Dedicated to:

His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda founder-äcärya
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

ontents
Introduction 9
Chapter Twenty-nine 19
The fore play of the Räsa

Chapter Thirty 241

The gopis' quest for Krsna

Chapter Thirty-one 335

The gopis' song of separation
(gopi-gitam)

Chapter Thirty-two 425

The reunion

Chapter Thirty-three 497

The Räsa dance

Glossary 597

3ntroduction
This set of five chapters from the tenth canto of Bhägavata Puräpa is called the Paficädhyäyi. It is an
epic poem celebrated as the most romantic text of Sanskrit literature. The Paficädhyäyi illustrates the
apex of Love of God in the two aspects of Snigära-rasa (romantic love): separation and meeting. In
short, this sublime text showcases the Sanskrit language in its finest form and hints at the nature of
real love.
Sanskrit is the language of a culture that teaches how to be rasika. The Paficädhyäyi is the cream
of Sanskrit literature because it occasions the direct realization of Rasa in literature (aesthetic delight)
and because it sheds light on the path of Rasa (mojo, magical vibe). The commentators selected here
are skilled in frothing up the meanings and in bringing out the sweetness. In life, practicing bhakti is
not always possible, whereas Rasa is already happening everywhere: It is a question of raising the
standards. Sanskrit culture provides a framework for that, by classing the modes of existence in four
categories: tämasika (ignorance and lethargy), räjasika (the mode of action / passion), sättvika
(peacefulness and goodness), and päramärthika (mode of transcendence).
 In that regard, relations between human beings take place either from the outlook of the ego or
from the perspective of the soul. The nature of the soul is Rasa in the highest sense (bliss mixed with
astonishment). The consciousness of the ego comprises the first three modes and is infused by the
consciousness of the soul. l Therefore, Rasa is reflected to some degree on the screen of the mind and
thus

1 vaikärikas taijasaS ca tämasaS cety aham tri-vrt I tan-mätrendriyamanasäm käranam cid-acin-mayah Il (Bhägavatam
11.24.7).

9
becomes degraded in nature, until we desire to experience Rasa in its pure form. Raising the standards
of Rasa in day-to-day life means increasing the level of appropriateness, because Rasa depends on it,
says Änanda-vardhana: anaucityäd rte nänyad rasa-bhangasya käranam (Dhvany-äloka 3.14 vrtti).
Reading first-class poetry is one of the best methods to realize the true nature of the soul. And the
highest level of Rasa is bhakti-rasa, because God is Rasa: raso vai sah (Taittiriya Upanisad 2.7).
In Sanskrit texts prior to the Bhägavatam, the Play of the Räsa is briefly described in Hari-vamja
(2.20.18-35) and in Vimu Puma (5.13.14-62). In the Pancädhyäyi, the Räsa dance is depicted in the
fifth chapter (10.33). The first four chapters are the buildup to it. Thus, the Pancädhyäyi contains both
the apex of the vipralambha aspect (separation) of Snigära-rasa and the climax of its other aspect,
sambhoga (meeting). Not only that, the vipralambha and the sambhoga are eminenty described in
alternate sequence.
In the heart of the five chapters of the Paöcädhyäyi is Gopigitam (the gopis' song), the nineteen
verses sung by the cowherd girls of Vrindavan who felt the pang of separation from Krsna. Most
scholars opine that this chapter (10.31) is the sweetest chapter of the Bhägavatam, by even exceeeding
Venu-gitam (10.21) because of embellishments in terms of alliteration, meter, and double if not triple
or quadruple meanings. The gopis' mood in Venu-gitam (the song of the flute) was pürva-räga (love
before ever meeting the lover), whereas in Gopi-gitam the mood is praväsa-vipralambha (separation
after meeting). In the Paficädhyäyi too, Krsna played the flute to attract the gopis. In that way, He
lived up to His name: The verbal root krs means 'to attract'.
In addition, the Bhägavatam cleverly glorifies Sri Rädhä with these words, without ever naming
Her: anayärädhito nünam bhagavän harih, "For sure, Lord Hari was worshipped (ärädhitah) by Her"
(10.30.28), whereas the Vi$tzu Puräpa expresses the same literal meaning, but without an implied
sense: visnur abhyarcitas tayä (5.13.35).
Sanskrit commentators use the term Räsa-lilä (the entertainment called Räsa), but in the
Bhägavatam, the words in this regard are räsa-kridä (the Play of the Räsa) and räsotsava (the Räsa
festival) (10.33.2-3).
Viévanätha Cakravarti derives the word räsa as follows: nrtyagita-cumbanädinäm rasänähl samüho
räsah, "The term räsa signifies a multitude of rasas such as dancing, singing, kissing, and embracing"
(Särärtha-darSini 10.33.2). Usually the term rasa denotes the wellknown rasas of poetry, such as
Srhgära-rasa, but Viévanätha Kaviräja says that by the derivation rasyate iti rasah (what is relished is
called rasa), a vyabhicäri-bhäva too, or an anubhäva, etc., can be called rasa (aesthetic delight) if it is
relished: rasyate iti rasa iti vyutpattiyogäd bhäva-tad-äbhäsädayo 'pi grhyante (Sähitya-darpapa 1.3).
Kissing, dancing, and so on are anubhävas of Snigära-rasa. Thus the Räsa is a multitude of rasas in that
sense. Still, transient emotions (vyabhicäri-bhävas) also occur.
The word räsa is found neither in Hari-vam'a nor in Visnu Puma. Often times the word halliSaka is
used as a synonym of the Räsa dance. Bhakti-siddhänta Sarasvati wrote:
 In the book named Sahgita-sära it is stated: "When a male dancer performs, being surrounded
by a circle of many women dancers moving about, it is called a halli$aka. When a hallisaka
dance is accompanied by various refined tälas (tunes), dance steps, and gestures, it is called a
räsa dance. "2

In usage, the terms halli'aka, hallisaka and hallisaka are synonymous. The suffix ka was added after
the original word without changing the meaning. The definition is: stripärii hallisahi saha-nartanam,
"The halliya is a dance with women" (Trikända-Seya 1.7.2). Thus, Rüpa Gosvämi (A$(adaja-
cchandah-stava 32, Govinda-virudävali 32, Hamsa-düta 18, etc.), Kavi Karnapüra (Änanda-vmdävana-
campü) and Krsnadäsa Kaviräja (Govinda-lilämrta 12.77; 22.59) used the term halliSaka to denote the
Räsa dance. Krsnadäsa Kaviräja used the terms hallisaka (Govinda-lilämrta 22.6) and hallija
(Govindalilämrta 12.87).
Viévanätha Kaviraja includes the hallija in his dramaturgic theory as one of the eighteen forms of
small drama.3 He defines it as

2 Commentary on Caitanya-bhägavata 1.1.22 (translation of the original Bengali).

3 durmallikä prakarani halliSako bhäniketi ca I as(ädaSa prähur uparüpakäni mani$inah Il (Sähitya-darpana 6.5)
a theatrical performance in one act where one male is accompanied by seven, eight or ten female
dancers.1
The Hari-varhSa mentions the term hallisaka (2.89.68), but in that context it is used as the name of
a musical style.2 Most likely, the usage of the term evolved to signify the aforesaid dance style. Perhaps
the term hallisaka is derived from the word jhalli, a type of drum.
Not all the commentaries included in the previous volumes of this series are found here. First of
all, as usual I translated in full the commentaries of Sridhara Svämi (Bhävärtha-dipikä), Viévanätha
Cakravarti (Särärtha-darSini), Sanätana Gosvämi (Brhad-vai$navatosani), and Jiva Gosvämi (Laghu-
vai$pava-tosapi). For the most part, Sridhara Svämi gives glosses, and his elucidations are concise.
Viévanätha Cakravarti's commentary is so called because it shows the essential meanings, especially
those in the other commentaries; it is outstanding. Sanätana Gosvämi likes to brainstorm ideas, so
much so that sometimes his explanations contradict one another. At his request, Jiva Gosvämi edited
his commentary, originally called Vaisnava-tosani, and thus composed his own commentary, Laghu-
vaisnava-tosani. But quite often he left out good elements of Sanätana Gosvämi's commentary. Those
elements are rendered here. As regards the tenth canto, Jiva Gosvämi's other commentary, Krama-
sandarbha, is extremely brief. On occasion, the comments that he made in Sat-sandarbha, especially in
Kryna-sandarbha and in Priti-sandarbha, about a verse of Pancädhyäyi are shown. The Brhat-krama-
sandarbha is a commentary by an unknown Vaisnava pandit.
Moreover, I translated excerpts of Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana's commentary, called Vaisnavänandini.
For the most part, Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana paraphrased Viévanätha Cakravarti and Jiva Gosvämi. In
addition, I related Gangä Sahäya's comments about grammatical irregularities in the text of

1
halliSa eka evähkah saptäs(au daSa vä striyah I väg-udättaika-puru.:sah kaiSiki-vrttir ujjvalä mukhäntimau tathä
I

sandhi bahutälalaya-sthitih I l (Sähitya-darpana 6.307).

In the Caukhamba edition, the verse number differs (2.91.68) and the reading is different too: trptäh
2

pravrttäh punar eva viräs te bhaima-mukhyä vanitä-sahäyäh gitäni ramyäni jaguh prahr$(äh käntäbhinitäni
I

manoharäni Il äjiäpayämäsa tatah sa tasyäm niSi prahr$(0 bhagavän upendrah I chälikyageyam bahu-
sannidhänam yad eva gändharvam udäharanti Il jagräha vinäm atha näradas tu sadgräma-rägädi-
samädhiyuktäm I hrllisakaht tu svayam eva kr;rgah sa-vamia-ghosam nara-deva pärthah I l mrdahga-vädyän
aparärhS ca vädyän varäpsaräs tä jagrhuh pratitäh äsäritänte ca tatah pratitä rambhotthitä säbhinayärtha-taj-
I

jiäh Il (Hari-vamSa 2.91.66-69).

Bhägavatam. His commentary, called Anvitärtha-prakä'ikä, and the other commentaries are the source
references for the syntactical connection of the words below each verse: The words of the verse are
placed in proper order in prose and the missing words are added in parentheses to complete the
sentences. The translation of a verse follows the syntactical connection (prose order).
Srinätha Pandita's commentary, Caitanya-mata-mafijü$ä, is also shown. Some scholars call him
Srinätha Cakravarti. Based on Viévanätha Cakravarti's commentary on text 10.29.9, it seems that
Viévanätha Cakravarti took inspiration from Srinätha 's commentary. More details are provided in the
footnote there. Another possible proof of this is in Viévanätha Cakravarti's commentary on verse
10.30.14, where his idea about Yogamäyä is taken from Caitanyamata-maijü$ä 10.30.15.
I included Vallabhäcärya's commentary on Gopi-gitam and so on. The abovementioned
commentaries on the previous chapters were translated in the previous volumes. For the details about
the commentators, consult my introduction in the first volume of this series.6

6 The sources for the commentaries are as follows: (1) Sridhara Svämi: Srimad-bhägavata-mahä-puränam, Sridhari-!
ikopetam, Pandita Räma Teja Pändeya (publ.), Delhi: Caukhambä Sanskrit Pratishtan, 2011; (2) Vallabhäcärya: Sri
Subodhini, commentary on Srimad Bhägavata by
Mahäprabhu Shri Vallabhächärya, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, Indian Books Centre, 2003; (3) Viévanätha Cakravarti:
Srimad Bhägavatam, Sundara-Krsna Däsa (publ.), Bäg-bäjär Gaudiya Macha, Gaudiya Mission,
Kolkata, 1984; (4) Sanätana Gosvämi: Brhad-vai$nava-tosani, Puri Däsa Mahäéaya (publ.), Vrindavan, 1951; (5) Jiva
Gosvämi: Laghu-vaisnavatosani, Puri Däsa Mahäéaya (publ.), Vrindavan, 1946; (6) Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana: Srimad
Bhägavatam, Sri-yukta Nitya-svarüpa Brahmacäri (publ.), Kolkata, Bengal, 1911; (7) Srinätha Pandita: Sri Sri Caitanya-
matamaijusä, Puri Däsa Mahäéaya (publ.), Vrindavan, 1955; (8) Gahgä Sahäya: Srimad-bhägavata-mahä-puränam,
anvitärtha-prakäjikä-(ikopetam, Pandita Räma Teja Pändeya (publ.), Delhi: Caukhambä Sanskrit Pratishtan, 1987 [1965].
For all of the above, I also consulted Srimad-bhägavatam
Näräyana Bhatta's commentary, Rasikählädini, is translated here on special occasions. He was born
in 1532 CE (samvat 1588) in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, but came to live in Vraja in 1546. On the
recommendation of Sanätana Gosvämi and Rüpa Gosvämi,7 he was initiated by Krishna Das
Brahmachari, who was a disciple of Gadadhar Pandit and was serving at the Madan Mohan temple in
Vrindavan. Näräyana Bhatta lived in Radha Kund up to at least 1552 CE, and then moved to
Unchagaon (Uccagräma, near Varsänä, Vraja) for the rest of his life.
Näräyana Bhatta discovered all the tirthas and the lilä-sthalis of Vraja mentioned in the Varäha
Puräna which were not yet found. He would call the villagers and ask them to excavate those places.
He discovered the various locations connected with Sri Krsna's Räsa-lilä and mentioned them in his
Vraja-bhakti-viläsa. He constructed Räsa-mandalas in those places, revamped the old ponds, rebuilt
the temples and installed deities therein. He was able to do all this with the financial help of Raja
Todaramala, the treasurer of Emperor Akbar. Näräyana Bhatta determined the boundary of Vraja. He
also started the practice of Vraja-mandala-parikramä (circumambulating the twelve forests of Vraja).
He gave every lake, pond, village and grove in the circuit of Vraja a distinct name. In Braj, Näräyana
Bhatta also had great influence in establishing the tradition of the theatrical representation of Räsa-
lilä.8
In addition to Rasikählädini, Näräyaoa Bhatta wrote many works. Of those, Vraja-bhakti-viläsa
and Vraja-pradipikä are the most exhaustive early descriptions of the Braja Dhäm parikramä. His
Bhakti-rasa-tarahgini is mentioned with high regard by Viévanätha Cakravarti in his commentary on
Ujjvala-nilamapi in order to disprove Jiva Gosvämi's opinion that Krsna and the gopis have a

aneka-vyäkhyä-samalahkrtam (Krsna-Sahkara Sästri (publ.), Bhägavatavidyäpitham, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 1996). Jiva

Gosvämi's Krama-sandarbha commentary and the Brhat-krama-sandarbha commentary (anonymous) are sourced in it.
Regarding the Tosanis, for this volume I also consulted the Bhagavata Vidya Pith edition (Bhagavata Rishi and Krishna
Shankar Shastri (ed.), Sola Karnavati, 2052 samvat (1996 CE), Vol. Ill).
7 Kapoor, O.B.L. (1995) The Gosvamis of Vrindavan, Sarasvati Jayasri Classics, Chapter ten: Sri Näräyana Bhatta
Gosvämi.
8 For more information on this topic, consult Vasant Yamadagni's Räsalilä tathä räsänukarana vikäsa, New Delhi:
Sangita Nataka Academy, 1980.
relationship of svakiya-bhäva (matrimony), not of parakiya-bhäva (paramourship).3 In Vraja-bhakti-
viläsa, Näräyana Bhatta mentions Brhat-vraja-gunotsava, a huge work of twenty- six thousand verses
composed by him. He says that just as Vraja-bhakti-viläsa describes the different forests of Vraja with
their presiding deities and their tirthas, so this work describes the different villages, their presiding
deities, the tirthas and the corresponding pastimes of Krsqa's. That book has not been found.
The edition of Rasikählädini consulted for this translation was published in the 1950s by Krishna
Das, a resident of Kusumasarovara (Govardhana, U.P.). The editor is Prabhu Dayal Mittal, a very
highly reputed scholar of the Rädhä-vallabha Sampradäya. Another edition consulted is the text
published by Krsna-Sahkara Sästri among other commentaries (Srimad-bhägavatam anekavyäkhyä-
samalahkrtam). Näräyana Bhatta took elements from Sanätana Gosvämi and sometimes from
Vallabhäcärya and from Jiva Gosvämi. For the most part, Näräyana Bhatta quoted Rasämavasudhäkara
instead of Ujjvala-nilamapi. Näräyana Bhatta is, of course, different from Bhatta Näräyana, the author
of the famous play Veni-sarhhära (c. 700 CE).
Further, Sanätana Gosvämi took most of Vallabhäcärya's excellent explanations (ref. 10.29.8;
10.29.12, 10.29.19, etc.). Sometimes those ideas are also seen in Jiva Gosvämi's commentary.
Here the text of Bhägavatam is sourced in Sridhara Svämi's edition, which includes his
commentary. The variant readings in the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) edition are shown in the
footnotes, but not the abundant typographical mistakes in that edition. I also showed the variant
readings in Vallabhäcärya's edition, which accompanies his commentary.
Sanätana Gosvämi, Jiva Gosvämi and Viévanätha Cakravarti used a version of the text of
Bhägavatam which is no longer available.
In verse 10.29.45, for instance, their reading kamalämoda instead of kumudämoda cannot be sourced
in the abovementioned editions, nor in Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati's Gaudiya Matha edition, which is
the source of the BBT edition (barring the typos), nor in KrsnaSafikara Sästri's edition of Bhägavatam,
which includes the readings followed by Vijayadhvaja Tirtha in Madhväcärya's edition, and so on, nor
in Räma-Näräyana's edition. 4
The Paficädhyäyi eminently sheds light on the quality of being rasika. To let the readers better
understand the double meanings and so on, in the translation of the commentaries I took the extra step
to show the commentators' glosses. A gloss is a synonym of a word in the root text. In the translation,
when words are in parentheses with an equal sign (=) in the middle, the word on the left side of the
equal sign is the word in the text of Bhägavatam and the word on the right side is the commentator's
gloss. Words between em dashes (—) are part of the text: They are not my addition. Moreover, if the
meter of a verse is not anustup, I write the name of the meter just below the verse, unless the meter is
the same as the one used in the previous verse.
The numbers of the verses here are the numbers used in every major edition of Bhägavatam except
the BBT edition. In other words, the numbers here are the same as those in the BBT edition, except in
chapter 30, starting from verse 10.30.31, where the BBT counts two verses as one (10.30.30) and in
chapter 33, where the BBT version again follows the Gaudiya Matha edition, which combines verses 3
and 4 in almost every other edition to make a verse number 3. Still, the text in all the editions is the

3
atas tad-anabhi$(am sviyätvam vraje na vyäkhyeyam. evam eva Srinäräyapa-bhanair api sva-krtäyäm rasa-
taraigipyärit trtiye ulläse älambana-prakarane tasyäh parakiyätvam evoktam. yathä... (Änandacandrikä 1.21).
The truth of the matter is that the gopis are 'married' to Krsna from an ontological perspective (tattva-
vicära) because Krsna is God and the gopis are His potencies, whereas from the viewpoint of Rasa He is
their paramour, as if He were behaving like a mortal.
4
Srimad Bhägavatam, Räma-Näräyana Däsa (publisher and printer), Murshidabad, Bengal, 1887.
same. The text of Bhägavatam in the Gaudiya Matha edition is taken from Räma-Näräyana's edition;
Räma-Näräyana grouped verses at his own discretion, throughout the Bhägavatam, and numbered
them as he wished.
Further, the late Gopi-paräna-dhana Prabhu, the former director of the BBT and director of the first
Sanskrit school from which I graduated, in Govardhana, translated the tenth canto (starting from
chapter fourteen), eleventh canto and twelfth canto for the BBT and wrote the purports for the BBT
based on the äcäryas' commentaries.
Gopi Prabhu taught me how to translate properly and encouraged me in my task of translating the
commentaries on the Bhägavatam. He was a pioneer, and I offer my profound respects to him.
My heartfelt thanks also go to Gopäla Bhatta Däsa, the American businessman who covered all the
costs related to Gopi Prabhu's Sanskrit school for the ten years of its existence (2005— 2014) and who
thus provided free tuition to every student. God bless.

Gaurapada Däsa, M.A.

Vrindavan, India
Autumn 2016

Other titles by Gaurapada Däsa:

Alahkära-kaustubha (of Kavi Karnapüra) (co-translation with Matsya Avatära Däsa);
Bhakti-rasämrta-Sesa (a remake of Sähitya-darpana);
Prayuktäkhyäta-maijari (of Rüpa Gosvämi);
Purusa-sükta, with the Commentary of Saunaka;
Sähitya-kaumudi (of Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana) (a remake of Kävya-prakä'a)•,
Srimad Bhägavatam: A Symphony of Commentaries on the
Tenth Canto (volumes one to five);
Versified History of Sanskrit Poetics: The Soul is Rasa; Vishnu Purana: Krishna's Pastimes in the
Fifth Canto.
•apter Twenty-nine

10.29.1

Sri-Suka uväca 5bhagavän api tä rätrih faradotphulla-mallikäh 6 | vik$ya rantuhl mana'

cakre yoga-mäyäm upäjritah Il

Sri-Sukah—the venerable Suka; uväca—said; bhagavän—the Lord; api—also (or although); täh—
those; rätrih—nights; Saradä— because of autumn: utphulla—in bloom; mallikäh—jasmine flowers;
5
Sri-bädaräyanir uväca (BBT edition).
6
Säradotphulla-mallikäh (BBT edition).
vik$ya—upon seeing; rantum—to enjoy amorous pleasure; manah cakre—He made up His mind;
yogamäyäm—Yogamäyä (the transcendental energy); upäSritah—relying on.

Sri-Sukah uväca—(sah) bhagavän api täh rätrih Saradä utphullamallikäh viksya yoga-mäyäm
upäSritah (san) rantum manah cakre.

Sri Suka said: Seeing those nights, during which the jasmines were in bloom because of autumn,
Krspa, relying on Yogamäyä, made up His mind to enjoy amorous pleasure even though He is God.

19
Sridhara Svämi ünatrimée tu räsärtham ukti-prätyuktayo hareh I gopibhi räsa-
samrambhe tasya cäntardhi-kautukam I l brahmädi-jaya-samrüdha-darpa-kandarpa-darpa-
hä I jayati Sri-patir gopi-räsa-mandala-mandanah I l

In the twenty-ninth chapter, Hari's arguments in the scope of Räsa and the gopis' counter-arguments
are described, and His jovial act of disappearing, given that the gopis felt too proud of themselves at
the outset of the Räsa, is depicted.
Laksmi's husband who has become the gopis' ornament in the circle of the Räsa dance is
supereminent. He thus defeats the vanity of Cupid, whose pride was accentuated by his victories over
Brahmä, Siva and others.

Regarding the verse, someone might argue: "This is the opposite of what is expected because it looks
like He is the vanquisher of Cupid by having fun with the wives of other men." That is wrong because
many scriptural texts state that He is completely independent from an ontological perspective: yoga-
mäyäm upäSritah, "relying on Yogamäyä" (10.29.1), ätmärämo 'py ariramat, "Although He revels in
Himself, He gave them amorous pleasure" (10.29.42), säk$än manmatha-manmathah, "He is exactly
the Cupid of Cupids"(10.32.2), ätmany avaruddha-sauratah, "He whose amorous feelings are confined
to Himself" (10.33.26), and so on.
Therefore the truth of the matter is that this false appearance (since He looks human although He is
God) of taking pleasure in a Räsa dance is meant to signify the victory over Cupid. And moreover,
under the pretext of describing topics of love, the Paöcädhyäyi ('set of five chapters') 7 is specifically
meant to foster renunciation. We shall make this clear later on.
The words "those nights" refer to the nights he promised to enjoy with the gopis, in the text:
yätäbalä vrajmh siddhä mayemä ramsyatha ksapäh, "Girls, return to the village. You are successful.
You will enjoy these nights with Me." (10.22.27)

Vallabhäcärya brahmänandät samuddhrtya bhajanänanda-yojane I lilä yä

yujyate samyak sä turye vinirüpyate I l laukika-strisu samsiddhis tad-dvärä puruse
bhavet I svänandänubhavärtham hi yogyatäpi nirüpitä I l tato hi bhajanänandah strisu

7
The word Pancädhyäyi is formed like the word A"ädhyäyi (set of eight chapters), Pänini's master treatise
of grammar, by the rules dvigoh (As!ädhyayi 4.1.21) and väb-antah striyäm i$(ah (Värttika 2.4.17). Jiva
Gosvämi's corresponding rule is: a-rämäntä trirämi lak;mih, äb-antä vä, trirämyä ip (Hari-nämämrta-
vyäkarana 935).
 samyag vidhäryate I tad-dvärä purusänäm ca bhavisyati na cänyathä I l striya eva hi tam
pätum éaktäs täsu tatah pumän I ato hi bhagavän krsnah strisu reme hy ahar-niéam I l

In keeping with the theme of indicating what is superior to the bliss of Brahman (in the previous
chapter, Knna immersed the gopas in Brahma-hrada, took them out of it and showed them the spiritual
world), to establish a connection with bhajanänanda (the bliss of spiritual practice) the pastime which
is most fit in this matter is expounded in the fourth section.8
The acme of bhajanänanda (Rasa in the form of Love of God) took place in ordinary women. By
means of their example, a man can achieve the full-fledged perfection of bhajanänanda. 9 The
suitability for realizing this bliss of the soul is also described.
In its highest form, the bliss of spiritual practice is the lot of women. By means of their example,
the same can happen to men. It is not the other way round.
Only women are able to taste that bhajanänanda. After that, the Puru$a can taste it in them. Hence
Lord Knna enjoyed being with those women day and night.

Someone might think, "It is said here that the Lord made up His mind to enjoy amorous pleasure. This
means He fell from His position." Suspecting this, he says: yoga-mäyäm upäSritah. Yogamäyä
establishes an already established situation elsewhere, as in the case of Sahkarsana.

Srinätha Pandita
Yogamäyä is the potency that is very clever in making the impossible possible. All this was the work
of Yogamäyä, as pointed out in the text: käryärthe sambhavisyati (10.1.25). When the gopis will set
out to meet Krsna, Yogamäyä will put them out of the range of their husbands and others. Upon their
return, she will keep their husbands bewildered, as shown in the text: manyamänäh sva-pärSva-sthän
svän svän därän vrajaukasah, "Bewildered by His power of illusion, they thought that their respective
wives were at their sides" (10.33.38). During the Räsa dance, she will bring about attires, ornaments
and other things suitable for that. When the gopis, in separation from Krsna, will feel one with Him
(10.30.15), she will assume the role of Pütanä and others who are adverse to Him. The rest may be
inferred in like manner.
The sense of the plural in rätrih is this: The Räsa-lilä required many nights. When the Lord willed
that many nights should come together to form one long night, right then He saw many nights nearby
in embodied form with folded hands.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Sri-räma-krsna-gafigä-caranän natvä gurün uru-premnah I érila-narottama-nätha-éri-
gaurähga-prabhum naumi I l pranamya Sri-gurum bhüyah Sri-krsnam karunärnavam I
lokanätham jagac-caksuh Sri-Sukam tam upäéraye I l gopa-rämä-jana-präna-preyase
'tiprabhusnave I tadiya-priya-däsyäya mäm madiyam aham dade I l atha paöcabhir adhyäyaih
panca-präna-samair munih I räsam präha hareh sarva-lilä-sampac-chiromanim I l räso jayati
yad datta-saubhägyä gopa-yositah I dharä-sthä adhari-cakruh sarvordhva-sthäm ramäm api I l
8
In Vallabhäcärya's methodology, the Paöcädhyäyi is the fourth section of the tenth canto, called phala-
prakaranam (the prize): turye phalaprakarane nirüpyate (Sri-subodhini-kärikä-vyäkhyä).
9
Realistically, a man can experience Love of God by a relationship of soul to Soul. Love of God is not only
in the scope of 'rhgära-rasa. Moreover, Love of God (kr;na-prema) is activated by the spiritual potency
(Yogamäyä), whereas the Rasa which is the bliss of the Soul does not require the spiritual potency to activate
it. For the details, consult the Glossary (Rasa).
 ünatrimée venu-näda-pärusya-visa-varsanam I gopikä-cätakisv äbhih kridäntardhié ca
varnyate I l
From my heart filled with love, I first offer my respects to the feet of Sriräma (Rädhä-ramapa
Cakravarti), of Sri Knna (Knna-carapa Cakravarti), and of Sri Gangä (Gangä-Näräyapa Cakravarti)
and then bow to Srila Narottama, Srila Lokanätha, and Sri Gauräliga Prabhu.
Upon again bowing to Sri Guru, I seek the shelter of Sri Knpa, who is an ocean of mercy and the
master of the universe, and rely upon Sri Suka, the eye for the world.
I offer myself and everything I possess to the Almighty who is dearest to the life force of the young
cowherd women, with the hope of serving Him.
Now, in five chapters which are equal to the five life airs, the sage narrates the Räsa: This pastime
is the prize jewel in the treasury of all His pastimes.
The Räsa is glorious because the cowherd women, who acquired good fortune and who lived on
Earth, diminished Laksmi's status of being the highest.
In the twenty-ninth chapter, the raining of the harsh poison of the sound of Knpa's flute on the
cätaki birds that were the gopis, His games with these girls and His disappearance are described.

At seven years of age, on the new moon (amäväsyä) in the month of Kärtika (October-November) the
Lord stopped a sacrifice to Indra by proposing the philosophy of Karma-väda. On the first day
(pratipad) of the the bright fortnight of that month (i.e. the next day), the festival of the sacrifice to
Govardhana occurred. On the second day, the festival of having lunch on bhrätr-dvitiyä (sisters
traditionally show honor to their brothers) 10 on the shore of the Yamunä took place; It is understood
that it happened even though Sukadeva did not mention it. On the same day, Indra spoke in anger; this
was described. Then, from the third day to the ninth, the Lord held up Govardhana Hill. On the tenth
day, the cowherd men expressed their wonderment. On the eleventh, Govinda was given an ablution
(abhiseka). On the twelfth He traveled to Varuna's planet. And on the full-moon day (pürnimä), He
went to Brahmaloka (the transcendental world).
After that, in the same year, when He was eight years of age, 11the Räsa festival, the crest jewel of
all the festivals which are His pastimes, occurred on the full-moon night of the month of Äévina
(September-October). He was one year older because it was the end of autumn (His birthday is in
Bhädra, August-September). 12
Now Sukadeva begins to describe the Räsa festival: Although He is the Lord, meaning although
He has the six kinds of opulence to the fullest extent, He made up His mind to enjoy amorous pleasure
—because He was attracted by the utmost sweetness of a night of autumn, of Vrindavan and of the
young women of Vraja. These three represent the time, the place, and the persons and are the stimuli
(uddipana) and the subjects or objects (älambana) of amorous pleasure.
Under the sway of love, He not only became desirous of taking with His own senses the manifold,
utter exquisiteness of billions of sexy women who are the wish-fulfilling gems of ujjvalarasa (Smgära-
rasa) (romance), an exquisiteness which consists of their beauty, youthfulness, fragrance, sweetness,
wittiness, refined sounds, and skill in the performing arts (singing, dancing, and playing instruments),
He also wanted those women to take with their senses His own beauty and so on. The moment He so

10
This is the archetype of Raksha bandhana, now held on the full-moon day in the month of Srävana (July-
August).
11
Viévanätha Cakravarti explains that Krsna's adolescence (kaiSora) (ten to fifteen years of age by human
standard) took place from six years and eight months old to ten years and seven months old (Särärtha-
darfini 10.45.3).
12
In this scheme, autumn comprises the months of Bhädra and Äévina, whereas other scholars might
argue that autumn corresponds to Äévina and Kärtika. This often depends on the region.
desired all this to occur uninterruptedly in only one night, then Yogamäyä, which is the potency that is
very clever in making the impossible possible, was impelled by His potency called Satya-sankalpatä (it
fulfils desires). Yogamäyä brought billions of nights that could facilitate such enjoyments, compressed
them into that single night of twelve hours and thus put on a show. And therefore the plural is used: tä
rätrih (those nights). In that line of thought, it is said ahead: brahmarätra upävrtte, "when a night of
Brahmä had passed" (10.33.39). The word täh (those), from the pronominal base tat, is used in the
sense of prasiddha (the famous ones): In connection with rätrih (nights), the idea is that the nights had
many qualities. In other words, the nights were eminent.
In the reading Saradotphulla-mallikäh, the word ends in the suffix 13 The sense is "The nights, in
which the jasmines were blooming even though it was autumn" (Saradotphulla-mallikäh —
Saradäyäm api utphullä mallikä yäsu täh). The term mallikä means kunda (jasmine): They were in
bloom even in autumn, as per the text: kunda-srajah kula-pater iha väti gandhah (10.30.11). And even
daytime lotuses were in bloom at night, so says the text: reme tat-taralänandi kamalämoda-väyunä
(10.29.45).14 Such was the eminence of Vrindavan.
In the reading Säradotphulla-mallikäh, the compound is analyzed as: SäradyaS ca tä utphulla-
mallikä' ca, "They are autumnal flowers and are open jasmines." (Thus this reading makes no sense.)
He began to enjoy those. Had the verb reme (he took amorous pleasure) been used, someone could
have argued that the Lord is only pretending to be a man, and that He, who revels in Himself
(ätmäräma) and whose desires are automatically fulfilled, is externally, not really, taking pleasure in
the company of the women of Vraja. To refute this, it is said here: ranturh manasl cakre, "He made up
His mind to enjoy amorous pleasure." This suggests that the amorous enjoyment does indeed relate to
the heart. It is not external (ungenuine). Then someone might argue, "All right, the amorous enjoyment
relates to the heart, but since the beautiful girls of Vraja are devotees of the Lord, He takes pleasure in
being with them only in conformity with that." To repudiate this, the ätmanepada is used in the verb
cakre (he made), which implies that the purpose of the amorous enjoyment was the doer's own
happiness. 15
In addition, the damsels of Vraja had so much love that the Lord, though He is automatically
replete with all types of happiness, made up His mind to enjoy their company. The same general idea
is expressed by the words itthambhüta-guno harih in the verse that begins ätmärämäS ca munayah. 22
Thus, there was a supereminence of the damsels too. For example:

so 'pi kaiSoraka-vayo mänayan madhusüdanah I reme täbhir ameyätmä kyapäsu

kyapitähitah Il

"Though He is Madhusüdana, the inconceivable Soul, whose enemies become ruined, He, thinking
highly of the age of youth, enjoyed being with those women during the nights." (Vimu Puräna
5.13.60)

13
This is a typographical mistake instead of [t]ä, the instrumental case suffix (Saradä)•, is used to make a word
in the feminine gender.
14
Our text, which Vallabhäcärya follows, reads: jus(arh tat-taralänandi kumudämoda-väyunä (10.29.45). In
regard to this reading, it is quite normal that nighttime lilies (kumuda) bloom at night.
15
For verbal roots such as which can be either parasmaipada or ätmanepada, when the ätmanepada is used
the sense is that the action is done only for the benefit of the person doing the action: hidbhya
ubhayapadibhyo neh kartr-gämi-kriyä-phale, "When the result of the action goes to the doer, an
ätmanepada suffix is applied after ubhayapadi verbal roots, verbal causative verbs, and verbal roots that
have the indicatory letter
 yuvatir gopa-kanyäf ca rätrau sahkälya käla-vit I kaiSorakam mänayänah23 saha täbhir
mumoda ha I l

"Thinking highly of His fresh youth, He who knows when it's time invited both the young women and
the virgin girls and took pleasure in being with them." (Hari-varhSa 2.20.18)

The word mänayan in these two citations from Viygu Puräna and Hari-vah1Sa means ädrtahl kurvan
(while making honorable). Had there been no play between Krsna and those women, His age of
kaiSora (adolescence) would have been disrespected. For this reason, a highly experienced
connoisseur has stated: kaiSorah1 saphali-karoti kalayan kuije vihäraril harih, "While having fun in the
pleasure grove, Hari renders His adolescence successful" (Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 2.1.231). Thus in
every way the eminence of the damsels too is implied.

i" (Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 721) (svarita-hitah kartrabhipräye kriyäphale, Astädhyäyi 1.3.72) (nicaS ca, Astädhyäyi
1.3.74).
22 ätmärämäs: ca munayo nirgranthä apy urukrame I kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim ittham-bhüta-guno harih Il
"Even those who delight in the soul, and sages who have no need of scripture, perform unselfish devotion unto Visou,
whose steps as Trivikrama were wide. Such are Hari's qualities." (1.7.10)
23 The Caukhamba edition of Hari-vamSa reads: mänayan vai.
On top of that, everything contradictory is reconciled and everything left unsaid is made explicit,
by the word yogamäyäm. "He relied upon her to a high degree" (upä'ritah = upa ä'ritah — ädhikyena
ä'ritah). Yogamäyä is a function of His inconceivable transcendental potency. The fact that He relied
on her out of all the potencies that lie at His disposal shows that in this pastime she too is very
fortunate.16

Sanätana Gosvämi namah krsnäya räsa-rasikäya 17

"I offer my respects to Krsna, the witty enjoyer of the Räsa."

