibhavitabhih], which proves that they are the Lord's spiritual
pleasure potency. Similarly, we have the words of the [Gautamiya-
tantra], [hladini ya maha-saktih], and further corroboration of their
eternal perfection is given by the fact they, being coeternal with Lord
Krishna, their lover, are mentioned along with him in the eighteen-
syllable ([klim krsnaya govindaya gopi-jana-vallabhaya svaha]) and
ten-syllable [mantras], and furthermore because the worship of these
[mantras], and also the [srutis] which present them, have been in
existence since beginningless time.
the daughters of the demigods who are understood by the evidence of

the verse [sambhavas tv amara-striyah] are explained in [sri ujjvala-
nilamani] to be partial expansions of the [gopis] who are eternally
perfect. We understand that the
[sruti-cari gopis] are [sadhana-siddha] from the words of the [Brhad-
vamana Purana],
[kandarpa-koti-lavanye
tvayi drste manamsi nah
kamani-bhavam a`sadya
smara-ksubdhanya-samsayah
yatha tval-loka-vasinyah
kama-tattvena gopikah
bhajanti ramanam matva
cikirsajanis tatha]
"after seeing Your face, which possesses the beauty of millions of

Cupids, our minds have become lusty after You like young girls, and we
have forgotten all other bewilderments. We have developed the desire
to act toward You as do the [gopis] who dwell on Your transcendental
planet and who manifest the nature of Cupid by
worshiping You with the idea that You are their paramour."
and the [r`si-cari] [gopis] are also [sadhana-siddha], as stated in

[ujjvala-nilamani, gopalopasakah purvam apraptabhista-siddhayah].
Previously they were all [maharsis] living in the dandakaranya. We find
in the [Padma Purana, uttara-khanda:
drstva ramam harim tatra

bhoktum aicchan su-vigraham
te sarve stritvam a`pannah
samudbhutas ca gokule
harim samprapya kamena

tato mukta bhavarnavat]
in this verse it is said that upon seeing Lord ramacandra, they

developed the desire to enjoy Lord hari (Krishna), which means that
the sight of Lord Rama's beauty reminded them of the Lord hari,
Gopala, their personal object of worship, and they then wanted to
enjoy with him. But out of embarrassment they did not act out
that desire, whereupon Lord sri Rama, who is like a desire tree, gave
his mercy to them, even though they had not spoken their request.
Thus they fulfilled their desire, as stated by the words beginning [te
sarve]. Getting the association of hari in
conjugal love as a coincidental result, they then by means of their lusty
attraction became freed from the ocean of material existence, the
cycle of birth and death, which was the actual direct result.
in this current verse it was [gopis] who had children who were kept
forcibly in their homes, in accordance with the verses yet to come,
[matarah pitarah putrah, yat-paty-apatya-suhrdam anuvrttir anga] and
[pati-sutanvaya-bhratr-bandhavan.] this fact
is pointed out in srila Kavi-karnapura Gosvami's commentary on the
tenth Canto. Without trying to repeat his original thoughts on this
verse in their entirety, we will summarize the basic gist of his purport:
The sages who were worshipers of Lord Gopala, upon seeing the
personal form of Lord sri ramacandra, immediately became elevated to
the full-blown platform of spontaneous devotion, automatically
reaching the stages of firm faith, attraction and attachment. But they
had not yet completely freed themselves of all material contamination;
therefore sri Yogamaya-devi arranged for them to take birth in the
wombs of [gopis] and become cowherd girls. Some of these new
[gopis], by the association of the eternally perfect [gopis], fully
manifested their preliminary loving attraction for Krishna (before
actually meeting him) as soon as they reached puberty; then, by
getting the direct audience of Krishna and physically associating with
him, all their remaining contamination became burned up and they
achieved the advanced stages of [prema, sneha] and so on. Even
though in the company of their cowherd husbands, by the power of
Yogamaya they remained unsullied by sexual contact with them, being
rather situated in purely spiritual bodies which became enjoyed by
Krishna. That night, when they heard the sound of Krishna's flute, their
husbands tried to stop them, but by the merciful assistance of
Yogamaya, they were able to go forth to their beloved together with
the [nitya-siddha
gopis].
Others of them, however, because of not getting the good fortune of

associating the [nitya-siddha] and other advanced [gopis], had not
achieved the stage of [prema], and so their contamination was not
completely burned away. They entered the
company of their cowherd husbands, and sexually enjoyed by them,
they gave birth to children. But even they soon after also developed
their [purva-raga] by the excessively hankering to have the bodily
association of Krishna which they acquired by
associating with the [nitya-siddha] and other advanced [gopis].
Becoming worthy recipients of the mercy of the perfected [gopis], they
assumed transcendental bodies fit to be enjoyed by Krishna, and when
Yogamaya failed to help them overcome the attempts of their
husbands to keep them from going out, they felt themselves cast into
the worst calamity because of their inability to go to Krishna. Viewing
their husbands, brothers, fathers and other family members as
enemies, they came close to dying. Just as other women might
remember their mothers or other relatives at the time of death, they
remembered the sole friend of their very life, Krishna, as stated in the
words beginning [antah].
those ladies were not able to exit, because, it is implied, they were
held back by their husbands, who were standing before them scolding
and with sticks in their hands. Although they are perpetually absorbed
in love for him, at that particular time they meditated upon him. "alas,
alas, O only friend of our life! O ocean of the artistic skills of
Vrndavana Forest! Please let us become your girlfriends in some future
life, because at this time we cannot see with our own eyes Your lotus-
like face. So be it; we shall look upon You with our minds." Each of
them lamenting to themselves in this way, they stood with their eyes
closed shut and meditated deeply upon him.
_y to go to
Krishna. Viewing their husbands TEXTS 10-11
duhsaha-prestha-viraha-
tivra-tapa-dhutasubhah
dhyana-praptacyutaslesa-
nirvrtya ksina-mangalah
tam eva paramatmanam

jara-buddhyapi sangatah
jahur guna-mayam deham
sadyah praksina-bandhanah
TRANSLATION
their intolerable separation from Lord Krishna caused the [gopis] an

intense agony which burned away all traces of accumulated impious
[karma], and by meditating upon him they realized his embrace, which
gave them a great feeling of joy and thus depleted whatever material
pious reactions they had previously amassed. although he is in fact
the supreme soul of all existence, these girls simply thought of him as
their boyfriend. As they associated with him in that intimate mood, all
their karmic bondage became nullified and they spontaneously
abandoned their
gross material bodies. Sridhara svami
Furthermore, at that time they attained Krishna, the supersoul, by

meditation, and gave up their material bodies, as stated by the two
verses beginning [duhsaha]. But, it may be asked, how did they give
them up, since they were ignorant of the fact that
he is the Paramatma? anticipating this objection the words [jara-
buddhyapi] are spoken. The reality of a situation does not depend on
one's knowledge of it, or otherwise it would be like a person claiming
to have actually drunk nectar when he has only imagined doing so.
(text 11) But how can their reactions of past activities have become
nullified without their experiencing them, since only by one's enjoying
or suffering karmic results can they be used up? this question is
answered by the words beginning [duhsaha]. From
the separation they felt from their beloved they experienced a severe
pain, which further drove away everything inauspicious in their hearts;
thus by experiencing the greatest distress on account of failing to
attain him their impious reactions became
nullified. And similarly by meditation they obtained the embrace of
Lord acyuta, which caused them to experience great happiness ([nirvrti
= parama-sukha-bhoga]). This further caused the nullification of their
auspicious [karma], their bondage of
ordinary piety. In this way, when they realized the supersoul by their
meditation, they experienced both happiness and distress at the same
time. All their [karma] being thus reduced to zero, they gave up their
material bodies.
in this verse beginning [duhsaha-], (Sukadeva Gosvami) is speaking in

a peculiar way, keeping secret from outsiders the intimate object
which is attainable by the [gopis], presenting it to them as with an
external idea, while at the same time
revealing to the confidential devotees who are well-versed in the
scientific conclusions of devotional service the internal meaning that is
his real desired purport. Thus to the outsiders Sukadeva says that
Krishna gave the [gopis] liberation: From the intolerable separation
from their beloved that they experienced there arose a great pain, by
which all of their inauspicious contamination became washed away,
used up. By meditation they achieved the embrace of Lord acyuta,
which gave rise to an ecstasy, by which furthermore their auspicious
pious [karma] became diminished (used up). Then, all the bondage of
their past accumulated karmic reactions being reduced to nill, they,
even while thinking of him as their paramour, realized him as the
supersoul and left their bodies.
But to the confidential hearers Sukadeva is saying that at that time,

by experiencing separation from their beloved, there arose in them
immeasurable unhappiness and happiness both, and gradually their
achieved their desired goal, as stated: Due to
their intolerable separation from their beloved, they developed a
terrible pain, by which they caused to tremble ([dhutani = kampati-
krtani]) all inauspicious things. In other words, seeing the sharpness of
the [gopis'] agony in separation from their
beloved, other persons abandon thousands of inauspicious things--
even as fearsome as the subterranean fires of millions of universes or
the great poison which was swallowed by Lord siva. More specifically,
they give up their terrible false ego and,
think themselves defeated, begin to tremble. By the [gopis']
meditation Lord acyuta became manifest and personally came to
them, and by embracing that body, full of transcendental love for
them, and exhibiting personal characteristics and a sense of
identification appropriate for such love, they experienced great joy.
That joy diminished, made seem paltry by comparison, all their good
fortune, both material and spiritual. The implied idea is that when
(other persons) see how happy the [gopis] became upon embracing
Krishna when he manifested himself directly
before them, they (the other persons) feel that thousands of so-called
auspicious objects become diminished, insignificant in comparison--
even all the sense-gratificatory pleasures to be found in millions of
universes, and even the trans-sensory
pleasure of spiritual bliss ([brahmananda]). By the distress and the joy
that arose, respectively, from separation from the supreme Personality
of Godhead and union with him, all the reactions of their past
activities, sinful and pious as well, are
eradicated. The Vaisnavas certainly do not agree with the opinion that
such sinful and pious reactions can only be destroyed by being lived
out, since, after all, separation from the supreme Lord and direct
association with him are not in either category of sinful or pious results
of past activity. this kind of elimination of the resultant reactions of
past activity occurs rather in the stage of [bhajana], for those who
have come to the level of [anartha-nivrtti].
and thus, thinking of him, the Paramatma or supreme worthy object of

all love, as being their paramour, even though such a concept is
contemptible, they achieved him in even a fuller sense than did such
personalities as Queen rukmini, who thought of him in the most
respectable way, as their husband. That thinking of the Lord as one's
paramour is superior to thinking of him as one's husband is proven by
the fact of the superiority of this kind of unbridled pure love, as born
out by the words of sri uddhava, [ya dustyajam svajanam a`rya-
patham ca hitva] ([Bhag.]
10.47.61).
and in this incarnation of the Lord we find his pastimes turning the
most lowly things into the most elevated, as Bhisma described, that
Krishna's pastime of acting as arjuna's chariot driver was even more
elevated than any pastime of acting in the
status of a mighty king of kings: [vijaya-ratha-kutumba a`tta-totre/
dhrta-haya-rasmini tac-chriyesksaniye] ([Bhag.] 1.9.39, "I concentrate
my mind upon the chariot driver of arjuna, who stood with a whip in his
right hand and a bridle rope in his
left, who was very careful to give protection to arjuna's chariot by all
means"). Similarly (in the Lord's appearance as Krishna), we see that
the inferior conjugal [rasa] becomes better than the normally superior
mood of [santa-rasa], as also the attitude of loving a paramour
becomes superior to the loving exchange between
legitimate spouses, and lowly conchshell necklaces, red oxide paste
and peacock feathers become better than the most excellent jewelled
ornaments.
We can coincidentally deduce that some of the [gopis], with the help
of Yogamaya, were able to escape the bonds holding them back and
went out on that night to meet Krishna, the enjoyer of the [rasa]
dance, whereas others had to wait until another night.
But, it may be objected, it is not fitting for the supreme Lord to sport
with such women whose bodies had already been enjoyed by other
men; this is replied to by the words beginning [jahuh]. the word
[deham] is used here in the single form to indicated unity of category
(even though they are plural). Some authorities say that by the power
of Yogamaya these bodies disappeared in a way unnoticed to
everyone, but other authorities say that the "body" referred to in this
context is the inferior body composed of the modes of material nature;
thus, by the prominence of the adjective [guna-mayam], it is
understood that before the [gopis] heard the sound of Krishna's flute,
their bodies had been two-fold, material and spiritual. Thereupon they
gave up the material bodies, which their husbands had enjoyed. We
may analyze this as follows: Begin from the point devotees enter the
stage of prosecuting devotional service in accord with the instructions
of a bona fide spiritual master, and as they engage their ears and other
senses in pure devotion by the means of hearing, chanting,
remembering, offering obeisances, giving personal attendance and so
forth, the devotees make the Lord's transcendental qualities the
objects of their own ears and other senses, as stated by the Lord
himself, [nirguno mad-apasrayah] ([Bhag.] 11.25.26, describing the
different kinds of workers). in this way the devotees' bodies transcend
the material modes, but at the same time when they take as their
sense objects mundane sounds, etc., that is material. Thus a devotee's
body can have two partial aspects, transcendental and material.
and further, by the logic of the verse [bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir

anyatra ca] (11.2.42), which states, [tustih pustih ksud-apayo
'nughasam], according to the different level which one's devotional
may have evolved to, the transcendental aspects
of one's body to that degree become prominent, while simultaneously
the material portions of one's body become diminished. When
complete pure love is achieved, the material portions are eliminated
and the body becomes completely spiritual. Nonetheless, the supreme
Lord has his illusory energy exhibit the demise of the gross body, in
order not to disturb the false opinions of atheists and in order to
protect the confidentiality of devotional service, as, for example, in the
disappearance of the Yadavas during the mausala-lila. Sometimes, on
the other hand, in order to make known the superexcellence of [bhakti-
yoga], this is not exhibited, as in the cases of dhruva maharaja and
others. Evidence for this point can be cited from the twenty-fifth
Chapter of the Eleventh Canto (text 32), describing material and
spiritual varieties of faith and so forth:
[yeneme nirjitah saumya

guna jivena citta-jah
bhakti-yogena man-nistho
mad-bhavaya prapadyate]
By this verse the Lord states that the defeat and destruction of that
which is composed of the modes of material nature can be brought
about only by the process of devotional service.
therefore the idea of this verse we should construe is that the

inauspicious, material bodies of those [gopis] were removed, burned
up, and by the ecstasy of embracing Krishna their auspicious, spiritual
bodies, far from being destroyed, simply grew more prominent. Thus
their bondage became completely undone; by the help of Yogamaya
they got free from the bondage of ignorance and also from the
prohibitions of their husbands and other relatives.
and we should not try to give the explanation that this falling away of
their bodies is due to their dying; the Lord himself states (10.47.37),
[ya maya kridata ratryam