Bädaräyani, who has splendor, spoke (Sri-bädaräyanir uväca = Sriyukta-bädaräyanir uväca). In this
regard, the venerable Sri Vyäsa is called Bädaräyana because he performed great austerities in
Badarikäérama. His son, Bädaräyaoi, is the form of the result of his austerities. This implies that
Sukadeva knows everything, is filled with prema-rasa for the Lord, and so on. Since the story is told
by him, the drift is that this story is filled with prema-rasa in every way just like it is both the sädhana
(the means to achieve) and the sädhya (the goal). Hence the gist is: It should be heard with bhakti.
Now, to illustrate the highest purpose of His descent, a purpose which is the expansion of a special
kind of love by means of completely fulfilling the innermost desires of the divine gopis; to reveal that
He flirts with those girls and that His happiness is the best of all; to narrate, in a set of five chapters
which are akin to the five life airs, the fun of the divine Räsa with girls who are suitable for Him due
to the easy accomplishment of the expansion of a special love owing to the realization of an
extraordinary sweetness of the Lord's form and so on by them who are like ordinary women in
activities like drinking the nectar of the lips; to bring to light the requisites of the Räsa; and to describe
the attraction felt by the divine gopis; in this verse which begins bhagavän api he talks about the
manifestation of the Lord's special mood in terms of being the reason for those.

16
Yogamäyä, also called Yogä, is the fifth among the sixteen transcendental potencies, which are functions
of cit-Sakti (transcendental potency). But oftentimes the term Yogamäyä is used as a generic name for
"transcendental potency. "
17
A short invocation like this is usually written by a scribe, not by the author.
 It is understood that this fun took place in kaiSora, the suitable age for that. For instance, in Sri
Visnu Puräna (see above) and in Sri Hari-vamSa (see above). This fun pervaded the whole duration of
His age of kaiSora. All this and the rest should be explainable ahead in appropriate places. As a partial
indication of the above, it is said that this first pastime lasted one night, at the outset of kaiSora.
The term bhagavän is used with the intent to express the manifestation of the very essence of His
unlimited godhood during the play of Räsa. Nanda and others became wholly satisfied in a state of the
highest bliss. To become wholly satisfied in a state of the highest bliss, the Lord too (bhagavän api)
desired (manaS cakre = aicchat) to create a special pastime (rantum = kridä-viSesam kartum). Such is
the sense of the word api (also, although).
The gist of the words "those nights" was revealed by Sridhara Svämi. There is another explanation:
"The indescribable nights" (täh = anirvacaniyäh), meaning those nights were the best of all forms of
time and were imbued with the Rasa of the highest bliss. In short, those nights were suitable for the
play of Räsa. Owing to the plural, it is understood that the good fun of Räsa occurred during many
nights. That will become clear in the end (10.33.39).
The words Saradotphulla-mallikäh mean: "The nights, in which the jasmines were in full bloom
because of autumn" (Saradotphullamallikäh = Saradä krtvä uccaih phullä vikasitä mallikä yäsu täh).
Even though all kinds of flowers bloom in divine Vrindavan, which has all the seasons, and moreover
even the jäti (jasmine), the kumuda (night-blooming lotus), the kamala (day-blooming lotus) and so on
bloom in autumn, still "utphulla-mallikäh" is said with the intent to express the special blooming
during the night. In the same way, ahead the word kumudvantam is used (10.29.3).
Thus, "seeing the stimuli," in other words, "perceiving that the nights were suitable for amorous
love," He made up His mind, etc., while manifesting Yogamäyä, a special type of potency of sat-
cidänanda known as as Parä (transcendental), as a means (upäSritah = upa äSritah) (upa =
upakaranatvena) (äSritah = praka(itavän san). The extraordinariness of the highest bliss of the
entertainment of Räsa as compared to the bliss in all other pastimes is meant to be stated that way. In
the eighth chapter, in the context of bälya-lilä, it was explained that all the pastimes are forms of sat-
cid-änanda (transcendence, lit. "real awareness and bliss").
Alternatively, "as a certain characteristic He had mercy endowed with godly might" (yogamäyäm
= yogah aijvaryam tadyuktä mäyä dayä täm) (upäiritah = upädhitvena präptah san), that is, by the fun
of Räsa He expanded both His godly might and His mercy. The Vijva states: mäyä dambhe krpäyäm
ca, "Mäyä means dambha (deceit) and krpä (mercy)" (ViSva-koSa).
Or the word api is syntactically connected right here. "Although He relies on yogamäyä due to
proximity," meaning "although He always relies on yogamäyä" (upäSrito 'pi = sämipyena nityam
äSrito 'pi). " Here yogamäyä means the Mäyä—either the covering potency of the material Mäyä or
deceit—endowed with ätmärämatä (the state of mind of taking delight in oneself) (yogamäyäm =
yogah ätmärämatä mäyä ävaranätmikä vä käpatyam vä, yoga-yuktäm mäyäm). The gist is: At that time
there was neither yoga nor mäyä, rather the real nature of the expansion of the wealth of love for His
lotus-like feet became obvious.
There is another interpretation: "Although He relies on deception in a meeting," like He used
deception in dealing with the wives of sacrificial Brähmanas (yogamäyäm upäSrito 'pi = yoge
samyoge yä mäyä yajia-patnisv iva vaicanä täm upäSrito 'pi). This means: On that occasion, the
deception in meeting Him did not return, because a special meeting with the gopis occurred (even
though there was deception at first).
Or, "Although He always abides in Laksmi," who is yogä in the sense that she unites, meaning she
is always on His chest. In other words, "although He is always served by her" (yogamäyäm upäSritah
= yunakti nityahi vakyasi samyogam präpnotiti yogä yä mä lak$mis tasyäm nityam vartamänah, tayä
sadä sevyamäno 'pi). 18Laksmi has nothing to do with the play of Räsa, and moreover she cannot
achieve it.
Or else, •'He relied on the flute," which is yoga-mäyä in the sense that its sound is for the purpose
of union (yoga-mäyä = yogäya samyogäya mäyah Sabdo yasyäh sä yogamäyä vamfi). The verbal root
is mä[h] mäne Sabde ca (to measure; to sound). The word mäya is made with the suffix
Or, "He mentally relied (upäSritah = manasä upäSritah) on Sri Rädhä, " who is yoga-mäyä either
because in Her is a measure, i.e. the limit, of union or because She gets the splendor, or the excellence,
of union (yoga-mäyäm = yogasya samyogasya mäyo mänam paryäptir yasyärh sä yogamäyä Sri-rädhä,
athavä yogasya samyogasya mä laksmih sampattir iti yävat täm yäti präpnotiti yogamäyä Sri-rädhaiva
täm). The reason is that She is the ultimate cause of the play of Räsa. That is well known in Padma
Puräna.

Jiva Gosvämi namah Sri-räsa-rasikebhyah

"I offer my respects to the venerable Sri Räsa-rasika."

In Sridhara Svämi's commentary, the word räsa-smhrambhe [in the first invocatory verse] has the
sense of tasmin nimitte (when there was that reason). The sense is: räsärambha-sambandhinarh mänarh
vik$ya, "Upon observing overweening pride related to the beginning of the Räsa, [He disappeared]."
(ref. 10.29.47-48). In addition, the meaning of kandarpa-jetrtva-pratiteh and so on is: "This is the
opposite of what is expected because by enjoying the wives of other men it looks like Cupid is the
victor:
Now, regarding Sri-bädaräyanir uväca in the text: The whole thing rests on this preliminary by the
force of this context

_vogamäyäm upäSritah is an äiraya-saptami. The kartä (doer of the action) is the äSraya (basis) of the vyäpära (action).
27 In the word mäya, mä is the verbal root, and y is the suffix y[uk], which is added because the suffix follows, by the rule:
äto yug ini nrsimha-krti ca, "The suffix y[uk] is inserted after a long ä when i[n] or a nrsimha krt suffix follows" (Hari-
nämämrta-vyäkarana 413) (äto yuk cinkrtoh, A$(ädhyäyi 7.3.33).
(the Pancädhyäyi), whose great glory is going to be described (just ahead in the commentary). The
venerable Vedavyäsa is called Sri Bädaräyana because he performed great austerities in
Badarikäérama. Those austerities were only characterized by his mental reverence of Sri Krsna,
because it is fitting for him, who knows everything, to be completely engaged in that, the highest
thing. His son is the form of the result of such austerities. Thus he has qualities such as omniscience
and having prema-rasa for the Lord. Although his other qualities might come to mind, only the
culmination of the greatness of the etymology of his name takes place here, and so it is implied that the
text should be heard only with bhakti.
In the reading Sri-Suka uväca, however, the quality of speaking in a very gentle way is shown by
his quality of being a natural at having the highest ujjvala-rasa, hence it is implied that the text should
be heard only by those who have that sort of heart.
To show that fulfilling the innermost desires of the beautiful girls of Vraja, who have the highest
possible love, is the very best purpose of the Lord, who is doing everything only for the happiness of
the priya (the dear one, Himself); and to bring to light that He has the highest possible happiness; in
18
Here the idea is that the verbal root Sri[h] in the participle upäSrita has the meaning of sevä (to serve). In the nominal base
yogamä, the word yogä changed to yoga because it is an adjective of mä. However, deriving the word yoga (yogä) in the
active voice is poetic license because the suffix applied after the verbal root yuj[ir] yoge to make the word yoga,
cannot be used in the active voice. Further, the locative case of yogamä in
five chapters which are as dear as the five aspects of one's life force he narrates the good fun of Räsa
He had with those girls, who were suitable for Him because of the easy accomplishment of the
expansion of a distinct type of love. And that is because the nectar of His lips which is His own rasa
cannot possibly be obtained anywhere else, given that not even the ätmärämas can achieve the
extraordinary realization of the Lord's form, fluids, aromas, touch and sounds (the objects of the five
senses). The proofs are found by looking at the texts säkyän manmatha-manmathah, "He was the
Cupid of Cupid himself" (10.32.2), trailokya-lakynyaika-padam vapur dadhat, "He had the body, the
foremost locus of beauty in the three worlds" (10.32.14), and gopyas tapah kim äcaran:

gopyas tapah kim acaran yad amu,yya rüpam lävanya-säram asamordhvam

ananya-siddham I drgbhih pibanty anusaväbhinavmh duräpam ekänta-dhäma
yaSasah 'riya aiSvarasya Il
"What austerities did the gopis do, because with their eyes they drink His form, the essence of
loveliness?! His form is unequalled and unsurpassed, not perfected by anything else, youthful at every
moment, difficult to attain, and the foremost repository of fame, beauty and power." (10.44.14)

In regard to these five chapters, the ever fresh love between Krsna and the gopis was described long
ago in previous chapters, as in:

pitvä mukunda-mukha-säragham ak$i-bhmgais täpam jahur viraha-jam vraja-yosito

'hni I tat-sat-krtim samadhigamya viveSa gostham sa-vrida-häsa-vinayam yad
apähga-moksam I l

"Drinking the honey of Mukunda's face with their beelike eyes, the village girls gave up their distress
engendered by separation during the day. Receiving their welcome, a release of sidelong glances
accompanied with bashfulness, laughter, and modesty, He entered the cowherd village." (10.15.43)

gopinäm paramänanda äsid govinda-darSane I kyanarh yuga-jatam iva yäsäm yena

vinäbhavat Il

"When they saw Govinda, the gopis, for whom one moment without
Him was like a hundred Yugas, had the topmost bliss." (10.19.16)

ittham Sarat-svaccha-jalam padmäkara-sugandhinä I nyaviSad väyunä vätam sa-go-

gopälako 'cyutah Il

"Accompanied by cows and cow herders, Acyuta entered the forest. The bodies of water in it were
clear because of autumn and it was ventilated by a breeze that had a nice scent from ponds abounding
in lotuses." (10.21.1)

hemante prathame mäsi nanda-vraja-kumärikäh I cerur havi$yam bhunjänäh kätyäyany-

arcana-vratam Il

"While eating haviyya in the first month in winter, virgins girls of

Nanda's village performed the vow of worshiping Kätyäyani."28 (10.22.1)

And in these five chapters their ever fresh love* is going to be described by the girls themselves, in the
texts beginning faradudäSaye sädhu-jäta-sat-sarasija (10.31.2), prahasitam priya (10.31.10), dina-
parikyaye (10.31.12), and rahasi samvidam hrcchayodayam (10.31.17).
 Recalling all this, he utters the current verse beginning bhagavän api while remembering that their
new encounter should be described in great detail. With the word api (also), he makes one remember
the gopis' fresh love described a long time earlier. Simply with that previous statement (10.22.27), he
made one perceive that this type of meeting would be entirely new. For all this time, each girl had
made up her mind to enjoy amorous pleasure, since their hearts were fickle due to passion. The Lord,
however, simply waited for the perfect time. Some passion had taken place in Him, but He waited
patiently, without making up His mind to enjoy that way. Now, seeing those nights, the ones that He
had promised to the girls: mayemä rathsyatha kyapäh, "You will enjoy these nights with Me"
(10.22.27), He too made up His mind to enjoy that way, for those nights, which happened in the
middle of His age of kaiSora, were something else: They could provide all types of joy, were
completely auspicious, and were very special on account of the Sik$ä by the manifest flute. Not only
that, the full moon began to rise, so obviously He made up His mind to take pleasure, since His
passion became inflamed and His patience melted away.
As a double meaning (here api means 'although'): "Although the Lord is replete with all types of
purposes" (such as reciprocating with the topmost sages) much like in the verse beginning ätmärämäS
ca munayah (1.7.10), "upon seeing those nights...," that is, "upon perceiving the nights as uddipanas"
(excitants). To some extent, the greatness of the love of those young women, who are the forms of
älambana (both the subject of their love and the object of Krsna's love), is shown. And therefore His
age of kaiSora, in which

2
8 Havisya is food fit for an offering to a deity. It simply consists of boiled white rice with either ghee, milk, or yogurt.
the purpose is obvious, became highly esteemed, as illustrated in Sri Vi$nu Puräna: so'pi kaiSoraka...
(see above) and in Sri Harivah1Sa: yuvatir gopa-kanyäf ca... (see above). In this citation, the
explanation of käla-vit (he knows the time) implies that He took pleasure in being with the girls upon
seeing those nights.
The usage of the ätmanepada in rantum manaS cakre suggests that the doer of the action is doing
the action for his own sake, by the rule: svarita-fiitah kartrabhipräye kriyä-phale (A$tädhyäyi 1.3.72).
After thus implying, with the word täh (those), that the extraordinariness of the time even made
Him astonished, with the words Saradotphulla-mallikäh he shows that even the resplendence of divine
Vrindavan was greatly enhanced by it: "the nights, in which the jasmines were in full bloom because
of autumn" (Saradä hetunä uccaih phullä mallikä yäsu täh), since it is well known that those two don't
go together. This suggests that the occurrence of jasmines in autumn was unprecedented. All other
flowers are indicated by this.
It is thus shown that the älambana, the time and the place gave the topmost love-filled joy to
Krsna, because this desire for amorous pleasure only consisted of a special love of His characterized
by the play of hlädini-Sakti. This desire did not consist of material love. In that regard, Sridhara
Svämi's wording kandarpa-darpa-hä (He defeats Cupid's vanity) in his commentary is certainly fitting.
Plus, the Pancädhyäyi is meant for promoting renunciation. He himself will say:

dvätrimSe virahäläpa-viklinna-hrdayo harih I taträvirbhüya gopis täh säntvayämäsa

mänayan Il sva-premämrta-kallola-vihvali-krta-cetasah I sa-dayam nandayan gopir
udgato nanda-nandanah Il

"In the thirty-second chapter, Hari, His heart softened by the gopis' sorrowful outpourings in
separation, appeared before them, consoled them and honored them. While sympathetically delighting
the gopis, whose hearts had been amicted by the waves of the nectar of love for Him, Nanda's son rose
up to the occasion." (Bhävärthadipikä 10.32.2)
The same idea is expressed by the divine sage too in this verse: vikriditam vraja-vadhübhir idam ca
visnoh Sraddhänvito 'nuSrnuyäd atha varnayed yah I bhaktim paräm bhagavati pratilabhya kämam hrd-
rogam äfv apahinoty acirena dhirah Il

"An intelligent person who has faith and who hears and then describes this romance between Vispu
and the young vixens of Vrindavan achieves the topmost devotion to the Lord and quickly, without
delay, delivers himself (or herself) from lust, the disease of the heart." (10.33.40)

Next, he reconciles the manner of bringing about what is difficult to accomplish: "He relied on
Yogamäyä," the inconceivable potency called Parä. He relied on her nearby (upa = sämipyena).
Wherever He goes, He always has her, just like the sun always has its rays. The fact that this energy is
inherent in Him is implied. The drift is: This hard-to-accomplish pastime will take place.
As a pun, "He intensely put in effect (upäSritah = ädhikyenä'ritah) a favor for the sake of union"
(yogamäyäm = yogah samyogah tadartham mäyä krpä täm). The ViSva states: mäyä dambhe krpäyäm
ca, "Mäyä means dambha (deceit), and krpä (mercy, a favor)" (ViSva-koSa).
Moreover, by seeing those nights, His longing gradually increased up to the time of the full moon.
Given that this meaning is obtained, yet another detail is to be understood: On that night of the full
moon, He came home and had dinner. Then, upon going from wherever His mother was to the door of
His rooftop bedroom, He immediately became convinced that all the requisites were in place.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa rasam yam ahuh 'rutayah paresam gupärnavatii

cid-ghanam ambudäbham I pitämbaram venu-dharahl kijormh sa nanda-sünus
tanutärh nah Il jänäti yäm nanda-sutah pum-artham svayam pum-artho 'pi
nijam pare'ah I sä rädhikä Sri-nikarädhikäme räseSvari hrt-kamale cakästu Il
krynam rädhäm ca tayor viSuddhäm liläm ca yo vetti budho yathävat I virakta-
cüdämanir iddha-bhävah sa mm munir vyäsa-sutah punätu Il ünatrimfe venu-nädo
rukyatäbhäsikä girah I vikriditam tato 'ntardhi-kautukam ceti varnyate Il

Nanda's son, whom the Sruti scriptures call Rasa, is the supreme controller. He is an ocean of qualities,
is highly transcendental, looks like a cloud, and wears yellowish clothes. May that teenager who holds
a mute give rise to our joy.
Nanda's son, who is everyone's goal, knows that She is the goal of His life. May Sri Rädhikä, the
queen of the Räsa, appear in the lotus of my heart.
He is a sage who correctly knows Knoa, Rädhä, and Their transcendental pastimes. He is the jewel
of renunciants, and his moods are kindled. May he, the son of Vyäsa, purify me.
In the twenty-ninth chapter, these are described: The sound of the mute, words that seem harsh,
His act of playing games, and the joviality of a disappearance."

Sri Krsna, who is worded with the term Brahman, is distinguished by His possessing the potency
called Parä, in accordance with: paräkhya-Saktir (paräsya Saktir) vividhaiva Srüyate, "It is heard that
His transcendental potency is manifold" (SvetäSvatara UpaniMd 6.8). The Lord's nature is Rasa (bliss
mixed with astonishment), in view of the passage: raso vai sah, "He is Rasa" (Taittiriya Upanisad 2.7).
In combination with His kind of vibhävas (uddipana and älambana), anubhäva (bodily reaction), and
vyabhicäri-bhäva (transient emotion), the Lord's rati (inclination for romance) becomes Rasa (mojo, or
magical vibe). This Rasa is entirely distinct from the material Rasa. By His grace, not only devotees
can get a taste of the transcendental Rasa; other civilized persons too can achieve a taste for that.
In Sri Gopäla Upanisad, in answer to the question: kasya jiänenäkhilam vijfiätam bhavati, "By
knowing what or whom is everything understood?" this reply is given: gopi-jana-vallabhajiänena taj
jiätamii bhavati, "Everything becomes understood by knowing gopijana-vallabha." (Gopäla-täpani
Upanisad 1.3-4)
He mentions an uddipana of His rati: "upon seeing those nights." Those nights refer to mayemä
ramsyatha kMpäh, "You will enjoy these nights with Me" (10.22.27).19 The sense of 'those' nights is
either that He had promised to enjoy nights with them or that the nights [of autumn] are famous for
having many qualities, including clearness. 20 The night lasted one day of Brahmä, but by human
calculation it lasted three yämas (one yäma is three hours). The young women were innumerable.

Brhat Krama-sandarbha
Having thus dispelled the pride of Brahmä, Indra, Agni, and Varuna, now the Lord, desiring to begin
the dance known as Räsa, which involves many beautiful young women simultaneously, in order to
dispel Cupid's pride, manifested the grandeur of His godly might. This is the definition of the Räsa:

nartakibhir anekäbhir mandale vicarisnubhih I yatraiko nrtyati natas tad vai hallijakam
viduh Il

"When one dancer performs in a circle with many female dancers who keep moving, those who are
knowledgeable in the art call that the Halliéaka."

The dance has multiple variations with regard to tempo, touching, and movements. The Räsa did not
exist in heaven, much less on Earth.

Subodhini-sära31
The Pancädhyäyi is narrated with a view to give advice on the topic of Srhgära. Yogamäyä is Rädhikä.
The Lord made up His mind to enjoy amorous pleasure by focusing on Her.

10.29.2

tadodu-räjah kakubhah karair mukharh präcyä vilimpann arunena Santamaih I

sa carsaninäm udagäc chuco mrjan priyah priyäyä iva dirgha-dars:anah I l

meter: upajäti (12)

19
Krsna said that in the previous winter: hemante prathame mäsi (10.22.1).
Such nights are well known in poetry. Sukadeva says it later: sarväh Sarat-kävya-kathä-rasä'rayäh
20

(10.33.26). Similarly, the term "these" nights, in verse 10.22.27, has the sense of prasiddha (the famous nights)
and could refer to the next autumnal nights, according to Sanätana Gosvämi: imäh nika(a evai$yac-charat-
kälinä iti täsäm vidüre-vartitve 'pi imä iti sannihitatayoktih säntvänärthä. (Brhad-vaisnava-tosani 10.22.27). Krsna
waited so long to have a private encounter with the gopis in order to test their love. In that regard,
Näräyana Bhatta cites Sihgabhüpäla's definition Of love: sa premä bheda-rahitam yünor yad bhäva-
bandhanam, "When the emotional affection between a young woman and a young man has no disrupture,
that is love" (Rasärnava-sudhäkara 2.110) (ref. Ujjvala-nilamani 14.63) (Rasikählädini 10.29.1).
tadä—at that time; udu-räjah—the moon ("the king of stars"); kakubhah—of the direction; karaih—
with the rays; mukham— the front part; präcyäh—eastern; vilimpan—anointing; arunena— with a
reddish powder; Sam-tamaih—[the rays,] which are most comfortable; sah—that (the well-known
moon); caryavinäm—of humans; udagät—arose; Sucah—the afflictions; mrjan—while cleansing;
priyah—a lover; priyäyäh—of the ladylove; iva—like; moon,] whose sight is long.

(yadä bhagavän rantum manah cakre,) tadä sah (candrah) uduräjah dirgha-darSanah, priyah iva
priyäyäh (mukham kuhkumena karena vilimpati) präcyäh kakubhah mukham arupena Santamaih
karaih vilimpan caryaninäm Sucah mrjan (ca) udagät.

31 Source: Srimad-bhägavatam aneka-vyäkhyä-samalahkrtam, KrsnaSahkara Sästri (publ.), Bhägavata-vidyäpi(ham,

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 1996, tenth canto, chapter 29, p. 24.
Then the moon, the king of stars, arose while dispelling the onlookers' amictions. As a husband might
do to his wife, the moon, remaining seen for a long time (dirgha-daßana), anointed with redness the
front part (mukha) of the eastern direction with his happiest rays (kara).21

Sridhara Svämi
Right at that time, for His satisfaction the king of stars, the moon, arose. What was the moon doing?
Just as a husband, who is staring for a long time (dirgha-darSanah = dirgha-kälena darianam yasya
sah), anoints the face of his wife with saffron powder (arunena — kuhkumena) (or with vermilion,
sindüra), so the well-known one (sah = prasiddhah), the king of stars, anoints, that is, reddens, the face
of the eastern direction with the redness of its rise (arunena udaya-rägena) by its happiest rays
(Santamaih = sukhatamaih) (karaih raSmibhih). Moreover, the moon dispels (mrjan apanayan) the
people's (caryapinäm = janänäm) languor caused by the heat (Gucah = täpa-glänih).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Right at that moment, he says, yet another uddipana made its appearance. "Then the king of stars, the
moon, arose." It is not only an uddipana, rather it has just become the proof that He is the lover of
gopis: "Just as a lover (priyah ramapah), who stares for a long time (dirgha-dar'anah = dirgha-kälena
darianam yasya sah), anoints the face of his ladylove with saffron powder (arunena — kuhkumena)
which he holds in his hand, so the well-known one (sah = prasiddhah eva) anoints, that is, reddens, the
face of the eastern direction with the redness of its rise (arunena = udaya-rägena) sustained by its
happiest rays (Santamaih = sukhatamaih) (karaih = kiranair dhrtena). "
"The moon dispels (mrjan = apanayan) the people's (carsapinäm = mänusa-jätinäm) heat problems
(Sucah = santäpän)." The word carsaninäm is explained thus, in conformity with this verse: aryamno
mätrkä patni tayoS caryanayah sutäh I yatra vai mänu$i jätir brahmanä copakalpitä Il

"Aryaman's wife was Mät!kä. Their sons are called canapis (cultivated scholars). Among them, the
human species was created by Brahmä." (6.6.42)

The gist is this: Although he is the founder of Krsna's dynasty, although he is the king of the twice-
borns (the moon was born as the god Soma and from the Milk Ocean) and although he has many
women fit for dalliance, with his hand he touches the face of the eastern direction, who is another

21
A husband stares (dirgha-dariana) at his wife and anoints her face (mukha) with saffron powder with his
hand (kara).
woman since she is Indra's wife. And by touching her, he becomes enamored of her and makes her feel
passionate (red) about him. If this is so, then how could Krsna, who is part of his dynasty, who is a
fresh youth, who is in the caste of cowherds, who doesn't have His own woman because He never got
married, and who delights the human race by His beauty, possibly be at fault for loving the gopis?

Sanätana Gosvämi
The Lord is thinking highly of the moon, who, with his own desire for amour, is trying to flirt with the
eastern direction as if she were his ladylove. While as if revealing the Lord's mood, the speaker, whose
own marvelous mood has arisen by remembering His desire for amour, talks about the moonrise by
illustrating the moon's mood of being a lover with the ladylove who is the eastern direction.
"When He made up His mind, right then the king of stars arose" (udu-räjah = udünähz tärakänäm
räjä). It is implied that the stars too arose, due to being part of his retinue. With the intent to express
that they were only shining a little on this night of the full moon, the mention of the stars' rise is
secondary in consideration of their being part of his retinue.
The moon was anointing her in a special way... (vilimpan viSesena limpan) (vi =
speaker means to say that the moon was full; the fullness of the moon was, of course, due to the time
of the full-moon night, or else it occurred to signify that, just like the Lord, who is complete too, the
moon can have a desire for amour on another lunar day, even without her—...with rays of nectar
(Santamaih = amrta-mayaih), because they dispel all sorts of inconveniences related to heat. The
pronoun sah (he) signifies "he who is well known as one who occasions the tide of love."
The moon did not only dispel the eastern direction's affliction, it also dispelled everyone's
affliction. He says this with carsaninäril fuco moan: The moon alleviated their discomforts, that is, the
afflictions engendered by the autumnal sun (Sucah = farad-arka-jasantäpa-duhkhäni). The drift is: The
cowherd girls' heat that is their long-lasting feeling of separation from the Lord was mitigated by
means of the uddipana which is His desire for amour. Thus, if the gopis' trouble goes away, everyone's
trouble goes away, insofar as the gopis should be revered by everyone.
In point of priyah priyäyä iva (like a lover does to his beloved): A very special affection for one
another is shown by qualities such as being in love, being good, and having no other partner. And
therefore the implied sense is: "like He wipes away the tears of the entourage's afflictions and applies
an ointment with a hand imbued with the topmost joy."
The highest type of longing is intimated with the words dirghadarianah (he is seen for a long time,
or he sees for a long time). At any rate, all this is the inferrable origination of the Lord's desire for
amour.

Jiva Gosvämi
The Lord is thinking highly of the moon, who, with his own desire for amour, is trying to flirt with the
eastern direction, like a lover with his ladylove. While revealing the Lord's mood, in this verse he says
another little something, which connotes the full-blown auspiciousness of those nights in her, who was
the form of a foremost woman.
"The king of stars arose." It is implied that the stars too arose, due to being part of his retinue.
"With the redness (arunena rägena) sustained by its rays (raimibhih = rafmi-dhrtena), the moon was
anointing her in a special way (vilimpan = vifesena limpan)." The speaker means to say that the moon
was full, so obviously the tithi (lunar day) was the time of the full-moon night. The moon was full—in
consideration of the Lord's desires on other tithis—because this is self-evident by the mention of the
word tadä (at that time). Or
it is because naturally it should rise like that since it is an uddipana, just like the words utphulla-
mallikä-rätrir viksya (upon seeing the nights, in which the jasmines had bloomed) denote uddipanas,
given that such is the purport of that tithi alone, in conformity with the upcoming text: räkesa-kara-
raijitam, "colored by the rays of the moon ("the king of the full-moon night")" (10.29.21).
The sense of the pronoun sah is like the one of the pronoun täh ('those' nights). The moon did not
only dispel the eastern direction's affliction, it also dispelled everyone's affliction. He says this with
caryaninärii fuco mrjan: The moon alleviated their afflictions engendered by the autumnal sun (Sucah
= farad-arka-ja-santäpaduhkhäni). Or the moon alleviated their mental afflictions, in the sense that, just
like devotees are happier on Sri Krsna's birthday that on other days, everyone there followed the mood
of the gopis— they are in good spirits if the gopis are in a good mood, and feel unhappy if the gopis
are unhappy—because the gopis are the forms of the topmost potencies of the Lord, who has all kinds
of potencies. (The rest is the same as the last two paragraphs in Brhad-vaisnavatosapi. )

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
The meaning of carsmginäm is simply janänäm (of people). The drift of dirgha-darSana is that the
lover does not blink while gazing at his ladylove, on account of eagerness.33

33 Additional notes: Vallabhäcärya remarks that the full moon rises in the east (Subodhini). Näräyana Bhatta points out that
the moon represents Krsqa's mind, in conformity with the text: candramä manaso jätah, "The moon was born from the
Purusa's mind" (Puru$a-sükta, Rg-Veda
10.90.13) (Rasikählädini). On the horizon, the moon looks red when it rises (especially in India) because by nature red
photons do not scatter as easily as the other photons in the spectrum of sunlight do, not to mention that the distance
between the Earth and the moon on the horizon is greater than that between the Earth and the moon seen overhead, and so
there is more atmosphere, which means more scattering of photons. Shortly after its rise, the moon turns orange. (Blue
photons scatter the most: That's why the sky is blue in daytime.) Ironically, the full moon's presence on the horizon causes
the "Moon illusion ": The Moon appears to be larger near the horizon than it does higher up in the sky. One explanation is
that the moon's orbit around the Earth is elliptical, and so the moon's size is variously perceived. This explanation is valid
only if the moon actually is closer to the Earth

10.29.3

drstvä kumudvantam akhanda-mandalarh ramänanäbham nava-kuhkumärunam

I vanarh ca tat-komala-gobhiraijitarh 34 jagau kalam väma-drjähl manoharam
Il (upajäti 12)

seeing; kumut-vantam—which has nighttime lilies; akhanda—is whole; mandalam—

whose disk; ramä—of Laksmi; änana—the face; äbham—which is like; nava—fresh; kurikuma—
because of saffron powder; anmam—red; vanam—the woodland; ca—and; tat—of that (the moon);
komala—soft; gobhih—by the

than normal. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon. It is not always bigger than other
full moons. If a new moon or full moon comes within 361 ,524 kilometers (224,641 miles) of Earth, as measured from the
centers of the moon and Earth, it is called a supermoon. In 2016, there were six supermoons: The new moons of March,
April and May, and the full moons of October, November and December. In 2016, the Harvest Moon occurred in
September and was very popular worldwide. The full moon in November was deemed the brightest supermoon since 1948.
The technical name for a full-moon supermoon is "perigee full moon". Perigee means 'near Earth'. Moreover, the eastern
direction symbolizes one gopi, and in that connection the term carsani (person, onlooker) signifies Her entourage: Krsna
will favor one gopi by showing räga (love, redness) to Her and will thereby gladden Her sakhis. The next chapter
announces that Rädhä is the foremost gopi (10.30.28-36). The word carsani is made by adding the suffix ani (by Unädi-
sütra 2.104) after the verbal root kr$ and then changing karsani to carsani (ref. krs ani ädes ca cah (Väcaspatyam), in light
of: k$er ädiS ca dhah, Unädi-sütra 2.106). The word carsani was first used in Rg-Veda (1.184.4) and Mahäbhärata (1.3.61)
in the sense of man ('agriculturist' as opposed to 'nomad').
34 tat-komala-gobhi raijitam (BBT edition). This reading is grammatically correct, but it breaks the meter and is not
sourced anywhere, not even in Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati's edition.
rays; ahjitam—rendered beautiful; jagau—He sang (i.e. played the flute); kalam—a soft and
melodious tone; väma-drSäm—to girls ("their eyes are beautiful"); manoharam—charming.

(bhagavän) kumudvantam akhanda-mandalarh ramänanäbham nava-kuhkumärunam (candrahl) tat-

komala-gobhir afijitam vanam ca drytvä (venunä dhvanihl) kalam väma-drjäm manoharahl jagau.

Seeing that the full orb, which had lilies, looked like Ramä's face and was red as fresh saffron powder,
and seeing the woodland tinged by the moon's gentle rays, He played a sweet tune that charmed the
beautiful-eyed gopis.