vane 'smin vraja a`sthitah
alabdha-rasah kalyanyo
mapur mad-virya-cintaya]
"Even those of the all-auspicious [gopis] who could not directly join me
in enjoying the [rasa] dance on that night in this forest of Vrndavana
still achieved my association by remembering my transcendental
pastimes." By this use of the word [kalyanyah] in
this verse, (the Lord is implying that) "even though they, because of
the prohibitions of their husbands and the torment of being separated
from me, wanted to give up their bodies, for them to die at the very
beginning of the most auspicious festival of the [rasa] dance would be
displeasing to me and thus inauspicious. therefore they remained
auspicious (by not dying)." By this implied thought of the Lord's and
also by the statement of sri Sukadeva, [tatha ta u`cur uddhavam pritas
tat-sandesagata-
smrtih] ("then they replied to uddhava, feeling satisfied that his
message had reminded them of Krishna"), since we understand that
these [gopis] speaking to uddhava had previously not had the chance
to directly participate in [rasa-lila] while being held captive in their
houses, the conclusion is that they gave up their material bodies
without dying. Parched by the intense heat of separation, their
material bodies gave up their materiality and became purely spiritual,
just like the bodies of such great devotees as dhruva maharaja. We
should understand that this is the meaning of their "giving up their
bodies."
thus in this verse we have the phrase [alabdha-nirgamah] and in the

other verse quoted above we find the words [vraja a`sthitah] (implying
that they went out in their spiritual bodies?). similarly, in the first
verse are the words [dhyana-
praptacyutaslesah], while the other verse says [mapur mad-virya-
cintaya], which two phrases mean in effect the same thing. But in this
first verse we find the word [sangatah], in contrast to the word
[alabdha-rasah] in the other, by which
manifest difference it can explained that there are two different
classes of the [gopis] who were kept trapped in their houses. this is
just as from the observable fact of seven or eight fruits being ripe we
can ascertain "the fruits of this mango tree are
ripe." at this point we can pick all the fruits off the tree, and if we bring
them home the fruits will each in due course of time, by the effect of
the sun's rays and so forth, become fine-looking, fragrant and
delicious-- attractive and fit to be offered to the king for his enjoyment.
When the time comes for the king's meal, the discriminating servant
can choose those which are ready for offering to the king, whereas he
can see that those fruits which may be ripe in the middle but are still
raw on the outside do not yet have the best taste, as he can tell from
their lack of proper physical appearance, and thus they are not yet fit
for the king. By one's applying special heating to these remaining
fruits, they will become ripe and in two or three days will be ready to
offer to the king. Similarly, among the [muni-cari gopis] who took birth
in Gokula, those who completely gave up the materiality of their bodies
and very early in life achieved purely spiritual bodies were able to
remain untouched by any other man and were allowed by Yogamaya to
join the [nitya-siddha] and other advanced [gopis] when they went to
meet Krishna. And those who still retained some connection with the
external material body, even they, after obtaining the parching heat of
separation from Sri Krishna, gave up the material nature of their bodies
and assumed bodies which were perfectly transcendental and purified
of all taint of contact with other men. Some of these latter [gopis] were
sent out by Yogamaya on that same night behind those who had
already gone out, while others, who she saw still had a slight amount
of contamination, Yogamaya chose to send out instead on some other
night, keeping them back to further apply the heat of separation on
them.
and then these [gopis], after experiencing the pleasures of the [rasa]
dance and other pastimes with Krishna, went back when the night was
over, together with the [nitya-siddha] and other advanced [gopis], to
their husbands' houses. But now they were
protected by Yogamaya from the material association of their
husbands and devoid of any selfish attachment for husband, children
and the rest. Thoroughly submerged in the great ocean of love for
Krishna, their breasts dried up so that they could not feed their infants
and they appeared to their family members as if haunted by ghosts. In
this way there is no unseemly contradiction (in the [gopis] who were
previously in material association joining in the [rasa] dance).
some other authorities, however, maintain that the [gopis] who were
kept back in their houses actually did not have children. according to
them, whenever, in verses yet to come, such words as [apatya] are
used, these refer to the children of co-wives,
adopted children or nephews and nieces.
Bhaktisiddhanta sarasvati
the [gopis] are eternal associates of the supreme Lord, and thus
certainly they never have any connection with a material body made of
the three modes. But nevertheless, we hear of them giving up the
material body, the reason for which is that the
divine damsels of Vraja fall in two categories-- the eternally perfect and
the aspiring candidates. The class of candidates have not yet achieved
their perfect spiritual bodies. Thus we can understand that talk of
"giving up the material body" is in regard to these candidate [gopis]
who have yet to obtain their [siddha-dehas].
in this verse the word [asubha] indicates such obstacles to getting the
association of Krishna as fear of elders and so forth. [mangala] means
the eagerness to achieve Sri Krishna, and also to achieve servitude to
the intimate [gopis], which is the means of
achieving Krishna. It is said in this verse that their bondage was
immediately broken, which "bondage" is namely their having to live
with their elders, thus preventing them from having the association of
Krishna. These definitions are from the [Krishna-sandarbha]. _nnection
with a material body made of the three modes. But neverthe
TEXT 12
sri-pariksid uvaca
krsnam viduh param kantam
na tu brahmataya mune
guna-pravahoparamas
tasam guna-dhiyam katham
TRANSLATION
sri Pariksit maharaja said: O sage, the [gopis] only thought of Krishna
as their boyfriend, ignoring the fact that he is the supreme absolute
truth. So how could these girls, their minds caught up in the unceasing
flow of the material modes, free
themselves from such attachment?
Sridhara Svami
But, it may be objected, even if one's husband, son, etc., is actually

the absolute truth, one cannot obtain liberation just by serving him,
since one does not know him to be the supreme. So how can the
[gopis'] association with Krishna have been the cause
of their liberation if they didn't recognize him as Brahman? this
question is anticipated by the verse beginning [krsnam viduh]. [Param]
means "only," and [kantam] means "desirable."
King Pariksit, looking at the expressions on the faces of some of the

more materialistic persons present there, took note of the doubt
lurking in their hearts. Although he already knew the intended meaning
of sri Sukadeva's statements by Sukadeva's mercy, still he spoke as if
experiencing doubt himself for the purpose of eradicating the doubt of
those others, in the verse beginning [krsnam]. O sage, O knower of
everything, they knew Krishna, although he is the Paramatma, the
supreme Personality, to be their own boyfriend ([kantam = sva-
ramanam]). They did not know him as the absolute truth. Therefore if
they were actually of material intelligence, if they were in a degraded
mentality of material sense gratification when they thought, "let us
enjoy with Krishna," how could have the mighty current of the material
modes stopped for them? this is corroborated by statements of both
[sruti] and [smrti] to the effect that only knowledge of the supersoul
can award liberation, such as [tam eva viditvati mrtyum eti/ nanyah
pantha vidyate 'yanaya] and [a`tmanam a`tmatmatmataya vicaksate]
("the individual soul can only realize the supreme soul when he
recognizes his transcendental position").
TEXT 13
sri-suka uvaca
uktam purastad etat te
caidyah siddhim yatha gatah
dvisann api hrsikesam
kim utadhoksaja-priyah
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami said: I have already explained this matter to you

before. Since the evil sisupala was able to attain salvation even while
maintaining an attitude of hatred toward the transcendental Lord, Sri
Krishna, there should be no doubt that
liberation is easily attainable by pure devotees who are very dear to
him.
Sridhara Svami
this objection is refuted by Sukadeva in the verse beginning [uktam].

The idea is as follows: The Brahman-hood of [jiva] souls is covered, but
Krishna, because he is hrsikesa, is uncovered. Therefore (his influence)
does not depend on whether
someone understands him or not.
madhvacarya
[krsna-kamas tada gopyas/ tyaktva deham divam gatah

samyak krsnam para-brahma/ jnatva kalat param yayuh]
"at that time the [gopis], who were full of desire for Krishna, gave up
their bodies and went to the spiritual world. Because they properly
understood Krishna to be the supreme absolute truth they transcended
the influence of material time.
[purvam ca jnana-samyuktas/ tatrapi prayasas tatha

atas tasam param brahma/ gatir a`sin na kamatah]
"in their previous lives most of the [gopis] were already fully endowed
in transcendental knowledge. It is due to this that they were able to
attain the supreme Brahman, not simply on the basis of lust.
[na tu jnanam r`te mokso/ nanyah pantheti hi srutih

kama-yukta tada bhaktir/ jnanam cato vimukti-gah]
"Without spiritual knowledge there is no valid path to liberation, as is
declared by the [Vedas]. Because these apparently lusty [gopis]
possessed devotion and knowledge,
therefore they achieved liberation.
[ato mokse 'pi tasam ca/ kamo bhaktyanuvartate
mukti-sabdodito caidya-/ prabhrtau dvesa-bhaginah]
"thus even in their attainment of liberation, 'lust' follows as the
manifestation of their pure devotion. What we call 'liberation' was after
all experienced even by envious persons like sisupala.
[bhakti-margi prthan muktim/ agad visnu-prasadatah

kamas tv asubha-krc capi/ bhaktya visnoh prasada-krt]
"a follower of the path of devotional service incidentally gains
liberation by the mercy of Lord Visnu, and lusty desires, which are
otherwise inauspicious, instead invoke the mercy of Visnu when they
are exhibited in pure devotion.
[dvesi-jiva-yutam capi/ bhaktam visnur vimocayet

aho 'ti-karuna visnoh/ sisupalasya moksanat]
"a devotee who may be in an envious body and mentality is sure to be
saved by Lord Visnu. Just see the extreme mercy of the Lord, as
evidenced by his granting liberation to sisupala!"
this passage is from the [skanda Purana].
the king of sages, although knowing in his mind that "this is actually
not the king's own question," uses him as the example for chastising
the others for their foolishness with the idea, "you must have no
intelligence at all to be asking such a question." thus he speaks the
verse beginning [uktam].
"Previously" means in the seventh Canto. [dvisann api] means "even

in an unfavorable attitude symptomized by hatred"; if even in that
manner the liberation of merging with the Lord can be attained, then
what to speak, it is implied, of the favorable attitude characterized by
conjugal desire? the word [hrsikesam]
indicates that he personally descends to this world by his
unconditional, causeless mercy, and even though he is inaccessible
even to the senses ([hrsika]) of such persons as Brahma, nevertheless
he makes himself visible by his inconceivable divine potency, allowing
himself to be seen by the senses of even the most lowly. He does this
to deliver them, and thus this is simply the power of his merciful
compassion. These girls, on the other hand, are the objects and the
subjects of affection [priyah = priti-visayasraya-bhutah] for him, the
transcendental Lord who lies beyond the material senses. Instead of
saying in this verse, "just as aghasura achieved perfection," aghasura
is passed over and the most degraded Caidya is mentioned. By this
example of sisupala, Sukadeva said the following confidentially to the
king: Caidya became released from his material body by his total
absorption in hatred for Krishna, which accrued to him due to the curse
of a sage. But actually, his spiritual body as a personal associate of the
Lord was always present hidden within, as is stated, [visnu-cakra-
hatamhasau], which states that only his sins became destroyed by the
disk of Lord Visnu, and the words [yayor tau], which state that he
achieved perfection, namely his desired goal of being a personal
associate of the Lord. This is also stated:
[vairanubandha-tivrena
dhyanenacyuta-satmatam
nitau punar hareh parsvam
jagmatur visnu-parsadau]
TEXT 14
nrnam nihsreyasarthaya
vyaktir bhagavato nrpa
avyayasyaprameyasya
nirgunasya gunatmanah
TRANSLATION
my dear King Pariksit, the supreme Personality of Godhead manifests

himself in this world for the purpose of granting everyone the highest
possible benefit. Thus he makes his personal appearance, even though
he is inexhaustible, immeasurable, and completely non-material, the
ultimate creator and controller of the modes of material nature.
Sridhara Svami
But how can an embodied being be in an uncovered state? that is

answered by the verse beginning [nrnam]. [Gunatmanah] means "of
the controller of the modes", the Lord manifesting himself in such an
aspect, and therefore it is not appropriate in this
context to describe (his devotees, the [gopis]) as ordinary embodied
living entities.
the reason for this (great mercy the Lord shows to devotees and
demons alike) is the Lord's descending to this world with the idea in
mind, "I shall deliver all those persons who have no access to the paths
of spiritual advancement but still somehow or other have some
personal connection with me." this is described in the two verses
beginning [nrnam]. "the highest benefit" means for some merging into
God's existence, for some the liberations of [salokya] and so forth, and
for some pure love of Godhead. thus the reason for the appearance in
this world of him who can destroy millions of universes by moving his
eyebrows is only justified by the purpose of killing of such demons as
Kamsa, who are a great burden upon the earth, and not otherwise.
[avyayasya] means of him who is not depleted even after giving
himself away to each and every of his devotees. In what way (is he so),
some may ask, which is replied to by the words beginning
[aprameyasya]. This word means impossible to measure, the
implication being, "who can understand the truth about him?" this is
because he is [nirguna], which indicates that this great ocean of
transcendental awareness and ecstasy can certainly not be
circumscribed.
TEXT 15
kamam krodham bhayam sneham

aikyam sauhrdam eva ca
nityam harau vidadhato
yanti tan-mayatam hi te
TRANSLATION
Persons who maintain any constant attitude toward Lord hari--

whether based on lust, anger, fear, protective affection, impersonal
oneness or friendship-- are sure to become fully attached to him.
Sridhara Svami
therefore to become somehow or other attached to him is the cause of

liberation, as stated by this verse beginning [kamam]. [aikyam] means
a relationship ([sambandha]), and [sauhrdam] means [bhakti].
madhvacarya
[tan-mayata] means that those who are lusty remain eternally full of
lust and those who are angry remain eternally so.
[vimuktav api kaminyo/ visnu-kama vraja-striyah

dvesinas ca harau nityam/ dvesena tamasi sthitah]
"the women of Vraja remain lusty even after attaining liberation,
because their lust is for Lord Visnu. Similarly those who are inimical to
Lord hari remain eternally in darkness because of their hatred."
this is also from the [skanda Purana].
[bhaktya hi nitya-kamitvam/ na tu muktim vina bhavet

atah kamitaya vapi/ muktir bhaktimatam harau]
"the kind of eternal lusty attraction that is expressed in pure
devotional service cannot occur for one who is not already liberated.
Thus even by expressions of conjugal attraction those who are devoted
in love to hari can be liberated.
[sneha-bhaktah sada devah/ kamitvenapsara-striyah

kascit kascin na kamena/ bhaktya kevalayaiva tu
moksam a`yanti nanyena/ bhaktim yogyam vina kvacit]
"the demigods always have sentimental affection for the Lord, and the
heavenly apsaras for the most part have lusty feelings toward him,
although sometimes some of them have pure devotion for him
untainted by material lust. Only these latter apsaras are ready for
liberation, because without bona fide devotional service liberation is
not possible."
this is from the [Padma Purana].
[yogyopasam vina naiva/ moksah kasyapi setsyati

ayogyopasana kartur/ nirayas ca bhavisyati
tasmat tu yogyatam jnatva/ hareh karyam upasanam]
"no one can ever achieve liberation without performing worship of the
Lord properly. Rather one who worships in an improper way is on his
way to hell. Therefore one should understand the proper method
before engaging in the worship of Lord hari."
this is a quotation from the [Bhadrika].
[patitvena sriyopasyo/ brahmana me piteti ca

pitamahatayanyesam/ tridasanam janardanah]
"Lord Janardana is worshiped by the goddess Laksmi as her husband,
by Lord Brahma with the idea that Visnu is his father, and by the other
demigods as their grandfather.
[prapitamaho me bhagavan/ iti sarva-janasya tu

guruh sri-brahmano visnuh/ suranam ca guror guruh]
"thus the common people in this universe should think of the supreme
Lord as their great-grandfather and worship him in that mood. Along
the same line, Lord Visnu is the spiritual master of Brahma and thus
the grand spiritual master of the demigods.
[gurur brahmasya jagato/ daivam visnuh sanatanah