Sridhara Svämi
"Seeing the moon, which owns the nighttime lilies, which have to be induced to bloom (kumudvantam
= kumut kumudam vikasaniyariz vidyate yasya tam candram); whose circle was unbroken
(akhandamandalam = na khandam mandalam yasya tam); whose splendor resembled the splendor of
Ramä's face (ramänanäbham = ramäyä änanasyäbheva äbhä yasya tam); and which was reddish like
fresh saffron powder (nava-kuhkumärunam = nava-kunkumam iva arurpam), and seeing the forest,
which was colored by soft rays (gobhih = He played a sweet sound (kalam madhuram)."
How? In such a way that it was charming to the girls, whose eyes are charming (väma-dr'äm = vämä
manoharä drio yäsärh täsäm) (manoharam = manoharahl yathä).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here he says: After that, an amazing change caused by Cupid occurred in Him by looking at the moon;
He remembered the saying, "People emulate whatever action a great person does" (ref. Gitä 3.21), saw
in Himself the line of conduct adopted by the founder of His dynasty and, without any worry, carried
out some infaillible plan to lead the women of others to Him.

35 Krsna Safikara Sästri's edition of Bhävärtha-dipikä reads abhiraijitam instead of raijitam.

The word kumut means kumuda, by the definition in the Vis;va.• kumude 'pi kumut proktam
(ViSva-koSa). "He saw it, which had lilies that needed to be opened" (kumudvantam = kumudam
vikäsaniyatvena vartate yasya tam). Or else, "He saw Himself, who had joy for the Earth as well, a joy
that had to be made lively" (kumudvantam = koh prthivyä api mut kartavyatvena ca vartate yasya tam
ätmänahl ca). It can be explained that way too by considering that the noun it modifies is not
mentioned.% Its aura, meaning its nature, is whole; this means it is complete (akhanda-mandalam
akhandam mapdalarh bimbam svarüpam yasya tam pürnam).
In regard to ramänanäbham, Ramä is Laksmi. The moon resembled her face, since it is her brother
(both were born from the Milk Ocean). Alternatively, Ramä is Sri Rädhä, on account of this text of
Smrti: sarva-laksmi-mayi sarva-käntih sammohini parä, "She has the nature of all the Laksmis, has all
types of splendor and is the topmost enchantress" (Brhad-gautamiya Tantra). Or the term ramä denotes
the gopis; the derivation is either ramante (they take pleasure) or ramayanti (they cause pleasure).
Thus, the moon's resplendence looked like the splendor of the gopis' faces (ramänanäbham = täsäm
änanasyeväbhä yasya tam). The sense is: By seeing it, He saw the gopis who were engrossed in Him.
In the other interpretation, the compound means "seeing Himself, because of whom there was a
complete splendor in the gopis' faces, a splendor which hinted at their own romantic feelings"
(ramänanäbham ramänäm täsäm änane äbhä antah-kandarpa-vikära-dyotani samyak käntir yatas tam
ätmänam) on account of a flush of passion.
He saw that the moon was reddish like a lump of fresh saffron powder. In the other interpretation,
He saw that He was reddish because of a fresh paste of saffron (nava-kuhkumärunam = navakuhkuma-
pindavad arupam,• pakse nava-kuhkuma-carcayä arunam).
He also saw the woodland. It was tinged, that is, smeared, by His gentle rays (tat-komala-
gobhiraijitam = tasya komalair gobhih kiranai rafijitahl mrak$itam). Or else the compound ends in
abhirafijitam (tat-komala-go- 'bhirafijitam): The woodland had been tinted in the forepart for a long
time (abhirahjitam = abhiraijitacaram) either by His famous bodily rays or by the cows that He

36 Krsna saw the moon as a mirror.

tends 22(tat-komala-go = taih prasiddhair gobhih svähka-käntibhih sva-pälyamäna-gavibhir vä). The
absence of the suffix is poetic license."
Thus, upon seeing the two types of vibhävas: uddipana and älambana, He sang a sweet tone (kalam
= madhuram)...with the flute (venunä)." The word venunä needs to be added because of the upcoming
text: kä stry ariga te kala-padäyata-vemegita-sammohitä (10.29.40). How? In such a way that it was
charming to the girls, whose eyes are charming (väma-drSäm = vämä manoharä drSo yäsäm täsärh
yuvatinäm eva manoharam yathä syät tathä)," owing to the passage of Sruti: gäyantahl striyah
kämayante, "The women loved the one who was singing" (Taittiriya-samhitä of Krsna-YajurVeda
6.1.6.6).
There is an esoteric explanation as a pun: He played the kämabija. The letters k and I are in the
word kalam, the fourth vowel (the letter i) is represented by the word väma-drs, the nominal base,23and
with her is the fifteenth vowel (the anusvära).24 The word manoharam is said because the sound attracts
the mind. This means the sound was the great mantra of Cupid, who is His own identity.

Sanätana Gosvämi
And after that, due to the manifestation of a special mood He played some song with the flute, a song
that was like a bewitching mantra and was meant to allure the divine gopis.
The word kumut means kumuda. The Vijva states: kumude 'pi kumut proktam (ViSva-koSa). Thus
kumudvantam means "It had lilies. " This means the lilies too were in bloom at that time. Therefore the
22
In taking the words as tat-komala-go-'bhiraijitam, the formation should actually be tat-komala-
gaväbhiraijitam, where the suffix is applied after tat-komala-go to properly make the nominal base tat-
komalagava, by the rule: gor ataddhita-luki, "The suffix is applied after go [which is at the end of a compound
in which the last word is the main thing,] provided no ellision of a taddhita suffix had occurred in the
formation of that compound." (A$tädhyäyi 5.4.92).
23
According to Medini-koSa and Viiva-ko'a, the letter i can mean Laksmi: i vi$äde 'nukampäyäm lak$myäth
punar anavyayam (Medini-koja). The word väma-drj (she has beautiful eyes) can denote Laksmi.
24
There are fourteen basic vowels. The anusvära Oil) is optionally considered either a vowel (the fifteenth) or
a consonant, because in the sequence of phonemes it is listed between the vowels and the consonants:
antaräla-pä(häd visnucakra-vi$nusargayoh sarvesvaratvatil visnujanatvam cästiti (Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 207
vrtti).
divine gopis will say: vmdävane kumuda-kunda-'ajähka-ramye, "In Vrindavan, which is lovely with
the lilies, the jasmines and the moon" (10.47.43).
Or else it had the joy of the Earth (kumudvantam = kuh prthivi tasyä mut harsah, tadvantam). The
sense is the moonrise made everyone happy. The reasons for that are akhmda-mandala and so on. It is
ramänanäbha because it is akhanda-mandala. It's understood that the desire for amour was enlivened
by the remembrance of Laksmi's face. Someone might wonder, "Laksmi's face is always graced with
saffron paste, and the moon is only white, so how can the moon look like her?" He answers that with
nava (fresh) in navakuhkumärupam. And this is simply meant to express the rise at the outset. The
usage of the term nava-kuhkuma (fresh saffron paste) takes place as an uddipana of the bhäva.
After thus illustrating the suitability of the time, he shows the suitability of the place: vanarh ca
(He saw the woodland too). It was reddened—or it was turned into an object of passion (abhiraijitam =
abhito raijitaril raktikrtam anuräga-visayikrtatii vä)—by the gentle rays of the moon. They were gentle
in the sense that the rays were faint at the outset of the moonrise. Alternatively, the separation of the
words is: tat-komala-gobhir aijitam. The participle afijitam means mraksitam (anointed, smeared). The
overall meaning is the same. Another uddipana of the bhäva has thus been shown.
He played...with the flute. This is understood because it's going to be mentioned later: kä stry ahga
te kala-padäyata-venu-gita (10.29.40). He played some sweet song (kalam = madhurarii kiicid gitam).
Or He played in a melodious way (kalam = kalam yathä syät tathä).
The gopis are väma-drk, meaning their eyes are charming. This means the cowherd girls are very
beautiful. Alternatively, their glances are crooked (väma-drjäm = vämä ku(ilä drk drs(ir yäsäm): The
gist is the young women are very cunning. This is a mere description of their nature, because all the
women of Vraja are naturally like that. He played the flute in a way that was mesmerizing to them
(manoharam = manohararh tad yathä syät): It steals their minds, that is, it attracts them (hara = harati =
äkanati), either by a special signal that it sends or by its extraordinary rhythm and melody. A tune that
was even more special than those on previous days is meant.

Jiva Gosvämi
Here he says: Afterward, upon seeing the moon He came to the woodland, due to the arousal of a
particular mood. Then He gazed at the woodland, tinted by the moonrays. There He went to a place on
the shore of the Yamunä. In that regard, Sri Vajra founded a village there, well known by the name
Räsauli.25 Sri Krsna went to what is now the intersection in that little village, and played some song
with the flute, which has the power of attraction. As before, on that night occurred a special Siksä of
the manifest flute.
The moon was ramänanäbham. The gopis are Ramäs, by the derivation ramayanti (they cause
intimate pleasure). That is, they are the topmost Ramäs and are His favorites. Among them, Rädhä is
dearest to Him. Indeed, for the purpose of displaying a special Sik$ä of the flute just for the sake of
getting Her, for all this time He had shown little interest in having an intimate encounter with the rest
of the gopis. "He saw the moon, which looled like Her face." He assumed that the moon was Her face,
and so upon remembering Her face He played a sweet tune. This is the syntactical connection of the
words of the verse.
To make sense of His assumption, modifiers are mentioned in terms of a similarity between the
moon and Her face. The word kumut means kumuda. The Vijva states: kumude 'pi kumut proktam
(Vijva-koSa). "It had lilies" (two lilies represent the eyes). The subtle implied sense might be that, to
reveal their existence as such, lilies too opened on that occasion.

25
Räsauli is a Hindi name and is a corruption of Räsa-sthali (the place of the Räsa). It is located just north of
Kosi, between Carana-pahädi and Kotavana, about twenty kilometers west of the Yamunä.
 Due to these modifiers, the main noun, the moon, is obtained, as in: ayam udayati mudrä-
bhafijanah padmininäm, "That breaker of the seals of lotuses is on the rise" (i.e. the sun is rising)
(Sähityadarpapa 9.4).
In the other interpretation, regarding the face: "He saw Her face, which had joy for the Earth, a joy
that had to be made lively" (kumudvantam = koh prthivyäh mut kartavyatvena vidyate yasya tad).
Here kumudvantam is taken as a neuter modifier because the word for face (änanam) is neuter. "He
saw that Her face looked like Ramä's," in the sense that She is the form of the highest Ramä.
"He saw the full orb," meaning the moon had its sixteen kaläs. In the other interpretation, He saw
Her face, in which the aspects had all the right proportions (akhanda-mapdalam = yathävat
parimäpasarhvalitarh mandalam avayava-vrndam yatra).
"He saw that the moon was reddidh like a ball of fresh saffron. " In the other interpretation, He saw
Her face, reddish due to the redness of fresh saffron.
Having thus shown that the time was suitable for rati, he demonstrates the suitability of the place:
He saw the woodland too. It was tinged everwhere by the gentle rays of the moon (tatkomala-
gobhiraijitam = tasya komala-gobhi raijitam). They were gentle in the sense that the rays were weak at
the outset of the moonrise. Alternatively: tat-komala-go- 'bhiraijitam, meaning tair abhiraijitam. The
participle is used in the passive impersonal voice. The sense is: krynasyäbhiraijanä yatra tat, "the
woodland, in which there is a coloring by Krsna. "41 The absence of the long vowel [in the
interpretation as gobhi raijitam] is due to the meter. Another uddipana of the bhäva has thus been
shown.
He played...with the flute. This is understood because it's going to be mentioned later: kä stry ahga
te kala-padäyata-vepu-gita (10.29.40). He played sweetly and indistinctly (kalam = madhuram
asphu(arh ca yathä syät tathä). This time, the sound of the flute was sweet to charm the gopis and was
indistinct so that the sound would appear to contain their respective names, etc., and so that everybody
else wouldn't give an ear. Someone might wonder, "Why wasn't everybody attracted by the
sweetness?" He responds with väma-drjärh manoharam. He played the flute in a way that was
charming only to the girls who had that kind of mood. This means He played a special räga (melody)
that was an uddipana of the ädirasa alone. The next verse says the tune gave rise to Cupid. For sure,

41 This alternative explanation is not in Puri Däsa's edition.

the räga was called madhyamädi, because the following is said in regard to the different rägas of
mäyüra: madhyamädir ma-grahänto madhyama-gräma-rägajah, ayam säyam tu gätavyah 'rhgäre r-
dhavarjitah, "The madhyamädi arises from the madhyama scale and ends with the note ma. This räga
relates to 'mgära and should be performed in the evening. The räga does not use the second note (r) nor
the sixth note (dha)." In this citation, ma means madhyama, r means rsabha, and dha signifies dhaivata.
These are notes.26 And the word graha therein means svara (note). For example: grahah svarah sa ity
ukto yo gitädau samarpitah.
Previously, however, as shown in the text: iti venu-ravarh räjan sarva-bhüta-manoharam, "Hearing
the sound of the flute, a sound which captivates all beings, O king, [all the women of the village
hugged one another while making a description]" (10.21.6): Since this text is a general statement, the
idea is the gopis were only charmed in a general way in conformity with their respective natures. But
now they are attracted because of the uddipana which was a special räga.
There are varieties of flutes on those occasions. It is said:

26
Bharata Muni says the fourth note (ma) and the fifth note (pa) should be used in Snigära-rasa: häsya-
smgärayoh käryau svarau madhyamapaicamau (Nätya-Sästra 17.103).
 ardhähguläntaronmänarh tärädi-vivarä$takam I tatah särdhähguläd yatra mukha-
randhrarh tathähgulam Il
Siro vedähgulam puccham try-angulahl sä tu vamSikä I nava-randhrä smrtä sapta-
daSähgula-mitä budhaih Il dafähguläntarä syäc cet sä tära-mukha-randhrayoh I
mahänandeti vyäkhyätä tathä sammohiniti ca I l bhavet süryäntarä sä cet tata äkar$ipi
matä I änandini tadä vanzSi bhaved indräntarä yadi Il gopänärh vallabhä seyaril
vahiSuliti ca viSrutä I kramän manimayi haimi vaipaviti tridhä ca sä Il

"The vansikä has nine holes and is seventeen fingers long. There are eight holes for playing notes:
Each hole is half a finger in diameter, and the distance between each hole is half a finger. The hole for
blowing is one-and-a-half fingers from the eighth hole and measures one finger in diameter. The head
of the nute is four fingers long, and the end of the mute is three fingers long. A flute is called
mahänandä (great delighter) or sammohini (enchantress) when the space between the mouth hole and
the first hole is ten fingers. If the space is twelve fingers, the nute is called äkanipi (the attractor). If the
space is fourteen fingers, the flute is called änandini (delighter). The cowherds prefer the änandini,
also called vaiSuli. The mutes are made of jewels, gold, and bamboo respectively." (Bhakti-rasämrta-
sindhu 2.1.368-372)

Therefore it's understood that the flute He played on this occasion was the golden one and was among
the flutes with twelve holes for playing notes. Thus, it's understood that He played a particular song
too.
In point of väma-drSäm: As a pun, the tune was charming to the gopis, who were looking at Him
in a crooked way. The drift is He as if stole all their senses, beginning from the eyes, by stealing their
minds, the root [of the senses].
There is an esoteric explanation as a pun: He played the kämabija, because the first three
phonemes are implied in kalam vämadr'. What was it like? It was charming (manoharam). The moon,
the presiding deity of the mind, is expressed by the word manah (mind) in manoharam. The moon is
lavaka (very small) due to being the form of it. The sound steals, or drags, (hara = harati = äkarsati) the
moon, meaning the sound is endowed with the moon (the full moon signifies the bindu). The sound
also has näda (reverberation) because such is the nature of the sound of the flute. That was stated: kalä
tu mäyä lavakä tu mürtih kala-kvapad-vepu-ninäda-ramyah, "His form is obtained by a fraction of
mercy which is obtained by expertise. He is lovely because the sound of the flute is sounding sweetly
and softly" (Krama-dipikä 1.1).27

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
He played a sweet and indistinct sound with the flute (jagau kalam = venunä kalam dhvanirh jagau)
(kalam = madhuräsphu(am). The word manah in manoharam represents the anusvära (m).

Srinätha Pandita
When a sound is sweet and indistinct, it is called kala. Given that it is indistinct, every gopi thought
"The tune is calling me by name."

10.2904

27
kalätta-mäyä-lavakätta-mürtih kala-kvanad-venu-ninäda-ramyah I sthito hrdi vyäkulayams triloki-
iriye 'stu gopi-jana-vallabho vah Il (Kramadipikä 1.1) (Varanasi: Krishnadas Academy, 1989).
 nifamya gitahl tad anahga-vardhanam vraja-striyah krsna-grhita-mänasäh I
äjagmur anyonyam alak$itodyamäh sa yatra känto java-Iola-kundaläh I l
(upajäti 12)

niSamya—upon hearing; gitam—song; tat—that; anahga—Cupid; vardhanam—which increases;

vraja-striyah—the women of Vraja; krsna—by Krsna; grhita—were stolen; mänasäh—whose minds;
äjagmuh—they arrived; anyonyam—by one another; alak$ita— were not perceived; udyamäh—whose
endeavors; sah—the; yatra— where; käntah—lover; java due to speed; Iola—are moving; kundaläh—
they whose earrings.

vraja-striyah tad gitarh anahga-vardhanam nifamya krsna-grhitamänasäh anyonyam alak$itodyamäh

java-Iola-kundaläh (c.a satyah), yatra (sthäne) sah käntah (abhüt, tatra sthäne gita-dhvani-märgena)
äjagmuh.

The women of Vraja, whose minds were stolen by Knna upon hearing that lust-enhancing tune, arrived
where the lover was. On the way, their earrings kept swinging because of the haste. Those women did
not know about each other's endeavors to get there.

Sridhara Svämi
"They, by whom each other's endeavor was not known (anyonyam alak$itodyamäh = anyonyam
alak$ito na jiäpita udyamo yäbhis täh)—to avoid any rivalry—went (jagmuh) where He was." The
gopis went by the path of the sound of the song. "Their earrings were moving due to the speed" (java-
Iola-kupdaläh = javena vegena Ioläni caicaläni kundaläni yäsärii täh).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The gopis, as though they were dolls strung with the threads of the sweetly melodious tune, arrived in
Krsna's presence.
That tune was not only charming (manoharam): It sparked Cupid. In addition, with kryna-grhita-
mänasäh he says: Krsna sent a great thief, known as the song of the flute, to Vraja; then, through the
ears, which had no door, of the young women of Vraja, the thief entered the treasury that is their
mental functions, stole their minds along with the great wealth that is their patience, bashfulness, fear,
good judgment and so on, carried the goods at once and delivered the booty the Krsna. Here the term
mänasa means both the mind and things related to the mind, such as patience, remembrance, sound
judgment, bashfulness, fear, and thoughtfulness. They were all stolen by Krsna.
They arrived (äjagmuh)... as if to request Krsna, the c.akravarti (emperor) of great thieves, to
return those types of wealth to them. Their endeavors were not perceived by one another (anyonyam
alak$itodyamäh anyonyarh na lak$ita udyamo yäsähl täh). I suppose they were busy trying to catch
that great thief. They arrived right behind the thief. Where? In the place where the lover was. "Their
earrings were moving due to the speed." Bracelets and ankle bells are included by the word earrings.
The idea is: The gopis still had clothes on. In His company, the thief thought that their external
belongings were not so valuable.
 Sanätana Gosvämi
"Upon hearing that tune." The pronoun tat (that) refers to the tune's aforesaid characteristic; it
originated from Sri Krsna's flute. The tune increased the lust (anahga = käma) whose object is the
Lord. The lust was already present, and at that time it augmented.
Although the idea that there was an increase of Cupid had already come to mind because of the words
väma-drjätil manoharam (10.29.3), the mention of this detail is meant to signify the intensity of it.
The purpose of using the word anahga is to express the nonexistence of material lust, which is
caused by grämya-dharma (low mannerisms), because the gopis' lust is a form of love. Or the sense of
"an increase of Cupid" is that anahga will have an ahga (body): This is a general idea (the
manifestations of love are manifold).
The term vraja-striyah means girls (striyah = nava-yuvatyah), either of Vraja or in Vraja. "Their
minds, or everything related to the mind, had already been attracted, if not penetrated, by Krsna, the
foremost attractor" (krsna-grhita-mänasäh = krspena paramäkarsakena pürvam eva grhitam äkr$tam
ävi$(ahl vä mänasahi manas tadiyä'esahl vä täh). And specifically, at this time they heard that kind of
song and came. Another explanation is that knna-grhita-mänasäh expresses the reason the girls were
not aware of each other's endeavors, although the girls had friends and were in their own groups; the
gist is that their power of reasoning stopped, because Krsna stole their minds at that time. Or else it is
because, only due to the flute, there arose a rivalry in their respective groups, a rivalry of the nature of
His games, which inherently involve a special affection. Or they were unable to inform one another
because of the great haste in going. Therefore, "their earrings—that is, their ear ornaments—were
swinging because of the speed in going. "
The verb äjagmuh (they arrived) is used because of the own vivid perception of Sri Bädaräyani,
whose soul is always situated near Sri Krsna. Or else the reason is his own vivid perception of being in
Sri Krsna's presence, owing to what seemed to be a direct vision of himself going there, due to the rise
of a distinct mood by narrating this. Alternatively, the sense is "they set out for a tryst" (äjagmuh =
abhisasruh). Or, "they went completely, by reliquishing everything" (äjagmuh = ä samyak sarva-
parityägena jagmur yayuh), since many of them are going to be described that way just ahead.
The pronoun sah ('the', in 'the lover') means the one who plays music with the utterly mesmerizing
flute. Or else it means the one who was desired for a long time by undergoing vows and the like,
because: käntah (lover): He is the svämi, if not their own bewilderer.
Or the derivation of känta is: kasya sukhasyänto nis(hä yasmät sah, "He because of whom there is the
ascertainment, i.e. the steadiness, of happiness. "

Jiva Gosvämi
Others did not hear the music, yet only those girls were drawn to it. Here the speaker thus hints at a
special power of the flute. (The rest of the commentary is the same as the first paragraph in
Brhadvaimava-tosapi above. In addition:)
The usage of the word anahga makes one perceive this meaning: At first Cupid existed in the form
of a seed, but now he has sprouted. By this arises the fanciful assumption that the song was a sprinkler
of nectar—it is fanciful because this cannot possibly happen at once.
"The women of Vraja" are specific women of Vraja, owing to the context. Therefore, "their minds,
or else everything related to the mind, had already been drawn by Krsna, the foremost attractor. " And
specifically, at this time they heard the music and came.
The reason for being unperceived by one another was explained by Sridhara Svämi. There is
another interpretation: "even though they were together in their own groups" (anyonyam = mithah
api). The reason for that is: krma-grhita-mänasäh. The gist is that their power of reasoning stopped,
because Krsna stole their minds at that time. Consequently: java-Iola-kundaläh (their earrings were
swinging due to haste).
The verb äjagmuh (they arrived) is used because of Sri Bädaräyani's vision that he is always near
Sri Krsqa. Or else the reason is his own perception of being in Sri Krsoa's presence, owing to what
seemed to be a direct vision of himself going there as if he were among those girls, due to the rise of a
distinct mood by narrating this. In the next verse, the verb yayuh (they went) is used, so this is the
actual meaning.
The pronoun sah refers to ramapah (the charming lover). They arrived where He was, that is, the
place of the highest joy. The drift is they didn't wander anywhere else because the music of the flute is
the topmost magical skill for attracting.

10.29.5-6

duhantyo 'bhiyayuh käScid dohatil hitvä samutsukäh I payo 'dhiSritya samyävam

anudväsyäparä yayuh Il parivesayantyas tad dhitvä päyayantyah ,éifün payah I
Guirüsantyah patin kä'cid ainantyo 'päsya bhojanam Il

duhantyah—while milking; abhiyayuh—they departed; käjcit— some women; doham—the milking;

hitvä—giving up; samutsukäh— very eager; payah—milk; adhiiritya—having placed [on the stove];
samyävam—food made of wheat flour; anudväsya—without removing; aparäh—other women; yayuh
—went; parivesayantyah— while serving food; tat hitvä—giving that up; päyayantyah SiSün payah—
making the babies drink milk; SuSrüsantyah—while serving; patin—their husbands; käScit—some
women; a'nantyah—while eating; apäsya—giving up; bhojanam—the meal.

käScid (gopyah) duhantyah (kryna-samipe gantutii) samutsukäh (bhütvä) doharh hitvä (ca) abhiyayuh.
(aparäh gopyah) payah (sthälistharh cullyäm) adhi'ritya (abhiyayuh). aparäh (gopyah) samyävam
anudväsya yayuh. (aparäh) parivesayantyah tat (parivesanarh) hitvä (yayuh. aparäh) payah Gifün
päyayantyah (tad hitvä yayuh). käSc.it patin SuSrüsantyah (tärh SuSrü9ähi hitvä yayuh. aparäh)
ainantyah bhojanam apäsya (yayuh).

Some very eager gopis who were milking gave up the milking and departed. Some left milk on the
stove and cakes in the oven and went. Others who were serving food quit doing that and hurried off.
Some other gopis who were making the babies drink milk gave that up and left. Yet others who were
serving their husbands left everything behind and set forth. And some gopis who were eating
relinquished their meals and set out for that place.

Sridhara Svämi
In the verse beginning duhantyah he says: Upon hearing the sound which hinted at the presence of Sri
Krsna, the women whose minds were inclined towards that immediately went, leaving all their duties
half-finished, as if the women were hinting at the renunciation of the activities of the three categories
(dharma, artha, and käma).
 Some of the women had placed milk in cooking pots and put it on the stove, but they left without
waiting for it to boil. The term samyäva denotes a food preparation made with wheat flour. The wheat
cakes were cooked, but the women left without taking them out of the oven.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
At the time of going to Him, the young women couldn't tolerate any delay, due to the topmost
eagerness. While mentioning in three verses the women's disregard of tasks based on "I" and "mine",
in this verse he talks about the abandonment, by some of those women, of the duties of their caste.
"Some gopis who were milking cows (duhantyah = gäh dohayantyah) abandoned the task of milking
(doham = dohana-karma) and set off for the tryst (abhiyayuh
— abhisasruh)." (The rest is the same as the second paragraph in Bhävärtha-dipikä above.)

10.29.6
Next he talks about the abandonment of duties only relating to women: They were serving their
husbands by giving them hot water and so on. The pronoun tat signifies parivesanam (that service).

Sanätana Gosvämi
In three verses he describes this: The gopis abandoned their own tasks, people, duties and so on by
disregarding both their bodies and things related to the body, on account of that song, the utmost
bewitcher. At first he talks about the abandonment, by some of those women, of the duties of their
caste: While milking.. .the cows (duhantyah = gäh duhantyah), they left after giving up either the
milking or the milk (doham = dohanahl dugdharh vä)—because they were engaged in milking cows
for Krsna's sake anyway. Or the causative sense is included in the participle duhantyah, so that the
sense is dohayantyah. The gopis set off, meaning they departed in the direction of the music of the
flute (abhiyayuh = abhi yayuh) (abhi = abhimukham = venu-gitäbhimukham).
The pronouns käScit (some women) and aparäh (other women) are mentioned in consideration of
the varieties of the multiple groups of gopis, because of the upcoming text: vanitä-sata-yüthapah, "the
leader of groups of hundreds of women" (10.29.44). The reason they went is: samutsukäh (very eager),
that is, they were unable to tolerate any delay. This reason is carried forward into the other sentences
too. The word aparäh (other women) is syntacticaly connected with the previous sentence and with the
next one also. The same goes for other verses ahead. The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. There
is another interpretation: They departed without removing the milk from the stove although the milk
had come to a boil, and without removing the food preparations of wheat.

10.29.6
Having thus mentioned the abandonment, by some of the women, of three types of important work in
the early evening, in the first three feet of this verse he talks about the abandonment, by some of them,
of people and of duties. Of those, at first he mentions their abandonment of casual friends, of relatives,
of dependents, and the like: "While rendering service, that is, while distributing to their relatives and
so on the food they had cooked for them. they gave up that service (tat = tat parive$apam).. .and
departed (yayuh)." The verb yayuh is added from the previous sentence. Although this in included in
activities of the early evening, the sense is that it makes sense for the women to derive pleasure from
the abandonment of people and duties by disregarding the friends, relatives and dependents of their
respective husbands.
In the two feet starting from päyayantyah, he mentions the abandonment, by some of them, of
those who should not be disregarded. The indeclinable participle hitvä (after abandoning) is carried
forward from the previous sentence. They abandoned the children, including those of their sisters.
Having thus described the relinquishment of people, he mentions the abandonment of duty: The
women were rendering service (Suirü$antyah = Suirü$amäpäh = sevamänäh) by heating up water for
taking a shower, etc. "Other gopis were feeding (agnantyah äfayantyah bhojayantyah) their husbands
—the causative sense is included in the participle a'nantyah—and gave up being a giver of food
(bhojanam bhojayitrtvam). "
There is another explanation. At first the abandonment by those women, who were completely
chaste, of people and of their duties although the women were fully devoted to their duties was
mentioned. Then with the last foot of the verse and with the next verse he describes the abandonment,
by some others, of what the body requires. "They were eating" (ainantyah = bhufijänäh). The neglect
of a body which is dear to the Lord is stated by this mention of the relinquishment of food. By means
of this is understood the idea that in those who are filled with love for Him, there is no pondering over
whether things and people related to the body are doing fine. Another example is given in the next
verse. By such an abandonment of good habits of enjoyment, the neglect of the body has become
perfect.

Jiva Gosvämi
This is one set of two verses. Even after mentioning that they had attained Him, while again
describing, in three verses, the endeavors related to the gopis' trip to give details about them who were
on the move after they had given up their own tasks, people and duties by disregarding their own
bodies and things related to the body on account of their excitement due to His song, the utmost
bewitcher, at first in this verse he talks about the abandonment, by some of those women, of the work
pertaining to their caste: While milking. . . the cows (duhantyah = gäh duhantyah)—the causative
sense is included, and so the drift of duhantyah is dohayantyah—, they gave up either the milking or
the milk (doham = dohanarh dugdharh vä) and set off, that is, they departed in the direction of the
music of the flute. (The rest is the same.)

10.29.6
Having thus mentioned the abandonment, by some of the women, of three types of important work in
the early evening, in the first three feet of this verse he talks about the abandonment, by some of them,
of people and of duties.
Of those, at first he mentions their abandonment of casual friends, of relatives, of dependents, and
the like: "While serving food. ..to relatives, dependents and so on—these words need to be added—,
they gave up that service (tat = tat parivesapam) departed (yayuh)." The verb yayuh is added
from the previous sentence.
Next, with the foot that starts päyayantyah (they were making the babies drink milk) he mentions
the abandonment, by some gopis, of very affectionate individuals. In conformity with upcoming
statements, those babies were the children of brothers, and so on, otherwise there would be rasäbhäsa
(distasteful occurrence). The participle hitvä (upon giving up) is carried forward from the previous
clause.
Having thus described the relinquishment of people, he mentions the abandonment of duty: The
women were rendering service (Sufrü$antyah = Susrü$amänäh = sevamänäh) by heating up water for
taking a shower, etc. Then, he describes the abandonment, by some others, of what the body requires:
"They were eating" (aSnantyah = bhuüjänäh). By means of this is understood the idea that in those
who are filled with love for Him, there is no pondering over whether things and people related to the
body are doing fine.
 Gangä-sahäya
The n[um] in duhantyah is poetic licenser and so are the parasmaipada in SuSrüyantyah45 and the
n[um] in a'nantyah.

10.29.7

limpantyah pramrjantyo 'nyä aijantyah kä'ca locane I vyatyasta-vasträbharanäh käicit

knnäntikam yayuh Il

44 Ref. Sap-Syäbhyäm Satur num i-pratyaye, Sesä-dvayät tu vä (Harinämämrta-vyäkarana 742); äc chi-nadyor num (A$(ädhyäyi
7.1.80).
45 Ref. tathä praty-äh-pürvam varjayitvä Sruva ätmapadam sanah (HNV 742); praty-ähbhyäm Sruvah (A$(ädhyäyi
1.3.59).
limpantyah—while applying cosmetics; pramrjantyah—while applying oil; anyäh—other women:
afijantyah—while applying eyeliner; käSca (= women; locane—to both eyes; vyatyasta
—were in the wrong places; vastra-äbharanäh—whose clothes and ornaments; kä'cit—some women;
krma-antikam—to the proximity of Krsna; yayuh—went.

anyäh (gopyah) limpantyah (tad lepanam hitvä krsnäntikarh yayuh. anyäh) pramrjantyah (tad karma
hitvä yayuh). käSca locane aijantyah (tad aijanarh hitvä yayuh). käfcit vyatyastavasträbharanäh
krsnäntikmh yayuh.

Other gopis, who were applying make-up and rubbing creams on their limbs, dashed off to meet
Krypa. Some gopis who were placing mascara on their eyes made off promptly. And yet others put
their clothes and ornaments on the wrong body parts and sallied forth.

Sridhara Svämi
Other gopis were rubbing unguents on their limbs (pramrjantyah — ahgodvartanädi kurvantyah). The
pronoun käSca stands for käScit (some women). In the second half of the verse, he implies that a task
performed for Krsna's satisfaction by those whose minds are attached to Him becomes fruitful even if
the task is imperfectly done: "the women whose clothes and ornaments were disorderly placed, both in
terms of place and nature, by wearing them upside down" (vyatyasta-vasträbharanäh sthänatah
svarüpataS cordhvädhodhäranena viparyayahl präptäni vasträbharanäni yäsäriz täh).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
In the first half of the verse he talks about the abandonment, by some other gopis, of necessary
accouterment for the body: Some were applying sandalwood paste, etc., on the body (limpantyah
dehe anuleparil candanädinä kurvatyah), rubbing unguents on their limbs (pramrjantyah =
udvartanädikahl kurvatyah).47 In the second

46 Another example of such a pronoun is: sumahgalah kaSca na kähksate hi mäm (Bhägavatam 8.8.22), according to
Sridhara Svämi (Bhävärthadipikä 8.8.22).
47 The term udvartana denotes a fragrant powder used to rub off the oil
half he says that on account of excitement some gopis didn't even have awareness of the proper
location of their own body parts. This anubhäva is called vibhrama. 48 The definition is:

vallabha-präpti-veläyäth madanäveSa-sambhramät I vibhramo hära-mälyädi-bhü$ä-

sthäna-viparyayah I l

"Vibhrama (fluster) is the reversal of the proper positioning of ornaments, such as a necklace and a
garland, due to the confusion caused by Cupid when the ladylove sets out to meet her lover." (Ujjvala-
nilamani 11.39)

Sanätana Gosvämi
Here he says some of them even gave up adorning their limbs although such pampering of themselves
is actually meant for the Lord's pleasure and is the means to accomplish their adoration of Him. "They
were reddening their limbs (limpantyah = ahga-rägarh kurvatyah)." It's understood that they were even
removing some unguents. The pronoun anyäh (other ones) applies to the clauses in the first three feet
of the verse.
What can be said to illustrate the reason for that?! They gave up all consideration of the body and
of things related to it. Next, in the second half he says some gopis even forgot about their bodies. This
is the effect (anubhäva), called vibhrama, of the intense eagerness whose mode of being is the
abandonment of everything mentioned earlier. The definition is: vallabha-präpti... (see above). The
implied sense is that, in the case of persons of their type, the Lord does not require their attire to be
pukka in the same way He requires their love to be so. However, it's understood that later, after He
chuckled,

that was applied on the body: "Sugandhi udvartana refers to a paste made of several perfumes and fragrant oils. This paste
is massaged all over the body, and in this way the body's dirt and perspiration are removed." (Caitanyacaritämrta 2.8.166,
BBT Purport)
48 Vibhrama is one of the twenty-two Snigära alahkäras. They are classed as anubhävas only in the sense that they are
reactions, and so are not the kind of anubhäva necessary for a sthäyi-bhäva (foundational mood) to become rasa (aesthetic
delight). There are three kinds of anubhävas: anubhäväs tv alahkäräs tathaivodbhäsvaräbhidhäh, väcikäst ceti (Ujjvala-
nilamani 11.1). In a technical sense, anubhäva means effect.
they put their clothes on properly. All in all, it is inferred that, in terms of being tasks that needed to be
done, these tasks, beginning from the milking of the cows, are stated in increasing order of
significance. Or else the purport is simply that they gave up doing whatever personal task they had
begun to do. Yet in placing their clothes and ornaments in the wrong places, they didn't immediately
stop what they were doing; rather they diverted from the usual style of donning their clothes and so on.
In every instance, the reason is twofold, as told earlier: krygagrhita-mänasäh (their minds were
stolen by Krsna) and samutsukäh (very eager). Thus, all of them went near Krsna (krsnäntikarh
yayuh), Yaéodä's son, Syämasundara, who has the topmost power of attraction. This means that upon
arriving, the gopis did not remain far away, because they were utterly enthralled. They didn't let
obstacles bother them, nor did their bashfulness come into effect. Although the idea that the gopis went
near Him was already stated in "They arrived where the lover was" (10.29.4), the general idea in
mentioning details again is to express that they went very close to Him on account of great haste, due
to being completely enchanted.