ity evopasanam karyam/ nanyatha tu kathancana]
"Brahma is the spiritual master of this universe, and Visnu is the
eternal worshipable deity. Only bearing this in mind should one
worship the Lord, never otherwise."
this passage is quoted from the [Varaha Purana].
therefore this general conclusion should be appreciated, as described

in the current verse: The [gopis] and others always offered [kama;]
persons like Caidya anger, hatred; Kamsa and others fear; devotees
like nanda maharaja parental affection; the
self-satisfied sages oneness; and the Vrsnis, Pandavas and others
friendship. Thus all the persons in these categories even nowadays
achieve [tan-mayata] by each maintaining their individual attitudes
toward him. This tells us that the various
pastimes of all these persons are eternal. [tan-mayatam] meant for the
[gopis] total attachment to him, just like the feelings of a lusty woman-
hunter. For the others [tan-mayatam] meant [sayujya].
TEXT 16
na caivam vismayah karyo

bhavata bhagavaty aje
yogesvaresvare krsne
yata etad vimucyate
TRANSLATION
You should not be at all surprised that the eternal and unborn master
of all masters of mystic power, the supreme Personality of Godhead,
Krishna, can arrange things like this. By his grace every single living
being in this universe can become liberated.
Sridhara Svami
and this is not too difficult for the supreme Lord, as stated in the verse
beginning [na caivam]. From him, Sri Krishna, this whole world, even
the immobile creatures, becomes liberated.
the verse beginning [na ca]: Let others be amazed about this matter,
but you, who have been well aware of his glories even beginning from
the womb, should not be be astounded. Even though the supreme Lord
is appearing as a tender of cows, as the son
of devaki, still he is unborn. And even thought he acts wantonly with
the cowherd women, Krishna is the master of all masters of [yoga] and
the original source of all incarnations. Because of whom this entire
universe, even the unmoving creatures, becomes liberated, as is
explained by sri svami-carana. Or, as an alternate interpretation,
although this universe is distinct from the transcendental
paraphernalia of the Lord's pastimes, still by remembering the moods
of [kama], [sneha] and so on of his various devotees, it even today
becomes freed from the flux of the modes
of nature.
_ed
in the verse be TEXT 17
ta drstvantim a`yata
bhagavan vraja-yositah
avadad vadatam srestho
vacah pesair vimohayan
TRANSLATION
When Lord Krishna saw the arrival of the [gopis] of Vraja, he, the best
of eloquent speakers, greeted them will finely decorated words that
bewildered their minds.
Sridhara Svami
setting the scene, Sukadeva Gosvami speaks the verse beginning [ta
drstva]. [Vacah pesaih] means "with playful words" ([vag- vilasaih]).
having thus reconciled a coincidental apparent contradiction, now the

actual subject matter is introduced by this verse. Those girls who had
been drawn by his flute. The greatest among expert users of speech in
regards to proper time, place and party.
[Pesaih] means "with limbs" (different aspects of fine speech),
according to the definition [pisa avayave], where the suffix [ghan] (an
artificial ending which gunates the root's vowel) is applied (to the word
[pisa]). The different aspects of speech,
the different parts of expressions designating that which is named,
referenced or indirectly implied, which aspects are varyingly "dry,"
(harsh) "moist" (affectionate) and so on-- with those he was
bewildering them. Even though they were already
bewildered by the resonant sound of his flute, he did so to especially
bewilder them.
in this case the Lord is going to fulfill three of his desires by speaking
harsh words to them. (he thinks: first of all) I want to demonstrate to
the world the purity of their love, that even when they see that I, their
beloved, the object of their affection, am indifferent, still their affection
does not decrease the slightest bit. Also, when I meet with the [gopis] I
will be forced to submit to their headstrong duplicity, full of the nature
of courting women who pretend to be unfavorable. To respond to this,
I, showing how I am also eager to behave like a valiant lover, am going
to make them accept my magnanimity by behaving contrarily at our
first meeting. Further, because of the natural stiffness of young girls
who are extremely shy, which makes them behave just the opposite
way to how they actually feel, they are surely going to make me listen
to their interjected words meant to forestall our association. Although,
as is understood by experts in the science of [rasas], in the same way
as the breasts and other bodily parts of attractive women make a more
striking impression by being covered by clothing and hidden, similarly
the inner hankerings of such women inspire more wonder when they
are kept covered by their contrary behavior. When these are brashly
exhibited they do not make the same effect. Nonetheless, just as
sometimes a particular suitor may desire to see the uncovered limbs of
a women he is trying to enjoy, similarly he may wish to hear them
speak directly of their eagerness, without any duplicitous
dissemblance. But if his contemporary friends or other males are also
present, he then does not want to see or hear. In this manner Lord
Krishna now wishes to see all the invisible bodily features of the [gopis]
and hear their intimate words uncovered by duplicity. Thus, we should
understand, he did not bring with himself on this occasion any of
cowherd boys who were his close friends.
TEXT 18
sri-bhagavan uvaca
svagatam vo maha-bhagah
priyam kim karavani vah
vrajasyanamayam kaccid
brutagamana-karanam
TRANSLATION
Lord Krishna said: O most auspicious ladies, welcome. What can I do
to please you? is everything well in Vraja? Please tell me the reason
you have come here to see me.
Sridhara Svami
seeing how they had all come their in great haste, he addressed them
as if with apprehension in the words beginning [vrajasya] ("is
everything alright in Vraja?").
Jiva Gosvami
the verses beginning [sv-agatam] describe a series of replies and

counter-replies.
so it is the manner of women and men who know [rasas] to act like
this when they meet, that the women do not like it when men men
openly reveal their eagerness for conjugal enjoyment. They become
angry at such. With this in mind Lord Krishna is first addressing them in
accordance with the standard manner of mellow dealings, saying,
"Welcome. Was your trip here pleasant? You are greatly fortunate
ladies, in that in your whole lives you have never had to look misery in
the face." Or else, this not a question but rather a reply: "therefore
your coming here today is very auspicious. Your having come is quite
fitting because you are greatly fortunate ladies, and thus everything
you do comes out successfully, resulting in happiness both for
yourselves and for others." he continues, "so what can I do to please
you? Please tell me what gratifying hospitality I can offer to you young
girls who have to me when I am all by myself during the night in this
deserted forest. Kindly tell me in simple terms what will give you
pleasure, since I am indeed eager to please you. Then I will without a
doubt carry it out." not receiving any appropriate answer such as, "Our
boy, you are too bold. You are very wanton to speak to us, who are
faithful to our husbands, in such an audacious way. Don't you have any
fear of God's laws or of the king?", he takes their silence, caused by
their shyness, to be a sign of their compliance in the intention to have
physical contact, as he hinted at in his words, "What can I do to please
you?"
thus the Lord thinks, "if these girls are not going to resort to their
normal tricks tonight, then I am going to play a few tricks of my own,
rather than revealing my own actual eagerness. Furthermore, just as
in physical contact, which is one aspect of
direct association between lovers, contrariness is attractive, similarly
in the act of meeting, another aspect of direct association, such
contrariness is also pleasing. But because these girls have lost control
of themselves due to having drunk the liquor of the sound of my most
enchanting flute, they are behaving against their real natures.
Therefore I should be compassionate with them, since I have not lost
control of myself, and show them favor by externally pretend to be
contrary, while at the same time inwardly retaining my natural
eagerness to enjoy with them."
Considering these ideas the Lord brings the conversation to the level
of contrariness by inquiring from them with apprehension and concern,
in the words beginning [vrajasya]: "is everything alright in Vraja? I do
not know whether there is now some
disturbance going on in Vraja, created by indra or someone else, which
has sent you fleeing in fear and coming into my presence to secure
your own protection." and then, when the girls look at each other with
mutual understanding and amazement, silently
conjecturing, "What is this new excessive wickedness on his part?", the
Lord (then thinks), "By your silence I can understand that there is no
disturbance," (and says), "therefore please tell me the reason you have
come. I will not be able to refuse your
desire."
TEXT 19
rajany esa ghora-rupa

ghora-sattva-nisevita
pratiyata vrajam neha
stheyam stribhih su-madhyamah
TRANSLATION
this night is very frightening and populated by many ferocious

animals. I suggest you go back to Vraja, O slender-waisted girls,
because this is no proper place for women.
Sridhara Svami
noting that they were gently smiling with embarrassment, the Lord
spoke the words beginning [rajani].
"alas, alas, even after shattering our family responsibilities, sobriety,

shame and so forth and enjoying us day after day, and after now
dragging us here by the sound of his flute, he is asking us why we have
come!" as the [gopis] thus glanced at one
another with sidelong movements of their eyes, the Lord said, "if you
try to tell me that you have come to get night blooming flowers to use
in the worship of God, casting your eyes while you say this on the
flowering creepers, I will have to reject your alibi as unacceptable,
since the time, place, and persons involved are none of them
appropriate." this the Lord states in the verse beginning [rajani]. Even
though there is abundant moonlight, this time of night is very
fearsome, because, it being night, there are many snakes, scorpions
and so forth too small for you to see that are lying beneath the
creepers, roots and twigs. therefore, the Lord implies, this time is
unsuitable for gathering flowers. And the night is inhabited by terrible
creatures such as tigers, indicating that by connection with the
particular time the location, Vrndavana, is also unsuitable. therefore
you should go back to Vraja.
But, the [gopis] may object, let us just rest for a few minutes, and then
we will go, but the Lord replies to such with the words, "women
shouldn't be present in this kind of place." in other words, by
connection with the time and place, persons like yourselves are
unsuitable participants.
Furthermore the Lord says "O slender-waisted ones," indicating that

"You are beautiful young girls, and I am a beautiful young boy. Even
though you are all very chaste, and I am a [brahmacari], as evidence
by [sruti], in the [Gopala-tapani
upanisad] with the words [krsno brahmacari], and thus there should be
no fault in our being in the same place, nonetheless the mind can
never be trusted, neither yours nor my own."
the inner eagerness of the Lord that is thus hinted at is made obvious
if we read between the lines, as follows: "if because of shyness you
cannot speak the reason for your coming, then don't speak. I already
know it anyway, so just listen as I tell it to
you;" thus the Lord speaks the words beginning [rajani]. This night
appears not at all fearsome, because of the pervasive moonshine, and
therefore it is populated by harmless creatures such as deer ([aghora-
sattvaih]), or else, on account of the
non-violent atmosphere natural to Vrndavana, by animals such as
tigers. Consequently this night should not frighten you. Or else, as an
alternate understanding, you should not be afraid of your own
husbands and other relatives because the night is populated by
fearsome animals, so that your husbands and so forth are not going to
come near this place. Therefore please do not go back to Vraja ([na
yata]), but stay here in my company ([iha stheyam]). How (are you
staying here)? the Lord answers, "with women." But are you satisfied
to keep just any women in your company? the Lord replies to this with
the word [su-madhyamah], meaning "Only women who are young and
beautiful, who have slender waists--namely yourselves--should stay
here with me, and no others." thus we can appreciate these
statements of Krishna as full of neglectful sentiments and considerate
ones as well.
TEXT 20
matarah pitarah putra

bhratrah patayas ca vah
vicinvanti hy apasyanto
ma krdhvam bandhu-sadhvasam
TRANSLATION
Certainly your mothers, fathers, sons, brothers must be worried about

your absence and are going out to start searching for you. don't
create unnecessary anxiety for your families!
Sridhara Svami
moreover, the verse beginning [matarah]. [Vicinvanti] means "are

searching for." Please do not make trouble ([sadhvasam = krcchram])
for your relatives ([ma krdhvam = ma kuruta]).
But, the question may be raised, even if there is anything improper

about (our meeting), still--even though during the night, even though
in the forest and even though we are young girls--people are not going
to make gossip about it, because we
have come all together in a large group. Granted, Krishna replies, but
your family members, worrying that some evil may have befallen you,
must right now be searching for you. Don't put them in anxiety. This
the Lord states in the verse beginning [matarah].
they are looking ([vicinvanti = mrgayante)] for you ([vah = yusman]).

In this regard, although their children, being only two or three months
of age, are not expert in the skill of searching for lost persons, as
stated previously and about to be stated in phrases such as
[payayantyah sisun payah] and [krandanti vatsa balas ca] (text 22),
nonetheless, because the Lord has caused each of them to forget this
fact about their children, he manages to plausibly make this
statement. therefore, he says, don't cause ([ma krdhvam =
notpadayata]) anxiety for your relatives due to their not finding you.
From another point of view the idea is that "even while trying to look,
they do not see;" they will not find you in this dense forest, even
though it is not far away. Therefore don't be fearful on account of your
family members. Rather you can enjoy freely with me in this night.
TEXTS 21-22
drstam vanam kusumitam

rakesa-kara-ranjitam
yamunanila-lilaijat
taru-pallava-sobhitam
tad yata maciram gostham

susrusadhvam patin satih
krandanti vatsa balas ca
tan payayata duhyata
TRANSLATION
now you have seen this Vrndavana forest full of flowers and
resplendent with the light of the full moon. You have seen the beauty
of the trees, with their leaves trembling in the gentle breeze coming
from the Yamuna. So now go back to the cowherd village. Don't delay.
O chaste ladies, serve your husbands, and give milk to your calves and
babies, who are now crying.
Sridhara Svami
(text 21) addressing them, who were looking at one another with
slight loving anger, he spoke the words beginning [drstam]. Colored
by the rays of the lord of raka, the full moon (raka is the goddess
presiding over the full-moon day). Beautified by the
leaves of the trees, which are trembling ([ejantah] = [kampamanah])
because of the play, the gentle movement, of the wind, which is
touching the Yamuna.
(text 22) [satih] means "O chaste women."
(text 21) and then, addressing them, who were looking all around in
embarrassment, he speaks the words beginning [drstam]. "Oh, I see
that you have come here to see the forest." and thus, when the [gopis]
look upward, he speaks the words beginning
[rakesa]. When they look at the Yamuna and so forth, he says that (the
forest) is beautified by the flowering buds of the trees, which are
trembling because of the gentle movement of the wind which has
touched the Yamuna. The implication in this
statement is "now you have carried out your seeing of the forest and
so forth, so don't tarry here any longer."
the alternate explanation is as follows: "this Vrndavana is the very

best of places, and moreover even this is a full-moon night.
Furthermore we have the Yamuna on all four sides, and even more
there are cool, gentle, fragrant breezes. In this way there are these
transcendental opulences ([vibhavas]) which stimulate loving
exchanges, and I am also here as the ecstatic opulence of the object of
love. So let us now test how much expertise you can show in relishing
[rasas]."
(text 22) therefore ([tat = tasmat]) don't wait a long time before
going, but go immediately. "Chaste" means loyal to their husbands;
thus they should serve their husbands to help them accomplish their
religious duties, and thus also the [gopis]
should be considered worshipable because of their chasteness. this
much Krishna says to the [gopis] who are married to other men, and
now to the unmarried girls he says, "the cow's calves are crying, so see
to it that they get milk." to the [muni-cara- gopis] he says, "Your babies
are crying, so feed them milk."
the alternate explanation of this is as follows: Therefore don't go for a

long time, for the entire duration of this night, but rather stay here and
enjoy with me. Don't go serve your husbands and the gentle women
(your mothers-in-law and so forth),
the idea being that it would not be fitting to waste such beauty and
youth which have been granted as the gift of the creator. In the same
way, don't milk the cows and don't give milk to the babies; what do
you, who are so full of ecstatic attraction for
me, have to do with these affairs?
_means loyal to their
husbands; TEXT 23
atha va mad-abhisnehad
bhavatyo yantritasayah
a`gata hy upapannam vah
priyante mayi jantavah
TRANSLATION
On the other hand, perhaps the reason you have come here is the
great love you have for me, which has taken control of your hearts.
This of course is quite commendable on your part, since indeed all
living entities possess natural affection for me.
Sridhara Svami
addressing them, whose eyes were agitated by anxiety, Lord Krishna

speaks the verse beginning [atha va]. [Yantritasayah] means "minds
brought under control." [upapannam] means "fitting," and [priyante]
means "they become pleased."
the verse beginning [atha va]: alas, I have refuted all their reasons for
having come, but now I have thought of a reason. this the Lord speaks
in the words [mayi], etc. Because of your total affection your hearts
have been brought under subjugation.
therefore it is fitting that you have come here. Perfection comes from
getting the opportunity to see me, because all living beings ([jantavah
= prani-matrani]) are affectionate to me, which implies that "my
fortunate condition is natural, and not
something externally acquired." thus you girls have the same affection
for me that everyone has, and not, it is subtly implied, any special kind
of affection conditioned by Cupid.
here is the alternate explanation: You have great affection