Jiva Gosvämi
Much like it is said in Gita-govinda: ahgesv äbharanarh karoti bahusah, "She places an ornament on
Her limbs many times" (6.11), that is, in separation, in this verse he says that, on account of the
topmost enthusiasm, some gopis, who day after day were hoping against hope that they would have
such an intimate encounter, gave up applying cosmetics and donning their finest attire although doing
those things shows that they love Him.
(The rest is a summary of the above.) (Additions are underlined.) "They were reddening their
limbs (limpantyah ahga-rägarh kurvatyah)." It's understood that they were even removing some
unguents. The pronoun anyäh (other ones) applies to the clauses in the first three feet of the verse.
What can be said to illustrate the reason for that?! They gave up all consideration of the body and of
things related to it. Next, in the second half he hints at this: Some gopis even forgot about the specific
arrangement of their body parts. This is the effect (anubhäva), called vibhrama, of the intense
eagerness whose effect is the abandonment of everything mentioned earlier.
The definition is: vallabha-präpti... (see above). The implied sense is that, in the case of persons of
their type, the Lord does not require their attire to be pukka in the same way He requires their love to
be so. However, it's understood that later, after He chuckled, they put their clothes on properly. All in
all, it is inferred that, in terms of being tasks that needed to be done, these tasks, beginning from the
milking of the cows, are stated in increasing order of significance. Thus, all of them set off toward the
vicinity of Krsna (krmäntikahl yayuh = krsna.syäntikath prati prasthitavatyah).

Gangä-sahäya The n[um] in aijantyah is poetic license.

10.29*

tä väryamänäh patibhih pitrbhir bhrätr-bandhubhih I govindäpahrtätmäno na nyavartanta

mohitäh I l

täh—those women; väryamäpäh—being checked; patibhih—by their husbands; pitrbhih—by their

fathers; bhrätr-bandhubhih— by the brothers and by other relatives; govinda—by Govinda; apahrta—
were stolen; ätmänah—they whose hearts28 (or whose souls); na nyavartanta—did not return; mohitäh
—were spellbound.

täh (gopyah) patibhih pitrbhir bhrätr-bandhubhih väryamänäh (api) govindäpahrtätmänah mohitäh na

nyavartanta.

Though prevented to go by their husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives, the women, whose
hearts had been stolen by Govinda, did not turn back. Those women were spellbound.
6.5

Sridhara Svämi
In the case of those whose minds are attached to Krsna, obstacles cannot cause a problem.

In this interpretation , the sense is that the word ätman means mind (ätmä pumsi svabhäve 'pi prayatna-
28

manasor api, Medini-koia) and the words 'heart' and 'mind' are synonymous: cittam tu ceto hrdayath
sväntarh hm mänasarh manah (Amara-kosa 1.4.31).
Viévanätha Cakravarti
Someone might wonder, "By the force of their love, those women gave up paying attention to
everything else. That's fine, but why did their husbands and others stop paying attention to them?" He
answers that here. "Although the wives were checked by their husbands, none of those women turned
back, and although the virgins were checked by their fathers and others, none turned back. " The
reason for that is: govindäpahrtätmänah: What need be said about fear, bashfulness and the like? The
women were in a state of trance because even their souls were taken away by Govinda
(govindäpahrtätmänah = täsäm ätmanäm api govindena apahrtatvät, mohitäh mürcchitäh). The drift is
the women were like dolls pulled by strings.
An objector might argue, "The life force in the bodies of the wives and others is owned, so to
speak, by their husbands and others. Out of concern for their own reputation, the husbands would
never allow their wives to go very far from the house. The same applies to the virgins." True, this
seems to defy all logic. It's understood that the issue was resolved by Yogamäyä. And that
harmonization is as follows: Yogamäyä at once created doubles of those gopis; the doubles went back
inside along with their husbands and so forth. The way this happened is told ahead (10.33.38).

Sanätana Gosvämi
Even though the young women were being enlightened by their relatives, all their faculties of
reasoning ceased because the Lord had stolen their minds.
"All those women, impeded by their husbands et al.—that is, although they were being prevented
to go, by lecturing them on dharma, by grabbing them by the hand, and whatnot— did not turn back."
This means they kept going. Why? mohitäh (spellbound): They lost all sense of proper discrimination
(mohitäh hata-vivekäh). And why is that? "Their minds (ätman = cittam) had been stolen by
Govinda," who is the king of Gokula. Or He is so called because "He finds the senses" (govinda = gä
indriyäni vindatiti tathä) since He is God. Alternatively, "their souls had been attracted by Govinda"
(govindäpahrtätmänah = govindena äkrs(ah ätmä jiväkhyah yäsäm).
Of those, the husbands are mentioned first because they are foremost, since they partake of both
the wife's good standing and lack thereof. Then the fathers are stated because they have affection and
because their virgin daughters would be spoiled just by being touched. Then the brothers are specified
because they have a special affection and because they fear getting a bad reputation.

rak$et kanyärh pitä praudhärh patih putras tu värdhake I abhäve jiätayas tv evahl na
svätantryaril kvacit striyah Il

"The father should protect his daughter when she is young, then her husband should protect her, and
then, when she becomes old, her sons should protect her. In the absence of any one of them, their
relatives should be the protectors. Women should never be independent." (Yäjiavalkya-smrti 1.85)

In this citation from a Smrti scripture, four types of protectors are listed. But in the verse under
discussion the sons are not mentioned. This is because for the most part the women had no son.
Further, it is inferred that the husbands, the fathers, the brothers and the other relatives are stated in a
decreasing order of importance, because they have sequentially less control over the women.
 Jiva Gosvämi
Even though the women were externally paying attention due to the use of force by their own folks,
they gave up their bashfulness. For them it was difficult to give that up, insofar as bashfulness is a
natural quality of a good wife.
"Although they were repeatedly checked by their husbands et al. with obstinate questions such as
"Where are you going outside at night?" none of those women turned back." This means they kept
going. Why? mohitäh (spellbound): They lost all sense of proper discrimination. And why is that?
"Their minds (ätman = cittam) had been stolen by Govinda." This should be perceived as the reason
their husbands and others slackened their opposition, because a person who only performs govinda-
bhakti is able to remove all obstacles. Some women were checked by their husbands, who were close-
by, some others by their fathers, etc. In that regard, those checked by their fathers were unmarried and
were living in their parents' home. And all that is because of this verse of Smrti: rakset kanyärh pitä...
(see above).

Baladeva Vidyäbhü>apa
The gopis were spellbound (mohitäh): While going, they saw their doubles created by Yogamäyä.

Näräyapa Bhatta
Govinda had stolen their minds and taken their bodies (govindäpahrtätmänah = govindenäpahrta ätmä
cittarh dehaS ca yäsäril täh).29

10.29.9

antar-grha-gatäh käScid gopyo 'labdha-vinirgamäh I krsnarh tad-bhävanä-yuktä dadhyur

milita-locanäh Il

antah-grha—inside the home; gatäh—who had gone; käfcit—some; gopyah—gopis; alabdha—was not
obtained; vinirgamäh—they by whom a departure; krsnam—on Krsna; tat-bhävanä—contemplation on
Him; yuktäh—they had; dadhyuh—they meditated; milita—are closed; locanäh—they whose eyes.

käfcid gopyah antar-grha-gatäh alabdha-vinirgamäh tad-bhävanäyuktäh milita-locanäh krynariz

dadhyuh.

Some gopis who were at home could not get an opportunity to leave. They had been contemplating on
Knpa, and so they closed their eyes and meditated on Him.

Sridhara Svämi
Those gopis by whom a departure was not achieved (alabdhavinirgamäh na labdho nirgamo yäbhis
täh) were already contemplating on Him, and now they continuously meditated on Him.
29
In the pastime of stealing the gopis' clothing, Krsna looked at the naked gopis (Bhägavatam 10.22.16). In
Vedic culture, this amounts to accepting them as His wives.
Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here the analysis shall take place in conformity with Ujjvalanilamani. At first, there are two kinds of
gopis: nitya-siddhä (perfect since time immemorial) and sädhana-siddhä (perfected by spiritual
practice). There are two varieties of sädhana-siddhäs: Those in groups (yauthiki) and those not in a
group (ayauthiki). Those in a group are classed in two categories: 'ruti-cari (was a Sruti long ago)
insofar as they were in the group of Sruti (the highest category of Vedic literature), and rsi-cari (was a
R$i long ago) inasmuch as they were in the category of R$is. Moreover, the fourfold categorization of
the yauthiki gopis is stated in Padma Puräna:

gopyas tu 'rutayo jieyä r;ijä gopa-kanyakäh I deva-kanyäS ca räjendra na mänusyah

kathaficana Il

"O king of kings, the gopis should be understood as follows: Some were Srutis, some were born from
Rsis, others were daughters of cowherds, and yet others were daughters of gods. The gopis are not
human." (Padma Puräna 5.73.32)

In this citation, although the idea that the gopis are human is obtained, here the negation "They are not
human" implies that the gopis are not human in the material sense of the term. Further in this regard,
of those four kinds of gopis only the daughters of cowherds are nitya-siddhäs, because it is not heard
from any scripture that they underwent spiritual practice. Their spiritual practice of worshiping
Kätyäyani, even though they are gopis, implies that it was simply a pastime in imitation of human
ones, because their being gopis was already perfect. This was elaborated upon in that context
(Särärtha-darjini 10.22.27). These gopis are nitya-siddhäs for the following reasons: (1) It is taught
that they are forms of hlädini-'akti (transcendental, pleasure-giving potency), as in the statement in
Brahma-samhitä: änanda-cinmaya-rasapratibhävitäbhih, "[He resides only in Goloka] with those
women who correspond to the transcendental Rasa of bliss" (5.37), (2) The Brhad Gautamiya Tantra
states: hlädini yä mahä-jaktih, (3) Krsna, who has no beginning, is a romantic lover with them, and (4)
They are mentioned in mantras such as the eighteen-syllable mantra, and the meditational worship of
their mantras and the scriptures that propound them are said to be beginningless and endless.
The proof of the existence of the gopis who were daughters of gods is understood from the text
sambhavantv amara-striyah, "To please Him. the goddesses should take birth" (Bhägavatam 10.1.23).
These gopis are amSas of nitya-siddhä gopis: This was explained in Ujjvala-nilamani (3.52-53).
The Sruti-cari gopis are sädhana-siddhäs. That is understood from this text of the Brhad Vämana:

kandarpa-ko(i-lävanye tvayi dn(e manämsi nah I kämini-bhävam äsädya smara-

k$ubdhäny asamfayah I l yathä tval-loka-väsinyah käma-tattvena gopikäh I bhajanti
ramanam matvä cikirsä-janinas tathä Il

"[The Srutis said:] When we see You who are more ravishing than millions of Cupids combined, our
minds attain the mood of sexy young women and become disturbed by Cupid. no doubt. By thinkingof
the gopis who reside on Your planet and who experience romantic pleasure by the true state of lust, we
have the origination of a desire to do in the same way they do." (Brhad Vämana Puräna)

The rsi-cari gopis too are sädhana-siddhäs. Those gopis are mentioned in Ujjvala-nilamani in the text
gopälopäsakäh pürvam apräptäbhi$(a-siddhayah (3.44), because the same idea is in the uttara-khanda
of Padma Puräna:

purä maharsayah sarve dandakäranya-väsinah I

 drs(vä rämam harim tatra bhoktum aicchan suvigraham I l te sarve stritvam äpannäh
samudbhütäS ca gokule I harim sampräpya kämena tato muktä bhavämavät Il

"In days of yore, upon seeing Räma all the Maharishis living in Dandakärapya desired nice bodies to
enjoy Hari, and so they became women and took birth in Gokula. They attained Hari with lust and
later became liberated from the ocean of material existence." (Padma Puräna 6.245.164-165)

In this quotation, the sense of "They saw Räma and desired to enjoy Hari" is that after remembering
Hari, that is, Gopäla, the one whom they revered, by seeing Räma's beauty they desired to enjoy only
Gopäla. But due to embarrassment, they did not speak out. Afterward, by Sri Räma's mercy, even
though He did not speak, as if He were a wish-fulfilling tree, their desire came true: This is what the
above quotation relates. The clause "after attainning Hari by means of lust" is a concomitant result.
And the clause "They became liberated from the ocean of material existence," that is, "from material
existence," because of that very lust, is a nonconcomitant result.
Regarding the verse under discussion, the gopis who were confined to their homes were only the
ones who had no children, by looking at upcoming texts: mätarah pitarah puträh (10.29.20), yat paty-
apatya-suhrdäm anuvrttir ariga (10.29.32), and pati-sutänvayabhrätr-bändhavän (10.31.16). This is
seen in Sri Kavi Karnapüra's commentary on the tenth canto.30 Therefore, from here the explanation is
in conformity with that. The truth of the matter is as follows:
Those R$is were worshipers of Gopäla. By gazing at the sweetness of Sri Räma's form, they
ascended the stages of the sprout of rägabhakti: ni$!hä (fixity), ruci (taste), and äsakti (deep
attachment). Although those R$is' mental impurities were not completely burnt, Sri Yogamäyä Devi
brought the R$is to Gokula, where they took birth as girls in the wombs of gopis. On the strength of
associating with nitya-siddhä gopis, some of these new gopis achieved pürva-räga when they came of
age. They got the association of Krsna's body by a sphürti (vision), and so all their mental impurities
got completely burnt. These gopis rose to the stages of prema, sneha, and so forth. Even though these
gopis were married to gopas, due to Yogamäyä they were excluded from the fault of their husbands'
touching their bodies. Their bodies became transcendental, hence these gopis were enjoyed by Krsna.
When He played the flute that night, they were checked by their husbands, but by Yogamäyä's favor of
providing assistance these gopis were accompanied by nitya-siddhä gopis and thus went out to meet
the lover.
Some of them, however, did not obtain the good fortune of associating with the nitya-siddhä gopis.
Therefore they were unable to achieve prema, and so their mental impurities did not get burnt. These
gopis married gopas, were sexually enjoyed by them and had children. Later, on the strength of
associating with nitya-siddhä gopis, these gopis felt an upsurge of the need to have an ahga-sahga
(intimate encounter) with Krsna and thus achieved pürva-räga. Although they had become recipients of
mercy, they were blocked by their husbands, because Yogamäyä did not render assistance in light of
the fact that these gopis had bodies which were not fit for an ahga-sahga with Krsna. Thus they were
unable to meet Krsna on a tryst. Overwhelmed by this great disaster, they viewed their husbands,
brothers and fathers as enemies of their own life force, and simply remembered Krsna, the friend of
their life force, just like people on the verge of dying recall their mothers or other dear family member.
This is the substance of the verse.

By all other accounts, Kavi Karnapüra did not write a commentary on Bhägavatam, but his guru, Srinätha
30

Pandita, did. In his commentary on this verse, he says those gopis stayed at home either because they had
babies or simply because they were not fit for intimately touching Krsna: . ity atra cäntar-grha-vartitvam
patyädi-sannihitatvam kilästi I tat katham täs tatra gatäh. yata etä gopya eva yäh kila bäläpatyä iti präk
likhitäh. täsärh tad-ahgasahge na yogyateti bhäva iti vä. (Caitanya-mata-maijü$ä 10.29.9)
 "Those gopis by whom a departure was not achieved (alabdhavinirgamäh = na labdho vinirgamo
yäbhis täh) were checked by their husbands..." because the husbands were standing at the door with
sticks in their hands and were pointing the finger at them. "Although those gopis were always
contemplating on Him, at that time they meditated on Him." That is, they closed their eyes while
lamenting within themselves and continuously meditated: "Alas, O sole friend of my life force, O
moon of Vrindavan, may I become Your girlfriend in my next life. In these last moments, I could not
see Your moon-like face with my eyes. Let it be so. I shall look at You with my mind."

Sanätana Gosvämi
If the gopis would be blocked by such an obstacle, they would at once reach the tenth and final stage
of life. While illustrating, with an example here. this special feeling of all the women, in three verses
he mentions the distinct condition of some of the women.
Some gopis, either amSas of Mahä-Laksmi or sädhana-siddhäs, stayed at home, hence they were
blocked at the door by their husbands, et al., just by calling their names. Or else they couldn't leave
because their fathers, et al., were standing at the door. At any rate, they couldn't get a departure. Or
they couldn't get an outlet (nirgama = bahir nihsaranatii panthä vä). This departure, or this outlet, was
special (vi = viSi$ta) in the sense that it was conducive to going out to meet the Lord. Alternatively, vi
means bird: The gist is it was a departure, or an outlet, that was for the sake of going quickly like birds
do, just like the others gopis did. Or else, those gopis couldn't get a hole, literally "that from which
there is the exiting of a bird" (alabdha-vinirgamäh = na labdham veh pak$ir.10 'pi nirgamo yasmät
chidrät tädrsam api yäbhis täh).
Therefore, "They meditated—meaning they thought of Him in a special way, either to dispel this
great hardship, in light of the text: dhyeyam äpadi, "[His lotus feet] should be meditated upon when
there is a calamity" (10.31.13), or because they automatically thought of Him insofar as they didn't get
what they wanted—on Krsna." Here the name Krsqa signifies either the one who attracts their minds
or the one whose form is the topmost dense bliss.
How did they meditate? They had a contemplation on the good fun with the well-known one, Sri
Krsna. Or they were contemplating on erotic games with Sri Krsna. Alternatively, they were in tune
with Sri Krsna (tad-bhävanä-yuktä = tasya prastutasya Sri-krsnena saha viläsasya kim vä sugopyasya
sambhogasya yä bhävanä tayä yuktäh samyuktä yogavatyo vä satyah). In addition: milita-locanäh.
This means their eyes were half-closed. Or their eyes were closed shut, either due to a distinct sorrow
or due to an extraordinary meditation.
Alternatively, their seeing had ceased (milita = antarhita), meaning their awareness of everything else
was gone.

Jiva Gosvämi
If the gopis would be blocked by such an obstacle, they would at once reach a stage that is like the
tenth and final stage of life. While illustrating, with an example here, this special feeling of all the
women, in three verses he mentions the distinct condition of some of the women among those who
were trying to sally forth.
The gist is as follows. In Vraja, Sri Krsna's ladyloves are of two kinds: nitya-siddhä and sädhana-
siddhä. The existence of the nityasiddhäs is obvious because in regard to the eighteen-syllable mantra,
for instance, there is a procedure for meditating on Him in terms of being particularized by the gopis.
And those Sruti scriptures, which worship them, are said to be beginningless and endless. Therefore in
Brahma-samhitä these gopis are mentioned as Laksmis of His kind: (A) cintämani-prakara-sadmasu
kalpa-vrksa-lak$ävrte$u surabhir abhipälayantam, lakymi-sahasra-iata-sambhrama-sevyamänam, ""[I
worship Govinda,] who is protecting Surabhi cows in cin tämapi-filled abodes that are screened by
hundreds of thousands of wish-fulfilling trees" (5.29), (B) änanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhävitäbhis täbhir
ya eva nija-rüpatayä kaläbhih, goloka eva nivasati, "He resides in the same Goloka with those women,
who are expansions, in terms of being His forms and who correspond to the transcendental Rasa of
bliss" (5.37), and (C) Sriyah käntäh käntah parama-purusah, "The ladyloves are Sris, the lover is the
topmost Purusa" (5.56).
Among the nitya-siddhä gopis, Sri Rädhikä is distinguished, in Brhad Gautamiya:

devi krsna-mayi proktä rädhikä para-devatä I sarva-laksmi-mayi sarva-käntih

sammohini parä Il

"Rädhikä, the highest deity, is said to be a goddess imbued with Krspa. She has the nature of all the
Laksmis, has all types of splendor and is the topmost enchantress."

Hence in Rk-pari'i$ta Their invariable togetherness is described: rädhayä mädhavo devo

mädhavenaiva rädhikä, vibhräjante janesv ä 31 "To the people everywhere, the God Mädhava is
resplendent with Rädhä, and Rädhikä is resplendent only with Mädhava. " Therefore, in Matsya and so
on: rukmini dväravatyähl tu rädhä vrndävane vane, "Rukmioi is only in Dvärakä. Rädhä is in
Vrindavan Forest" (Matsya Puräna), a distinguishing characteristic is to be understood even in
counting these two in the general sense of being Sakti.
On the occasion, let us discuss the sädhana-siddhäs. For example, in the uttara-khanda of Padma
Puräna: purä maharsayah sarve... (see above) (cited in Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 1.2.301-302). This
proves that they are sädhana-siddhäs because the word gokule (in Gokula) is syntactically connected
with "They attained Hari", and because of the logical reasoning in: ye yathä mähl prapadyante, "[I
serve them] in the same way they devote themselves to Me" (Gitä 4.11 The sense is those Maharishis,
in days of yore, were worshipers of Sri Krsqa by having that kind of mood. The gist of "Upon seeing
Räma" is this: The Maharishis' sub-conscious impression of their own method of meditational worship
naturally sprang up, and so the Maharishis wanted to take pleasure only with Hari, that is, Sri Krsna,
the object of their meditational worship. But due to embarrassment, they did not speak out. Afterward,
by Sri Räma's grace, even though He did not speak, as if He were a wish-fulfilling tree, their desire
came true: This is what the above quotation relates. In the second verse there: They obtained
womanhood in a womb in Gokula, took birth in Gokula, attained Sri Krsna with lust (or as desired),
that is, in conformity with their tendencies (kämena = sva-väsanänusärepa)... The sense is they attained
Him who had made His ävirbhäva there inside a home. However, it should not be said, "Afterward,
they were liberated from the ocean of material life," since those who took birth in Gokula could not
possibly have material bodies, because the pastime of an Avatära is mixed with the material stuff. It is
heard, for instance, that the sad-garbhas even took birth in Sri Devaki Devi.
At some point in time, the Srutis became gopis. This is well known from the Brhad Vämana
Puräpa (as cited by Jiva Gosvämi in Laghu-vaisnava-tosapi 10.87.23). Hence it will be explained that
way, in this text:
striya urugendra-bhoga-bhuja-danda-viyakta-dhiyo vayam api te samäh sama-drSo 'hghri-
saroja-sudhäh I
[The Srutis said:] "The women (the gopis) whose minds are attracted to Your pole-like arms, which
resemble the round bodies of two kings of snakes, and we, who see with sameness and have the nectar
of Your lotus feet, are similar in Your eyes." (Bhägavatam 10.87.23)

31
In Sri Krsna-sandarbha (189), Jiva Gosvämi glosses vibhräjante as vibhräjate, and ä as sarvatah.
Moreover, Gäyatri too took birth among those gopis. In the srstikhanda of Padma Puräna, for example,
Sri Visnu speaks when Gäyatri, in the form of a gopi, is getting married to Brahmä:

mayä jiätä tatah kanyä dattä caisä virificaye I yusmäkam tu kule cäharh deva-
käryärtha-siddhaye I avatärarh kari$Yämi mat-käntä tu bhavi$yati Il

"I know her, hence this girl was given in marriage to Viriöci. I will make My descent in your dynasty
to perfect the purpose of the gods' duties, and at that time she will be my ladylove."

Therefore the status of being sädhana-siddhä also applies to this text also: tat-priyärtharh sambhavantu
sura-striyah (10.1.23). Hence there are four categories of gopis, and they are mentioned in Padma
Puräna: gopyas tu... (see above). In regard to this citation, only the daughters of gopas are nitya-
siddhäs: The sentence "The gopis are not human" negates their being human from a material
perspective.
The oneness of the gopis mentioned in the verse under discussion, beginning antar-grha-gatäh, is
obtained. These gopis were pointed out in the four categories in the uttara-khanda of Padma Puräna
and are obtained in terms of a similarity with the state of being liberated. They are the ones referred to
in: Guirü$antyah patin käjcit, "Yet others who were serving their husbands [left everything behind and
set forth]" (10.29.6), because the purport of being gopis who are at home is only that they are serving
their husbands, since it was not said that these gopis were engaged in other tasks such as milking the
cows. These gopis are sädhakas, inasmuch as it is heard that they gave up the body (in verse 10.29.11),
and also in consideration of the uttara-khapda of Padma Puräna. Such being the case, the gopis by
whom an exit was not obtained by any means (vi = viSesena = kenäpi prakärena)—because their
husbands and others zealously blocked the entrance—are the ones who took birth in Gokula and who
were only inside the house to render service to their husbands. By the influence of their spiritual
practice, these gopis had the full moods of the siddhäs. But, unlike the other gopis, that is, the nitya-
siddhäs, they did not have perfect bodies.
It's understood that because having such a body was itself an obstacle in meeting Govinda face to
face, unlike before their bhakti was not a factor in the hypothetical effectuation of the husbands'
relaxed state of mind.
The only reason the gopis had a contemplation on Him (tadbhävanä-yuktäh) was that they couldn't
leave the house. "Their hearts utterly longing for Him, Sri Krsna, they meditated on Krsna. " Here the
name Krsna signifies the one who attracts their hearts. Next he mentions an anubhäva of it: Their eyes
were closed, due to a distinct sorrow and because of an absorption in meditation. Alternatively, their
seeing had ceased (milita = antarhita), meaning their awareness of everything else was gone.

10.29.10-11

duhsaha-pre$(ha-viraha-tivra-täpa-dhutäjubhäh I dhyäna-präptäcyutäflesa-nirvrtyä k$ina-

mahgaläh I l tam eva paramätmänatii jära-buddhyäpi sahgatäh I jahur guna-mayam deham
sadyah prak$ina-bandhanäh Il
duhsaha—hard to tolerate; the lover; viraha—due to separation; tivra—intense; täpa—by
the affliction; dhuta—were shaken off (dispelled); asubhäh—they whose inauspicious things (bad
karma); dhyäna—in meditation; präpta—who was obtained; acyuta—Acyuta; äSlesa—of embracing;
nirvrtyä—by the joy; k$ina—were diminished; mahgaläh—they whose auspicious things (good
karma); tam eva—that same one; parama-ätmänam—the inner Soul; jära—a paramour; buddhyä—by
thinking of Him; api— also; sahgatäh—completely obtained; jahuh—they gave up; gunamayam—
made of the the three modes of material nature; deham— the body; sadyah—at once; prak$ina—was
nullified; bandhanäh— they whose bondage.

(täh gopyah) duhsaha-preMha-viraha-tivra-täpa-dhutäSubhäh dhyäna-präptäcyutäflesa-nirvrtyä kyina-

mahgaläh prak$irpabandhanäh tam eva paramätmänam (tasmin Sri-krspe) jära-buddhyä api sahgatäh
(ca satyah) guna-mayam deham sadyah jahuh.

The subtle impurities of those gopis were shaken off by the intense affliction of the intolerable pang of
separation from Knpa, and their stock of merit became depleted as a result of the joy of embracing
Acyuta in meditation. Those gopis, whose bondage at once became nullified that way and who were
thus associating with Him, Paramätmä, by thinking of Him as a paramour, gave up their bodies made
of the gupas.

Sridhara Svämi
In two verses he says: Upon attaining Paramätmä, that is, Krsna, by thus meditating at that time, they
at once gave up the material body. Someone might wonder, "How could they possibly give it up, since
they didn't have the knowledge of Paramätmä?" Suspecting this, he says jära-buddhyäpi. The reality of
a situation does not depend on one's knowledge of it, otherwise it would be like a person claiming to
have actually drunk nectar when the person has only imagined doing so.
"Still, there was the bondage of prärabdha karma, so how could they possibly give up the body?"
He answers that with prak$inabandhanäh. "But how can their reactions of past actions have become
nullified without their experiencing them, since only by one's enjoying or suffering karmic reactions
can they dwindle?" He responds to that at the outset: "Their inauspicious things (bad karma) went
away (dhüta = gata) due to the intense, intolerable affliction which was the feeling of separation from
the lover." This means the potential sinful reactions were brought to nil by experiencing the highest
sorrow of not attaining Him. In a similar way, "their bondage of good karma (mahgala = punya-
bandhana) was brought to nil by experiencing the highest joy, obtained by means of meditation, by
embracing Acyuta" (dhyäna-präptäcyutäjlesa-nirvrtyä kyinamahgaläh = dhyänena präptä acyutasya
äSlesena yä nirvrtih paramasukha-bhogas tayä k$inarh mahgala,vil punya-bandhanahl yäsärh täh).
Therefore, on account of attaining Paramätmä by meditating, they gave up the material body inasmuch
as their endless karma came to an end by feeling joy and sorrow at that time. 32

32
The term guna-maya can have several shades of meaning because the suffix maya[t] has a variety of
meanings: vikära (a transformation of that), avayava (a part of that), präcurya (it has an abundance of that),
samsarga (mixed with that), vyäpti (pervasion, i.e. filled with that), and aprthagbhäva (non-difference, also
called svarüpa: being entirely of the nature of) (HNV 1167, 1267). Thus, the gopis gave up their bodies in
which there was an abundance of the modes of material nature. The drift is they obtained transcendental
bodies.
Viévanätha Cakravarti
With technical knowledge , the speaker directs an external meaning at the outsiders to hide from them
the very secret thing to be attained by the gopis, while implying to the insiders, those who are
conversant with the philosophical conclusions of bhakti, an internal meaning which they cherish. Thus,
to the outsiders he says Krsna gave liberation to the women: "Their inauspicious things (bad karma)
went away (dhüta = gata) due to the intense affliction occasioned by the intolerable feeling of
separation from the lover. And their good karma (mahgala = punya) was brought to nil by experiencing
bliss by embracing Acyuta who was obtained by means of meditation. Therefore, their bondage of
karma that is coming into effect ceased (prak$ina-bandhanäh = prakyina-prärabdha-bandhanäh).
Having attained (sahgatäh = präptäh) Him, Paramätmä, even by thinking of Him as a paramour, they
gave up the body."
To the insiders, however, he says those gopis gradually achieved the fulfillment of their innermost
hankering upon getting immeasurable sorrow and joy arisen from the feeling of separation from their
lover and from meeting Him, respectively: "Their inauspicious things were shaken off (dhüta =
kampiti-krta) by the intense affliction occasioned by the intolerable feeling of separation from the
lover." The drift is: After observing the intensity of the affliction of the women's pang of separation,
the inauspicious things themselves, that is, thousands upon thousands of inauspicious things in the
forms of the submarine fire in millions of universes and the fierce poison called käla-kü(a, gave up
their own conceit of being very harsh and shook because they thought they had thus been defeated.
"And the good things about them which were both material and transcendental became insignificant
(kyina-mahgaläh = k;inäni kriibhütäni mahgaläni präkrtäpräkrtäni yäsä"h täh) due to the bliss of an
embrace with Acyuta who was attained by meditation." Acyuta had arrived as a vision. Actually they
embraced His body, which was astonishing at that time, is transcendental, is filled with love, and has
the conceit of having that sort of nature. The gist is: After noticing the women's happiness derived
from embracing the lover who was attained by a vision, thousands of pleasures—which are denoted by
the word mahgala—in the forms of the sensory gratification in millions of universes and the beatitude
of the bliss of Brahman became contemptible in comparison.
In the opinion of Vaisnavas, the explanation that badprärabdha karma and good prärabdha karma
come to an end by the sorrow and the joy arisen from the pang of separation from the Lord and from
meeting Him respectively because bad karma and good karma can cease only by experiencing pain
and pleasure makes no sense insofar as bad karma does not cause separation from the Lord nor does
good karma occasion a meeting with Krsna. Learned scholars say the cessation of prärabdha karma
occurs for persons who have ascended to the level of anartha-nivrtti, in the stage of bhajana.
And after that, "they joined Him, the Paramätman, that is, the topmost locus of love, by thinking of
Him as a paramour even though thinking of a paramour is very base" (jära-buddhyäpi = järabuddhyä
atinikrs(ayäpi). In other words, compared to Rukmini and others who view Krsna as their husbands, a
thought that is very exalted, the gopis attained Him in a complete, better way (sahgatäh = samyak-
prakärena präptäh).
In establishing a comparison between thinking of a lover as a Paramour and thinking of the
husband as the lover, this statement of Uddhava proves that the former is better because of the
exaltation of a love that knows no bounds: yä dustyajahl sva-janam ärya-patham ca hitvä, "The gopis
relinquished their relatives and the path of the Äryans, both of which are hard to give up" (10.47.61).
In this descent, it is seen that the pastimes made base things exalted. For example, in this statement by
Bhisma, the pastime of being Arjuna's charioteer is portrayed in terms of being superior to the pastime
of being the king of kings: Vijaya vijaya-ratha-ku(umba ätta-totre dhrta-haya-rafmini tac-
chriyek$aniye, "[May I develop affection for the Lord.] Taking upon Himself the responsibility of
protecting Vijaya's chariot, He held the whip with one hand and the reins with the other. With that kind
of splendor, He was worth gazing at" (1.9.39). In like manner, in Vraja it was seen that 'rhgära-rasa,
considered base, was more exalted than Sänta-rasa, which is quite exalted; that paramourship was
more exalted than wedlock; and that a garland of guijä berries, designs of pigments drawn on the body,
and a peacock's tail feather, all of which are usually considered lowly, were considered to be more
exalted than jewel-studded, magnificent ornaments.
The sense of the word sahgatäh (they joined Him, or attained Him in a complete way) is this: By
the favor of Yogamäyä, some of those gopis were not prevented to go, and so they went out to meet
Him on that night and attained Him who was delighting in the Räsa, and some other gopis attained
Him on another night.
Someone might argue, "It is wrong for the Lord to flirt with those women, because their bodies
were sensually enjoyed by another man." The speaker responds to that in the fourth line: "They gave
up the material body." The word deham (body) is singular in consideration of the category. It signifies
the plural. According to some authorities, Yogamäyä made that body disappear in a way no one
noticed. But other scholars say: Here "the body" denotes the rejectable body, composed of the modes
of material nature; owing to the addition of the adjective gum-maya, it is understood that before the
gopis heard the sound of the flute their bodies had been twofold, material and transcendental, and upon
hearing the flute they only gave up the material bodies, which their husbands had sensually enjoyed.
In this matter, this is the analysis: Right from the stage of the beginning of bhakti as instructed by
the guru, when Suddha-bhakti consisting of the devotee's performance of Sravana (hearing), kirtana
(congregational chanting), smarana (remembering), dandavatpranati (offering obeisances by falling on
the ground like a rod), paricaryä (rendering service) and so on has entered in the ears and in the other
senses of the devotee, the devotee's body becomes partly transcendental and partly material. It is
transcendental because of the Lord's statement: nirguno mad-apäjrayah, "A person who considers Me
to be His refuge is transcendental" (11.25.26): The gist is the devotee makes the Lord's qualities, etc.,
the objects of the functions of his ears and so on. And the devotee's body remains material in the sense
that the words used for that purpose are material.
As time goes on, the transcendental aspects of one's body become prominent in conformity with
the degree of the increase of bhakti, in the light of this text:

bhaktih pare'änubhavo viraktir anvatra caisa trika eka-kälah I

prapadyamänasya yathäjnatah syus tustih pus(ih k;ud-apäyo 'nu-ghäsam Il

"Just as a person who is eating feels satisfaction, nourishment, and relief from hunger with every
morsel, so one who is devoted to God acquires these three virtually at the same time: bhakti,
realization of God, and detachment from other things." (Bhägavatam 11.2.42)

And consequently the material aspects of the body decrease to that extent. But when love arises in full
force, the material aspects of the body perish, and so the body is only transcendental. Still, to avoid
uprooting the outsiders' opinion and to safeguard the secret nature of bhakti-yoga, by means of Mäyä
only the death of the coarse body is shown by the Lord. An example is the fall of the Yädavas during
mausala-lilä. But sometimes, as in the case of Dhruva, it is not shown, in order to hint at the eminence
of bhakti-yoga. 33 The proof of this is in the twenty-fifth chapter of the eleventh canto, where the Lord
is showing that 'raddhä and other things are both transcendental and material:

yeneme nirjitäh saumya gunä jivena citta-jäh I bhakti-yogena man-ni$(ho mad-bhäväya

prapadyate Il
33
Dhruva was awarded residence on a Vaikuntha planet at the top of the universe (Bhägavatam 2.7.8). He
never died.
"O gentle Uddhava, the soul by whom the three modes of material nature, which arise in the mind, are
conquered by means of bhaktiyoga is devoted to Me and is fit for achieving My state of being
(transcendence, and love)." (11.25.32)

Here the Lord says material ideas and material things cease only by bhakti. Therefore, in the verse
under discussion this meaning is intended to be made: "Their material bodies were destroyed
(dhutäSubhäh dhutäni vidhutäni täni randhitäni asubhäni gupamaya-Sariräni yäsähl täh), and their
transcendental bodies flourished by the joy of the embrace" (äSlesa-nirvrtyä k$ipamahgaläh = äSlesa-
nirvrtyä ak$ina-mahgaläh) (ak$ina-mahgaläh = ajirpäni vivardhitäni mahgaläni cinmaya-'ariräpi
yäsäm täh). Hence: prak$ina-bandhanäh. The sense is: By obtaining Yogamäyä's favor, the gopis
avoided the bondage of ignorance and the blockage of their husbands. But an explanation like this:
"The gopis died" should never be made. This is a verse to prove it:

yä mayä kridatä rätryärh vane 'smin vraja ästhitäh I alabdha-räsäh kalyänyo mäpur mad-
virya-cintayä I l

"The gopis who had to remain in the cowherd village could not join the Räsa dance with Me even
though I was having fun on that night in the woodland, yet they were blessed: They attained Me by
contemplating on My prowess." (10.47.37)

What the Lord means to say here by using the word kalyänyah (fortunate, blessed) is this: The gopis
who had to stay back wanted to give up their bodies at that time because their husbands were
preventing them to go and because they were afflicted by the pang of separation from Me, but then
they thought that a death at the beginning of the Räsa festival, the most auspicious thing, would be
inauspicious inasmuch as I don't want that to happen, and so those gopis had good fortune (kalyänyah
= kalyänavatyah). Another proof is Sukadeva's statement: tä ücur uddhavam pritäs tatsandeiägata-
smrtih, "The gopis then spoke to Uddhava. They were pleased; their memory had come back by
Uddhava's delivering the message" (10.47.38). Here the pronoun täh (they) refers to the word alabdha-
räsäh in the previous verse, cited above. This means they were still alive.
The gopis were confined to the house, hence the meaning is: They gave up their material bodies
without dying. The gist is this: Cooked by the intense heat of the pang of separation, their material
bodies abandoned the state of being material and achieved the transcendental state, as in the case of
Dhruva and others.
The sense of alabdha-vinirgamäh here, in the verse under discussion, is exactly the same as that of
vraja ästhitäh in the above citation, and likewise dhyäna-präptäcyutä'lesa here is equivalent to mäpur
mad-virya-cintayä above. However, since there is a difference between sahgatäh here and alabdha-
räsäh there, the explanation is that two types of gopis were confined to the house.
The analogy is as follows: By noticing seven or eight fully ripe mangos on a tree, it's understood
that the mango tree has ripe fruits. Then all the fruits are picked, and carried home. Whichever mangos
have acquired a lovely shape, a nice scent and a good softness on account of both the sunrays and the
proper season are appealing and thus fit for being offered to the king, and so at the proper time a wise
servant cleans them and considers them fit for the king's enjoyment. But those fruits which are ripe
inside yet unripe outside are not appealing because they don't have qualities such as being well-shaped,
hence they are not worthy of being offered to his majesty; however, by applying a special heating
process, these remaining fruits become ripe in two or three days and thus become fit for the royal
offering.
Similarly, among the muni-cari gopis born in Gokula, those who very early in life gave up the
condition of having a material body and became endowed with purely transcendental bodies remained
untouched by another man and, owing to Yogamäyä, set out that night with nitya-siddhä gopis. Other
muni-cari gopis still had the external material body, but even they, after being parched by the heat of
separation from Sri Krsna, gave up the materiality of their bodies, and became freed from the fault of
being touched by another man, and so their bodies became transcendental. On that night, some set out
after all the other ones had gone. And the others, who still had a trace of mental impurity, kept staring
and set out on another night; in that way, by the fire of separation their material bodies could
transform.
At the end of that night, the muni-cari gopis who had gone to the Räsa went back to their husbands'
homes, and so did the nitya-siddhä gopis. From that time, these muni-cari gopis, whom Yogamäyä
protected from the sensual association of their husbands, lost all sense of possessiveness toward their
husbands, their children, and so on, and became immersed in an abundance of love for Krsna. Their
milk-giving breasts dried up. They stopped feeding their own kids. Their relatives thought that these
women had become possessed by spirits. Thus everything was irreproachable.
Some authorities, however, hold the opinion that the gopis who were forced to stay at home did not
have children. According to them, whenever words such as apatya (children) are used in upcoming
texts, they indicate either the children of co-wives, adopted children or nephews and nieces.

Sanätana Gosvämi
And after that, those gopis at once obtained an encounter with Sri Krsna. The speaker states this in two
verses. On account of the meditation, and especially by a full-fledged vision of His form, qualities and
so forth... "The gopis, whose inauspicious things were shaken off by the intense affliction occasioned
by the intolerable pang of separation from the lover, met Him, Krsna, although He is Paramätman,
simply by thinking of Him as a paramour" (tam eva paramätmänam jära-buddhyäpi = paramätmanam
api tam krsnarh jära-buddhyaiva) (jära-buddhyä eva — upapati-bhävena eva). A paramour is so called
because he always makes his ladylove grow old (or become withered): jarayatiti järah... by the special
fire of love. But it shouldn't be said that the gopis met Him with the thought that He is Paramätman.
Hence, an encounter of the nature of the highest eternal love is meant.
How did they give up the material body? Or the sense is they attained a transcendental body fit for an
encounter of the nature of eternal love of God. The gist is the gopis had the encounter by obtaining a
form of dense sat-cid-änanda. It's understood that the encounter was characterized by nitya-samyoga
(everlasting rapport), either like Sri who is always on His chest or like a mahä-jakti. Over and above
that, a detail is inferred because of such an encounter by thinking of Him as a paramour. Here is why:
This is the Lord's message related by Uddhava:

yä mayä kridatä rätryähi vane 'smin vraja ästhitäh I alabdha-räsäh kalyänyo mäpur mad-
virya-cintayä Il

"The gopis who had to remain in the cowherd village could not join the Räsa dance with Me even
though I was having fun on that night in the woodland, yet they were blessed: They attained Me by
contemplating on My prowess." (10.47.37)

In this verse, a special type of attainment is meant by the use of the words kalyänyah (fortunate,
blessed) and mad-virya-cintayä (by contemplating on My prowess). This will become clear later on.
The rest was revealed by Sridhara Svämi.
n regard to that, the usage of the words duhsaha (hard to tolerate) and tivra (intense) suggest this:
The affliction of the pang of separation was millions of times more intolerable and intense than the
affliction engendered by experiencing great hell over millions of eons. Moreover, the usage of the
words acyuta (Acyuta, unfailing) and nirvrti (joy, bliss) suggest this: The joy of embracing Him was
better than the delight obtained by enjoying kingship and independent rulership, etc., over infinite
billions of eons and was even better than the happiness of liberation, because all that is just a mere
drop compared to the ocean of the joy of embracing the Lord. In addition, it's understood that on
account of a connection with the Lord, their sub-conscious tendencies of a material nature vanished.
And therefore the prefix pra is used in prak$ina-bandhanäh (their bondage was completely undone).
Further, the term asubha (inauspicious thing) denotes any particular karma that obstructs a nitya-
samyoga with the Lord. And the word mahgala (auspicious thing) signifies any particular good karma
that is the cause of an extraordinary joy generated by the Lord's kindness as regards the
implementation of pique and so on. The depletion of these and of those was the result of the
occurrence of nitya-samyoga. Hence, because of separation and because of pique and so on, it is
inferred that those gopis were less fortunate than the other ones, owing to the absence of the distinct
bliss of love that was being generated.
There is another interpretation. "They at once gave up the body even though it had all good
qualities" (guna-mayam = sarva-sadguna-mayam api), insofar as they couldn't attain Sri Krsna, since
their husbands and others did not allow them to leave the house. This means they only met Sri Nanda-
kiéora with another body suitable for that. Why? He was the most loved one (paramätmänam =
parama-priyam). The reason behind that is jära-buddhyä. The rest of the interpretation is the same as
before.
Alternatively, "The gopis at once gave up the body even though it had all good qualities, although
the gopis• bondage, that is, the blockage done by their husbands at the door, was eminently nullified
by the power of their meditation" (prak$ina-bandhanäh dhyäna-prabhävepa sadyah prakarsena
k$inäni bandhanäni paty-ädi-krta-dvära-bandhä yäsärh tathä-bhütä api). How were the gopis? Their
quick splendor—meaning the splendor was either flying or ever fresh—came to nil because of the
huge inner torment caused by the intolerable separation from their lover, Sri Krsna (dhutä'u-bhäh =
dhutä nay(ä äSu Sighram yadvä ä'u abhinavä bhä käntir täh). The gopis gave it up even though they
were characterized by the joy (nirvrtyä jahuh = nirvrtyä viSi$(ä api jahuh) derived from embracing
Acyuta, who was encountered (präpta — sahgata) either in meditation or because of meditation. Or
else the idea is they embraced Sri Krsna, who is acyuta in the sense that He has no letdown even in
separation, as evidenced by His words: mayä paroksarh bhajatä tirohitam, "I disappeared to reciprocate
in an indirect way" (10.32.21). Or the embrace was uninterrupted (acyuta = avicchinna). Another
meaning is the joy was the form of an embrace (äSlesa-nirvrtyä = äSlesa-rüpä nirvrtis tayä): Owing to
a distinct meditation, the joy seemed to consist of the pleasure of union.
Why did they give up the body? The reason is they were k$inamahgaläh, meaning their auspicious
things, such as a design on the forehead, were sullied when the gopis tried to fight their way out of the
house. The drift is: By such a loss of splendor, and by having a sullied attire, the gopis thought that
their body was no longer fit for rendering service to the Lord.
Or, by a coalescence of the vowel a (nirvrtyä k$ipa-mahgaläh = nirvrtyä akyipa-mahgaläh): They
gave up the body even though they were ak$ipa-mahgaläh. That is, the auspicious thing about them,
the fun of Räsa, had no end. The happiness of full-fledged romance would have come into effect only
by that type of fun. Therefore they at once (sadyah) lost all hope (prak$ipa-bandhanäh = prakarsena
k'itgarh bandhanam äjä-bandho yäsäm). This means their hope "We will achieve the Räsa dance by
keeping our bodies" was gone.
Alternatively, they made the material body disappear (jahuh = antar-dhäpayämäsuh). Or else the
drift is they gave up the body of qualities. The gopis had internal qualities and external qualities.34For
example, in the third canto in the context of creation it is said that Brahmä gave up his body in the
34
The gopis gave up the body of good qualities that their bodies had.
sense that he gave up the mood that he had.35 Just before they gave up the body, they dispelled the
inauspiciousness, that is, the three types of misery, of the worlds (asubha = jagatäm aSubha = täpa-
traya) by means of the intense affliction of their pang of separation from their lover. And they
increased the auspiciousness of the worlds (ak$ipa = puts(a = vrddhim iva gata) (mahgala = jagatärh
mahgala) because of the joy of embracing Acyuta in meditation.
All in all, liberation is achieved by trance in Brahman, and a planet of Vaikuntha by bhakti
consisting of affection, whereas the Lord becomes controlled by love. The philosophical conclusion is
that in Vraja there is a meeting with a special type of love, the mood of having a paramour, with Him
who is forever dear. Therefore, the purport is that the entertainment of Räsa should be served by all
means by everyone in order to give rise to those types of emotion.

Jiva Gosvämi
After that, those gopis at once obtained an encounter with Sri Krsna. This is one set of two verses. In
the first one, the maturation of the longing is stated in the first half, and the evolution of the meditation
in the second half. The term viraha denotes the bhäva called vipralambha (separation). The gopis'
asubha was shaken off by the intense affliction caused by the separation, which was hard to tolerate...
on account of the longing. And their mahgala dwindled by the joy, obtained because of meditation, of
embracing Acyuta, who is so called because it is well known that He never lets down a devotee. In the
first instance, the highest degree of unhappiness is brought to light with the usage of the words
duhsaha (hard to tolerate) and tivra (intense). And in the second one, the highest degree of happiness is
shown by using the words acyuta and nirvrti. The non-splendrous thing was a sorrow-enhancing, vivid
recollection of separation (asubha = duhkha-janikä tad-virahasphürtih) in reference to a previous
situation during an obtainment of nitya-samyoga (meeting) with the Lord. And the auspicious thing
that dwindled due to the joy of the embrace was a delightful insight of what meeting Him would be
like (mahgalam = sukha-janikä präptavya-tat-samyoga-sphürtih) during nitya-samyoga.
An advanced devotee whose emotions have matured because of those two mental states becomes
accomplished. But on this occasion, both of them, which should be experienced separately, were
experienced at the same time. Thus, the shaking off of that one and the dwindling of this one have
been stated.

10.29.11
Therefore, right there they met Sri Krsna (tam sahgatäh = Sri-krmam eva militäh). For example, these
are Märkandeya's words cited in Väsanä-bhäyya [the name of a commentary on Bhägavatam]:

tadänim eva täh präptäh Grimantahi bhakta-vatsalam I dhyänatah paramänandarh krynahl

gokula-näyikäh I l

"Right at that time, in meditation the ladyloves of Gokula attained Knna. He has Sri, cares for His
devotees, and has the highest bliss." The point is that asubha is not a synonym of bad karma, nor is
mahgala a synonym of good karma, since each gives the result attributed to it, and so bad karma
cannot possibly have an influence on love felt in separation from the Lord, because, in accordance
with this text in the chapter in Padma Puräna about the glories of the month of Kärtika: na karma-
bandhanam janma vaisnavänäm ca vidyate, "The Vaisnavas have neither a bondage of karma nor a
material birth," obviously the gopis' birth was not the result of karma. Thus, the verse under discussion
should not be explained in another way. As for this text: guru-putram ihänitahl nija-
Sridhara Svämi says the meaning of "Brahmä gave up his body" is that B rahmä gave up a particular
35

mentality: sarvatra tanu-tyägo näma tat tan mano-bhäva-tyägo vivaksitah (Bhävärtha-dipikä 3.20.28).
karmanibandhanam, "Entangled by the bonds of his own karma, the son of My guru was brought here
to you" (Bhägavatam 10.45.45), the logical reasoning here is as follows: The Lord, who is witty at
increasing one's love for Him, decides whether or not one keeps the karma.
Someone might wonder, "When the gopis met Him, was He a paramour?" The speaker answers
"no": He is Paramätmä. First of all, the gopis' passionate eagerness turned their conception that He is a
paramour into a staircase (so they could get high on love). And secondly, the sense of being
Paramätmä is that He is already the form of a husband. Given that His status of being a husband (pati)
is proven since He inherently is the Maintainer of everyone, much like the word yadu-pati indicates, or
else it is proven simply because He is the topmost svarüpa, the amSi, He is the husband of the gopis
who have special feelings for Him, although He is their lover.36
The gist is this: They thought of Him as a paramour inasmuch as they had not obtained Him as a
lover. They thought of Him as such because the gopis, who wanted to attain Him as a lover even
though they had been meeting Him, were bold, since He, the amSi of everything, cannot possibly be a
paramour, and so here the expression jära-buddhyäpi (even by thinking of Him as a paramour) has a
pejorative sense, like the term jighähsayäpi has in: jighämsayäpi haraye stanahi dattväpa sad-gatim,
'•Pütanä attained liberation by offering her breast to Hari although she intended to kill Him" (10.6.35),
because each of those gopis had given up her official husband and her body.
To be clear, it should never be thought that a word like ramapa (lover) and a word like jära
(paramour) have the same meaning. Rather, in light of the definitions in Vijva-kosa: patola-müle
ramanam syät tathä ramanah priyah, "In the neuter, ramapa means the root of Trichosanthes Dioeca,
but in the masculine it means lover" and in Amara-kosa: dhavah priyah patir bhartä järas tüpapatih
samau, "The words dhava, priya, pati, and bhartä are synonymous, whereas jära and upapati mean the
same thing," they have opposite meanings: The first term denotes the svämi (husband) and the second
an upapati (paramour). On top of that, since a more civilized term could have been used instead, what
comes to mind is that the purport of the usage of the term jära is censure, as is the purport of the usage
of the aforesaid term jighärhsä, because the dictionary definition, even in Trikhanda-sesa, is: jära
upapatih, "The word jära means upapati, " and because this is actually common sense.
However, the facts are that only paramourship has a renown, because it hints at the passion due to
which the gopis did something reproachable, the mood of paramourship, which involves the
transgression of worldly etiquette and moral ethics, and that in their case it was a form of love insofar
as the gopis acted favorably toward their lover, Him, even though, as has been shown, it is designated
as lust on account of a similarity of gestures. These verses prove that it was love:
yat te sujäta-caranämburuharii stanesu bhitäh Sanaih priya dadhimahi karkaSeyu I
tenä(avim a(asi tad vyathate na kith svit kürpädibhir bhramati dhir bhavad-äyu$älil
nah Il

"Beloved, Your lotus feet are so soft that we are apprehensive: Perhaps we should gently place them on
our hard breasts. You roam the woods with such feet: How can You possibly not feel hurt by the
pebbles and other things there? Our minds reel at the thought of it.
Our life depends on You." (10.31.19)

äsäm aho carana-renu-jusäm aharh sym vrndävane kim api gulma-latausadhinäm I vä

dustyajam sva-janam ärya-patham ca hitvä bhejur mukunda-padavim 'rutibhir
vinwgyäm Il

36
Laksmi advised all women in this world to acknowledge that only Hrsikeéa (Krsna) is the real husband: sa
vai patih syäd akuto-bhayah svayam, samantatah päti bhayäturam janam. sa eka evetarathä mitho bhayam,
naivätmaläbhäd adhi manyate param (5.18.120).
"Ah, may I obtain a birth in the woodland of Vrindavan as any shrub, creeper or plant which has dust
from the feet of these women who relinquished their relatives and the way of the Äryans, both of
which are hard to give up, and who trod the path leading to Mukunda, a path still sought by the
personified Sruti scriptures." (10.47.61) etäh param tanu-bhrto bhuvi gopa-vadhvo govinda eva
nikhilätmani rüdha-bhäväh I vähchanti yad bhava-bhiyo munayo vayam ca kim brahma-janmabhir
ananta-kathä-rasasya Il

"These cowherd women who have an elevated love for Govinda, the Soul of all, are the foremost
embodied beings on Earth because sages, we devotees and those who fear material life want that type
of love. For one who relishes the topics about the infinite Being, what would be the use of the three
births of a Brähmana? (or what would be the use of repeated births as Brahmä?)" (10.47.58).

Thus, the attainment of the crest jewel of the topmost puru$ärtha (goal of life), which is characterized
by Krsna and is to be relished with great love has been illustrated after rejecting the reproachable
element. Next he states a concomitant result in that matter: "They gave up the material body," because:
sadyah prak$ina-bandhanäh (all their bonds at once ended), by the manner mentioned above.
The obtainment of a transcendental body is implied this way.
This has been said: The word api (although) hints at the reproachableness of the jära-buddhi
(thinking of another as a paramour) just like the aforementioned text "jighämsayäpi haraye stanam
dattväpa sad-gatim" (Pütanä attained liberation by offering her breast to Hari although she intended to
kill Him) (10.6.35) hints at the reproachableness of the intent to kill, because there is a connection
between those words, which are expressive of censure. The reason for that is: paramätmänam. The
word "Paramätman" can never be described as a term expressive of reproach in the same way. And in
the citation the reason for that is haraye (to Hari): There, the word hari signifies that He enchants all by
His compassion and other great qualities, and so someone like that should not be the object of
someone's intent to kill. And if somehow or other the jära-buddhi (thought of a paramour) or the
jighämsä (intent to kill) occurs, even though neither one is adequate, then He, being someone who
benefits everyone because He is Paramätman and because He is Hari, would eliminate the rejectable
aspect in the gopis like He did in Pütanä. That is, upon thinking that Pütanä's hatred which had the
guise of a semblance of bhakti was in fact bhakti, simply because she was offering her breasts, Hari
bestowed on her the destination of a nurse, a destination partially indicated by that action. Therefore,
why would He not bestow on those gopis the status of being His ladyloves, which is fitting considering
that He took part in the meeting in their minds on account of their extraordinarily great bhakti as
mentioned in the compound duhsaha-pre$tha-viraha-tivratäpa and so on?
It's understood that the meeting stated in the verse occurred in the aforementioned special
manifestation of Gokula called Goloka. Hence the Lord said this, as related by Uddhava: yä mayä
kridatä.. ., "The gopis who had to remain in the cowherd village could not join the Räsa dance with Me
even though I was having fun on that night in the woodland, yet they were blessed: They attained Me
by contemplating on My prowess" (10.47.37). This Räsa occurred on that day, because here only this
Räsa is meant by the Lord, even though it could have happened on another day in Goloka.
During this one, however, the bodies that were given up were made to disappear by His Mäyä so
that the husbands would not feel any distress. And then His Mäyä created images of other gopis who
resembled the original ones. Their husbands and other relatives didn't know what happened. This is in
conformity with an upcoming verse:

näsüyan khalu krynäya mohitäs tasya mäyayä I manyamänäh sva-pärSva-sthän svän svän
därän vrajaukasah Il
"The cowherd men did not resent Knna: Bewildered by His power of illusion, they thought that their
respective wives were at their sides." (10.33.38)
Thus, for all this time even the Lord's beloveds who had been in the Räsa were not aware of this
mystery, until they heard from Uddhava the message beginning yä mayä kridatä (10.47.37).
There is another interpretation. "Given that some gopis were confined to their homes and met him
there, what's so astonishing about going out to meet Him by following the sound of the flute?" At that
time, the gopis' feeling of separation (aSubha = viraha-rüpa) caused by that kind of intense affliction
was terminated... by Sri Krsna's mercy.37 Or, "The gopis dispelled the inauspiciousness of the worlds"
(dhutäjubhäh = jagatäm api dhutam asubhahi yäbhis täh) in that way, as in: mad-bhakti-yukto
bhuvanath punäti, "A devotee fixed in loving service to Me purifies the whole world" (11.40.24). And
their feeling of meeting Him was enhanced (akyipa-mahgaläh = pus(arh mahgalatii nija-tädr'a-tat-
samyoga-rüpam yäsäm täh) by the joy of that embrace. Or else, they thus increased the welfare of the
worlds. As before, they gave up the body, but here the sense is they gave up the absorption in
separation (guna-mayam = viraha-bhävamayam) (deham = ävejam). For example, in the third canto in
the context of creation the same is shown in regard to Brahmä. The rest of the interpretation is the
same as the above.
The meeting occurred in their homes, because there is a connection with antar-grha-gatäh
(10.29.9). Therefore, "Immediately all things contrary to their meeting came to nil" (prak$ina-
bandhanäh = prakyinarh bandhanmiz sarva-tat-sahga-virodho yäsähi täh). Thus, it's understood that
those gopis did not attain the Räsa only on that night, because of a previous reason.

K!$pa-sandarbha 145: Here the sense of 'Paramätman' is that Sri Krsna naturally is the the topmost
abode of love, because this was shown in the way' the philosophical conclusion was stated at the end
of Brahmä's prayers (10.14.50-55) 38
The gopis met Him merely by thinking that He is a paramour (jära-buddhyäpi = jära iti yä buddhis
tayäpi tan-mätrenäpi), but He was not really a paramour. By using the term jära (paramour), it is
shown that the gopis transgressed etiquette and moral ethics, and this implies that their love knew no
bounds.
The gopis' impediments in terms of being causes of not attaining Sri Krsna, such as living among
their elders, came to an end (bandhana = Sri-knna-präpti-virodhi-guru-jana-madhya-väsädi-rüpa).

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
By the intense affliction of their pang of separation, the gopis dispel the hearers' inauspicious things
(dhutäSubhäh = dhutäni tacchrotttgätii Subhäni 60 yäbhis täh). And because of the great bliss (nirvrtyä
= paramänandena) occasioned by embracing Acyuta who was obtained by meditating, the gopis
dwindle the hearers' auspicious things (k$ipa-mahgaläh = k$inäni tac-chrottnähi mahgaläni Subhäni
yäbhis täh). This means the prärabdha karma, consisting of nonauspicious elements and of auspicious
elements, of those who hear about both the gopis' affliction in separation from the Lord and the bliss
they felt in embracing Acyuta come to nil. In other words, the readers or hearers are freed from
material existence.

37
In Kryna-sandarbha (145), Jiva Gosvämi rewrote this to avoid the logical incongruity of "feeling
separation because of separation". There he comments: asubham Sri-krsna-präptäv antaräya-rüpahi guru-
bhayädikam, "The inauspicious thing is any impediment, such as fear of the guru, that prevents a meeting
with Sri Krsna. " Those impediments were automatically terminated by meeting Krsna in their
meditations.
38
tasmät priyatamah svätmä sarve$äm api dehinäm. tad-artham
10.29.11
After that, the gopis met Krsna, who is Paramätmä, that is, the Svämi, only with the thought that He is
a paramour (jära-buddhyä = jära-buddhyä saha eva). This means they attained Him in a particular
manifestation of Sri Gokula. That place had been seen by the gopas in the episode about Varuna
(10.28.16). The proof that they met Him there is in His message delivered by Uddhava: yä mayä
kridatä... (10.47.37).
Here the word api (also, or although) has the sense of uktasamuccaya (adding the thing that is
stated). The gist is: That mindset

eva sakalam jagad etac caräcaram. krsnam enam avehi tvam ätmänam akhilätmanäm, "Therefore, the dearest thing to
anyone is his or her very self, the soul. This entire universe, consisting of mobile beings and immobile entities, is dear only
because the self is dear. You should understand that Krsna is the Soul of all souls." (10.14.54-55)
60 That should read aSubhäni. This is translated above. The manuscript of Vaisnavänandini is fraught with typographical
mistakes.
too should be followed through.39 This is because of His statement in the eleventh canto:

mat-kämä ramanam järam asvarüpa-vido 'baläh I brahma rnärh paramariz präpuh sahgäc
chata-sahasrajah I l

"Unaware of My true identity, hundreds of thousands of young women who had lust for Me attained
Me, their lover, a paramour, Brahman, the highest Being, because of associating." (11.12.13)

But it should not be said that this mindset is lowly like it was said about the term jighärhsayä in the
text: jighmsayäpi haraye stanam dattväpa sad-gatim, "Pütanä attained liberation by offering her breast
to Hari although she intended to kill Him" (10.6.35), nor can this text serve as proof: jugupsitahi ca
sarvatra hy aupapatyarh kulastriyäh, "Intercourse between a woman of noble pedigree and her
paramour is, of course, despised everywhere" (10.29.26). The reason that interpretation is wrong is
threefold: Firstly, that mindset was a form of eminence because it was in conformity with Him.
Secondly, it was not the usual form of paramourship. And thirdly, the word jugupsitam (despised) in
that citation is said by Him for the sake of playing a trick on them.
Someone might think, "How could they meet Him if they still had some mental impurities?" He
responds to that with jahuh. The sense is: They at once gave up their material bodies; then the gopis
had the meeting. This means they got transcendental bodies which were suitable for Hari's enjoyment
and which were manifested by His superior potency. The merging of their abandoned bodies into their
own causes took place by the Lord's will. There was no lack Of splendor at all in this completely
auspicious pastime, therefore He calls them kalyänyah (blessed) (10.47.37). As mentioned earlier, by
that same potency their husbands thought that their wives had remained at their side. Thus, their
bondage, that is, their confinement at home, completely ended (prak$ina-bandhanäh = prak$inarh
bandhanahi grhäntar-nirodha-laksanarh yäsärh täh) 62

Srinätha Pandita
They gave up the material body, but they did not merge in the Absolute. Rather, they obtained a
transcendental body fit for an ahga-sahga with Sri Krsna. Concerning jära-buddhyä, the term jära is
simply expressive of a perception of Him as such. Alternatively, "They gave up the material body due
to that mindset, which makes the material body grow old" (jära-buddhyä = jarayati guna-mayadeham
39
Krsna behaved like a paramour toward the gopis, and now it was time for them to reciprocate. The idea is:
"They too met Him with that mindset. " 62 Additional notes: In his commentary, Madhväcärya quotes this
verse
iti järah. järä cäsau buddhiS ceti tathä yayä). What did they do upon obtaining a transcendental body?
He answers: They met Him.

10.29.12

räjo väca63 krynahi viduh param käntam na tu brahmatayä mune I

guna-pravähoparamas täsähi guna-dhiyärh katham Il

räjä uväca—the king said; krsnam—Krsqa•, viduh—they know (knew); param—only; käntam—the
lover; na—not; tu—but; brahmatayä—as Brahman; mune—O sage; gum—of the three modes of
material nature; praväha—of the flow; uparamah—the cessation; täsäm—in the case of those women;
guna-dhiyäm— whose minds had those modes; katham—how?

räjä uväca—mune! (gopyah tu) kryparh param käntahl viduh. (täh tarh) brahmatayä tu na (viduh. atah)
guna-dhiyärh täsä'il gumpravähoparamah katham (jätah)?

from the Skanda Puräna: krsna-kämäs tadä gopyas tyaktvä deham divam gatäh samyak krsnam para-brahma, jiätvä kälät
param yayuh, "Then the gopis, who felt lust toward Krsna, gave up their bodies and went to heaven. Since they fully
understood that Krsna is Para-Brahman, they went beyond Time." (Bhägavata-tätparya 10.29.11). The Bhägavatam,
however, is inconsistent in this matter: Some texts say the gopis knew Krsna is the Soul, the topmost Purusa (10.29.32-33),
and some others say they did not know He is Brahman (10.29.12; 11.12.13). 63 Sri-parik$id uväca (BBT edition).
King Parik$it said: "O sage, the gopis only knew Knna as a lover, not as Brahman, so how did the
cessation of the now of the gupas take place in their case? Their minds had the gupas. "

Sridhara Svämi
The king means to say, "Even though their husbands are Brahman, the gopis did not achieve liberation
by serving them because they did not think of them as Brahman, yet the gopis did not think of Krsna
as Brahman, so what is the reason for their liberation that would make sense of this?" Param means
kevalam (only), and käntam means kamaniyam (lover).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Although by Suka's grace the king was fully aware of the meaning Suka intended to express, he
noticed that some outsiders in the assembly had a lingering doubt since they took the meanings at face
value, and so he pretends to be in doubt so that their confusion might be dispelled. "O sage," that is, "O
knower of everything!" "They knew that Krsna, who is the topmost Purusa (param = parama-purusam)
even though He is Paramätmä, was their lover, but they didn't know the truth that He is Brahman,
therefore how did the cessation of the flow of the gums take place in the case of those women, whose
minds had gunas for objects (guna-dhiyäm = guna-viyayaka-buddhinäm) such as: "Let's enjoy with
Krsna"?"
The doubt occurs because, by looking at scriptural statements such as the following, only
knowledge about Paramätmä is the cause Of achieving liberation: (1) tam eva viditvä ati mrtyum eti,
"One goes beyond death by knowing only Him" (Svetäjvatara Upaniyad 3.8) and (2) ätmänam
ätmätmatayä vicaksate, "They see the Soul as the soul of souls" (Bhägavatam 10.14.24).
 Sanätana Gosvämi
"Parik$it, who had resplendence, spoke"... as if to test others (Sriparik$id uväca = Sri-yuktah parik$id
ity anye$ärh pariksanärtham ivoväca), but not because he had a doubt out of ignorance.
The gopis knew He was their only (param = kevalam) beautiful husband (käntam = patim sundaram
vä)ß. Or they knew He was the topmost sweetheart, meaning a lover who is a paramour (param käntam
= ramanam järam). Therefore, "In the case if those women who had their minds on His qualities, such
as beauty, sweetness and compassion, instead of having their minds on the Truth, how did the cessation
of material life (guna-praväha = samsära) occur?" How could liberation, the crest jewel of the four
goals of life, happen? because according to the scriptures, as in: tam eva viditvä ati mrtyum eti, "One
goes beyond death by knowing only Him" (Svetä'vatara Upanisad 3.8), material existence comes to an
end only by knowing the truth about Bhagavän (i.e. about Brahman65 ). This question is put forward
either by intending to signify that liberation is hard to achieve by considering it to be better than
everything else, or by examining the gist of the method of obtaining liberation as mentioned in the
scriptures.
Alternatively, the gopis knew He was most beautiful (param käntam), meaning either He is more
ravishing than millions of Cupid or He is millions of times dearer than oneself. Hence, "How was it
possible that those women who had their minds on His qualities, such as beauty, sweetness, wittiness
and passion, instead of having their minds on their own spiritual identity, who are Sri Krsna's dearest
beloveds and whose feet are fittingly served by genuine devotees— those who make liberation look
like straw—obtain insignificant liberation?" Thus the question is asked by considering liberation to be
worth next to nothing.
"O sage," that is, "O knower of everything! You understand everything that happened, and so only
you are able to clear the doubt." But really the fact of the matter is that in the light of texts like these:
nätha yoni-sahasresu (10.87.32), and tvayi bhaktas tu kito

64 Some other manuscripts read käntahi gatihi sundaram vä, and yet others: käntam priyam sundaram vä.
65 The word tam (Him) in the citation refers to Paramätmä, according to Safikaräcärya: tam etam paramätmänam
(commentary on Svet. Up. 3.8). This interpretation was stated above by Viévanätha Cakravarti. Otherwise there is a
contradiction in contrasting the ideas. In his commentary on the current Bhägavatam verse, Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana says
the underlying idea is that according to the old tradition, liberation is obtained by trance in Brahman. In this matter, the
sense of 'Brahman' and the sense of 'Paramätmä' are practically synonymous.
'pi bhüyäsam janma-janmasu (Näräyana-vyüha-stava), the devotees request to have one life after
another in order to improve their bhakti, inasmuch as the purport of being alive is to be engaged only
in bhakti, hence the cessation of material existence, characterized by having one life after another, is
inappropriate. It follows that taking a transcendental body by giving up, due to depression and so forth,
the material body, which is the cause of making bhakti progress, is not right. Thus, the drift is those
women had a mind on qualities, in the sense of being loaded with good qualities. This means they
knew the quality of staying alive. Why would there be the cessation of a body in which there is a flow
of qualities, such as ravishing beauty, which bring satisfaction to the Lord'? Those gopis gave up their
bodies either because they thought their bodies were unfit for serving the Lord or because their pain
was unbearable, yet it was inappropriate for them to give up that kind of body.
Or else, "How could there be the cessation of the flow—i.e. a succession by a repetition or by a
series of new occurrences—of the quality, that is, the special good fortune characterized either by the
entertainment of Räsa or by living in Vraja like other gopis do, of those women who had a mind for
qualities, that is, either the entertainment of Räsa or Sri Krsna's fragrance, ravishing beauty and other
qualities?" because neither of those is brought about by relinquishing a body endowed with all good
qualities. Moreover, how could the fall of that sort of body, which they gave up because they lost all
power of reasoning and so on, possibly happen by having that type of individual temperament?