([abhisneha]) for me, pure ecstatic love in the mood of my being your
boyfriend. For that reason the heart has been brought under
subjugation, or in other words, you girls have drawn me to you by the
ropes of your minds [manasa yantrena]. Therefore your having come is
quite fitting, and not without good cause. After all, all living entities
have affection for me, so what to speak of yourselves, who possess
transcendental [bhava].
TEXT 24
bhartuh susrusanam strinam

paro dharmo hy amayaya
tad-bandhunam ca kalyanah
prajanam canuposanam
TRANSLATION
the supreme religious duty for all women is to sincerely serve their
husbands, behave well toward their husband's family and take good
care of their own children.
Sridhara Svami
demonstrating visible and invisible causes for fear, the Lord tries to
stop them in the three verses beginning [bhartuh].
Jiva Gosvami
Or else, taking the alternate interpretation that the Lord is making an

entreaty here, the verse beginning [bhartuh] means that you should
serve only that husband who is so [amayaya], not falsely, as you have
indeed been serving me from your childhood,
and not a false husband. This is because, it is implied, sri Bhisma, the
best of knowers of the principles of religion, refused to become
anyone's husband when a marriageable girl was unwilling (to marry his
father), and thus rejected his own opportunity to marry amba.
But if we, as You say, have great love for You, then why are You
repeatedly telling us "go back to the cowherd village"? it is not possible
for one who is the loving subject to give up the person who is the
object of that love. True, Krishna replies, and a person of Vraja who has
love for me should do that which promotes her religious principles. So I
am telling you what the opinion of the scriptures is; the Lord states this
in this verse beginning [bhartuh]. [Para] means "excellent." [amayaa]
means "not, on the other hand, while flirting with other men." [tad-
bandhunam] means "of sisters-in-law and so on."
according to an alternate view, because the word [stri] has already

been used in a previous verse, here it indicates the particular women
who are beautiful young girls of Vraja, namely "your good selves."
serving one's husband is someone else's duty
([paro dharmah]) but not yours. Therefore, it is implied, you need not
carry it out. This is as stated ([Bhag.] 7.15.12),
[vidharmah para-dharmas ca
a`bhasa upama chalah
adharma-sakhah pancema
dharma-jno 'dharma-vat tyajet]
"there are five branches of irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion

[vidharma], religious principles for which one is unfit [para-dharma],
pretending religion [a`bhasa], analogical religion [upadharma] and
cheating religion [chala-dharma]. One
who is aware of real religious life must abandon these five as
irreligious." By this statement, because I am Visnu and you are all
Vaisnavis, worshiping me is alone your proper religious duty, and
anything else is simply [para-dharma]. The implication,
according to the verse [dharman santyajya yah sarvan mam bhajeta sa
ca sattamah] (11.11.32), is that your prescribed duty is to give up all
other [dharmas] and worship me.
TEXT 25
duhsilo durbhago vrddho

jado rogy adhano 'pi va
patih stribhir na hatavyo
lokespsubhir apataki
TRANSLATION
Women who desire a good destination in the next life should never
abandon a husband who has not fallen from his religious standards,
even if he is mean, unfortunate, old, unintelligent, sickly or poor.
Jiva Gosvami
and therefore the verse [duhsilam]. Thus the connection of the two
verses should be construed.
But how can we, who have such great love for You, continue to serve
our unsuitable, unfavorable and unattractive husbands? this Krishna
replies to with the verse beginning [duhsila]. [apataki] is said in
accordance with the injunction of [smrti],
[patis tv apatitam bhajet]. In other words a fallen husband should be
abandoned because he will be a cause of the wife's own falldown.
[Lokepsubhih] means "by those who want the happiness of achieving
the same planets in their next lives as their
husbands." the alternate explanation is that husbands should not be
rejected by [lokepsubhih], women who are concerned with the
insignificant reputation, happiness and so forth found in this world and
the next, but you [gopis], because you have already given up as dead
both worlds, and are instead sporting in the
vast ocean of enjoying my sweetness, have already given up your
husbands.
TEXT 26
asvargyam ayasasyam ca
phalgu krcchram bhayavaham
jugupsitam ca sarvatra
hy aupapatyam kula-striyah
TRANSLATION
For any woman from a respectable family, illicit affairs with paramours
are always condemned. They bar her from attaining heaven, ruin her
reputation and give her nothing but difficulty and fear.
Sridhara Svami
[Phalgu] means insignificant, [krcchram] means difficult to accomplish

and [aupapatyam] means the happiness of having a paramour.
You good girls have ordinary affection for me by your very natures,
but any special affection which is contrary to the principles of religion
should be given up. This the Lord states in the verse beginning
[asvargyam]. If they reply "so let us not go to heaven," he says
[ayasasyam]. If they then say "so let us not have any fame," he says
"you are speaking falsely" ([phalgu = mithyaiva]). "no," they answer,
"what we are saying is not false, because we consider it to be of the
utmost importance." "then," he says, "it is difficult, troublesome
because of the prohibitions of your husbands and others." "But," they
answer, "that trouble is rather the cause of the greatest happiness for
girls like us who are possessed of [raga], as is backed up by such
statements of [sastra] as [vamata durlabhatvam ca strinam ya ca
nivarana/ tad eva panca-banasya manye paramam a`yudham] ('the
cross behavior and exhibitions of being difficult to approach on the part
of women, together with their prohibitions, simply constitute in my
opinion the strongest weapon of Cupid')."
to reply to this, Krishna used the word [bhayavaham], which means

creating fear for this body and for one's next life on account of being
forbidden both by worldly custom and by the scriptures. But, they may
say, this "fear" is rather a foundation for
experiencing [rasas], as stated in scripture, [yatra nisedha- visesah su-
durlabhatvam ca yan-mrgaksinam tatraiva nagarinam nirbharam
a`sajyate hrdayam] ("When association is explicitly prohibited and
when it is very difficult to arrange the situation
simply causes the hearts of doe-eyed prospective consorts to become
hopelessly entangled"). To answer this Krishna says [jugupsitam]. In all
times and places [aupapatyam], the activities of paramours, is
condemned for respectable women.
thus any respectable woman indulging in such is in all cases to be
condemned. Consequently even though you are quite ready to bring
condemnation on your heads by carrying out your desires, I cannot do
anything that will cause you, the objects of my love, to become
condemned. So please go back to the cowherd village.
But the alternate interpretation is as follows. Taking the word

[sarvatra]: This (association of paramours) is contemptible, but still it is
found universally ([sarvatrikam]). You have heard, as originally spoken
from the mouth of Garga muni
and passed down indirectly to you, how I am equal in character to
Narayana. Thus there is nothing contemptible in having me as a
paramour, because, being the supreme Personality of Godhead, I
transcend ordinary auspicious and inauspicious activities.
TEXT 27
sravanad darsanad dhyanan

mayi bhavo 'nukirtanat
na tatha sannikarsena
pratiyata tato grhan
TRANSLATION
real transcendental love for me is cultivated by the devotional

processes of hearing about me, seeing my deity, meditating on me and
chanting my glories. The same effect cannot be expected from mere
physical contact. Please, therefore, go back to your
homes.
Sridhara Svami
Furthermore, the verse beginning [sravanat].

But what other way is there in which we can think of You? We have
not come here to have bodily association with You but rather, because
we understand from the evidence of the words of Garga muni,
[Narayanasya samo nanyah], that You are narayana
himself, we have come with the desire of attaining devotion to You.
Therefore please take the opportunity of this night to place us near You
and mercifully engage Your lotus feet in dancing. In anticipation of this
possible inquiry the Lord speaks the verse beginning [sravanat]. Pure
devotees are well known not to desire even the perfections of
[samipya] and [salokya], as you girls, who are also Vaisnavas, must
have heard.
the alternate interpretation is that [bhava], Cupid, does not arise from
hearing and chanting as he does from direct association. Therefore do
not return to your homes, where an extended application of the word
[na] (to [pratiyata]) is implied to make the logical connection. Or else,
by the elided prefix [a-], the idea is that you should go "not to your
homes" ([agrhan]).
TEXT 28
sri-suka uvaca
iti vipriyam a`karnya
gopyo govinda-bhasitam
visanna bhagna-sankalpas
cintam a`pur duratyayam
sri-sukah uvaca-- Sukadeva Gosvami said; iti-- thus;

vipriyam-- unfavorable; a`karnya-- hearing; gopyah-- the
[gopis;] govinda-bhasitam-- the words spoken by Govinda;
visannah-- becoming morose; bhagna-- thwarted; sannkalpah-- their
anticipation; cintam-- anxiety; a`puh-- they experienced;
duratyayam-- insurmountable.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami said: after hearing these words addressed to

them by Govinda, the [gopis] became morose. Because their
expectation of enjoying with Krishna was being denied, they could
not avoid feeling full of anxiety.
he is "Govinda" because he has available ([vindate = labhate])

for his utilization [gah], meaning various kinds of playful
speech; what has been spoken by him. Here [bhasitam] indicates
manifest verbal expression, in accordance with the definition
[bhasa vyaktayam vaci]. Hearing those unpleasant (apparent words
of his). But at the same time if we accept the subtle
implication of the prefix [a-] standing before [vyakta], the idea
is "even though they could fully understand with their
intelligence that his unspoken words ([avyakta-vakyam]) were
actually favorable."
not seeing any reason for the unfavorableness of his evident

words, and being doubtful about the favorableness of his unspoken
words, they were thinking, due to the rise of feelings of
humility manifest as a [sthayi-bhava] of their [anuraga], "Yes,
he is neglected us because we are not good enough for him." thus
they became morose, with the thought, "that person for whom we
have neglected everything-- our husbands' and parents' families,
our religious duties, our gravity, fear, shame and so on-- he
indeed is now neglecting us." in this way having their
anticipations shattered, they became very anxious, thinking
"should we make a show of grabbing onto his feet with piteous
cries, or should we try our best to remain sober and, with false
aloofness going back to Vraja, somehow force our minds to stay
grave? Or perhaps we should just give up our lives, either in
his presence or else secretly, by entering the Yamuna or some
other means. But alas, if we don't kill ourselves how will we
see his divine face, and if we don't kill ourselves how will we
ever be allowed to stay here? how we be able, as he has ordered
us, to eat the vomit of service to our husbands and other
relatives? how can we maintain ourselves, and where will we go?
What will we do?" thus they because bewildered about the proper
thing to do.
the [gopis] are like [cataka] birds upon whom Krishna poured the
poison of his flute's vibration, but they were so astonished by
this that they trusted him and willingly drank this poison
without hesitation. How can any lady who has developed faith in
these [gopis] abandon her devotional vows?
_ould we make a show of grabbing onto his feet with piteous

cries, or should we try our best to TEXT 29
krtva mukhany ava sucah svasanena susyad

bimbadharani caranena bhuvah likhantyah
asrair upatta-masibhih kuca-kunkumani
tasthur mrjantya uru-duhkha-bharah sma tusnim
TRANSLATION
the [gopis] held their heads low and their heaving breathing
out of sorrow dried up their reddened lips, while they scraped
the ground with their toes. The tears flowing from their eyes,
carrying their collyrium, washed away the vermilion which was
smeared on their breasts. Thus they stood, silently experiencing
the burden of their unhappiness.
Sridhara Svami
their situation after becoming full of anxiety is stated by

the verse beginning [krtva]. Those (faces), comparable to
[bimba] fruits, which were being dried up by the sighing which
arose in them on account of their sorrow ([sucah = sokat]).
turning them downward ([ava = avanci]). And also tracing upon
the ground with their large toes, as well as washing away the
[kunkuma] on their breasts with their tears, which carried the
[kajjala] (from their eyes). In this manner they stood silently,
because they were feeling the burden of great unhappiness.
What they experienced in their anxiety is stated in the verse

beginning [krtva]. By the phrase "turning their heads downward
([ava = adhah])" their shame is tacitly implied. "Our abandonment
of shame, which is natural because it is in accord with pure love
of Godhead, has itself now become shameful, since the very
abandonment of shame on the part of respectable girls who usually
are full of shyness is based on [prema]." (?) and this is
commended rather than criticized by those who know the science of
[prema-rasa]. The characteristic of [prema] is that it excels
and subdues even its own object, the supreme Personality of
Godhead. That is [prema]. Thus "if Krishna, the object of our
[prema], has not become subdued, then we do not have actual
[prema]. And if that is the fact, then what is the purpose of
our abandoning all shyness?" in this way they felt remorse and
worrisome embarrassment, which remorse is elaborated upon by the
description of their faces. What were their faces like? the
reddish lips on their faces were drying up because of the hot
breathing that arose from their unhappiness. Just as by the heat
of the sun ripened [bimba] fruits dry up, losing their solid
appearance and manifesting dirty spots, similarly their lips
changed in appearance.
their shame and anxiety are further described: They were
scratching the ground with their big toes. "O mother earth,
please open up so that we can enter within you." their sorrow
and remorse are described: washing away the [kunkuma] on their
breasts with their tears, which carried the [kajjala] from their
eyes. Thus is implied that by the effect our their increasing
torment of separation their tears deposited parallel black lines
upon their breasts. By the use of the plural form in the word
[asraih] and the present tense in the word [mrjantyah] is
indicated that their tears were flowing out in a mighty downpour.
this can be surmised from it not being stated that all these
tears soaked their inner garments become. Because of the quarrel
between the dual Yamunas rising from their eyes and the fire of
remorse rising in their hearts they felt a great burden of
unhappiness as they watched to see which of the contending
parties would be victorious over the other.
the word "silently" indicates that since they could not

tolerate this burden, their minds had left them. Thus they stood
still, from which we can understand that they became like
lifeless puppets standing erect.
TEXT 30
prestham priyetaram iva pratibhasamanam

krsnam tad-artha-vinivartita-sarva-kamah
netre vimrjya ruditopahate sma kincit
samrambha-gadgada-giro 'bruvatanuraktah
TRANSLATION
although Krishna was their dearmost friend, he had been speaking

to them most unfavorably, despite their having abandoned all
objects of desire for his sake. Remaining nonetheless
unflinching in their attachment to him, they stopped crying,
wiped their eyes and then spoke, with some agitation showing in
their trembling voices.
Sridhara Svami
Furthermore, the verse beginning [prestham]. With some

agitation, in a mood of anger, they spoke, their voices
trembling. The reason for their agitation is stated by the words
beginning [prestham]: They replied to him who was speaking to
them as if unfavorably.
and then the stunned girls were reawakened by the loud
statement of the Lord entering their ears, "What is the use of
crying in the forest? Why don't you just put a smile on your
faces and go back home immediately?" they spoke something in
reply to this, as stated in this verses. He was [prestha], most
dear on account of their previously having had frequent physical
association with him, yet still, without any reason, he was
speaking as if just the opposite of a dear friend, harshly saying
such unfavorable things as "You should just serve your own
husbands." But this is impossible, because for his sake they had
put aside all objects of material pleasure in such a thorough way
that they could never again have any relation at all with them.
in this context, because the word [anya] is not used (to modify
"desirable objects"), and because the word [sarva] is used
instead, we should take it as the intention of srila Sukadeva
Gosvami that the word [kama] here does not mean things desired
for the pleasure of the supreme Lord.
the statement that they ceased crying and wiped their clouded
eyes implies the thought in their minds, "now our end has come.
Let us look on his lotus face and die." they were agitated,
thinking, "alas, alas, even though we were supposedly dear to
him, he is punishing us even with death, although we have
committed no offense. How is this?"
and if it is imagined that they were not upset, but rather

thought "Because we have no suitable beauty or qualities, we are
not fit to associate physically with him. So let us simply give
him up," Sukadeva Gosvami states to the contrary that they spoke
with some agitation, their voices choking up. But, it may be
again questioned, in either case we deduce that they lacked pure
love of Godhead, and thus should have desisted. This objection,
however, is refuted by the word [anurakta,] implying that those
who are blinded by ecstatic attraction [anuraga] cannot tolerate
logical arguments.
TEXT 31
sri-gopya ucuh
maivam vibho 'rhati bhavan gaditum nr-samsam
santyajya sarva-visayams tava pada-mulam
bhakta bhajasva duravagraha ma tyajaasman
devo yathadi-puruso bhajate mumuksun
TRANSLATION
O all-powerful one, you should not speak in this cruel way.