Jiva Gosvämi
He is called Parik$it because he sees in a complete way (pari ik$ate) (pari = sarvato-bhävena). This
means he understands everyone's frame of mind. The gist is as follows. Although he automatically
knows the glories of this and that, he puts forth a special doubt with a special meaning in order to clear
up the confusion of those who are doubting the insiders, and puts forth a doubt, which as if relates to
the theory of brahma-jüäna, in order to clear up another doubt Of those who are doubting the outsiders.
Sometimes the reading is räjoväca. The overall idea is the same, because the purport of the word räjä is
a person who is proficient in all types of emotions. The king of sages will respond with that in mind.
Of the two, the meaning that relates to the ways of the outsiders is well known (ref. Sridhara
Svämi's commentary). The meaning that relates to the ways of the insiders is as follows (ref. Sanätana
Gosvämi's commentary). Someone might wonder: "It was said that they rejected the body which is
guna-maya. If the three modes of material nature are expressed by the word guna, the suffix maya( has
the sense of vikära (a transformation of that), so what is the use of mentioning the term guna-maya,
given that the body, which is rejectable, is automatically made of the gums? Therefore the sense is:
Before, there was a series of good qualities of the mind, but afterward only an abundance should be
meant." In that regard he says, "All right, let us ask about this." Then he asks the question stated in the
verse. Further: "And if the term guna-maya stands out in order to imply either that the bodies to be
attained by these gopis was transcendental or that the bodies of the gopis who went to the Räsa were
transcendental, at any rate the idea that there was a flow of good qualities of the mind, since the
women were that way, is obtained." To that also he says, "Fine, let's ask about this too," and formulates
the above question.
The gist is this. They knew Krsna was their only lover, the dearest one in terms of being a charmer
by His amazing qualities, but they didn't know Him as Brahman, that is, as one who is transcendental
and is a special avirbhäva of that. Thus, their minds were on such qualities of that sort, qualities that
are known to cause one to relinquish being fixed in Brahman. Because those women were solely fixed
on Him, those qualities are modes of love for Him, which are connected with His qualities, and so the
sense of gum-dhiyäm is apräkrta-gupänäm (of those women who had transcendental qualities).
Granted, since their bodies were not perfect, it makes sense to say that there was a cessation, but how
could there be a cessation of a series of such unbreakable qualities? That is the gist. There was not
merely a manifestation of His svarüpa in them like there is in the meditators on Brahman, rather it was
accompanied by a manifestation of His qualities. The qualities in the meditators on Brahman only
consist of the material sattva; only the cessation of the flow of those meditators' qualities is possible,
not the cessation of the flow of the qualities of those women in whom the qualities of Bhagavän have
taken place. That is the sense of the statement in the verse.
As a double meaning, he asks this: "They knew that Krsna is only their lover. They didn't know He
is Brahman, the pervader. Thus, there cannot possibly have been a manifestation in them of a quality
of being the pervader, by the logical reasoning in: ye yathä mäm prapadyante, "[I serve them] in the
same way they devote themselves to Me" (Gitä 4.11). Therefore, since He wasn't inside their homes in
any way, in their case how was the cessation of the flow of qualities consisting of separation possible?"
In this interpretation, the term guna-dhiyäm means they thought "He is beautiful; He is clever." The
vocative mune means sarvajfia (O omniscient one).
Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
Since only the topmost Purusa was their paramour, He, who was revered with the thought that He is
the paramour, should become the bestower of both a body that was suitable for His enjoyment, once
the material body had been given up, and the boon of being close to Him. Although the king already
knew this, he asks the question so that the confusion of those who didn't know it be dispelled. "The
gopis knew Krsna as the topmost (param = sarvottamam) lover, not as Brahman. Therefore, how could
the cessation of the body made of the three gunas of Mäyä occur in the case if those women, whose
minds were absorbed in Krsna's qualities, such as beauty, sweetness, loveliness, and being
knowledgeable about friendship?". because it is heard from the scriptures that liberation is only
possible by achieving trance in Brahman, as in this text:

yadä pajyah pajyate rukma-varnam kartäram i'am purusam brahma-yonim I

tadä vidvän punya-päpe vidhüya niraijanah paramam sämyam upaiti Il

"When the seer sees the effulgent one, the Maker, the controller, the Purusa who is the source of
Brahman, then that seer, a knower, shakes off both the good karma and the bad karma, becomes
u
ntainted and achieves the supreme equilibrium." (Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.3)

Näräyapa Bhatta
The king calls him muni because Suka has the habit of thinking (manana) profusely. He asks the
question because everyone thought that the drift of "They gave up the body of gunas and met
Paramätmä" is that they attained the liberation characterized by merging in the Absolute. For women
who are contemplating on the fun of Räsa, only the attainment of the fun of Räsa is fitting. So he says:
"In the case of those women whose minds were on Sri Krsna's qualities—or on qualities suitable for
the Räsa, such as dancing and singing—, how could the cessation of the continuity of the quality that
is the fun of Räsa occur?" It is said:

na vinä vipralambhena sambhogah pustim a'nute I kasäyite hi vasträdau bhüyän rägo

'bhi.jäyate Il

"Without separation, the meeting of lovers is not enhanced. When a garment is dipped in a reddish dye
many times, the red color (räga) increases." (Sarasvati-kamhäbharana 5.52) (Ujjvala-nilamani 15.3)

10.29.13

Sri-Suka uväca uktahl purastäd etat te caidyah siddhihi yathä gatah I

dviyann api hrsikeßarh kim utädhokyaja-priyäh Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Suka said; uktam—it was told; purastät— previously; etat—this; te—to you;
caidyah—Siéupäla ("the king of Cedi"); siddhim—perfection; yathä—fittingly; gatah—attained;
dvisan—while hating; api—even; hr$ikeSam—HrsikeSa (ht$ika-ija, "the controller of the senses");
kim uta—even more so; adhok$ajapriyäh—those who like Adhoksaja (or those who are dear to Him).
Sri-Sukah uväca—(yad atra uttarmil vaktavyam, tad) etat te purastät uktam. caidyah hrsikesatii dvisan
api yathä (= yathävat) siddhim gatah, kim uta (imäh) adhoksaja-priyäh.
gri Suka replied: This was told to you before. Siéupäla fittingly attained perfection even though he
hated HnikeSa, so what at all need be said about those who like Adhoksaja?

Sridhara Svämi
He brushes the question aside. The drift is this: In the souls, their nature as Brahman is covered, but
Krsna is not covered because He is Hrsikeéa, and so there is no reason to view Him as a soul.40

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Although the king of sages knows that this question is not really the king's, under the guise of saying:
"By asking this, you prove that you've got no brains," he gives a reply to rebuke only those who are
not conversant in this matter. "It was told to you before..." in the seventh canto.41
The gist is: "If he attained the type of liberation called säyujya (mergence) even while hating, that
is, even by having the opposite mindset, characterized by hatred, what need is there to talk about the
favorable mindset characterized by love?"
In point of Hrsikeéa: Having made His descent of His own accord, out of causeless mercy, He cannot
even be grasped by the senses (hrsika) of Brahmä and others, yet in the world of mortals He was seen
by the senses of even the lowest people, and to that extent He had become an object of perception, by
His inconceivable potency, to elevate those people. This too is one grandiose display of His mercy.
These women, however, were both the subjects of Adhoksaja's affection and the objects of His
affection. The compound adhoksajapriyäh can thus be analyzed both ways. Adhoksaja is so called
because He is beyond the range of sensory perception.
By using yet-to-be-mentioned Siéupäla as an example instead of referring to Aghäsura, who was
closer in time (his demise had already been narrated), Suka imparts this little secret to the king: On
account of an intense absorption in hatred, Siéupäla's body which was material and was obtained as the
result of the curse of sages (the four Kumäras) ceased to be, but his inner, transcendental body as an
attendant (pärsada) was indestructible, and so it kept existing forever.42 For instance, in this text: visnu-
cakra-hatähhasau, "those two (Jaya and Vijaya), whose sinful reactions were destroyed by Visnu's
cakra" (7.1.46), the meaning is not that both were killed, rather the sense is their sinful reactions were

40
In his commentary on the next verse, Jiva Gosvämi comments on this interpretation as follows:
"According to Sridhara Svämi, Suka's purpose here is to dispel the doubts of adverse materialists. Such
an objector argues, "Women make progress in life by seeing Brahman in their husbands." He responds to
that. The reason the souls are covered is that one's awareness depends on one's senses (hrsika)•, the reason
Brahman remains covered in the souls is that the souls only acknowledge the upädhis (extrinsic
characteristics) in other things, since the souls are thrust forward (by Mäyä). The point of saying
"because He is Hrsikeéa" is that the rise of His own awareness is not dependent on His senses" (Laghu-
vai.mavatosani 10.29.14). Still, the name 'Hrsikeéa' was used in a similar verse earlier (10.2.24), in the context
of describing Kamsa's fear of Him. In his commentary on that verse, Viévanätha Cakravarti virtually
copied Sanätana Gosvämi's and Jiva Gosvämi's interpretation. He says the gist of hrsikeSam is: sarvendriya-
vi$ayi-bhütam, "Him who had entered the scope of all the senses (of Kamsa)" (Särärtha-dar'ini 10.2.24).
41
Sukadeva is referring to this: gopyah kämäd bhayät kamso dve$äc caidyädayo nrpäh, "The gopis by love,
Kamsa by fear, and kings , including Siéupäla, by enmity attained the Lord." (7.1.31)
42
Aghäsura, however, obtained särüpya-mukti (10.12.38): In that way, no analogy with the gopis is possible.
eradicated. Thus, Siéupäla attained the destination that he wanted, that is, he got the status of attendant
(siddhihz gatah = abhi$(ärii gatihi pärsadatäm präptah). That was stated:

vairänubandha-tivrena dhyänenäcyuta-sätmatäm I nitau punar hareh pärSvahi jagmatur

visnu-pänadau I l

"By an acute contemplation filled with enmity for the Lord, those two attendants of Vi>nu obtained the
status of being in Acyuta's company and thus returned to Hari's side." (7.1.47)

Sanätana Gosvämi
Suka has splendor (Sri-Sukah = Sri-yuktah Sukah). The sense is he is like a parrot (Suka) by narrating
in a soft tone without any arrogance and so on. This term should be analyzed in the same way ahead as
well. Here, however, under that guise he replies as if he were angry by aiming at some particular
reasons, which have underlying causes, for his question, although he knows that the king understands
his own intention.
Of those, firstly, owing to the king's uncertainty about the cesssation of the devotees' material
existence, he responds while being as if angry because there is a whiff of improbability regarding the
Lord's glory. "Even though he hated Krsna, who is called Hrsikeéa in the sense that He is the topmost
benefactor as the one who brings to life the functions of all the senses, Caidya, that is, Siéupäla,
obtained (gatah = präptah) the perfection which is the attainment of a transcendental body beyond the
gunas." Or he obtained liberation, his desired perfection, consisting of being a personal attendant of
the Lord. "This was properly (yathä — yathävat) told to you (te = tubhyam) earlier," in the seventh
canto. He is called Adhoksaja because He was born under a cart (adhoksa — adho'ksa = 'aka(ädhah),
meaning He was as if born again, from the cart, because He was saved from the danger of a falling cart
while He was taking rest. Thus, "The women for whom Sri Yagodänandana is else the women who are
dear to Him—reached perfection: What at all need be said?" (kim utädhok$aja-priyäh = adhoksaja-
priyäh siddhim yänti iti kim uta vaktavyam) (kim uta = kim u). The intention of saying this was
implied by Sridhara Svämi. The conclusion is: Out of fear of separation from their beloved, those
women accepted the obliteration of getting another birth even though such an obliteration is not
agreeable to devotees.
Secondly, even Caidya achieved the type of perfection that he wanted, the perfection of getting a
transcendental body beyond the gunas, but not the perfection of merging in the Absolute. Krsna's
girlfriends, however, will attain the first of these two kinds of perfection, so what more need be said?
Hence, afraid of not having enough nerves to cope with the pang of separation from Him when the
intensity is accentuated by an overabundance of extraordinary love, those women accepted the
obliteration of getting another birth. Regarding the statement that it is improper for devotees to take a
t
ranscendental body: On account of the absence of a special premavivarta (bewilderment of love), for
the most part a transcendental body does not appeal to special devotees who are great due to the
highest intelligence in such a way that a special mood is made to be felt with meekness. As for the
Lord's ladyloves, however, the discrepancy is not too big: The minds of these beloveds are sublime on
account of intimate affection.
Thirdly, "Although he hated Hrsikeéa, Caidya attained perfection, that is, the fulfillment of his
desire: being an attendant of the Lord again." In this regard, the name Hrsikeéa is expressive of the
general nature of the Lord, whereas the name Adhoksaja, by the aforesaid etymology, expresses a
special nature of His. Therefore: "The women who are dear to the prince of Vraja who is displaying
more sweetness than His Avatäras did and than the Avatari (Näräyana) did, in other words these
women abound in the highest sweetness and love, will always and properly achieve the
accomplishment of their desired games of love in Vraja by residing in Vraja like the other Vraja-devis
do. What more need be said?"

Jiva Gosvämi
Sri Suka means "Suka, who has splendor." Even though he understood that the purpose of Pariksit's
question was to dispel the perplexity of those who want to know how to make outsiders cross over,
under that guise he speaks exactly in that way (with splendor) inasmuch as his discourse was subtle in
terms of having a little arrogance, while as if rebuking the outsiders: "I already told you about this."
Siéupäla attained perfection, his desired goal, that is, being an attendant again, in light of this text
in the seventh canto: vairänubandha-tivrema... (see above). The gist is this: He obtained that and got
his own qualities back—when his hatred came into being long ago, his qualities remained in him by
staying merged— but even more so (kim uta = sutaräm eva) those gopis, who were both the subjects
and the objects of Adhoksaja's affection: They attained that and got their own qualities which had
manifested as ever-increasing love.
"But what I only meant to say by "They gave up the body of gunas" (10.29.11) is: by obtaining a
body that was, inside and out, a form of a function of the svarüpa-'akti, even though the bodies that
they gave up had eminent material qualities such as beauty from a material perspective," because that
type of body is a special one." Now, given that the question involved a pun, this is the sense of the
answer to the second meaning: "To those who are referred to in: ye yathä mäm (Gitä 4.11), I do not
reveal qualities other than the ones which they expect, although I naturally have everything." That is
what is meant. Therefore, on account of absorption in bhakti, even if one is not taking any interest in
that the powers of it will manifest those qualities on their own occasion—otherwise the devotees who
worship from far away and who are only fixed on His sweetness would never have such an attainment
(if the said sweetness excludes ai'varya).
In the second half he says: "Listen to a gradational example of that." The sense of dvisann api
(even while hating) is this: Still, if he had not been such a hater, the grandioseness (ai'varya) of
granting liberation in the end would not have become manifest (in reference to: dve$äc caidyädayo
nrpäh etc., 7.1.31).
With two names of His, Hrsikeéa and Adhoksaja, he mentions the reason for the respective
manifestations. By the etymology of both names, it is shown that, without the requirement of knowing
Him, a special quality of His manifests for those persons' perfection. The power of meditating on Him
is thus told.

Srinätha Pandita
Those gopis, Krsna's beloveds, attained perfection, the body that they wanted.

Näräyapa Bhatia
The word api (although) is syntactically connected in both places: "Caidya reached perfection although
he hated Him, that is, although He is Hrsikeéa," meaning although He impels the senses. Caidya
became an attendant. This is well-known, hence the mere liberation of the gopis is not meant,
otherwise Caidya would not have been given as an example. The Vraja-devis attained His nature.
meaning they became transcendental. They did not give up their bodies, rather they gave up the body
of their thoughts about their husbands and others. Adhoksaja is so called because He makes His
manifestation in the senses (alga = indriya) of those who are under, that is, the insiders. Those young
women were His girlfriends, so what at all need be said?
10.29.14

nrnä'il nihSreyasärthäya vyaktir bhagavato nrpa I avyayasyäprameyasya nirgunasya

gupätmanah Il

nngäm—of humans; nihSreyasa—of the liberation; arthäya— for the purpose; vyaktih—the
manifestation; bhagavatah—of the Lord; nrpa—O king; avyayasya—of Him, the imperishable;
aprameyasya—of Him, who cannot be proven; nirgunasya—of Him, who is transcendental; guna-
ätmanah—of Him, who has a mind for qualities.

nrpa! avyayasya aprameyasya nirgunasya gunätmanah bhagavatah vyaktih nrnäm nihireyasärthäya

(bhavati).

O king, the Lord is imperishable, unprovable, and untouched by the gupas, yet He has a mind for
qualities: He becomes visible to give final beatitude to people.

Sridhara Svämi
"But how can an embodied soul get rid of the coverings?" He responds to that here. The Lord is the
regulator of the modes of material nature (gunätmanah = gum-niyantuh). There is such a manifestion
of Him (vyaktilz = abhivyaktih). The gist is: It is wrong to say that He is similar to an embodied soul
in any way.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
In this verse and the next he says the Lord descends to this world with this idea in mind, "I shall
deliver all those persons who have no access to the best paths of spiritual advancement but still
somehow or other have some personal connection with Me."
His manifestation occurs for the sake of nihSreyasam (final beatitude, liberation). For some this
means merging in the Absolute, for some others residing in a spiritual planet, etc., and for others love
of God. Otherwise His manifestation only for killing Kamsa and others who are the forms of the
Earth's burden is uncalled-for, because He is able to annihilate billions of universes, and so He could
diminish the Earth's burden in a flash.
The Lord does not become impoverished even by giving Himself to every devotee (avyayasya = na
vyeti iti avyayas tasya). How so? He cannot be measured (aprameyasya = pramätum asakyasya)— the
sense is: Who knows the truth about this?— because: nirgunasya, He is devoid of the modes of
material nature. Moreover: gunätmanah, He has illustrious qualities which are inherent in His nature.
Thus, one who is an ocean of transcendental qualities cannot possibly be fathomed.

Sanätana Gosvämi
In two verses he says: By the power of the Lord, even just by a relation somehow or other, everyone
attains either the Lord in person or an extraordinary frame of mind that fulfils one's wishes.
The Lord's manifestation (vyaktih = präka!yam) occurs for the result which is bhakti
(nihireyasärthäya = nihireyasath bhaktih, tad evärthah phalam tasmai). Or else it occurs for bhakti,
which is the result of liberation. Or it occurs for prema, the result of bhakti. The sense is: "to give the
result." By the term 'manifestation', the Lord in person is referred to. Therefore: bhagavatah, which
means the Avatäri, Parameévara (God). Alternatively, the sense is simply: "for the sake of the
nihSreyasam (highest benefit) of people."
The reason for that is: bhagavatah. Otherwise His manifestation only for killing Kamsa and others
who are the forms of the Earth's burden is uncalled-for, because He is able to annihilate billions of
universes, and so He could diminish the Earth's burden in a flash. The gist of the vocative nrpa is: "Just
like a king of your type goes here and there only for the welfare of people."
Next, with four adjectives he elaborates upon His status as Bhagavän: The Lord does not become
impoverished even by giving Himself. How so? He cannot be delimited (aprameyasya =
aparicchinnasya). Why is that? nirgunasya, He is beyond the gunas Of Mäyä. In which way?
gunätmanah, He sets in motion the gunas of Mäyä.
There is another interpretation. "God has a birth (vyaktih = janma) only for the sake of the
nihireyasam of people." Otherwise there is no chance of that happening. That is just what he says: He
is avyaya, meaning He never undergoes any change such as birth. Plus, He is aprameya. Even though
He is such, the reason for His manifestation is: gunätman, He is mindful of His infinite qualities,
including compassion. This means He is intent on revealing His qualities (ätmanah = cetayituh =
praka(ana-parasya). The rest of the interpretation is the same as the above.
Alternatively someone might wonder: "Then why does He care to attract the wives of other men?"
He responds with avyayasya. The gist is nothing about Him becomes impoverished even when He has
fun with those wives. "Still, what on Earth is His purpose in doing that?" He answers: aprameyasya.
This means He is hard to figure out. In other words: Who can make sense of His pastime? Why is He
hard to figure out? nirgunasya gunätmanah. Even while being nirguna, He is the soul, the substratum,
of qualities. Because He is nirgupa, He remains untainted by that defect. And because He is gupätman,
He engages in romantic relationships with the divine gopis.
Or, someone might wonder: "Nevertheless, He should think twice about this so that we may
develop some affection for Him." Suspecting this, he says "He even impels the qualities of a
transcendental person" (nirgupasya gunätmanah = nirgunasyäpi janasya gunänäm ätmanah
pravartakasya) because by the entertainment of Räsa, which evokes everyone's highest feelings of
love, all good qualities become excellent. This will be brought to light later with questions and
answers in the conversation between Sri Parik$it and Sri Suka (at the end of the Paöcädhyäyi, esp. the
last verse).

Jiva Gosvämi
The topic of meditation was discussed. At the time of His personal appearance, however, the Lord
provides assistance to accomplish those things about Caidya, who was an attendant of the Lord and
whose might as an asura was accidental, and about those gopis, who have profuse love for the Lord. In
this verse he explains the cause in terms of kaimutya (to a higher degree) (He frees people even if they
have just some personal connection with Him).
"The Lord's manifestation (vyaktih = präka(yam) occurs for
the purpose of accomplishing everything (nihSreyasärthäya = sarvasädhaka-phaläya) related to the
souls (ntnäm = jiva-mätränäm)." The sense is: to bring about that result, which is the form of the
attainment of the bliss of His pastimes. And that attainment is preceded by the excellence of becoming
qualified. (The rest of the commentary is the same as Brhad-vai;nava-tosani minus the first two
paragraphs and the last two paragraphs there.)
Knpa-sandarbha 145: Given that He makes His ävirbhäva to give final beatitude in a general way to
the souls, what comes to mind is that this especially applies to His devotees, otherwise He would have
no reason to make His ävirbhäva. That is just what he says with the four adjectives. His qualities, such
as godly might, are part of His nature (gunätmanah = ye caijvaryäda_yo gunäs te ätmanah svarüpäny
eva yasya tasya).

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsaqa
The Lord, that is, the almighty Krsna Himself, has an ävirbhava to give the foremost status to those
who have some connection with Him even though they are not performing sädhana (spiritual practice).
He is avyaya in the sense that He does not become impoverished even by giving Himself to His
devotees. Why? He cannot be understood (aprameyasya = pramäturh jiätum asakyasya). There is no
arguing this because of the text: sa mukto bhavati tasmai svätmänam ca dadämi vai, "He becomes
liberated, and I give Myself to Him" (Gopäla-täpani Upanisad 2.48). What kind of self does He give to
devotees? In that regard he says: nirgupasya gunätmanah, meaning the gunas of Mäyä let go of Him,
and He is filled with qualities, including being fully knowledgeable, being powerful, being
compassionate, and being one who cares for devotees.

10.29.15

kämmh krodham bhayarh sneham aikyahl sauhrdam eva ca I nityam harau vidadhato yänti tan-
mayatäth hi te Il kämam—lust; krodham—anger; bhayam—fear; sneham—affection; aikyam—
oneness; sauhrdam—friendship; eva—only; ca—or43• nityam—constantly; harau—at Hari;
vidadhata&—while doing (having); yänti—they reach; tat-mayatäm—the state of having the same
nature as His; hi—only; te—those persons.

(ye janäh) kämarh krodham bhayam sneham aikyarh sauhrdam eva ca harau nityam vidadhatah
(bhavanti), te hi tan-mayatärh yänti.

Those who constantly direct at Hari either their lust, anger, fear, affection, mood of oneness, or
friendship become one with Him in essence.

Sridhara Svämi
Here he says: Therefore, an attachment to Him in one way to another is a cause of liberation. Aikyam
(oneness, intimacy) means sambandham (relationship). Sauhrdam (friendship) means bhaktim.

43
Here ca has the meaning of vä. The sense of ca is that one option does not exclude another. Vallabhäcärya
has the reading eva vä. The definition is: cänväcaye samähäre 'py anyonyärthe samuccaye, paksäntare tathä
pädapürane 'py avadhärane, "Ca is used in the meanings of anväcaya (connecting a secondary action with a
main action), samähära (combination), anyonyärtha (the sense of one and the other), samuccaya
(conjunction), pak$äntaram (another alternative), päda-püranam (filling a line of a verse), and
avadhäranam (limitation (eva), restriction, ascertainment)." (MedinikoSa)
Viévanätha Cakravarti
Now he says, "Try to understand this philosophical conclusion simply in a general way." The gopis
constantly had lust, Caidya and others hatred (krodham = dvesam), Kamsa fear, Nanda and others
parental affection (sneham = vätsalyam), the ätmärämas the feeling of oneness, and the Pändavas and
other Vrsnis friendship. Thus, even nowadays, whoever has one of these moods reaches the state of
being tan-maya. This implies that His pastimes are eternal. The gopis were tan-maya in the sense that
they became wholly attached to Him, like a lover is called stri-maya (engrossed in women). For others,
tan-maya means säyujya (merging in the Absolute).

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Therefore, the persons who constantly implement lust, etc., toward Hari even by a mere connection
with Him somehow or other, become fixed solely on Hari by meditation" (tan-mayatäm dhyänena
hary-eka-niy(häm), or, by obtaining a similar godly form they acquire His nature (tan-mayatäm =
särüpyädi-präptyä tat-svarüpatäm präpnuvanti). The word eva has the sense of api (although): even by
lust, and so on. The name Hari signifies either He steals everyone's hearts or He removes all faults.
The pronoun te stands for te janäh (the persons). Alternatively the sense is "the ones who are well-
known because of lust, etc." (te = kämädinä prasiddhäh), such as the sages of Dandakäranya, as well as
KeSi, Kamsa, and others. Or, "toward your (te = tava) Hari."
Hi means ni'citam (indeed). Another interpretation is that the verse expresses the reason for the
words nrnärh nih'reyasärthäya (to give final beatitude to people): "Because (hi = yatah) they achieve
the state of being tan-maya even while implementing lust, and so on. "
The term sauhrdam (friendship) serves as an example [of aikyam,
i.e. sambandham (relationship), in Sridhara Svämi's explanation.]
Sometimes the reading is vä, instead of ca. As such, the word vä has the sense of upamä
(comparison), in reference to Sri Närada's statements in the seventh canto:

kämäd dveyäd bhayät snehäd yathä bhaktyejvare manah I äveSya tad-agham hitvä bahavas
tad-gatim gatäh Il gopyah kämäd bhayät kamso dvesäc caidyädayo nrpäh I sambandhäd
vrmayah snehäd yüyarh bhaktyä vayam vibho Il

"Many persons achieved liberation by fixing their minds on God because of lust, hatred or fear, much
like a devotee fixes his mind on God with bhakti, and getting rid of the sinful reactions associated with
it. The gopis achieved liberation by love, Karinsa by fear, kings, such as Siéupäla, by enmity, the by a
family relationship, you PäQdavas by affection, and we sages by bhakti." (7.1.30-31)

In this citation, by looking at this from an external perspective, the gopis are referred to only in
consideration of love as a paramour.

Jiva Gosvämi
Fine, that was a talk about those who lived during the time of the Lord's personal manifestation, yet
the procedure is the same at all times. He speaks with that in mind. Here the term käma denotes two
things: Either lust consisting of love, as in the case of the divine gopis, or lust consisting of the desire
for sex, as in the case of the king's maidservant (Kubjä).
This is being referred to: anger, that is, hatred, like Caidya and others had, fear like Kamsa and
others had, affection like the Vrsnis, the Pändavas had or like the residents of divine Vraja had,
oneness like the ätmärämas have, friendship like Kratha, Kauéika (Kaiéika), and others had. Of those,
fear and hatred are not approved of.
The Lord creates the well-being of someone who thinks He is frightful, although He has illustrious
qualities, even while hating Him secretly, and even of someone who is impudent enough to show
hatred to Him in person by also displaying envy and the like, so who is the moron who would fear and
hate Him? Rather, everyone should feel either affection for Him or friendship toward Him. Only that is
the purport. It was said in that way by Sri Närada: tasmät kenäpy upäyena manah knne niveSayet,
"Therefore one should fix the mind on Krsna by any means" (7.1.32). Here the sense of "by any
means" is "by any suitable means." Hence he also stated there:

yathä vairänubandhena martyas tan-mayatäm iyät I na tathä bhakti-yogena iti me niScitä

matih Il

"A mortal does not become one with Him in essence by means of enmity in the same way one does by
bhakti-yoga. This is my definitive opinion."10 (7.1.27)

Even though it ought to be rejected on the path of bhäva, which occurs after going beyond the bhakti-
yoga consisting of reverence

70 However, the real sense of the verse is: "By devotional service one cannot achieve such intense absorption in thought of
Him as one can by hating Him. This is my definitive opinion" (7.1.27). For instance, Sridhara Svämi says bhakti-yogena
means bhakti-yogenäpi, and in that line of thought Viévanätha Cakravarti says na tathä bhakti-yogena means na tathä sadyo
bhakti-yogena.
and scriptural injunctions, it is seen that the power of it causes the attainment of being tan-maya. By
implying this, it follows that only affection and friendship are acceptable. It was stated in the same
way earlier: dvisann api, "even while hating Him" (10.29.13). Similarly, oneness too is not accepted
because there is no such realization of His qualities.
The word eva (only) is used to signify that each one severally leads to success. Sometimes the
reading is vidadhate instead of vidadhato. "Indeed (hi = nifcitam), those who direct this or that
emotion at the Lord attain the state of tan-maya, " which means both the suitable origination of the
emotion and an engrossment in Him. The reading is either ca or vä. The meaning is the same.
However, in the light of these texts: bhaktyäham ekayä grähyah 'raddhayätmä priyah satäm, "I, the
dear self of the righteous, can only be grasped by exclusive bhakti endowed with faith" (11.14.21);
yogibhir dr'yate bhaktyä näbhaktyä driyate kvacit I drasturh na Sakyo royäc ca matsaräd vä janärdanah
I l "He is seen by the yogis by means ofbhakti. Without bhakti He is never seen. Janärdana cannot be
seen by means of fury or envy." (Padma Puräna 6.238.83); and näham prakäSah sarvasya yoga-mäyä-
samävrtah, "I, covered by Yogamäyä, do not manifest Myself to everyone" (Gitä 7.15), although those
who hate Him, and so on, do not realize Him in the way He really is, rather they experience Him in an
entirely different way, still, at a later time, even in stages because of the power of it, He reveals how
He really is, and so anger and fear are counted here. But in that group, lust is given eminence—
because being a beloved occurs at a higher level—by the text kim utädhoksaja-priyäh (10.29.13). The
matter should be discerned thus.

K!$na-sandarbha 145: "If so, how does this type of pastime bring about the nihireyasam (highest
benefit) of people?" He responds here: "By this manner of understanding." Here the term tanmayatä
signifies tat-pracuratä (the state of having an abundance Of that). Of those, the meanings that
correspond to lust, affection and friendship culminate into tad-anuraktätmatä (the state of liking Him
very much), like a profligate person is said to be stri-maya. But for the most part the meanings that
correspond to anger, fear and oneness are tat-pralinatä (being merged in Him), like water which has an
abundance of milk. The one word tan-mayatä has different meanings on account of the variety of
modifiers, by the logical reasoning expressed in: syäc caikasya brahma-jabda-vat, "One word may
have a double sense in the same sentence, like the word brahman [in Taittiriya Upanisad 3.2]"
(Vedänta-sütra 2.3.4).

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
The gopis referred to here are the Sruti-cari gopis and the muni-cari gopis.

Madhväcärya bhaktyä hi nitya-kämitvath na tu muktim vinä bhavet I

atah kämitayä väpi muktir harau I l sneha-bhaktäh sadä deväh kämitvenäpsara-
striyah I käscit käscin na kämena bhaktyä kevalayaiva tu I mok$äm äyänti nänyena
bhaktim yogyähi vinä kvacit Il

"Being a constant lover with bhakti never happens outside the scope of liberation. Therefore, those
who have bhakti to Hari obtain liberation either in terms of being a ladylove or not. The gods are
affectionate devotees. Apsaräs are as lusty women. Some women, a few, attain liberation, but only by
exclusive devotional service, not by lust. Without suitable devotional service, they never attain
liberation by another means." (Padma Puräna)

Näräyapa Bhatta
The term sauhrdam (friendship) stands for sauhärdam (goodheartedness). And that only denotes
bhakti. It is said:

mad-guna-'ruti-mätrena mayi sarva-guhäiaye I mano-gatir avicchinnä yathä

gahgämbhaso 'mbudhau Il lak$anarh bhakti-yogasya nirgunasya hy udährtam I
"The definition of transcendental bhakti-yoga is thus illustrated: It is the unbroken tendency of the
mind to be drawn to Me, whose abode is the heart of hearts of everyone, simply by hearing about My
qualities, just like the water of the Ganges is drawn to the ocean." (3.29.11-12)

10.29.16

na caivam vismayah käryo bhavatä bhagavaty aje I yogeSvareSvare krsne yata etad
vimucyate Il

na ca—nor; evam—such; vismayah—amazement; käryah—should be done (felt); bhavatä—by you;

bhagavati—at Him, God; aje— the unborn; yoga-ifvara-iivara—the master of the masters of yoga;
krsne—Krsna; yatah—from whom; etat—this (the universe); vimucyate—is released in a special way.

yatah (krynät) etad vimucyate, bhavatä (tasmin) krme bhagavati aje yogeSvareSvare evarh (mok$a-
däne asambhävanä-rüpah) vismayah na käryah.