Please do not reject us, who have renounced all varieties of
sense gratification to render devotional service to Your lotus
feet. Rather you should reciprocate with us in kind, just as the
primeval Lord sri Narayana reciprocates with his devotees in
their endeavors for liberation.
Sridhara Svami
[nr-samsam] means "cruel." "O [duravagraha], O you who are

independent, please reciprocate with us who are rendering service
([bhaktah = sevatibhih]) to Your feet; please don't reject us.
the thought in the minds of the [gopis], that "he is

instructing us in the principles of duty, and yet at the same
time is himself indulging in all kinds of sinful activity," is
expressed by them in the verse beginning [maivam]. [nr-sammsam]
means injurious, the direct cause of death; You should not speak
like this, since You are the son of nanda maharaja, who is known
by everyone for his religiousness. Rather, they imply, only
someone who has a reputation among everyone as a murderer might
properly speak like this. The [amara-kosa] gives the definition
[nr-samso ghatukah krurah] ("the word [nr-samsa] means
'murderous' or 'cruel'").
"You have shot millions of the arrows of your words at us all at

once, so that now we all have to give up our bodies and go to the
abode of Yamaraja, rather than the cowherd village you have
advised us to go back to. You, on the other hand, can go back to
the cowherd village, taking with You the sinful reactions for
murdering hundreds of millions of women. If you don't want to be
implicated in this sinful reaction for killing women then you
should reciprocate with us, who have given up all sense objects
to render devotional service to the base of Your feet." Because
in this context they do not say "other sense objects," but rather
"all sense objects," the implication is made that physical
association with the supreme Personality of Godhead is not an
object of sense gratification.
"But," Krishna may ask the [gopis], "my dear lusty ladies, why
can't you satisfy your lust with your own husbands, that you have
to leave them and come worship me?" this they reply to: O
[duravagraha]. As stated by Panini in his grammar, [avagraho
vrrsti-pratibandhah] ("the proper usage of the word [avagraha] is
in to mean 'the stopping of rain'"). Thus this word can only be
explained as metaphorically comparing Krishna to something else, a
cloud, which is faulty ([dusta = dosa-prayukta)] in not providing
rain. This explanation is further corroborated by the presence
of the prefix [dur-]. Thus we have the meaning "O cloud who
rains only poison." and extrapolating further "Even though You
are far away, You, the Krishna-cloud, are the friend of us [cataki]
birds. Today you happen to be raining poison. If, because of
drought ([avagraha]), you are not giving rain, then go ahead and
don't give rain. We shall instead drink the poison you rain down
and die. We choose not to drink the water of the lakes and so
forth, even though they are close by. Indeed you know that this
is our nature. Consequently please do not reject us, if you have
any sense of gratitude at all."
"But," Krishna may say, "granted that the [catakis] must depend
on the cloud, but the cloud isn't responsible to the [catakis].
Whether the [cataki] birds live or die, there is no loss on the
part of the cloud." to this they reply, "alright, but you are
not a lifeless cloud. Rather you are the most exalted of
chivalrous persons, just like Narayana himself ([Narayana-sama =
Narayana-vat])." this they speak in the words [deva] and so on.
Even those who are [mumuksu], who desire to give up all sense
gratification for the sake of worshiping him, he reciprocates
with them by rewarding their desires, because of being controlled
by his devotees. But You do not reciprocate with us, who have
renounced all kinds of sense gratification for Your sake.
TEXT 32
yat paty-apatya-suhrdam anuvrttir anga

strinam sva-dharma iti dharma-vida tvayoktam
astv evam etad upadesa-pade tvayise
prestho bhavams tanu-bhrtam kila bandhur a`tma
TRANSLATION
Our dear Krishna, you have advised us that the most proper
religious duty for women is to faithfully serve their husbands,
children and other relatives. We agree that this principle is
valid, but actually it should be applied to You. After all, O
Lord, You are the dearmost friend of every embodied soul. You
are their most intimate relative and indeed their very self.
Sridhara Svami
Furthermore, what was said by You about "husbands, children and
so on.": here the phrase "by You, the great knower of religion"
is spoken ironically. Let this instruction you gave about
husbands, children and so on be applied to the real object of
instruction, Yourself. How he is the real object of instruction
is stated by the word [I`sa], the idea being that we find through
the statements of various logical disputants that all ethical
instructions ultimately point at the supreme controller. How he
is this [I`sa] is stated by the words [a`tma kila bhavan]: The
enjoyer of everything enjoyable, the [a`tma], is the [I`sa].
thus You are also the dearmost and the real relative, which means
"let whatever is due to all different friends and relatives be
given to You."
an alternate explanation is that "inasmuch as You are acting as

the abode of instruction on religion ([pade] = [sthane]), or in
other words, the giver of instruction on religion, and we are
also [dharmopadesa-sthana] in the sense of being the inquirers
into such instruction, we grant that the instructions You have
spoken are true. But You are not simply the giver of
instruction; You are the very a=tma."
Or another alternate explanation: "the instructions You have

spoken apply to any ordinary man we see in this world, but do
they apply to You the, supreme master ([I`se = svamini])?" they
say this with pitiful irony, implying "certainly not," since You
are the a=tma, the very goal ([phala-rupa]) of all embodied
beings.
Or yet another alternative: "this religious duty You have

described, of rendering service to husbands and other relatives,
should actually be applied to You." Why? "Because You are
[upadesa-pada], the underlying foundation ([pada = adhisthana])
of the existence of those husbands and so on who are being
instructed about ([upadisyamananam]) as deserving of personal
service." and why is that? "Because You are [I`sa]. Without
the foundation of the supreme controller, no one's husbands and
other relatives can even exist." the rest of the verse can be
interpreted in the same way as the first explanation; let us avoid
too much elaboration.
and then some of the more outspoken [gopis], hoping to defeat

Krishna with his own statements, speak the verse beginning [yat].
that which you have said, that following one's husband and other
relatives is the proper duty of women, is granted as true. It
remains valid as far as it applies, and we have no argument
against this. Actually we are carrying this out all the time.
"and in what way are you doing this?" this they reply to by
saying that as long as You are the reservoir of instruction
([pada] = [a`spada]), the giver of instruction on the principles
of religion, then the idea of rendering service to our husband
and other relatives appeals to us. First of all the giver of
instruction, the spiritual master, should be served, and then
those religious principles which he has instructed about as
obligatory; such is the correct logic. Only by following the
[a`carya] without duplicity can one's religious duties be
successfully prosecuted, as we find stated in scripture. But You
are the supreme Lord, so what to speak of such a case when the
[a`carya] is the supreme Personality of Godhead himself?
Furthermore, on account of Your being the supreme Personality of
Godhead, You are also the soul of all embodied beings, because of
being the supreme soul You are the dearmost, and because of being
the dearmost You are one's true relative.
the idea behind this argument of the [gopis'] is that the

[sastra] enjoins faithful following of husband and other
relatives only when they are joined by the supersoul. If they
are missing their soul (if they have died), then immediately they
are taken to the bank of the river and their faces are burned;
that is the order of the [dharma-sastras]. Therefore by
following You, who are the personal manifestation of the
supersoul, the following of one's husband and so on is
automatically accomplished. What need do we have of other
husbands and relatives, who are devoid of their souls because
they stand in opposition to our following You, and who thus have
already had their faces burned in the funeral pyre?
But, one may question, preliminary manifestations of pure love

of Godhead cover over a devotee's awareness of the Lord's
opulences, and certainly these [gopis] were experiencing such
[purva-prema]. So how did they have this awareness of his
opulent majesty? this is answered in terms of the
characteristics mentioned in the [narada-pancaratra] and
explained in [sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu], that [prema]
constantly manifests natural symptoms which are both hot and
cold, which reflect the devotees' simultaneous experience of both
separation from and union with the Lord. [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu]
states,
[brahmanando bhaved esa
cet parardha-guni-krtah
naiti bhakti-sukhambhodheh
paramanu-tulam api]
which indicates that (the experience of devotional service) is

countless times greater in magnitude than the experience of the
bliss of Brahman. That experience of [bhakti], when had in
separation, burns with more brilliance than millions of sun-rays,
and thus, by separation's being all-illuminating like the sun,
reveals all of the Lord's transcendental qualities-- those
related to his opulence as well as those related to his
sweetness. This experience of devotion in separation thus does
not cover any of his qualities. Devotion in union, on the other
hand, is more pleasure-giving than millions of the nectar-bearing
rays of the moon, and reveals only those of the Lord's qualities
which manifest his sweetness. Since direct association with the
Lord is like the nectar-rays of the moon, that intoxicating
nectar covers the Lord's opulence. Normally in a case when even
in union with the Lord his opulences remain revealed, we must
assume that the devotees' love is not yet mature. But in this
instance (of the [gopis] in this chapter), the manifestation of
his majesty is caused by their pure love, which is in separation
because they are already feeling in anticipation the separation
from him which is about to occur. Even when love is imperfect it
reveals the Lord's glories, what to speak of when it is
completely perfect. Thus the magnitude of their experience of
his greatness is the measure of the greatness of their love.
this same idea is exemplified in srila Jiva Gosvami-carana's
commentary on the history of the original King Bharata, in his
statement, [kim va are a`caritam tapas tapasvinvya yad iyam avanih].
_moon, and reveals only those of the Lord's qualities

which manifest his sweetness. Since direct association with the
Lor TEXT 33
kurvanti hi tvayi ratim kusalah sva a`tman

nitya-priye pati-sutadibhir a`rti-daih kim
tan nah prasida paramessvara ma sma chindya
a`sam dhrtam tvayi cirad aravinda-netra
TRANSLATION
Expert transcendentalists always direct their affection toward

You because they recognize You as their own true self and as
their eternal beloved. What use do we have for these troublesome
husbands, children and relatives? therefore, O supreme
controller, grant us Your mercy. O lotus-eyed one, we have
maintained our hope to have Your association for so long; please
don't cut it down.
Sridhara Svami
Fortifying this idea with the example of the behavior of

saintly persons, they entreat him in the verse beginning
[kurvanti]. [Kusalah] means "those who are expert in the
scriptures." and the [sastra] says, [kim prajaya karisyamo yesam
no 'yam a`tma lokah] ("What use do we have for our children if
they will not accept the supreme Lord as their ultimate self and
their source of enlightenment?").
some of them follow up this statement, fortifying it by citing

the behavior of saintly persons, in the verse beginning
[kurvanti]. [Kusalah] means those who are expert by dint of the
faith described in the words of Garga muni (Bhag. 10.8.18),
[ya etasmin maha-bhagah

pritim kurvanti manavah
narayo 'bhibhvanty etan
visnu-paksan ivasurah]
("demons ([asuras]) cannot harm the demigods, who always have

Lord Visnu on their side. Similarly, any person or group
attached to Krishna is extremely fortunate. Because such persons
are very much affectionate toward Krishna, they cannot be defeated
by demons like the associates of Kamsa (or by the internal
enemies, the senses)"). But it should not actually be said that
they "make" affection for You, because affection for You is
automatic in those who are [kusala], as the [gopis] state: in
their own ([sve = sviye]), indicating that You are their basis of
"my-ness," and in their self [a`tmani], indicated that You are
also their basis of "I-ness". Thus You are eternally dear to
them; their affection for You is eternal, whereas the affection
they have for husbands, sons and so on is only conditional and
therefore temporary. We, however, do not have any such affection
for these relatives, which they state by the word [a`rti-daih],
meaning that they give misery by preventing us from going to see
You. Therefore ([tat = tasmat]) please show Your mercy on us in
order to keep us alive.
if You say to us, "You are married to others; it is better you

just die. But why are you crying for the sake of these other
[gopis] who are yet unmarried?", we reply, "O giver of
benedictions, You have offered Your benediction to these
unmarried [gopis] with Your words [sankalpo viditah sadhvyah]
(Bhag. 10.22.25). "But," Krishna may reply, "the reason for their
receiving my mercy was their worship of Katyayani. What is the
reason for giving my mercy to you?" "then give us Your mercy
even without any reason," they pitifully beg: "O [I`svara], You
who are under no one's control but Your own and who are thus free
to do anything You wish, we have for a long time, since our very
births, maintained a creeper of hope (to have Your association).
now that creeper is finally bearing its fruit, so please don't
cut it down. A fruit-bearing tree should never cut down by one
who is a gentleman." this thought is implied by the two words
[cirat] and [chindyat].
"and this creeper of our hopes was originally planted in the

paddy field of our minds by Yourself," as they state by the word
[aravinda-netra]. "the seed of this creeper of our hopes, known
as [bhava], was placed in the field of our hearts at the very
beginning of our youth, when we first caught sight of You, and
that seed, sent by You from Your lotus-like eyes, entered the
apertures of our own eyes." this is the unspoken implication.
according to the pattern described in the [rasa=sastra],
[caksu-ragah prathamam cittasangas 'tha sankalpah]. ("First
there is attraction by glancing, then a meeting of minds, and
then anticipating desire develops"). This means that the
[gopis'] creeper of [bhava] grew by hearing and seeing Krishna's
personal characteristics and his beauty. Now it has fructified,
so why, while it is affording fruits to be enjoyed and will give
yet more fruits to enjoy in the future, should it be cut down
with the axe of harsh words? You know the rule that "a mature
tree should never be cut down, even if its fruit is poisonous."
all this is subtly implied.
TEXT 34
cittam sukhena bhavatapahrtam grhesu

yan nirvisaty uta karav api grhya-krtye
padau padam na calatas tava pada-mulad
yamah katham vrajam atho karavama kim va
TRANSLATION
Before today our minds were completely absorbed in the affairs

of our households, but You have stolen them away, together with
our hands, which were busily engaged in household work. Now our
feet refuse to move one step from Your lotus feet. How can we go
back to Vraja, and even if we could what will we be able to do
there?
Sridhara Svami
Furthermore, You have told us "Go back," but that is

impossible, since You have taken away our hearts and so on. The
[gopis] state this in the verse beginning [cittam]. Those hearts
of ours which were for so long happily merged in our households
have been stolen by You, and also our hands, which were absorbed
in household work. Alternately [sukhena] means "by You, who are
happy by nature."
Yet other [gopis], exhibiting with transcendental [rasa] their

own pure love, declare, "O king of thieves, we had no other
desire for coming here than our eagerness to regain our own
property which You stole from us." this they state in the verse
beginning [cittam]. You have taken away our minds, but unlike
other thieves You did not have to make any great endeavor, which
they state by the word [sukhena]. The idea is that You did this
simply by blowing into holes of Your flute. And neither is that
treasure of our hearts so insignificant, as they state: which
minds were thoroughly ([nih = nihsesena]) absorbed in all
household affairs; thus, it is implied, by Your stealing them,
our entire homes were plundered. The actual subtle implication
of this exaggeration is that because our minds our not at all
absorbed in our homes we don't care if they burn down or prosper.
What business have we with them? (actually our minds were
absorbed) in that which brings about the perfection of all our
[grhas] or senses, and without which all our senses become
useless. Thus by stealing our minds You have stolen all of our
senses, which they state: even our hands, which were absorbed in
household work. The word [uta] implies that also our eyes and
ears were all stolen. "But my dear [gopis], just go home for
now. Let me consider the situation for a day or two and then I
will give you back your minds." in reply to such they say, "Our
feet refuse to move even one step," without, it is implied, those
minds. Therefore first give us back our minds and then we will go.
TEXT 35
sincanga nas tvad-adharamrta-purakena
hasavaloka-kala-gita-ja-hrc-chayagnim
no ced vayam virahajagny-upayukta-deha
dhyanena yama padayoh padavim sakhe te
TRANSLATION
dear Krishna, You must extinguish with the nectar of Your lips
the fire of lust in our hearts which You have brought about by
Your smiling glances and the sweet song of Your flute. If you
fail to do this, we will consign our bodies to the other fire
that we feel of separation from You, O friend, and thus pass like
[yogis] by meditation to the abode of Your lotus feet.
Sridhara Svami
therefore, O dear one, O Krishna, the fire within our [nah =

asmakam] hearts, the fire of lust, born from Your smiling glances
and the artful song of Your flute-- please sprinkle that fire
with the nectar of Your lips. If not, we will take advantage of
another fire which will arise from our feelings of separation,
and place our bodies in it. Our bodies thus burned, we will like
[yogis] attain Your position, Your proximity; by such meditation
we will achieve You.
"ah, when, even at a time other than that of actual physical

contact, I desired to see the bodies of these beautiful young
girls naked, I was then able to see them thus, namely on the day
I stole their garments. Yet when now I similarly want to hear
the speak their minds free from embarrassment at a time other than
that of our directly enjoying conjugal nectar, I cannot hear them
speak thus. Alas, alas, I have made them mad with the resonant
sound of my flute, and then totally bewildered them with my
skillful words. I have even stolen their minds, by depending on
which their shyness, discretion, sense of religious duty and
soberness were able to sustain themselves. Nevertheless they are
still for all extents and purposes speaking with all shyness, not
even now revealing their inner thoughts." While Sri Krishna was
making these observations to himself, some of the principal
[gopis], whose normal natures had become overturned by the
predominant effect of the [sancari-bhava] known as [unmada],
spoke the verse beginning [sinca].
in this verse we can deduce the tacit presence of the word

[tava] by its implied connection with the words [hasa]. Thus,
"Our dear, O Krishna, the fire of lust residing in our hearts
has been generated, fully awakened, inflamed, by Your smiling
glance and by the melodious song (of Your flute). You should
sprinkle, extinguish, it with the flood of nectar that comes from
Your lips." the suffix [-ka] (in [purakena]) is only an emphatic,
not changing the word's meaning. The [gopis] are implying that
if the same person who has started a blazing fire regains his
common sense and puts it out, he can undo the effect of his
offensive act. Otherwise he who has set the fire must take on
the sinful reactions which accrue to such crimes as arson.
although the word [kamam] is not used here, it is indirectly

implied by the use of the word [hrc-chaya] ("residing in the
heart"); in other words, "Our lust is lying dormant ([sete])
within our hearts. No one but You can awaken it." Entering
along with the sound of Your flute into our hearts through the
holes of our ears, You awakened that fire of lust which was lying
there. Then with the ghee of Your smile and the honey of Your
glance, as well as with the wind of the flutes' melodious song,
You inflamed that fire, threatening to engulf in fire the living
beings [pranas] who were playing there. Therefore if You are
afraid of the sinful reaction for creating such a fire, You
should extinguish it. After all it is no labor for You to either
make it blazing or extinguish it, since it is rather Your smiling
glance which is the agent who inflames that fire, and the nectar
of Your lips which serves to put it out. Both of these entities
reside in Your face, so the fact is, as we have extensively and
repeatedly seen, that You, the mischievous son of the king, like
to play at extinguishing fires; we don't see You making a game of
starting fires.
But, Krishna may object, this smiling glance and sweet flute-song
of mine are spontaneous; if they have inflamed you young girls
then please tell me where and how much to apply the remedy with
the nectar of my lips. Yes, the [gopis] reply, after You have
murdered thousands of other women You may feel some remorse for
Your crime and Your impudence may subside. This they express by
the words beginning [no cet]. We will consign our bodies to the
fire of separation, and as our bodies burn up we will go by
meditation to the position of Your feet, we will right now attain
them. The idea behind this is as follows: By dint of the
austerities we performed in previously lives we know enough about
ourselves to surmise that in this life You will not accept us.
therefore now, for the sake of executing our austerities, rather
than resorting to the external fire of this world, we will
utilize the fire of our hearts and the fire of separation from
You, which are automatically present anyway. But even in that
case, since when the fire of separation from You becomes
extremely powerful it will slow down the fire of lust residing in
our hearts, we are going to offer our life airs as oblations into
that fire of separation, expressing our intention as follows:
Our dear fire of separation from Krishna, we, desiring to touch the
feet of Krishna, offer into you our own lives. Therefore please
place us on the path of Krishna's feet, which path other persons
cannot even ascertain, so that those feet may fall on our breasts
rather than on the ground. And thus the fire of lust in our
hearts will subside by the weight of Your feet, and we will have
attained our aspiration. You, moreover, will enjoy the pleasure
of touching our breasts, even if You don't want it. Then, O
friend, You will feel all the more sorry for having been a
murderer of women. Out of friendship for him we will act like
this. Implied is the idea: if You submit Your girlfriends to
torment then how can we refrain from submitting You, our
boyfriend, to the same? But this pain of remorse we make You feel
will spoil our love, and will simply reflect back on ourselves a
million times magnified. What can we do, since this shame has
been sent upon us by Providence? therefore, O You who disregard
material consequences, O ocean of mercy, why are sowing the seed
of the creeper of Your own remorse? and why are You making us
eat its fruit? Give up Your impudence and accept us. All these
ideas are subtly implied.
_ feet may fall on our breasts

rather than on the ground. And thus the fire of lust in our
hearts will subside by TEXT 36
yarhy ambujaksa tava pada-talam ramaya

datta-ksanam kvacid aranya-jana-priyasya
aspraksma tat-prabhrti nanya-samaksam anjah
sthatums tvayabhiramita bata parayamah
TRANSLATION
O lotus-eyed Krishna, the occasional contact of the soles of Your

lotus feet create a great festivity for the goddess of fortune
Rama. Since You consider as very dear the cowherd residents of
the forest, perhaps You also allow us that privilege. When
finally we have touched Your lotus feet and have become thus
fully gratified by You, we assure You that from that moment
forward we will not be able to even stay in the presence of other
men.
Sridhara Svami
But you should go to your husbands; they can extinguish this

fire. In reply to such they speak the verse beginning [yarhi].
Which (base of the feet) has created a festival ([datta-ksanam =
dattotsavam]) for the goddess of fortune, or else, which has
given her an opportunity (to serve the Lord) ([datta-ksanam =
dattavasaram]). But that is only sometimes, not always. Of You
to whom the people who dwell in the forest are dear. Because You
hold the forest-dwellers dear, if we can ever touch Your feet in
the forest, we will thus be afforded great joy by You
([abhiramitah = a`nanditah]), and from that time forward we will
not be able to remain in the company of any other men. That is
to say, they will become insignificant and unattractive to us.
But then you should go to your respective husbands; they can

extinguish this fire. In reply to such they speak the verse
beginning [yarhi]. "O lotus-eyed one" indicates that "the very
moment we first saw your eyes, we took the position of bees
around them," in accordance with the statement of the
[rasa-sastra], [caksu-ragah prathamam cittasangas tato 'tha
sankalpah] ("First there is attraction by glancing, then a
meeting of minds, and then anticipating desire develops"). The
[gopis'] idea is, first there was eye-to-eye glancing, which
initiated our [purva-raga]. At the very moment ([yarhi = yasminn
eva ksane]) we touch the base of Your feet, place Your feet upon
Your breasts, perhaps in the groves of Govardhana or elsewhere.
how will we then become? Which (feet) give to Rama, the goddess
Laksmi dwelling in Vaikuntha who is the beloved of Narayana, a
festival full of desires for intimate pleasure. This is in accord
with the the statement of the nagapatnis, transmitted through the
mouth of Garga muni, [yad-vanchaya srir lalanacarat tapah].
therefore these feet also afford a festival full of desires to

us, the cowherd women dwelling in the forest, and what surprise
should there be that we have such desires? "But what is your
qualification to achieve the object which Laksmi hankered for?"
they reply to this question: (the feet) of You to whom the
dwellers of the forest, the cowherd community, are very dear.
From that very moment ([tat-prabhrti = tat-ksanam a`rabhya]) we

will not be able to stay in the presence of others, the cowherd
men who are our own respective husbands. Just by seeing them,
the [gopis] imply, we will feel contempt in our minds.
Furthermore, not only will we touch Your feet, but we will be
gratified by You thoroughly ([abhi = sarvato-bhavena]). Enjoying
to our satiation, we will become completely fulfilled. Thus
please do not send us away, even though we have been previously
enjoyed by other men; the implication is that they cried out
pitifully with these words while falling at his feet.
TEXT 37
srir yat padambuja-rajas cakame tulasya

labdhvapi vaksasi padam kila bhrtya-justam
yasyah sva-viksana utanya-sura-prayasas
tadvad vayam ca tava pada-rajah prapannah
TRANSLATION
Goddess Laksmi, even after receiving her unique position on the

chest of her Lord, Narayana, hankers after the dust of his lotus
feet, which have to be shared with a co-wife, tulasi-devi, and
with many servants who are rendering service to those feet. This
is her mood even though all the great demigods headed by Brahma
are striving to obtain her merciful glance. In the same way as
her, we also also fall down in the dust of Your lotus feet to
take shelter of You as your maidservants.
Sridhara Svami
and the great auspiciousness of Your feet is very wonderful,

as they state in the verse beginning [srih]. Even though she had
attained a position on Your chest without any rival co-wife, she
desired the dust of Your lotus feet in the company of a co-wife,
tulasi. The phrase "served by all Your servants" emphasizes the
great fortune of this position. For the sake of her own glance,
for the sake of the goddess of fortune glancing upon them,
persons like Brahma endeavor with austerities. Just like her we
are surrendered to that dust of Your lotus feet.
thus in this way You have made us Your lovers, but we desire
simply the service of Your lotus feet, which they state with an
example in this verse. Sri is Laksmi, who desired the dust of
the lotus feet of him, Narayana. And we are also surrendered to
the dust of the lotus feet of You, who are just like him ([tadvat
= tat-tulyasya]). And thus, by Your being equal to Narayana,
which we learn from the statements of Garga muni, we can
naturally be understood to be like the goddess of fortune.
Furthermore, even after obtaining her place, refuge ([padam =

a`spadam]), on Your chest, which is the most excellent of
locations, she hankered after the dust of Your lotus feet, which
is the position of a co-wife, tulasi, and which is understood by
the phrase "served ([justam = sevitam]) by Your servants" to be
crowded by many males. Abandoning her natural mood of consort and
also her shyness, she accepted and desired a position inferior to
her own. Just as she preferred the mood of a maidservant to her
own attitude as consort of the Lord, we feel likewise. We want
to give up our shyness and join Your friends raktaka, Patraka and
others in massaging Your feet. Similarly we are ready to accept
positions lower than our own by smearing on our foreheads the
blades of grass which have been tread on by the aborigine Pulinda
women of Vrndavana in their labor and which are touched by the red
[kunkuma] from Your feet.
Furthermore, sri Narayanadeva, being satisfied with goddess

Laksmi, gave her the benefit of eternal residence upon his own
chest, whereas You, the crest-jewel of all skillful lovers, have
not allowed us to even remain in the vicinity of the soles of
Your feet for even a short moment. This, they imply, is a great
blow to our self-esteem. If, being eager to secure Your own good
reputation, you want to be equal to Narayana in accord with the
evidential statements of Garga r=si, You should also carry us on
Your chest. Such an implied idea touches on the gravity of their
ecstatic sentiment.
anticipating the joking objection of his that "Just as the

goddess Laksmi is unsteady, you should also become unpredictable
by going from house to house among all different pious persons,"
they reply, "Why does this fool say that the goddess sri is
unsteady? she is the most steadfast of ladies." this they
state: For the sake of her, the goddess of fortunes', glance
upon themselves, , for the sake of receiving her merciful
glance, which is full of the mood of motherly compassion, the
other demigods headed by Brahma, who are like her sons, make
great endeavor, and still she hardly ever even glances upon them.
rather one of her potencies gives them what they desire.
TEXT 38
tan nah prasida vrjinardana te 'nghri-mulam

prapta visrjya vasatis tvad-upasanasah
tvat-sundara-smita-niriksana-tivra-kama-
taptatmanam purusa-bhusana dehi dasyam
TRANSLATION
therefore, O vanquisher of all distress, please show Your mercy

upon us. We have approached Your lotus feet after abandoning our
families and homes, and we have no other desire than to serve You.
Our hearts are burning with desires generated by Your beautiful,
smiling glances. O jewel among men, please let us become your
maidservants.
Sridhara Svami
O vanquisher of all dangers, O destroyer of unhappiness, our

aspirations have been for Your devotional service ([tvad-upasane
= tvad-bhajane]), and we given up our homes ([vasatih = grhan]).
thus we have attained you just as [yogis] do. O jewel among men,
please grant the position of being Your servants to (us) whose
minds are tormented by the intense desire brought about by Your
beautifully smiling and playful glances.
therefore, giving up our homes, families and so forth just like

devotees of Narayana, we are desiring servitude to You, as they
state in the verse beginning [tan nah]. Because You are equal to
Narayana, You should kindly be merciful to us. But, Krishna may
object, you girls possess unhappy karmic reactions ([adrsta])
which stand in the way of my granting favor to you. In other
words, how can mercy be granted? does even Lord Narayana grant
his mercy to just anyone? they reply with the word
[vrjinardana]: O vanquisher of all danger, then You should
simply destroy that misery. Lord Narayana certainly destroys
the miseries of those who surrender to him. We have similarly
approached You lotus feet, and moreover we are approaching free
from any ulterior desires, as they state by the words [visrjya
vasatih].
But, Krishna may again object, We surmise that you must be

expecting some pleasure from me in exchange for abandoning the
happiness of your family life. They reply that our hopes are
only for Your devotional service and not for any fruit of that
worship; we are not such persons as hanker to gain happiness from
You. The idea underlying this argument is as follows: if, in
the course of pursuing our intent to make You happy, we circum-
stantially are made happy by seeing Your face, what is the fault
in that? But then why are you [gopis] improperly asking me to
extinguish the fire in your hearts? Yes, they reply, but you are
the cause of that fire's blazing up, as they state: you should
grant servitude, the status of maidservants, rather than the
status of wives, to us, whose selves have been tormented by the
intense desires created by Your beautiful, smiling glances. In
this connection we have the explanation of srimad Vallabhacarya-
carana, "thus we are hankering after servitude, not marriage.
therefore our desire should be considered in the same category as
spiritual initiation and similar affairs, and not as a mundane
transaction." and thus there is no harm in our being unmarried
maidens or being married to other men. After all, the
implication is, neither of these conditions preclude a
relationship of servitude.
in his original edition of [Vaisnava-tosani], sri sanatana