Don't be so amazed at Krsna. He is God, the unborn, the master of the masters of mystic yoga. The
universe is released from Him.
Sridhara Svämi
"This is not a big thing for the Lord." "Even the world, including immobile things (etat = etat
sthävarädikam api), is liberated because of Him, Sri Krsna. "

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Others might be amazed by this, but you have no reason to be so amazed because you've known His
glory since your time in the womb."
He is God even though He is in the range of sensory perception. He is unborn although He is
Devakis' son. He is the master of the masters of mystic yoga even though He is a rake with the
cowherd girls. He is Krsna, the Avatäri of all. The venerable Sri Svämi says: "Even the universe,
including immobile things, is liberated." Alternatively: Even now, upon remembering the feelings of
those persons, such as lust and affection, the world, though completely different from His pastimes,
associates, and the like, is liberated, meaning it is freed from the current of the gunas.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Don't doubt like this again," or else "Don't be so amazed." He uses the honorific term bhavatä (by
you) instead of tvayä (by you), in order to show respect: '"'0thers might feel that way, but you have no
reason to do that again in any way, under any circumstance, because you've known His glory since
your time in the womb."
The rationale for not being amazed is: bhagavati (at God), meaning He has all types of godly
might. Someone might think, "Then why was He born from Devaki's womb?" In that regard he says:
aje. He doesn't take birth like a soul does, rather He makes His ävirbhava of His own accord, since He
cares for devotees. "Then why should there be the perception that He is Devaki's son?" In this matter
he says: yogeSvareSvare. He is also the master of Sri Siva, Sri Sanaka and others, who are the masters
of yoga, that is, a special ability to easily accomplish what is hard to bring about. Therefore, even
though He makes His ävirbhava of His own accord, being a son of Devaki is possible, by a special
power, since that power has inconceivable godly might. Consequently: kryge, the Para-Brahman in a
human form. Or the name Krsna means He is well known as the nectar ocean of infinite, unarguable
glory.
Alternatively, "Why should you be so amazed at God (bhagavati = parameSvare), who is,
therefore, aja, meaning He has no material birth, given that He makes His ävirbhava of His own accord
out of mercy, and so He is yogeSvareSvara, " meaning He is fittingly served with bhakti by Sri Närada
and others who are well established in bhakti-yoga. Or else, because He manifests His infinite and
astonishing godly might, He is yogeSvareSvara in the sense that He is the master of those who have
very wonderful powers. Over and above that, He is Krsna, the festival of Sri Gokula.
"Because of whom, Krsna, the whole world, consisting of moving beings and immobile things, is
liberated in a special way" (vimucyate = viSesena mucyate), automatically, just by His will—even
though no one undergoes a spiritual discipline—simply because of mere semblance of a trace of a
connection with Him. This means the world reaches Sri Vaikuntha. This is said with the intent to
signify the eventual attainment of Sri Vaikuqtha by the trees, the creepers, and so on, in Indraprastha
and so on. For example, in Sri Kunti's prayers, in the first canto:
ime jana-padäh svrddhäh supakvausadhi-virudhah I vanädri-nady-udanvanto hy edhante
tava vik$itaih Il

"Replete with mature crops and plants, and with forests, mountains, hills and lakes, these lands have
nicely nourished because they are enhanced by Your glances." (1.8.40)
By the terms svrddhäh (nicely flourished) and punar edhante (they are enhanced even more) here, the
suitability of the attainment of Sri Vaikuntha is meant. The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation. Someone might wonder, "Being tan-maya is quite hard to achieve,
even by the greatest types of sädhana such as Yoga and the performance of many fire sacrifices, so
how might that be achieved at all?" This verse answers. The meaning is the same, but the drift is: No
one, not even those who are intent on obtaining liberation, should be indifferent to hearing or reading
about this, the entertainment of Räsa, thinking this is just an erotic picnic. Rather, everyone, for
accomplishing what is beyond their desires, and especially the devotees, should always take interest in
it, because it is the ultimate prize. This is the purport of introducing this episode, and was firmly
established earlier (B VT 10.29.1). That is the general idea.71
Or, the events should be interpreted as follows: Those gopis, whose impediments came to nil due
to a special good fortune, since they are the Vraja gopis of the prince of Vraja, immediately met Sri
Krsna with the same bodies that they had and attained the fun of Räsa on that occasion. The
explanation is this: Inside their homes, they were bound with ropes: Their husbands confined them
there (10.29.9). Hence, being unable to go out by any means, they became

7
1 To be clear, by negating that one should be in awe of God, the verse implies that vaidhi-bhakti (especially deity worship)
should be given up in favor of spontaneous bhakti. For instance, Vopadeva says there are two kinds of bhakti: vihitä
(ordained, i.e. vaidhi) and avihitä (not ordained) (Muktä-phala 5.2), and specifies that the types of avihitä bhakti are listed,
al
ong with vihitä bhakti, in the aforesaid verse beginning gopyah kämäd (1 1.31), of which only two, käma and sneha, are
applicable to everyone. Rüpa Gosvämi followed his interpretation (Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 12.275), but used the term
rägänuga-bhakti to denote the spontaneous bhakti in which the models are the gopis, et al.
tad-bhävanä-yuktä, meaning they had a contemplation on that, the fun of Räsa with Sri Krsna. Then
they became prak$ina-bandhanä, meaning their bonds slackened by the power of meditation, and so
they gave up the body which had an abundance of ropes (guna-mayam = päja-mayam = pä'a-
pracuram). It is a manner of expression. The abandonment of the body is stated only because of the
abandonment of the thought "I am bound." Each gopi thought: "Now I'm free. " In the third canto, for
instance, it is said that Brahmä gave up his body in the sense that he gave up his mood at the time. In
other words, the purport is that the gopis gave up their bodies' condition of being tied up.
After that, they met the same Him—the beautiful prince (tam eva = Sri-nanda-kijora-rüpam eva)—
although He is Paramätmä. And the reason for that is: The gopis were characterized by the mindset of
a paramour (tam eva paramätmänam jära-buddhyäpi sahgatäh — jära-buddhyä viji$(äh paramätmänam
api tam eva sahgatäh) (10.29.11). Or the word Paramätmä means the one who is most dear. And that is
the reason for the gopis' mindset of a paramour, otherwise it wouldn't quite make sense to say that He
is that kind of foremost lover. In verse 10, the speaker mentions the power of the meditation: "The lack
of splendor... of the world, meaning the suffering in the world, was rendered insignificant by them,
only by means of meditation, due to the intense affliction of the pang of separation from the beloved,"
because the gopis' pain was much greater. The same general idea applies to the other compound:
"Because of them, the joy in the world seemed like a trifle," owing to the joy of Sri Krsna's embrace.
In this line of thought, the sense of the verse beginning yä mayä kridatä (10.47.37) is as follows:
"Those gopis remained in the cowherd village because they were bound by their husbands. After that,
by contemplating on My prowess they did not attain the Räsa," but they did attain the Räsa.
The sense of Sri Parik$it's question in verse 12 is this: "How could there be the cessation of the
series of ropes (guna-pravähoparamah = pä'a-paramparäyä uparamo nivrttih) of those women who
were confined with ropes by their husbands? By meditation, by means of thinking of Him as a lover,
their minds were on Sri Krsna's compassion and other qualities, but not on the fact that His form is
beyond the gunas. " A minimal effect of meditation is thus implied. Then Sri Suka says "A special
liberation even from the bondage of samsära occurs by meditating. By a special meditation on Him,
those women, Sri Krsna's girlfriends, got liberation from the bondage of ropes. What need be said?"
This takes place by the logical reasoning called kaimutika (even more so). Thus in verse 13 he says
there was the desired accomplishment, by means of hatred, and so on, also because of meditation.

Jiva Gosvämi
"Others might feel that way, but you have no reason to be so amazed, because you've known His glory
since your time in the womb." To show respect, he uses the honorific term bhavatä instead of tvayä.
The rationale for not being amazed is: bhagavati (at Bhagavän), meaning He has all types of godly
might. "Then why was He born from Devaki's womb?" In that regard he says: aje. He doesn't take
birth like a soul does, rather He makes His ävirbhava of His own accord, since He cares for devotees.
He is Yogeévareévara simply because He is Bhagavän. On top of that, He is Krsna, the fully complete
manifestation.

Krspa-sandarbha 145: Here he says, "It's not amazing that those who emulate the moods, such as lust,
of the gopis, et al., become successful. "

Näräyapa Bhatta
"Don't be so amazed at Him." What is He like? He is Bhagavän, the one who has inconceivable godly
might: He is able to turn lust, anger, and so on into causes of the cessation of the flux of the gunas,
even though they are the very causes of samsära (material existence: transmigration). He said it
Himself:

na mayy äve'ita-dhiyäm kämah kämäya kalpate I bharjitä kvathitä dhänä präyo bijäya
nefate Il

"Generally, the lust of those whose minds are engrossed in Me is not conducive to lust. A roasted,
boiled grain cannot sprout." (10.22.26) Again, what is He like? He is Krsna. The meaning by the
etymological derivation is stated in kryir bhü-väcakah and so on.44 But the conventional sense is the
son of Yaéodä. The universal rule is that the conventional meaning supersedes the etymological
derivation. Due to their connection with Yaéodä, it is implied that the residents of Vraja had more
affection than others. Next, he describes the power of that connection: "Because of Krsqa (yatah =
yatah Srikrsnäd dhetoh), the world, including immobile things, is liberated." An example is the
deliverance of the two arjuna trees.

10.29.17

tä drstväntikam äyätä bhagavän vraja-Y0$itah I avadad vadatäm 'restho väcah peSair

vimohayan Il

44
krsir bhü-väcakah Sabdo nas ca nirvrti-väcakah, tayor aikyam param brahma krsna ity abhidhiyate,
'"The word kr$ is expressive of existence, and the word na of bliss. The oneness of both is Para-Brahman, called
Krsna." (Mahäbhärata, udyoga-parva 68.5)
täh—those; dr$$vä—after seeing; antikam—close-by; äyätäh— had come; bhagavän—the Lord;
vraja-yoyitah—women of Vraja; avadat—He spoke; vadatäm—of speakers; best; väcah—
of a word; peSaih—with parts; vimohayan—to bewilder.

täh vraja-yositah (nijasya) antikam äyätäh dry!vä bhagavän vadatäm (madhye) Srey!hah väcah pejaih
(täh) vimohayan (idam) avadat.

Noticing that those women of the village had come close-by, the Lord, the foremost orator, talked to
them as follows to bewilder them with aspects of speech.

Sridhara Svämi
He talks about the real subject matter. Väcah pejaih (with aspects of speech) means väg-viläsaih (with
wordplay).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Having reconciled a concomitant contradiction, he talks about the real subject matter. "Seeing those
women, the ones that were drawn to the sound of the flute, the Lord, the best of those whose vocal
expression is witty because of the suitability of the time, of the place and of the persons involved,
spoke to bewilder them by means of aspects (pejaih = avayavaih) of words." That is, the women were
already bewildered by the music of the flute, and now He was going to bewilder them in a special way
(vimohayan = viiesena mohayan) (mohayan = mohayitum) with aspects of words. The aspects, harsh
and affectionate, brought about the understanding of the literal meaning, of a figurative meaning, and
of an implied sense. The word peSa is made by adding the suffix after the verbal root piS[a] avayave.
The Lord was going to fulfill three of His desires by talking to them with harsh words: "I will show
to the world the purity of their love: Even when they perceive My indifference to them, their love for
Me does not lessen.
"Plus, today I will assume the role of a ladylove, that is, the mood of contrariness (vämya)
consisting of concealment, which is like the reverse position in intercourse. I will make them assume
the role of the male lover, that is, compliance (däk$inya) consisting of the display of eagerness. Even
in meeting, I will create a reversal.
"Moreover, I will listen to their heartfelt words. Usually, the tendency of young women who are
extremely shy is to hide their real feelings, and this mood of concealment makes them act just the
opposite of how they actually feel."
Although the experts in Rasa think that just as the breasts and other bodily parts of attractive
women make a striking impression by being covered with clothing, not by being brashly exhibited, so
the heartfelt eagerness of ladyloves evokes more wonder when kept covered by the mood of
contrariness, still sometimes a lover wants to hear his ladylove's heartfelt words of eagerness that are
not covered by the mood of contrariness just like sometimes he might want to see her limbs uncovered
during intercourse, although he would never want to hear those nor see those if some other man is
nearby. In like manner, Krsna hadn't seen the gopis naked for a while, and so for now he wanted to hear
the whole set of their heartfelt words, but without the covering that results from their mood of
contrariness. And therefore it's understood that He did not even allow His best friends to be with Him
on that occasion.
 Sanätana Gosvämi
"He spoke... the words beginning from the next verse " .after seeing that those women, the ones that
were drawn to the sound of the flute, meaning they were completely excited, had come near Him," that
is, they weren't standing far away nor were they shy. They were women of Vraja, i.e. all the young
women of Vraja (the cowherd village45). Or the sense is "the women who should be staying in Vraja,
not women who should come to the middle of another forest." Why did He talk? "To steal their hearts
in a special way with wordplay," that is, "to continuously increase their love for Him. " This will
become clear ahead.
Someone might wonder, "How can He bewilder them just with wordplay?" In that regard he says:
He is the best of orators, among whom are the four-faced one and the thousand-faced one. Or He is the
best kavi (scholarly poet), such as Sri Vyäsa. Why? He is Bhagavän, the one who has all godly might.
Alternatively, He bewildered them with special puns (väcah peSaih = bhangi-vi'esaih): One clause
might contain both a complete disregard and a full-fledged entreaty. Thus, He bewildered them with
the skilful use of deceit time and time again, insofar as the words apply both ways and the two
possibilities are mutually contradictory. He was strengthening their special feelings for Him with
words whose purport was His full-blown desire for sex even though the direct import of the words was
the exposition of moral ethics. The reason for all that is He is the best of orators. Or, His desire for sex
with them was already obvious because of rantum manas; cakre (10.29.1) and jagau kalam väma-
drSä2iz manoharam (10.29.3): Thus, He had one thing in mind and another in His words, because the
wordplay was based on moral ethics. All in all, He bewildered them by using concealment: The
women could not ascertain the real sense of His words.
There is another interpretation. The word api (although) is included everywhere: "Although those
women of Vraja loved Him so much, and although they had been attracted by the sound of the flute,
and although they had come close to Him, and although He saw them face to face, and although He is
God, meaning He is omniscient and so He knew their feelings for Him—He spoke to bewilder them
with crooked words, that is, to make them utterly confused." How so? He is the best of jokers. The
sense is He spoke in jest.
Or, He spoke because of aspects of speech, meaning He wanted to hear their reply. Alternatively,
He spoke to bewilder them with His parts, that is, with the beauty of His body parts; besides, the
women were already speechless (Grey!ho väcah = 'restho 'väcah — Sres(ho aväcah) (aväcah = kim
apy avadantih) out of bashfulness. At any rate, it's understood that He spoke only to increase their love
for one another.

vidagdhävali-püjyäsu vidagdhäli-éiromaneh I väco 'rtha-likhane me täh sa cänanya-

gater gatih I l

"In writing about the meanings of the lingo the crest-jewel of intellectuals spoke to the most honorable
of witty gals, those young women and He are my only goal."

45
The word vraja literally means pasturing grounds, but by extension it denotes a place where the cow
herders lived. The definition is: gos(hädhvanivahä vrajäh, "Vraja means gostham (pasturing grounds; cow
pen), adhvan (path), and nivaha (multitude)" (Amara-ko;a 3.3.30). Nowadays the term Vraja means Vraja-
mandala, the very large area surrounding Vrindavan: Vraja-mandala consists of twelve holy forests. Vraja-
mandala is on the western side of Uttar Pradesh, but also includes parts of Haryana in the north and parts
of Rajasthan in the west.
 Jiva Gosvämi
Even though he was not requested once more, due to his own eagerness he suddenly talks about the
subject matter while implying this: "Although any impediment is inappropriate on this occasion, the
discourse on Räsa-lilä, which involves the topmost Rasa (mojo), you asked a question of that sort to
make sure everybody is on the same page. In conformity with Your Highness, I too hinted at
something, the formality of the philosophy."
"To bewilder them with wordplay, He spoke after seeing that those women, the ones that were drawn to
the sound of the flute, meaning they were completely excited, had come near Him," that is, they
weren't standing far away nor were they shy. The speaker illustrates the fact that they were excited:
They were women of Vraja. The sense is women who should be staying in Vraja, not women who
should come to another forest.
There are two kinds of wordplay: Säbdika (based on the sound) and ärthika (based on the
meaning). The Säbdika variety involves special movements of His eyebrows, eyes and face: He has a
smile on His face while gracefully pronouncing the syllables in a lovely way, and the words are
distinctly understood. The ärthika variety takes the form of either a rasa alahkära (a rasa is a subsidiary
aspect of the sentence), a bhäva alahkära (a bhäva is a subsidiary aspect of the sentence), or a vastu
(idea, literal or implied). Each of the two main varieties has four kinds: (1) Disregard by a turn of
expression, (2) Entreaty by a turn of expression, (3) Consisting of both disregard and entreaty, and (4)
The really intended plain meaning. Such being the case, He spoke to bewilder them, specifically to
make them both stolen-hearted and undiscerning. Thus the meaning that He spoke should be inferred
as it is in light of this.
Of the two, He stole their hearts with Säbdika entreaties and with Säbdika plain meanings. The
latter is more powerful than the former. Further, the Säbdika wordplays take place by the svabhäva,
and especially by the bhäva. In the ärthika wordplays, those consisting of disregard were actually only
meant to swell their fervor for Him; they were not meant for the purpose of disregard, because of the
texts: rantum manaS cakre (10.29.1) and jagau kalam vämadrSäm manoharam (10.29.3). Therefore in
this category there is only a consideration of the aspect of the speech, not of the purport. Thus, He had
one thing in mind and another in His words. By this concealment, they ended up dejected, because of
their fervor. And as a result, they lost their faculty of discernment. Moreover, the wordplays of entreaty
were only caused by His own fervor. However, the wordplays consisting of both disregard and entreaty
were just for fun.
Next, by kaimutya (to a higher degree) he mentions the qualification for speaking that way:
vadatärii 'resthah. He is the very best of those who know everything about the clever use of words,
because: bhagavän, meaning He excels everyone by naturally having that kind of knowledge.
(Additions are underlined.) There is another interpretation. The word api (although) is included
everywhere: "Although those women of Vraja were famous for loving Him so much, and although
their love had attained such a metamorphosis, and although they had come close to Him, and although
He saw them face to face, and although He is God, meaning He is omniscient and so He knew their
feelings for Him—He spoke to bewilder them with crooked words, that is, to make them utterly
confused." How so? He is the best of jokers. The sense is He spoke in jest.

10.29.18
 Sri-bhagavän uväca svägatam vo mahä-bhägäh priyam kim karavät.li vah I
vrajasyänämayarh kaccid brütägamana-kärapam Il

Sri-bhagavän uväca—the Lord said; su-ägatam—welcome; vah— to you all; mahä-bhägäh—very

fortunate women (optionally as a vocative); priyam—a pleasurable thing; kim—what?; karaväpi—
should I do; vah—your; vrajasya—of the cowherd village; anämayam—the well-being; kaccit—
whether; brüta—you all should say; ägamana—for the arrival; kärapam—the reason.

Sri-bhagavän uväca—vah svägatam. mahä-bhägäh! (aham) vah kim priyam karaväpi? kaccid vrajasya
anämayam (asti? yüyam) ägamana-käranam brüta.

The Lord said: "Welcome to you all. Highly fortunate women, what can I do to please you? Is
everything fine in the village? Tell Me the reason you came here.

Sridhara Svämi
Seeing that all of them had arrived in great haste, He says "Is everything fine in the village?" as if He
were afraid.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
At first Krsna speaks by having in mind this particular mode of the way of Rasa: In a meeting between
a man and a woman who both know Rasa, if the man brings to light his desire for sex, the woman
doesn't tolerate it and gets angry. He begins with a question (by a modulation of the tone of voice):
"Was everything all right for you on the way?" (svägatarh vah = yu$mäkarh kaccit sukhamayam
ägamanarh vrttam?), because: mahä-bhägäh: "You are very fortunate women." The sense is they never
saw an unhappy face in their life. Or else this is not a question, but a kind statement: "Today your
arrival turned out splendid (su-ägatam = Sobhanam ägamanam adya vrttam). It's good that you got
here," because: mahä-bhägäh. The gist is all the deeds performed by fortunate women become a
success, in the sense that they give pleasure both to themselves and to others. Therefore, "What can I
do to please you?" The drift is: "Now I am alone here in this lonely forest. Tell Me how I can show
hospitality to you. I just want to do what you want. Be kind enough to clearly tell Me, in no uncertain
terms, what you would like Me to do, so that there's no doubt. Then I might carry it out."
The gopis might have replied: "You daring sensualist, You have the audacity to speak like that to
us?! We're devoted to our husbands. Don't you fear the king? Have you no respect for moral ethics?"
But since they didn't do so, the Lord, realizing that their silence, induced by shyness, was a form of
consent to have an arigasaiga with Him, because His request for an ariga-sahga was implied by saying
"What can I do to please you?", pondered as follows: "If they won't assume the mood of contrariness,
which is normally suitable for them, then I will not show My enthusiasm even though that would
normally be appropriate for Me, rather I will only show enthusiasm mixed with the mood of
contrariness. Just as a reversal of roles during sex is lovely, so is a reversal in meeting. These girls,
however, are experiencing a reversal of their nature only because they're under the spell of drinking the
sweetness of the music of the enchanting flute. Thus they're submissive. I, however, will show a fake
mood of contrariness, in conformity with the reversal of roles, since I am not under their spell. For
now My natural eagerness will stay within." Thus, to take the path of the mood of contrariness, He
asks them with a certain fear and confusion: "Is everything well in the village? I don't know. Is Indra
or somebody else orchestrating some calamity in the village now? I mean, all of you seem afraid. Did
you flee? Did you come close to Me to protect yourselves?" The girls looked at each other with smiles
of amusement, thinking "What is this string of trickery?!" Then He said, "Ah, by your silence I
understand. There's no calamity. So tell Me: Why did you come? I have no idea. "

Sanätana Gosvämi
At first He speaks with respect by using indifference with concealment: "Welcome to you." The sense
is: '"' Your arrival turned out splendid." Or, "Did you come with ease?" (svägatam vall = yusmäbhih
sus(hu ägatarh kim?). The word mahä-bhägäh is a vocative: "O you whose good fortune, your
dedication to your husbands and so on, is great." Therefore: "What can I do to please you?" The gist is,
"By carrying out the wishes of very fortunate women, I too will have a special pious merit." All this
automatically hints at indifference, insofar as in worldly customs, generally that type of question is
asked as a sign of very formal respect. For this reason, He talked that way to the wives of sacrificial
Brähmanas, except two things: He told them "Please be seated" as a token of great respect since they
were Brähmanis (10.23.25), and here He uses the term priyam vah (what is dear to you) because they
are naturally dear to Him since they are young women of the village.
He calls them very fortunate with the intent to express that they are much more lucky than Laksmi
with regard to the games of Räsa. Or what he means to say is that they are even more glorious than
Him46 because, by abandoning everything and everyone, they only depend on Him.
Here, each statement involves both disregard and an entreaty. Of the two, the words involving
disregard were elaborated upon. The statement of entreaty is obtained as a pun: "Highly fortunate
women!" The sense is: "The moonlight is like this, the woodland is like that, and this person, your
follower, is well disposed toward you. On top of that, you're in the best part of youth. That is good
fortune. Therefore let Me do something to please you."
After that, He asks them "Is everything fine in the village?" He pretends to take interest in them
out of crookedness. The same idea applies to the upcoming verses.
Then, as if He were embarrassed He says, "Tell Me the reason you came here." The drift is: "Let
Me remain hard to figure out. You can tell Me this yourselves." That is said in jest.
However, that is simply a humourous turn of expression. The double meaning, in the interpretation
of entreaty, is this: "Since you came here, it's obvious that all is well in the village. Therefore tell me a
little something. My concern is the pleasure of the arrival" (ägamanakäranam = ägamana-sukharh tad
eva armam Saranaril yasya tam mäm).

Jiva Gosvämi
(The commentary is the same as Brhad-vaisnava-tosani, except that the last paragraph is replaced by
this:) Both here and in each verse ahead, the interpretation on the side of entreaty is obtained as a pun.
Thus here each clause is a form of entreaty.

Näräyapa Bhatta
He speaks to test their love. In Vraja, there are five kinds of gopis: nitya-siddhä (perfect since time
immemorial), upäsanä-siddhä (perfected by spiritual practice in a previous life), dandakärmgyamnuni-
rüpä (those who were sages in the Dandakä Forest in a previous life), 'ruti-rüpä (those who were
personified scriptures), and devähganä (those who were goddesses). Krsqa's discourse here consists of
ten verses: They are grouped two by two, and sequentially apply to the aforesaid five groups. For
instance, the two verses beginning asvargyam (26-27) especially relate to the devähganä gopis.

46
Jiva Gosvämi's wording is: "their love is even greater than His".
 "Highly fortunate women, what can I do to please you?" Indifference is implied by this special
way of showing respect. The wording also implies that He is not lusty: "By carrying out your wishes, I
will gain a special pious merit."
As a pun: "O you who have attained great splendor, that is, great pleasure (mahä-bhä-gäh = mahati
cäsau bhä pritis täm gatäh)." There was a certain resplendence in their faces because they came after
leaving their husbands behind. "You have arrived to your own thing, the place of romance (vah
svägatam = yusmäbhih svägatahi sve sva-sthäne ramana-sthäne ägatam). What can I do to please
you?" He thinks, "They arrived after hearing the sound of the flute. That was nicely done. Now it's
time to take our romantic adventure to the next level." It's implied that He expects some response and
that He has a desire. "Is everyone healthy (vrajasya = sarvasya) (anämayam = ärogyam)? Mention the
haven where there is joy by coming" (ägamanakäranam = ägamanena sthityä yat kam sukham
taträranarh äSrayah sthalam iti tävat tat).

10.29.19

Il
rajany esä ghora-rüpä ghora-sattva-nisevitä I pratiyäta vrajarh neha stheyahl stribhih su-
madhyamäh Il

rajani—night; esä—this (the); ghora-rüpä—has a frightening form; ghora-sattva—by frightening

creatures; nisevitä—is inhabited; pratiyäta—you should return; vrajam—to the village; na—not; iha—
here; stheyam—staying should be done; stribhih—by women; su-madhyamäh—O slender women.

rajani ghora-rüpä ghora-sattva-nisevitä (bhavati). sumadhyamäh! (yüyarh) vrajahi pratiyäta. iha

stribhih na stheyam.

"This night is quite frightening, and frightening creatures are lurking about. Return to the village,
slender gals. This is not a proper place for women" (vrajali pratiyäta, iha stribhih na stheyam).

Alternatively: "This night is not frightening (aghora-rüpä). There is no frightening creature lurking
about (aghora-sattva-nisevitä). Do not go back to the village. Women should remain here, O slender
ones!" (vrajarii na pratiyäta, iha stribhih stheyam).
Sridhara Svämi
He speaks upon noticing their sly smile due to bashfulness.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Alas, He completely wiped out our patience, shyness and good family behavior, had fun with us
every day, brought us here today by playing the flute, and now asks us what the reason for that is. Ha!"
The gopis were thus communicating to one another simply by fluttering the corners of their eyes. He
responds here. The sense is: "By casting glances on the flowering vines, you're saying 'The truth of the
matter is that we've come here to pick flowers which bloom at night and which are fit for worshiping
the deity.' But how can you say so? This makes no sense because neither the time, the place, nor the
persons involved, you, are befitting."
"This night—meaning although it abounds in moonlight—is quite frightening," simply because it
was nightime. The drift is: This is not the right time to pick flowers because scorpions and small
snakes in the bushes and in the trees are hard to see. "Tigers and other frightening creatures are lurking
about." Thus even the place, Vrindavan, is unbefitting due to the connection with the time. Therefore,
"Return to the village." They might retort, "We'll rest for a while. Then we'll go." In that regard He
says, "Women shouldn't stay here." The gist is: "Even the persons involved, you, are unbefitting
because of the connection with the time and the place." Over and above that, "Hey slender girls,"
which signifies this: "You are beautiful young women, and I'm a beautiful young man. All of you are
chaste, and I'm a Brahmacäri—as evidenced by the Sruti scripture called Gopäla-täpani: kryr.zo
brahmacäri (2.12)—, hence there is no fault in our being in the same place. Even so, the mind can
never be trusted, neither yours nor Mine."
His inner enthusiasm is thus implied and becomes clear by a double meaning: "If, out of
bashfulness, you don't want to say the reason you came here, fine, don't mention it. I know it anyway,
so just listen as I tell it to you: "This night—'this' because it abounds in moonlight; and the night is so
called because it gives color or feeling (rahjayatiti rajani)—is not frightening (aghora-rüpä), and so
there is no frightening creature lurking about (aghora-sattva-nisevitä)," meaning either there are only
deer and the like or there are tigers and other animals that are not aggressive due to the naturally
peaceful ambiance of Vrindavan. "So don't be afraid." Alternatively, "Don't be afraid of your
respective husbands, because frightening creatures are lurking about (ghora-sattva-nisevitä), and so
your husbands won't come here." Therefore, "Don't go to the village (pratiyäta vrajaril na = vrajarh
prati na yäta). Stay here, close to Me (iha = madantike)." For what reason? stribhih. But why would He
make mere womenfolk stay with Him? Suspecting this, He says: su-madhyamäh, "Hey slender girls! "
The drift is: "Only those of you who are splendid at the waist and have beauty and youthfulness should
stay." Thus it's understood that the meanings of Krsna's discourse consist of both disregard and
expectation.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"This night," meaning the one that is being perceived. That is exactly what He expounds upon: It is
frightening by nature (ghorarüpä = ghorarh svarüpahl yasyäh sä), because of the darkness. And it is
filled with frightening creatures (ghora-sattva-nisevitä = ghoraih sattvaih prmgibhir nitarärh sevitä
vyäptä). Therefore, "Turn around and go." And don't delay. With this in mind He says "Women
shouldn't stay here, in the forest." In addition: "Hey slender girls." The sense is: "Beautiful girls should
not stay in a frightening place at this dreadful time." The rest was implied by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation. "Rasika-éekhara, just like You, we too came here for a stroll," or
else "to pick flowers". He responds: "This is nighttime, not daytime." "So what, dear nighttime
seducer? It is frightening by nature, and is filled with frightening creatures." Or they might reply, "Hey
lotus-eyed, this is a moonlit night." To that He says it is filled with frightening creatures. "Therefore
women shouldn't stay here, in the forest. Go back to the village." As a pun: "Go back to the multitude
(vrajam = samüham), your respective husbands. I'm alone, so I can't satisfy so many women. Thus you
have no reason to stay." This is meant as a joke. "O elite of the timid, we're actually not afraid of
frightening creatures." To that He says: "Hey slender-waisted girls." The sense is: Slender girls better
be afraid of strong creatures. But in truth He spoke to strengthen their love for Him. Or His purpose
was to increase an eagerness for joking. As a double meaning, the sense of "frightening creatures are
lurking about" is that nobody will come here. Moreover: "this night". The pronoun 'this' means the one
where the full moon has just arisen. The night is so called because: janän raijayatiti rajani, It makes
people have feelings. ("This is the night you've been waiting for." ) By a coalescence of the vowel a,
the night is not frightening (aghora-rüpä), since it dispels darkness. Or the sense is the night is
peaceful, insofar as it is connected to Kärttika, the upcoming month, which is pious and purely
sättvika. Plus, on this night, there is no frightening creature lurking about (aghora-sattva-nisevitä): All
entities are not frightening because they have become friends, owing to the nature of Vrindavan. Or
else there are only animals such as deer and peacocks, which evoke love. He thus lets them know
about His cleverness. At any rate, "Do not return to the village. Stay right here." For what reason?
stribhih. In addition: su-madhyamäh, meaning "Hey most beautiful women! You deserve to stay here
with Me."

Jiva Gosvämi
(The commentary is virtually the same as Brhad-vaispava-tosatgi.)

10.29.20

mätarah pitarah puträ bhrätarah patayas( ca vah I vicinvanti hy apa'yanto mä krdhvmh 47

bandhu-sädhvasam Il

mätarah—mothers; pitarah—fathers; puträh—sons; bhrätarah— brothers (or cousins); patayah—

husbands; ca—and; vah—your; vicinvanti—are searching; hi—because; apaSyantah—they are not
seeing; mä krdhvam—do not make; bandhu—of the relatives; sädhvasam—the worry.

vah mätarah pitarah puträh bhrätarah patayah ca (yu.smän) vicinvanti, hi (täh ca te ca _yuynän)
apa'yantah (bhavanti. atah yüyahl) bandhu-sädhvasam mä krdhvam.
"Your mothers, fathers, sons, brothers and husbands are looking for you, because they can't see you.
Do not make your relatives worried about you.

Sridhara Svämi
"They're looking for you (vicinvanti = mrgayante). Do not create (mä krdhvam = mä kuruta) a
difficulty (sädhvasam = krcchram) for your relatives."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The gopis might argue, "Young women are not at fault for coming in a group at night, or even in the
forest. No one will gossip about this." Here He says, "True, but surely your relatives, suspecting that
you might have gotten in trouble, are searching for you now, so don't give them any stress."
"They are searching (vicinvanti = mrgayante) for you" (va& — yusmän)." Of those family
members, the sons were only two to three months old-—this is proven by the previous text
päyayantyah SiSün payah (verse 6) and by the upcoming passage krandanti vatsä bäläS ca (next verse)
—and so obviously they were not part of the search. Still, the Lord spoke that way by pretending that
He didn't know all the details. Thus, there is no discrepancy. Therefore, "Do not increase the relatives'
fear (bandhu-sädhvasam = bandhünäm bhayam) which arose by not seeing you."
In the other interpretation, "They won't see you and will just keep searching (vicinvanti hi =
vicinvanti eva). They won't find you here, deep in the woodland, so don 't be worried about your
relatives (bandhu-sädhvasam bandhubhyas tebhyah sakäSäd bhayam).
Take pleasure in being with Me at will."
47
krdhvam (Vallabhäcärya's edition) (BBT edition). This is the proper grammatical form.
 Sanätana Gosvämi
"Lion among men, You're by far stronger than everyone else. In Your presence, why should we fear?"
Expecting such a reply, He speaks by showing concern for them. The mothers, the fathers, the sons, the
brothers and the husbands are listed in this order because each successive one is more likely to be
actively looking for those gopis. Or the sense is some mothers are searching, some fathers are
searching, and so on. The term puträh (sons) signifies putra-tulyäh (those who are like sons).
Hi is used in the sense of vitarka (conjecture). Therefore, the gist is: "If they were to come here,
somehow, and see you all at My side, then both you and I would become embarrassed and afraid, so
don't make Me afraid of our relatives, and don't make yourselves afraid of them either (bandhu-
sädhvasam nija-bandhubhyo mamätmanaj ca sädhvasmil bhayam). You are bringing about this fear by
remaining here."
Or, the gopis might say, "Hey big shot in giving advice, they won 't come here. We're in the middle
of nowhere in the forest. If they do, they won't see us." To that He says, "Don't make your relatives
anxious. By not finding you, they would worry that something bad happened to you. They'll think that
maybe a tiger attacked you, and so on." The proverb referred to here is sädhavo bandhu-vätsaläh,
48
"Good persons care about their relatives." "Therefore you should return out of affection for them."
There is another explanation: Here the word mä is the replacement of mäm (Me), as in the text
mäpur mad-virya-cintayä (10.47.37). The sense is: "Seeing neither you (vah = yusmän) nor Me, your
mothers and other relatives are searching." The girls might reply, "Let them search, let them look
around, O fearless lion. So what?" In that regard He says: "You better be afraid of your relatives"
(bandhu-sädhvasam mäkrdhvam = bandhubhyo bhayam akrdhvam) (akrdhvam = kuruta) (mä = mäm),
since they'll think: "If women become independent, all sorts of problems arise." The usage of the past
tense in the verb akrdhvam is in consideration of the necessity of doing that action.
Alternatively, the previous verse and this one are analyzed together as follows. The gopis might
say: "O virtuous performer of vows, now that we're at Your side, we don't fear anyone." Suspecting
this, He does a little act by doing the gesture of closing His eyes, and says, "Women shouldn't stay
here, at My side (iha = mad-antike). I cannot associate with women because I've been a Brahmacäri
since childhood. Aho bata, Siva Siva! Being with old women or with baby girls might not be faulty on
My part, but you have come of age." That is just what He says with "Hey slender girls!" The word iha
(here) has the sense of both "in this lonely forest" and "at this time, evening (pradoya)." The word
pradosa implies a special kind of fault (dosa). Hence "I would certainly lose My reputation if they
would find you here with Me. In any case, go back." They might retort, "Nobody will know. Don't be
afraid of losing your reputation." He responds here. The gist is: "For sure, they're coming and they'll
see us. Don't create fear for My relatives (bandhu = mad-bandhu) by getting Me defamed."
In truth, however, He makes the gopis even less afraid of them than they already were. That's the
explanation in a general way. The dual sense of the verse is this: "They will search and still not see you
(apaSyantah hi = apajyantah eva), as if they were blind." Or the word hi has the sense of api
(although): "They will search although they won't see you?" The question arises by a modulation of
the tone of voice (käku). The gist is: "Never, because you disregard them." Therefore, "Don't be
worried about your relatives" (bandhusädhvasam = bandhubhyo bhayam).