Gosvami-carana explains how this works: "Worship in the mood of
a paramour affords much greater happiness than the worship of a
devotee who has married the Lord and is in the role of his
spouse; this is corroborated by the statements of [sri
(Brhad-)bhagavatamrta] (also by sanatana Gosvami). Therefore the
[gopis] are here requesting a special kind of servitude, "today
we pray that we may become Your maidservants."
Because you are the great ocean of desires, thus indeed the
proper worship of You, who are a woman-hunter, by us young girls,
should be executed with our own bodies, and should be
characterized by the giving of pleasure to You. Consequentially
our prayer for the extinguishing of the fire in our hearts is
actually a prayer for being allowed to worship You. The fire of
our lust is the principle ingredient of Your worship. Thus it is
fitting that they address him with the phrase "O ornament in the
form of a male ([purusa-rupa-bhusana])." Please decorate all the
limbs of us golden-limbed girls with dark-blue gems.
_orship in the mood of

a paramour affords much greater happiness than the w
TEXT 39
viksyalakavrta-mukham tava kundala-sri-

ganda-sthaladhara-sudham hasitavalokam
dattabhayam ca bhuja-danda-yugam vilokya
vaksah sriyaika-ramanam ca bhavama dasyah
TRANSLATION
after seeing Your face, enhanced by the beauty of Your earrings,
Your handsome cheeks, nectarean lips, and smiling glances, and
after seeing Your mighty protecting arms and Your chest, the only
place of enjoyment for the goddess of fortune, we have had no
choice but to offer ourselves to You as Your slaves.
Sridhara Svami
But, Krishna may object, for what purpose are you putting aside
your control over your households to beg for servitude to me?
this they answer in the verse beginning [viksya]. [alakavrta-
mukham] means "face surrounded by hair." also on the cheeks of
which face there is the beauty of his earrings. Seeing Your face
in this manner and also seeing Your two mighty arms, which give
fearlessness, and Your chest, which is the only source of
loving attraction ([ramanam = rati-janakam]) for the goddess
of fortune-- seeing these we become Your servants.
since you want to become my servants, do I have to buy you with

some payment, or are you being given as a free gift? the answer
to that is that You have already been purchasing us, ever since
the beginning of our youthful womanhood, with a price that it is
millions upon millions of times more than fitting for us-- the
great treasure, which we have never seen or heard about anywhere
else, of Your [cintamani]-gem smiling glances. Thus purchasing
us, You brought us home to Your palace among the bushes of
Vrndavana and displayed to us Your personal storehouse of
treasures-- great heaps of blue emeralds and of pearls set in
golden ornaments the shapes of [makaras], several great emerald
pillars marking the hall where the goddess Laksmi sports, and so
forth-- which all are passed off in the disguise of Your hair,
etc. Thus showing us these treasures, You are each day making us
partake of a nectarean sight unattainable even by the demigods.
this they describe by the verse beginning [viksya].
When You put Your sloping golden turban on Your head, Your
maidservant will serve as valet, pulling the turban bit by bit up
into just the right position, and even while You are trying hard
to prohibit her with Your chastising finger she will put her hand
underneath Your turban and take the opportunity to glance at Your
face covered with hair visible down to their roots between the
left and right sides of Your forehead. Similarly, when You place
the jewel on Your turban she will see Your face only slightly
covered by Your very long hairs, which will be pushed aside to
the left and right of Your forehead. And at such times as when
You are having Your body massaged or when You are engaging in
intimate association she will see Your face completely ([a- =
samyak]) covered by Your hair. Relishing thus with our eyes Your
abundant sweetness, we will be Your maidservants.
What is that face like? having earrings which are at different

times uncovered by his hair, slightly covered or else completely
covered, and which are sometimes not shaking, sometimes shaking a
little and sometimes moving about greatly. In this way his
earrings show various kinds of beauty. When he is smiling and
laughing, because his very cheeks become obscured by the widened
corners of his mouth, the nectar that normally comes from his
lips seems to be coming from his cheeks as well. Rising from one
cheek to another, and being drunk by the [cakora] birds who are
the eyes of the [gopis], this nectar of his lips is on his face.
at various intimate times, however, it is on the cheeks of the
[gopis] that this nectar from his lips appears, and sometimes it
is the nectar from the [gopis'] lips that appears on his cheeks.
an alternate interpretation is that his face show the beauty,

the reflecting splendor, of his earrings, and his face also
exhibits the nectar from his lips; thus all of these descriptions
apply to his face as a compound adjective (namely [kundala-sri-ganda-
sthaladhara-sudham]) modifying a single noun (his face).
his smiling glance upon that face, which smiling creates

through his glance the blossoming of [gopis'] smiles and of the
night-blooming lotuses.
But, Krishna says, your husbands will not tolerate this behavior
of ours. They will complain bitterly to King Kamsa, thus
producing a fearful situation for myself and you as well. The
[gopis] reply to this by the words beginning [dattam abhayam].
the two mighty arms which give fearlessness, as they did when You
held up the hill to protect us from the pride of mahendra. Such
being the case, You arms will certainly be the slaughterers of
that beast Kamsa. By the [rasa] of chivalry which is thus hinted
at, the conjugal [rasa] becomes fortified.
But I am a religious person, and so cannot make others' wives

my own maidservants. Asking one another while pointing at him
accusingly, "Who is this?", they answer, "Granted, O dear
crest-jewel of religious personalities. You refuse to make the
wives of the cowherd Your maidservants, but You have even taken
Laksmi, the wife of Narayana, by force from Vaikuntha and are
carrying her around on Your chest. This they speak with the
words beginning [vaksah]. (that chest) where Laksmi, who out of
shame has assumed the form of a golden line, takes her only
substantial pleasure. So therefore, how old are You now? Within
all the fourteen worlds and even above these worlds, in
Vaikunthaloka outside this universe, You never reject any
beautiful women, no matter who she is or who she belongs to; we
know this quite well. Such is the implied idea.
TEXT 40
ka stry a`nga te kala-padayata-venu-gita-

sammohitarya-caritan na calet tri-lokyam
trailokya-saubhagam idam ca niriksya rupam
yad go-dvija-druma-mrgah pulakany abibhran
TRANSLATION
dear Krishna, is there any women in the entire three worlds who
does not come bewildered and can avoid deviating from the
religious principles of civilized society when she hears the
sweet, drawn-out melody of Your flute? Your beauty makes
auspicious every planet in the three planetary systems. Indeed,
on seeing Your beautiful form even the cows, birds, trees and
deer experience the hair of their bodies standing on end.
Sridhara Svami
But, the Lord says, isn't this business of taking a paramour

abominable? they reply to this by the verse beginning [ka stri].
[a=nga] means "O Krishna." (Bewildered) by the special kind of
drawn-out ([a`yata = dirgha]) melody ([murcchita, svaralapa]).
if we take the reading [kala-padamrta-venu-gita]) the idea is
"what woman who is bewildered by the song of Your flute, full of
sweet tones, will not deviate from aristocratic behavior, from
her prescribed duty? Bewildered by that sound even men deviate
thus. Furthermore, the words beginning [trailokya-saubhagam].
[Yat] here means "because," and [abibhran] is an alternate form
for [abibharuh]. It is quite appropriate that simply by hearing
a sound which implies Your presence they abandon their prescribed
religious duties, what to speak of what happens when they
meditate upon You.
But, Krishna may object, since You have given up as dead the path
of duty, what affect will that have on other women who are more
faithful to their husbands? You will corrupt them, by the logic
of the statement [vidusayati nirlajjah svayam dustam paran api]
("a shameless person contaminates not only himself but also
everyone else he comes into contact with"). On seeing this
particular mark, this golden line which appears by chance on my
chest, you ([gopis], by your comments) have insulted Laksmi
herself, who is the most excellent of chaste women. Why have you
allowed yourselves to blaspheme her? But we are not harming
anyone by this, the [gopis] answer; rather it is You who has been
sent forth by the Creator for the ruination of the religious
principles of all the three worlds.
With angry naughtiness they speak the words beginning [ka

stri]. Our dear, O Krishna, by that song of Your flute, while
contains sweet tones and which is nectarean, and, if we take the
alternate reading [kala-padayata-murchitena], by that particular
kind of melody ([murchita]) which is drawn-out ([a`yata =
dirgha])-- by that they become bewildered; thus a woman is not
herself at fault, but rather the flute-song You have produced is
to blame. Not only does she deviate from proper a=ryan behavior,
from her own prescribed duty of faithfulness to her husband, but
she becomes deviant in all respects; thus, it is implied, You are
implicated in the discrepancies due to her abandoning her
religious principles.
and not only do Your personal qualities have the power to

destroy religious principles, but also Your personal beauty, as
the [gopis] state by the words beginning [trailokya]. Although
he is the cause of the destruction of religious principles, still
he is not the object of hatred for anyone among all the material
and spiritual worlds situated in the high, middle and lower
regions. Such is his auspiciousness ([saubhagam]) in all these
worlds. Nor should it be said that the cause of these women's
bewilderment is their natural lust, since Your beauty and
personal qualities bring about the loss of self-control on the
part of all living beings, stationary as well as mobile. This is
stated by the [gopis]: Since ([yat = yatah]) they bore (body-hair
standing on end) because of that song and that beauty, therefore,
O King. What need do we have to justify this elaborately, since
we have the statement [sakra-sarva-paramesthi-purogamah kasmalam
yayuh], ascribing to the song of Krishna's flute the capacity to
bewilder even the most expert knowers of the truth. And by the
words [vismapanam svasya], stated by sri Sukadeva Gosvami, we
understand that "You also amaze Your own self."
TEXT 41
vyaktam bhavan vraja-bhayarti-haro 'bhijato

devo yathadi-purusah sura-loka-gopta
tan no nidhehi kara-pankajam a`rta-bandho
tapta-stanesu ca sirahsu ca kinkarinam
TRANSLATION
Everyone knows that You have taken birth in this world to

relieve the fear and agony of the people of Vraja, just as the
supreme Personality of Godhead expands his [avataras] to protect
the domain of the demigods. Therefore, O friend of the
distressed, kindly place Your lotus hand on the burning breasts
and on the heads of us, Your maidservants.
Sridhara Svami
[Vyaktam] means "certainly."

therefore enough with Your exhibitions of cleverness! Give up

Your audacity, which they state in this verse. [Vyaktam] means
that "this explanation is not secret from anyone." and what is
that? that You are he who takes away the fear of Vraja which is
due to such calamities as forest fires, and also their pain
([a`rti = pida]) due to rain, wind and so forth. There is also
an alternate reading, [vraja-janatarti-hara]. Perfectly ([abhi =
sarvato-bhavena]) born in the house of nanda maharaja, just like
Narayana; this fact is loudly declared by the whole world. If
hundreds of millions of these [gopis] die today the people of
Vraja, headed by Your parents, will experience great torment,
thinking, "how have these girls, for whom there was only one
worshipable God, met their death in the forest?" they will also
experience fear.
then what is the thing you [gopis] desire? this they answer:
therefore ([tat = tasmat]), O friend of the distressed, please
place Your lotus-like hand on our burning breasts. But then my
soft hand will catch fire, which they answer by the word
[kinkarinam]: For us who are Your maidservants, even if Your
hands are burning hot, because they facilitate our rendering of
service to You, they will not burn us, just as the lotus flower
does not feel burned by the burning sun, but rather feels
pleasure. And place Your hand on our heads in order to let us
know, "You need not fear that in the future I will abandon You."
TEXT 42
sri-suka uvaca
iti viklavitam tasam
srutva yogesvaresvarah
prahasya sa-dayam gopir
a`tmaramo 'py ariramat
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami said: after hearing these words of

desperation from the [gopis], Lord Krishna, the supreme master of
all masters of mystic [yoga], laughed. Even though he is
self-satisfied in all respects, he then mercifully enjoyed with
them.
Sridhara Svami
[Viklavitam] means their uncontrolled prattle. He gave

pleasure ([ariramat = ramayam asa]) to the [gopis].
Jiva Gosvami
[iti] means "in the manner above described." thus hearing

their words of helplessness due to pure love ([viklavitam =
prema-vaivasyam]). The word [yogesvaresvara] indicates that he
is their controller on account of facilitating by his inconceivable
potencies all their various supramundane activities. "Even
though he is self-satisfied" indicates the powerful qualities of
the [gopis'] love for him, in accord with the verse [a`tmaramas
ca munayah]. [ariramat] means that he arranged for their
enjoyment, which shows that the attraction he felt toward them
was of primary significance, just as when children are playing
together the one most prominent child arranges the agenda.
hearing the words which expressed their devastation, and thus

fulfilling his own desire by that hearing. Laughing: "ah yes,
you loving devotees have subjected me day after day to endless
contrariness whenever we have met, so now I on this one occasion
today have audaciously exhibited some little contrariness, but
actually even that bears the seed of my magnanimity toward you.
Because you have become so beside yourselves that you have
performed the [sraddha] ceremony for your shyness and openly
laugh at me, therefore I who am famous for swallowing the vast
ocean of your day-after-day audacity have now defeated you
[gopis].
"O girls who think yourselves the best of intelligent persons,

you should acknowledge your defeat and give up the shyness,
sobriety and so on which are checking you. You should become a
garland of gold and jewels around my neck and make me drink the
nectar of your lips. For a long time I have been extremely
thirsty for this." While thus joking ([parihasya san]), he, in
such a way as follows an auspicious process ([ayah = subhavaho
vidhih]), or else in an affectionate manner, gave pleasure to the
cowherd women, even though he is self-satisfied; this indicates
the magnitude of the pure love of these cowherd women. Just as
is stated in the [a`tmaramas ca munayah] verse, in the words
[ittham-bhuta-guno harih], because the [gopis] are manifestations
of his internal pleasure potency they are his selves, so that it
is conceivable that he would enjoy with them who comprise
manifestations of his own self. Thus although he is
self-satisfied, still since, according to the Lord's own words in
such verses as [na ca sankarsano na srir naivatma ca yatha
bhavan] and [naham a`tmanam a`sase mad-bhaktaih sadhubhir vina],
he derives more joy from his devotees than even from his own
self. And since these [gopis] are the most excellent of all
devotees, thus he enjoys with them in order to increase his joy.
But, it may be objected, since such authoritative sources as

the [Krama-dipika] state that the place of the [rasa] dance was
crowded with hundreds of millions of women, it is not possible
for one man at one time in one place to enjoy with so many
hundreds of millions. This is replied to: [Yogis] such as
saubhari are the masters of [yoga], and personalities like rudra
are their masters. [Yogis] like saubhari had to expand their
body into duplicate images in order to enjoy (with many women),
whereas Lord Krishna, being the effector of inconceivable wonders,
can do the same without such expansion. This is as stated,
[citram bataitad ekena vapusa] (Bhag. 10.69.2).
_ Lord's own words in
such verses as [na ca sankarsano na srir naivatma ca yatha
bhavan] and [naham a`tma TEXT 43
tabhih sametabhir udara-cestitah

priyeksanotphulla-mukhibhir acyutah
udara-hasa-dvija-kunda-didhatir
vyarocatainannka ivodubhir vrtah
TRANSLATION
the infallible Lord Krishna, whose activities are all magnanimous,
appeared in the midst of the horde of [gopis] just like the moon
surrounded by stars in the sky. He made their faces blossom with
his affectionate glances and displayed broad smiles which revealed
the effluence of his jasmine-bud teeth.
Sridhara Svami
With those whose faces were blossoming by the glances of their

beloved. (his face,) which showed his broad smile, teeth, and
upon those teeth an effulgence like that of jasmine flowers.
[Enanka] means the moon.
Jiva Gosvami
how he acted as the arranger is described by the four verses

beginning [tabhih]. [sametabhih] means with them who were
joined by Sri Krishna himself.
he whose pastimes ([cestitam = lila]) is [udara] in the sense

of giving them conjugal happiness, and also in the sense of
giving those devotees who are situated in [bhava] pure [prema]
when they listen to them. "the infallible one" indicates that he
did not fall from the position of enjoying individually with each
one of them. He whose smiles were [udara], meaning either that
they afforded pleasure to them or else that they were broad, they
revealed the effulgence of his jasmine-like teeth.
TEXT 44
upagiyamana udgayan
vanita-sata-yuthapah
malam bibhrad vaijayantim
vyacaran mandayan vanam
TRANSLATION
as the [gopis] sang his praises he, the leader of hundreds of

women, also sang loudly in reply. He moved among them, wearing
his Vaijayanti garland and making the forest appear all the more
beautiful.
Jiva Gosvami
[upagiyamana] means being sung about with chanting of his
names, in proper imitation of his melodies and meters just as
accompanying singers follow in imitation of a main singer. This
is is described in [sri Visnu Purana,
krsnah sarac-candramasam
kaumudim kumudakaram
jagau gopi-janas tv ekam
krsna-nama punah punah]
("Krishna sang in glorification of the autumn moon, the moonshine and

the lotus-bearing river, while the [gopis] simply sang his name
repeatedly.")
Being very much ([upa = a`dhikyena]) sung about by them, with

fine melody-patterns, tones and meters. Thus we have songs in
triple meter, such as
[vadanam madhurima-sadanam
calanam dalanam karindra-kirtinam
hasitam sudrgbhir lasitam
tava savayah patu mam anissam]
("O dear friend, Your face is the abode of sweetness, and Your
manner of moving defeats the glory of the king of elephants.
those who are the most beautiful envy Your smiles. Please keep
me under Your protection always.")
and he himself, who protects hundreds of hordes of women, the

chief of whom are sri radha and Candravali, sang in the same
pattern as they were singing, glorifying loudly in song each one
of them. Sometimes there would be singing back and forth in
unison, such as (in reply to the other verse above)
[tvad-vadanam sadanam madhurimnam

tatra hanta drganta-vilasah
tesv asamam susamam upajagmuh
sundari kama-kalah sakalas tah]
("O beautiful one, your face is the abode of all kinds of

sweetness, and thereupon, indeed, the corners of your eyes are
sporting. Within those playful glances all skills of Cupid have
come to serve you, who are both contrary and agreeable."), and
also
[kante tvad-asyodaya-dattam indu-
mrga-cchalad duryasa eva dhatte
janopahasa saha no 'tha va kim
dvijo 'pi mudho garalam jaghase]
("O beloved, your teeth are showing the infamy of your face
brought about by its appearance before me, and they are trying to
pass your face off as the moon with its marks resembling a deer.
But what do we care for the ridicule of people in general?
still, your teeth are foolish, despite their being twice-born
([dvija]), because they are drinking poison.")
the manner here is that when he sang the word [sundari], a

[gopi] would sing in reply in the same place in the song
[sundara], when he sang [kante] some [gopi] would sing [kanta].
in this way his girlfriends were singing along with him.
the Vaijayanti garland is strung together from flowers of five

different colors, since the word [vaijayanti] indicates "five
colors."
_l skills of Cupid have

come to serve you, who are both contrary and agreeable."), and
also
[ka TEXTS 45-46
nadyah pulinam a`visya

gopibhir hima-valukam
justam tat-taralanandi-
kumudamoda-vayuna
bahu-prasara-parirambha-karalakoru-
nivi-stanalbhana-narma-nakhagra-pataih
ksvelyavaloka-hasitair vraja-sundarinam
uttambhayan rati-patim ramayam cakara
TRANSLATION
Going with the [gopis] to the bank of the Yamuna, where the
sand was cooling and the wind, enlivened by the rivers waves,
blew carrying the fragrance of lotuses, Krishna enjoyed the company
of those beautiful young cowherd girls. He incited their lusty
feelings by playing with them--by extending arms and embracing,
by touching hands, hair, thighs, waists and breasts, by playfully
scratching with fingernails, and by amorous words, glances and
smiles.
Sridhara Svami
With the throwing of arms, embracing, touching of hands and so

forth, joking laughter, and fighting with fingernails. [Ksvelya]
means "with playing." also with glances and smiles, he gave them
pleasure, inciting their lusty feelings.
"made joyful by the waves ([tarala = taranga]) of that river"

means that the wind afforded bliss by its coolness and
gentleness, and carried the fragrance of the lotuses which were
blossoming even during the night; from that wind he took
pleasure. If we take the reading [justam], this word becomes
logically connected with the following verb [ramayam cakara].
sometimes we also have the alternate readings [kumudamoda] and
[taralananda].
the "throwing of arms" is the [gopis'] throwing of their own

arms, held in [svastika] shape, onto their chests; together with
this throwing of arms, as well as embracing, touching of hands
and so forth, joking laughter and scratching with fingernails,
and also playful words ([ksvelya = kridoktya]), glances and
smiles, he was inciting, enflaming, Cupid, loving desires, both
for them and for himself. In this way he manifested his own
forms so as to give pleasure to each and every one of them
individually.
But, it may be questioned, since there was no privacy to be

found there on the river bank in the midst of so many [gopis],
since their were no love-beds available, isn't it incongruous for
him to be engaging in conjugal pastimes with each one of these
hundreds of millions of women? Yes, but because the personal
form of the supreme Personality of Godhead and the land of
Vrndavana are both unlimitedly powerful, even a piece of land as
small as a sesame seed can become a vast area, full of various
bushes for cover, and replete with beds decorated with various
kinds of fragrant flowers and provided with perfumes, flower
garlands, betel nut and so on. All these are manifested by the
Lord's Yogamaya, who is expert in making the impossible possible,
and then, when the pastimes are finished, she again withdraws
everything. Thus the apparent incongruity is reconciled.
TEXT 47
evam bhagavatah krsnal

labdha-mana mahatmanah
a`tmanam menire strinam
maninyo hy adhikam bhuvi
TRANSLATION
Becoming somewhat proud of themselves for receiving such

special attention from Krishna, the supreme Personality of Godhead,
each of the [gopis], who were all great souls, began to think of
herself as the most exalted woman on the earth.
Sridhara Svami
"Great souls," because their minds were liberated.

Jiva Gosvami
"From the great soul" refers to his being the most excellent of
all divine and mundane lovers. "Feeling proud" means that they
were thinking themselves to be the most important women in the
whole world; in other words they developed symptoms of pride as
part of their transcendental affection for him. They felt proud
in comparison to other women, because no other women had such a
lover, and also because even the other [gopis] in their same
company were not receiving as much good fortune as their own
selves.
now the following situation is manifested by the Lord's [lila]

potency for the purpose of enhancing the transcendental mellow, in
accordance with the logic presented in Bharata muni's [natya-
sastra],
[na vina vipralambhena

sambhogah pustim asnute
kasayite hi vastradau
bhuyan rago 'bhivardhate]
("direct contact is not fully appreciated until separation has

been experienced. When the lover's clothes and ornaments are
disheveled out of her anxiety then attraction reaches its peak").
the pretense for creating this separation is described in this

verse beginning [evam]. "Great souls," having obtained the
respect ([labdha-manah = praptadarah]) of the supreme Personality
of Godhead, who is the best of all transcendental and mundane
lovers, and moreover of him in his original form of Krishna.
Because of being able to enjoy intimately with Sri Krishna,
each of them was thinking herself the most excellent of all women
on the surface of the earth. [maninyah] means that each of them
became proud, thinking "I have such good fortune!"
TEXT 48
tasam tat-saubhaga-madam
viksya manam ca kesavah
prasamaya prasadaya
tatraivantaradhiyata
TRANSLATION
Lord Kesava could see that the [gopis] had become puffed-up and
proud on account of their good fortune. To relieve them of this
delusion and allow his showing further mercy to them, he
immediately disappeared before their very eyes.
Sridhara Svami
[tat-saubhaga-madam] means their lose of self-control on

account of their good fortune. [manam] means pride. The name
Kesava indicates he who controls ([vasayati]) both Ka and I=sa.
Jiva Gosvami
[saubhaga-madam] means their pride, which was due to their good

fortune; in order to subdue that, and also in order to show favor
to their pride. But in this context "in order to subdue" does
not indicate that he was going to neglect their affection and
introduce other [rasas]. After all, a show of neglect here on his
part would not befit their state of [pranaya-mana], because that
pride of love, being based on esteem felt on behalf of his
transcendental activities, is superexcellent.
and thus, while all of them where equally enjoying with the
supreme Personality of Godhead, the most eminent of all of them,
the young daughter of Vrsabhanu, became (the remaining phrase I
can't translate). All the other [gopis] besides her were proud of
their good fortune. The Lord disapproved of this, and what he
did to rectify the situation is described by the verse beginning
[tasam].
"them and also her" is being indicated by the word [tasam]

functioning here as an [eka-sesa] (a word with a compound
referent having its inflection agreeing in the singular with the
one main referent), the idea being, "of those young girls of
Vraja and in particular of the young daughter of Vrsabhanu."
seeing, in order, first that intoxication caused by their good

fortune and then that pride. Or else we can take ([tat-saubhaga-
madam]) as a compound, meaning (?). There is also the alternate
reading [tam saubhaga-madam].
[Prasamaya] means "in order to put down their intoxication

based on receiving good fortune," and [prasadaya] means "in order
to show favor to that proud (radharani). Kesava means that he
rules ([vayate = prasasti]) both Ka, or Brahma, and isa. What
effort is it, this implies, for him to subdue their pride in
their good fortune? the name also means that "he puts his hair
in order," indicating that by attending to his hair he shows his
expertise in gratifying her.
the form [antaradhiyata] is poetic license of the sages,

substituting for [antaradhat]. Or else this form fits the rule
of the class of words known as [daivadi], cited as [dhina
anadare]. In later verses herein we will see how Krishna forcibly
removes sri Vrsabhanu-nandini from the midst of the other
[gopis], and how this is without the others seeing her going
elsewhere. And this is arranged by her desire through his
Yogamaya.
End of Chapter 29
_ng (?). There is also the alternate
reading [tam saubhaga-madam]

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CHAPTER 29

remembering the promise he had made to the [gopis] at the time of

the always-satisfied Lord Krishna replied to these outcries of the

Sri Krishna is the supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all

in the twenty-ninth Chapter are related the arguments and counter-

all glories to the master of the goddess of fortune, who is now

By the words [bhagavan api] are implied as an amalgamation (those

First I lovingly offer my obeisances to my spiritual master, srila

his [yoga-maya] potency, under the influence of pure love, and

[so 'pi kaisoraka-vayo]

[yuvatir gopa-kanyas ca]

tadodurajah kakubhah karair mukham

[aryamno matrka patni

the idea of this verse is as follows: The moon-god-- although the

"the sons of the mother and the wife of the TEXT 3

drstva kumudvantam akhanda-mandalam

(the moon) appearing with the form of mahalaksmi, or else, because

and then Lord Krishna, experiencing a transformation of lust inspired

[Kumut] is the same as [kumuda], as stated in the [Visva-kosa,

seeing these two opulent manifestations of the enflaming power of

nisamya gitam tad ananga-vardhanam

in order to avoid rivalry they went forward unbeknownst to each other,

duhantyo 'bhiyayuh kascid

[duhantyah] is equivalent to [dohayantyah]. [abhiyayuh] means "they

parivesayantyas tad dhitva

limpantyah pramrjantyo 'nya

"infants" means the children of their sisters, sisters-in-law and so on.

how they abandoned the basic duties of women is described in this

their husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives tried to stop

But, it may be questioned, it is quite proper that they forgot

the following eight verses, beginning [antah], go together.

in this context we will make our analysis according to the method

[gopyas tu srutayo jneya

"some of the [gopis] should be understood to be personified Vedic

the daughters of the demigods who are understood by the evidence of

"after seeing Your face, which possesses the beauty of millions of

and the [r`si-cari] [gopis] are also [sadhana-siddha], as stated in

drstva ramam harim tatra

harim samprapya kamena

in this verse it is said that upon seeing Lord ramacandra, they

Others of them, however, because of not getting the good fortune of

tam eva paramatmanam

their intolerable separation from Lord Krishna caused the [gopis] an

Furthermore, at that time they attained Krishna, the supersoul, by

in this verse beginning [duhsaha-], (Sukadeva Gosvami) is speaking in

But to the confidential hearers Sukadeva is saying that at that time,

and thus, thinking of him, the Paramatma or supreme worthy object of

and further, by the logic of the verse [bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir

[yeneme nirjitah saumya

therefore the idea of this verse we should construe is that the

[ya maya kridata ratryam

thus in this verse we have the phrase [alabdha-nirgamah] and in the

But, it may be objected, even if one's husband, son, etc., is actually

King Pariksit, looking at the expressions on the faces of some of the

Sukadeva Gosvami said: I have already explained this matter to you

this objection is refuted by Sukadeva in the verse beginning [uktam].

[krsna-kamas tada gopyas/ tyaktva deham divam gatah

[purvam ca jnana-samyuktas/ tatrapi prayasas tatha

[na tu jnanam r`te mokso/ nanyah pantheti hi srutih

[bhakti-margi prthan muktim/ agad visnu-prasadatah

[dvesi-jiva-yutam capi/ bhaktam visnur vimocayet

this passage is from the [skanda Purana].