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) "Lion among men, You're by far stronger than everyone else. In Your
presence, why should we fear?" Expecting such a reply, He speaks by showing concern for them. Of
the persons listed, He mentions the mothers, the fathers and the brothers upon looking at the unmarried
48
sädhavo dina-vatsaläh (Bhägavatam 1 1.2.6).
girls, and the husbands and the sons upon looking at those gopis who seemed to be married. Yet He
said this in jest. This will be proven later. He only made it up. The word ca (and) is used in the sense of
uktasamuccaya (adding the things mentioned, as opposed to adding something not mentioned). The
word hi has the sense of nifcaya (indeed). Therefore, the gist is: "If even just one of them were to
come here, somehow, and see you all at My side, both parties would become embarrassed and afraid,
so don't make Me afraid of our relatives, and don't make yourselves afraid of them either. You are
bringing about this fear by remaining here."
(The rest of the commentary is the same, except that Jiva Gosvämi deleted the paragraph where mä
is the replacement of mäm, and modified the last paragraph:)
In truth, however, He spoke that way to lead them to a secret location, far from the place where He
played the flute, by generating fear in them. The dual sense of the verse is this: "Don't be anxious.
Your relatives will not come here because: They will search and still not see you (apajyantah hi =
apajyantah eva) in this impervious forest, as though they were blind, so don't be worried about your
relatives. "

Srinätha Pandita
He says 'the mothers and the fathers' to the virgins, 'the husbands' to the married gopis, and 'the sons' to
those who had foster children. By the logic called käkäk$i-golaka (the crow's eyeball), the word mä is
connected both before and after: "They, not seeing you— since the gopis who were childless went in
another body—are not searching for you (mä vicinvanti)." They were neutral because they never
figured out that those gopis left, in light of the text: svän svän därän vrajaukasah (1().33.38).
"Therefore do not fear the relatives (mä krdhvam)." Alternatively, the verbal root is kr[i] himsäyäm (to
hurt, kill): "You already stopped being afraid (akrdhvam = chinnavatyah) of them."

10.29.21-22

drMam vanatii kusumitarii räkeja-kara-raijitam I yamunänila-lilaijat-taru-pallava-

jobhitam I l tad yäta mä ciram goMham SuSrü$adhvam patin satih I krandanti vatsä bäläS
ca tän päyayata duhyata I l

been seen; vanam—the forest; kusumitam—in which flowers have appeared; räkä-iia—of
the moon ("the master of the full-moon night"); kara—by the rays; raijitam—colored; yamunä— from
the Yamunä; anila—by the wind; lilä—playfully (slowly); ejat—shaking; taru—of trees; pallava—by
the buds; Sobhitam— made resplendent; tat—therefore; yäta—go; mä ciram—without delay;
the village; SuSrü$adhvam—you should render service; patin—to your husbands; satih—
to chaste women; krandanti—are crying; vatsäh—the calves; bäläh—the babies; ca— and; tän—them;
päyayata—give to drink; duhyata—do the milking (see the explanations below).

kusumitam räkeja-kara-raijitam yamunänila-lilaijat-taru-pallavajobhitarh vanam (yu$mäbhih) drMam.

tad (yüyam) go$(ham yäta. (yüyam) mä cirmh (bhavata. yüyahl) patin satih (ca) SuSrü$adhvam.
vatsäh bäläh ca krandanti. (yüymh) tän päyayata. (yüyarh) duhyata.
"You have seen the woodland. It is in bloom, tinged by rays of the full moon, and beautified by tree
buds playfully shaking in the wind coming from the Yamunä. So go to the village. Don't delay. Render
service to your husbands, O chaste women. The calves and the babies are crying. Give them something
to drink. Do the milking.

Sridhara Svämi
He spoke after seeing that the gopis had cast their gaze in another direction due to the slight anger of
love. The woodland was colored by rays of the full moon (räkeSa = pürna-candra), and was beautified
by the buds of trees. The buds were shaking due to the gentle movement of the wind that had come in
contact with the Yamunä. (yamunänila-lilaijat-taru-pallava-jobhitam = yamunä-sparjino 'nilasya lilä
manda-gatis tayä ejantah kampamänäs tarünäm pallaväs taih Sobhitam)

1029.22
Satih is a vocative and stands for he satyah (O chaste women).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Immediately after that He spoke to them who were glancing here and there out of embarrassment.
"You have seen the woodland," meaning "Uh huh, I know you gals came here to see the woodland."
The girls rolled their eyes. He connected that behavior semantically with the upward luminary: "It is
tinged by rays of the full moon." When they glanced in the direction of the Yamunä, He added: "and
beautified by the flowering buds of trees; the buds are shaking due to the gentle movement of the wind
that had come in contact with the Yamunä." The drift is: "The forestial sightseeing that you had
planned is complete. It's over, so don't delay."
In the other interpretation: "This forest of Vrindavan is overthe-top. Plus this is the night of the full
moon. The Yamunä is in the four directions to boot. Besides, the breezes are cooling, moderate and
fragrant. These are uddipana-vibhävas, and I, an älambanavibhäva, am here. Now your status as
rasikäs (refined persons) will be put to the test."

10.29.22
"Therefore don't be tardy." That is, "Go quickly" (mä ciraril yäta Sighram eva yäta). "You should also
render service to those dedicated to their husbands (satih = pativratäh api)." The sense is: "Those
women too should be served so that you may imbibe their moral behavior." The married women in the
group have thus been dealt with. Next He talks to the virgins: "The calves are crying. Make them do
the milking" (tän duhyata = tän dohayata) (make them suck their mothers' teats to start the milking).
Then He addresses the muni-cari gopis: "The babies are crying. Give them to drink."
In the other interpretation, the word mä (do not) also applies to the other clauses: "Therefore, for a
long time (ciram), do not go. Stay here with Me for the whole night. Let's have a love affair. Neither
serve your husbands nor the virtuous ladies. It would be wrong to waste such beauty and youthfulness:
They were bestowed by the creator (Brahmä). Don't do the milking and don't give to drink to the
babies. What is the use of them? You're in love with Me."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The fact that the woodland was worth seeing is stated with the modifiers starting from kusumitam (in
bloom). There is another explanation: When the gopis cast their glances at the forest, due to the slight
anger of love, He said "The woodland was seen." Then they looked upward, and so He said "It is
tinged by rays of the full moon." Thereafter they looked at the shores of the Kälindi, and so
He used the word yamunä in the next compound modifier. It should be discerned thus. Three qualities
of the breeze are inferred: It was cooling, on account of its connection with the Yamunä, moderate, in
view of the term lilä (playfully), and fragrant inasmuch as the whole woodland was in bloom. The rest
was revealed by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation. They might say, "We already neglected them by transgressing their
perplexing words, so whom might we fear?" "In that case, what at all would be the purpose of making
such an effort to come here at night?" He pretends to be pensive for a while, and says, "Ah, I
understand. By chance you came to observe the resplendence of My divine Vrindavan on the full-
moon night. Fine. You've accomplished your purpose." Then He speaks the words in the verse by
doing the act of agreeing with what He just said. There is another take on this. "We came here by
disregarding our relatives and specifically to experience both the divine moon of Vrindavan and the
fun of strolling near the divine Kälindi, so why would there be any talk of fear?" "If what you say is
true, then your excursion of sightseeing happens to be over." He zestfully speaks the words in the verse
by pointing with the index finger: "You saw that Vrindavan has the foremost splendor, you saw the
moon rising, and now you know about the playfulness of the movement of the breeze that meanders
near the lovely Kälindi." At any rate, the meaning is the same, yet the truth of the matter is He only
increases their love by directly showing them the forest and the rest in that way.
The dual sense is as follows. It's not just that they have no fear of them; in addition, this is the best
place to take pleasure. He Himself illustrates it in the two verses in order to inflame their feelings for
Him by means of these uddipanas. "The forest is like this, filled with all good qualities. You've seen it.
You know what it's worth, so don't go to the village." Alternatively: "In this type of forest at night, it
w
ould be a shame to delay the start of our romantic adventure, so let's go to the shore of the Yamunä
which is suitable for that."
10.29.22
"Therefore (tat — tasmät)—that is, because of having fulfilled their desire to see the splendor of the
forest—, go to the village (ghosam49 = gopäväsam)." A ghosa is so called because it makes sound
(ghosayati Sabdarh karotiti ghosah). always, by the noise of loud singing, the churning of yogurt, the
cattle, and so on. As a pun, it publicly announces (ghosayati) what everyone does. "Don't delay,"
meaning either "Go quickly" or "Take your time over there." For what reason? "To serve the husbands"
(Susrü$adhvam = sevadhvam). Why? satih, that is, he satyah (O chaste women), otherwise they
couldn't be considered sädhvis anymore. All in all, the drift is: "It's not right for you to remain at My
side."
They might retort, "We already gave up our bad relatives: They are envious and cannot tolerate
that we serve You, who is most worthy of being served. We cast our status as chaste women far away
by turning it into a ceremonial waving of ghee wicks at Your lotus feet." Suspecting this, He generates
affection for calves and so on by resorting to another alternative, which involves pity: "Calves and
babies are crying, so make those babies drink milk (tän päyayata = tan bälän dugdham päyayata), and
milk the cows for the calves' sake" (duhyata = vatsärthahi ca duhyata dugdhah150 gäh ity arthah). There

49
The reading in the verse is go"ham. The reading ghosam is not listed anywhere.
50
The reading of the corresponding passage in Laghu-vaimava-tosapi in Krsna-Saökara Sästri's edition is
dugdha. This is the proper form in the parasmaipada. The proper form in the ätmanepada is dugdhvam
(you should do the milking) (imperative tense, second person plural). I translated it that way above.
According to Gangä-Sahäya, the affix 'yan in duhyata is poetic license (Anvitärtha-prakäSikä). The
verbal root duh prapürane (to milk, extract) is a second class root (2U) and is dvi-karmaka (it can take two
is more affection for babies than for calves, and so the babies are mentioned after the calves. In terms
of making the gopis go back, it is inferred that each successive clause is more important than the
previous one. The verb päyayata (make them drink) denotes an action that needs to be done
immediately, therefore it is mentioned before the other verb.
There is another explanation. "O crest jewel of cowherds, the cow herders will make the calves
drink by milking the cows." For this reason He mentions the babies. Or else, "Make them, both the
calves and the babies (tän = vatsän bälän ca), drink milk (päyayata = payah päyayata)." How? "Milk
the cows" (duhyata = gäh duhyata), because the calves will automatically suck the udder to start the
milking, and the babies will automatically drink the cow's milk.
The truth in this matter is as follows. Those gopis are the fortunate girlfriends only of Sri Krsna.
Some of them got married, somehow, yet they have a husband in name only: They don't really have
them as husbands because they do not do grämya-dharma with them while deceiving them in various
ways. Among those gopis, some take care of a child of others as a foster child, either because the gopi
herself is enthusiastic about this or only because her husband is so interested. Thus, naturally those
gopis' breasts cannot provide milk, and so they make the foster child drink cow's milk. But actually,
Krsna spoke as a joke, and so He said: satih.
The dual sense is this: "Therefore—that is, because there is no fear from the relatives and because
all the requisites for love, beginning from the resplendence of the woodland, are present—, do not go
quickly (mä ciram = mä aciram) (aciram = Sighram): If you must go, then wait a while, until the end
of the night." Because of ca (and), the word mä is carried fonvard everywhere: "Don 't serve your
husbands, and don't serve the virtuous ladies (satih = sädhvih ca): Don't even cross their paths,
otherwise you'll lose the joy of being independent." This is said as a joke. "The calves and the babies
are not crying, inasmuch as the cowherds are providing milk to drink by milking the cows, so don't
make them drink, and don't do the milking." He thus hints at the gopis' independence from them.

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) Then the gopis cast their glances away from Him. due to the anger of love.
But He imagined that those glances had a different significance. The two verses are connected: "The
woodland was seen. so go." The fact that the woodland was worth seeing is stated with the modifiers
starting from kusumitam. Thus, when the gopis cast their glances at the forest, due to the slight anger
of love, He said "The woodland was seen." Then they looked upward, and so He said "It is tinged by
rays of the full moon." Thereafter they looked at the shores of the Kälindi, and so He used the word
yamunä in the next compound modifier. It should be discerned that way. The rest is by the venerable
one.
There is another interpretation. They might say, "We already neglected them by transgressing their
perplexing words, so whom might we fear?" "In that case, what at all would be the purpose of making
such an effort to come here at night?" He pretends to be pensive for a while, and says, "Ah, I
understand. By chance you came to observe the resplendence of My divine Vrindavan on the full-
moon night. Fine. You've accomplished your purpose." Then He zestfully speaks the words in the
verse by pointing with the index finger. The meaning is the same, yet the truth of the matter is He only
objects, as in: krsno gäm dugdham dogdhi, "Krsna extracts milk from the cow" (HNV 639 vrtti)). But if the
root is used transitively and there is only one object, usually the causative form is used: gäh dohayata (milk
the cows). As in English, the verb has a dual meaning when it is intransitive. That said, the verb duhyata
literally means "You all should desire the milking," where the affix kyan (Pänini calls it kyac) is used, by
the rule: yam icchati tasmät kyan (Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 601) (supa ätmanah kyac, A$!ädhyäyi 3.1.8).
Here kyan is applied after the noun duh, which is formed by adding kvip after the verbal root duh. In the
interpretation of the double meaning, the sense is: "You should desire the extraction."
increases their love by directly showing them the forest and the rest in that way. The dual sense is as
follows: It's not just that they have no fear of them. In addition, this is the best place to take pleasure.
He Himself illustrates it in the two verses in order to inflame their feelings for Him by means of these
uddipanas. "The forest is like this, filled with all good qualities. You've seen it. You know what it's
worth, so don't go to the village."
10.29.22
"Therefore—that is, because of having fulfilled their desire to see the splendor of the forest—, go to
the village (ghosam = gopäväsam)." A ghosa is so called because it makes sound (ghosayati 'abdäyate
iti ghosah), always, by the noise of loud singing, the churning of yogurt, the cattle, and so on. As a
pun, it publicly announces (ghosayati) what everyone does. Sometimes the reading is gostham. The
sense is: "All your personal belongings are there. so that's where you should be." "Don't delay,"
meaning either "Go quickly" or "Take your time over there." For what reason? "To serve the
husbands." Why? satih, that is, he satyah (O chaste women), otherwise they couldn't be considered
sädhvis anymore. All in all, the drift is: "It's not right for you to remain at My side."
They might retort, "We already gave up our bad relatives: They
are envious and cannot tolerate that we serve You, who is most worthy of being served. We cast our
status as women dedicated to our husbands far away by turning it into a ceremonial waving of ghee
wicks at Your lotus feet." Suspecting this, He generates affection for calves and so on by resorting to
another alternative, which as if involves pity: "Calves and babies are crying, so make those calves
drink milk, and do the milking for the babies' sake" (duhyata bälärthahl ca duhyata dugdha51
dohayata). This is said because cows are amiable to the calves and to the women and trust merely as a
result of their presence.
(Additions are not underlined.) The truth in this matter is as follows. Those women were pointed
out in Gopäla-täpani: sa vo hi svämi bhavati, "Krsna is your husband" (2.22) and in Brahmasamhitä:
Sriyah käntäh käntah parama-purusah, "[In Goloka,l the ladyloves are Laksmis and the lover is the
topmost Purusa" (5.56). The mantras such as the ten-syllabe one should also be noted. In addition, they
are mentioned in the Sruti and in the Ägamas, as in krsna-vadhvah, "Krsqa's wives" (or Krsna's
women) (10.33.8) in this scripture. By looking at these texts, it is not possible that those topmost
Laksmis, the ladyloves of Sri Krsna, could marry anyone else. It's understood that those gopis'
perception of being married to someone else is meant to increase their longing and is the work of
Yogamäyä, who was mentioned for that purpose in yoga-mäyäm upäSritah, "relying on Yogamäyä"
(10.29.1). By creating doubles of the gopis, Yogamäyä fooled their husbands by making them think
that they are their husbands. It will be said: näsüyan khalu krmäya, "The cowherd men did not resent
Krsna" (10.33.38). Thus, the gopis never really had a husband because they never did an ahga-sahga
with them, and so the term putra (son) used in this context (verse 20, verse 22, etc.) denotes the sons of
their brothers, et al., whom they cared for with special affection. Even nowadays people might use the
term 'son' to denote a cousin and the like, even more so if they personally take care of the boy. The
same usage was employed by Sri Suka too in this text, where Sämba is called Baladeva's son when in
fact he is Krsna's son: sa-sutah sa-snu.sah präyät suhrdbhir abhinanditah, "He departed with his son
and with his daughter-inlaw. His friends cheered him" (1().62.58). Therefore the gopis gave them
cow's milk to drink, since they could not possibly breast-feed. Thus here it is said: tän päyayata
duhyata. For this reason, the sage stated: päyayantyah SiSün payah, "Some other gopis were making
the babies drink milk" (verse 6): Here it is only said 'babies' and 'milk', but not "They were making
their sons suck their breasts." If those children had been born from the gopis' wombs, that would have
occasioned the discrepancy of the gopis' status not only as näyikäs (ladyloves, lit. 'female leader') in

51
dugdhahl (Puri Däsa's edition).
the dancing of the Räsa, but also as näyikäs of the ädi-rasa (Snigära), and so there would have been a
discrepancy of both that dancing in the Räsa and of that rasa.
In the Lord's statement: mätarah pitarah puträh (verse 20), what comes to mind is that some of
those women were middle-aged given that some of the males were looking after the mothers and so on
even at night, even in the forest. (The word putra does not denote a baby.) Those women might have
been older than that, but Sri Vaiéampäyana would disagree, in light of: yuvatir gopakanyäS ca rätrau
sankälya kälavit, "He who knows when it's time invited both the young women and the virgin girls of
cowherds and took pleasure in being with them" (Hari-vamSa 2.20.18). That the gopis were somewhat
advanced in age is also not approved of by the divine sage, who described both the gopis as forms of
älambana and their excellence of being an uddipana. The first verse of this chapter makes it known
that the Lord made up His mind to take pleasure upon remembering the excellence of those gopis who
are forms of älambana, because that remembrance was triggered by the excellence of the uddipanas
stated there. Both the gopis' excellence and the fact that they are not praudha (older than a teenager), in
consideration of the Lord, will be stated by these texts: madhye maninärh haimänä'h mahä-marakato
yathä, "In the midst of golden gems, He was like an emerald" (10.33.7); vyarocatainähka ivodubhir
vrtah, "He looked splendid, like the moon surrounded by stars" (10.29.43); and tadita iva tä megha-
cakre virejuh, "The gopis shone like lightning bolts in a mass of clouds" (10.33.8).
Therefore, the Lord was only joking when He said the gopis have sons. He wasn't trying to find
fault with them. The joking is very clearly seen in these two texts: väcah pesair vimohayan, "to
bewilder them with aspects of speech" (verse 17) and prahasya sadayahl gopih, "After laughing, He
sympathetically gave pleasure to the gopis" (verse 42). For that very reason, statements like mätarah
pitarah puträh (verse 20) are chatter consisting of sheer imagination. Otherwise, if there were no
joking, trying to find fault with the gopis would be utterly distasteful, by the logical reasoning in:
nindämi ca pibämi ca, "I criticize the state of the water, then I drink it." That would even put in
question their status as älambana. Plus, the poets never describe the heroes in their compositions in
that way, much less Him: He is the foremost Purusottama, ought to be described by the great poets,
and made His descent so that there may be a description of the extraordinary relish of the pastimes.
The following will be said: bhajate tädrSih kridä yäli Srutvä tat-paro bhavet, "He has the kind of
adventures hearing which a person becomes dedicated to Him" (10.33.37) and siseva ätmany
avaruddha-sauratah sarväh Sarat-kävya-kathä-rasäSrayäh, "He served all the nights that were
resplendent due to moon rays and are the source of the relish of talks about the poetry of autumn"
(10.33.26). Thus, their husbands appear to be such only as an illusion, and the sense of the word putra
is figurative. (The rest of the commentary is the same as the last paragraph in Brhad-vaimava-tosapi.)

10.29.23

athavä mad-abhisnehäd bhavatyo yantritäSayäh I ägatä hy upapannarh yah 52 priyante

mayi jantavah Il

athavä—or; mat-abhisnehät—because of all-around affection for Me; bhavatyah—you; yantrita—were

brought under control; ajayäh— whose hearts; ägatäh—have come; hi—because; upapannam—[this is]
fitting; vah—in your case; priyante—have a liking; mayi—for Me; jantavah—living beings.

52
upapannahi tat (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
 havä bhavatyah mad-abhisnehät yantritä'ayäh (satyah atra) ägatäh (iti yad asti, tat) vah upapannam, hi
at

jantavah mayi priyante.

"Or you came because your hearts were harnessed by your fullfledged affection for Me. This is fitting
in your case, since everyone likes Me.

Sridhara Svämi
He talks to them whose eyes were disturbed by anger. Their minds were brought under control
(yantritäfayäh vajikrta-cittäh). Upapannam means yuktam (fitting). "People become satisfied with Me"
(priyante = pritä bhavanti).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Gosh, I imagined those reasons for nothing. Now I understand the real reason you came here." "Your
minds were brought under control because of your full-fledged (abhi = sarvato-bhävena) affection for
Me, therefore you came. That has become perfected by seeing Me (tad upapannam = tad mad-darSana-
läbhät siddham), because (hi = yatah) all living beings (jantavah = präpi-mäträpi) like Me." The drift
is: "This good fortune related to Me is natural. It is not the result of some upädhi (adventitious
characteristic). Therefore your love for Me is ordinary." The implied sense is: "You don't have an
extraordinary, erotic love for Me."
In the other interpretation: "Because of your love for Me as a sweetheart, you turned your minds
into a binding apparatus (yantritäSayäh = yantri-krta äSayo yäbhis täh)—by means of which I am
attracted to you. That arrival (tad = tad ägamanam) is fitting (upapannam = ucitam eva); it does lack
any logical explanation: All beings have a liking for Me, and you emotional women even more so. "

Sanätana Gosvämi
"On account of your special affection for Me" (mad-abhisnehät = mayi priti-vi'esät). This excludes the
sweet love between a man and a woman. He adds to His indifference by saying, "Because (hi = yatah)
all living beings like Me." Using the words "your special affection for Me" slackens that very
affection. He follows that up with lofty respect by adding: bhavatyah (you) (honorific form).
There is another explanation. After His words "This is fitting,"
the gopis might have said, "If so, dear top-notch conversationalist, our desire will be fulfilled." To that
He says, "All living beings like Me." By taking priti as a special type of bhakti, the gist is: Forget
about having an ahga-sahga. The rest was revealed by Sridhara Svämi. Alternatively they might have
said, "Gosh, we abandoned all those persons, so why do You bother mentioning them one by one?"
Suspecting this, He speaks the words in the verse with a tone of commendation. The sense is the same.
In truth, however, such a display of indifference is only meant to increase love by a witty turn of
expression.
The dual meaning is as follows. "What's the use of trying to coax you with requests filled with
impetuses for love? You're already passionate, so let's get down to business." He speaks with that in
mind. By using the term abhi, He says their sneha (affection) is fullfledged: This signifies sweet love.
Further, "Because every living being likes Me, you topmost gopis, whose hearts were harnessed by
your full-fledged affection for Me, came here. And that is fitting— since Your affection for Me is more
specific than everybody else's. " He addresses them with respect: bhavatyah (you), so the drift is:
"Now you can take pleasure in being with Me as you like."
 Jiva Gosvämi
Their eyes were disturbed by anger. While disturbing them even more by mentioning people in
general, He speaks as if He meant to make the girls go back. This verse expresses a different
viewpoint than the one in verse 21: "You have seen the woodland."
"On account of an abundance of your general type of affection for Me" (mad-abhisnehät mayi
priti-sämänyäti'ayät). This excludes the romantic love between a man and a woman since there is no
adjective. He adds to His indifference by saying, "Because (hi = yatah) all living beings like Me."
Using the words "your special affection for Me" slackens that very affection. He follows that up with
lofty respect by adding: bhavatyah (you) (honorific form). The rest is by Sridhara Svämi. Alternatively
they might have said, "Gosh, we abandoned all those persons, so why do You bother mentioning them
one by one?" Suspecting this, He speaks the words in the verse with a tone of commendation. The sense
is the same. In truth, however, such a display of indifference is only meant to increase love by a witty
turn of expression.
(Additions are not underlined.) The dual meaning is as follows. As a reference to verse 21, He
says, "Even though you came here for some other purpose, relax here for a while because I have a
request," and then takes hold of another viewpoint by speaking the words in the verse. By using the
term abhi, He says their sneha is full-fledged: Romantic love is implied by this. Thus, "Or else, if you
came because of your full-fledged love for Me, that is fitting." The reason for that is: "Because
everybody becomes satisfied with Me"... so this applies to you emotional women even more." He
addresses them with love-filled respect: bhavatyah (you). The drift is: "Now you can take pleasure in
being with Me as you like."

10.29.24

bhartuh Guirü$aparil strinärh paro dharmo hy amäyayä I tad-bandhünärh ca kalyänyah 53

prajänärh cänuposanam Il

bhartuh—of the husband; Susmapam—rendering service; stripäm— of women; parah—the highest;

dharmah—moral duty; hi—only; amäyayä—without duplicity; tat-bandhünäm—to his relatives; ca—
and; kalyäpyah—O virtuous women; prajänäm—of offspring; ca— and; anuposanam—taking care.

kalyänyah! strinäm amäyayä bhartuh Susrü.yanam, tad-bandhünärh ca prajänähl ca anuposanarh (ca)

hi parah dharmah (asti).

"Virtuous ladies, rendering service to the husband without duplicity and looking after both his parents
and the children are the topmost moral duty for women.

Sridhara Svämi
By showing, in three verses, that they should have fear of foreseen potential consequences of acts and
of unforeseen potential consequences of acts (in the afterlife), He tries to make them return.

53
kalyänah (BBT edition). The noun kalyäna is actually a neuter word.
Viévanätha Cakravarti
They might say, "If You know that we have full-fledged affection for You, why do You repeatedly say
"Go to the village"? An affectionate person would never abandon a person who is the object of the
affection." He responds here, "True, yet a person of Vraja, even an affectionate one, should do that by
which dharma is accomplished. This is the verdict of the scriptures. I'm simply bringing it up."
It is the topmost (parah = utkr"ah) dharma (code of ethics). The term amäyayä (without duplicity)
applies to the husband: He should be served if he is not promiscuous. His relatives are the mother-
inlaw and others.
In the other interpretation: "For women, you, rendering service to the husband is some other moral
duty (paro dharmah), not your own—therefore that dharma should not be carried out." It is said:

vidharmah para-dharmaS ca äbhäsa upamä chalah I adharma-Säkhäh paficemä dharma-jio 'dharma-vat

tyajet Il

"These are the five branches of wrong ethics (adharma) every knower of ethics should avoid: vidharma
(applying a moral principle that goes against the code of ethics assigned to oneself), paradharma
(ethics meant for another), äbhäsa (semblance, pretense), upamä (imitation: based on a scripture
opposed to the Vedas), and chala (sham: based on a distortion of scriptural meanings)." (7.15.12)

"Since I am Visnu and you are Vaisnavis, your own dharma is to render service to Me. Anything else is
para-dharma. " The procedure for serving Him begins by the relinquishment of other codes of ethics:
dharmän santyajya yah sarvän mähl bhajeta sa tu sattamah, "A person who rejects all other codes of
ethics and renders service to Me is foremost." (11.11.32)

Sanätana Gosvämi
Rendering such service is dharma, and is topmost (parah utkMah) if it is done with a pure intention
(amäyayä = Suddhabhävena), that is, only in consideration of performing the dharma for its own sake.
Hi means niScitam (indeed). The bandhus are the mother-in-law, the father-in-law, and so on, and the
prajäs are the sons, the servants, and so forth. Taking care of them too, after rendering service to the
husband and so on (anuposanam = paty-ädi-SuSrü$äntararh posanam), is dharma. "O virtuous ladies"
(kalyänyah = he sädhvyah). The gist is: "That is fitting in your case." Thus, He deceptively encourages
them. One scriptural reference is: sarva-dharmän parityajya and so on (Gitä 18.66).
The dual sense is this. "O topmost Vaisnavis, such is the dharma for women, that is ordinary
women. It does not apply to you, the best of all women, because you are engaged in bhakti, and so you
disregard your own dharma." It is said much in the same way in: tyaktvä sva-dharmarh caranämbujarh
hareh bhajan (1.5.17). Alternatively, "You should serve Me. I, jagat-pati, am the bhartr (husband,
maintainer)." Or He is bhartr as Paramätmä, or even just as the protector of the cowherd village. The
bandhus are Sri Nanda, Sri Baladeva, and others. The prajäs (people) are Sridäman and others.

Jiva Gosvämi
"If You've already ascertained that we have affection for You, the proper thing for us to do is to render
service to You." Expecting this response, in three verses He invokes fear in them by referring to
scriptures on moral ethics. Rendering service to the husband and others is dharma. It is para compared
to other types of dharma. They might think, "But we're already doing this properly." To that He says:
amäyayä (without duplicity): "That would be deceitful if you were to serve Me, the highest Purusa."
"O virtuous ladies" (kalyänyah = he sädhvyah). The gist is: "That is fitting in your case." Thus, He
deceptively encourages them. In truth, it's a farce, because that is not the topmost dharma, in light of
this statement by Sri Dharmaräja (Yamaräja):

etävän eva loke'smin pumsärh dharmah parah smrtah I bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-näma-
grahanädibhih Il

"In this world, this is the foremost moral duty for humankind: Bhakti-yoga to the Lord which involves
taking His names (hearing, chanting), and so on." (6.3.22)

The gist of the dual sense is: "Your arrival is fitting not only because of your full-fledged love for Me,
but also because of dharma." "Serving the husband who is such because the virtuous girl chose him
from her heart (amäyayä = kalyänibhir nija-sad-bhäva-vrttatvena eva) is the topmost dharma, and so is
serving his relatives." The sense of amäyayä is that no one forced her to accept the man as her
husband. By the code of dharma, Bhisma could never become Ambä's husband because he knew that
in her heart she wished for another man, and so he never accepted her. Thus, those husbands are such
as a form of deceit (mäyayä = kapa(ena), whereas only He is the real husband, and so only He should
be served by the gopis. From childhood, the gopis placed Him in their heart of hearts. In truth, only
this meaning will be validated.

Srinätha Pandita
The word bhartr is in the singular, whereas in verses 6 and 22 pati is in the plural. This suggests that
only He, the bhartr of the three worlds, should be served. The bandhus are His relatives. The prajäs are
the ones who had an eminent birth (prajänäm = prakry(ajanmanäm): Those who made their descent
with Him.

10.29.25

duh'ilo durbhago vrddho jado rogy adhano 'pi vä I patih stribhir na hätavyo lokepsubhir
apätaki Il

duh'ilah—ill-behaved; durbhagah—unlucky; vrddhah—old: jadah—frigid; rogi—sick; adhanah—poor;

api—even though; vä— or; patih—the husband; stribhih—by women; na hätavyah—should not be
rejected; loka-ipsubhih—who desire to attain the [next] World (or who desire to reach people); apätaki
—is not fallen. duhSilah durbhagah vrddhah jadah rogi adhanah api vä patih apätaki lokepsubhih
stribhih na hätavyah.

"Women aspiring to win the world should not reject a husband who is not fallen, even if he is ill-
behaved, unlucky, old, frigid, sick or poor.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"But why would we who have full-fledged affection for You serve our husbands? They are unsuitable,
adverse and unappealing." He counters that here. The term apätakin (not fallen) is said in reference to
Smrti: patirh tv apatitam bhajet, 54 "The wife should serve her husband provided he is not fallen"
(Bhägavatam 7.11.28). "He should not be rejected by women who desire happiness on the husband's
planet" (lokepsubhih = pati-loke sukha-vähchävatibhih). The term apätakin means he has no pätaka.
Only a husband who commited a pätaka, that is, a sin which is a cause of apostasy, should be given up.
In the other interpretation: "Such a husband should not be rejected only by women who expect
insignificant fame, happiness and so forth in this world and in the next. In your case, however, since
you frolick in the ocean of the happiness of My sweetness now that you've offered a respectful offering
of water with cupped hands unto both worlds as a token of adieu, you duly rejected your husbands
right at first."

Jiva Gosvämi
(The essence of the commentary was incorporated above by ViSvanätha Cakravarti.)

Sanätana Gosvämi
The word apätakin means he has not fallen from dharma. Of the six adjectives, each following one is
worse than the previous one. The word pati is in the singular and the word stri (women) in the plural
because women should have only one husband.
The dual sense is this. Only He is the husband, by the derivation: äpadbhyah pätiti patih, "A
husband is so called because he protects from danger. I shouldn't be given up." Alternatively, He shows
some indignation toward the gopas. In this interpretation, the verbal root is gatau instead of tyäge:
"The husband should not be approached (na hätavyah = na gantavyah) by the women of Vraja who
desire to attain My abode (loka = mal-loka). Although he hasn't fallen from dharma, he is ill-behaved,
angry by nature; unlucky, a bit deformed; old; stupid; sickly; and poor."

Näräyaqa Bhatta
"In your case, however, your husbands are not like that. They are well-behaved, favored, youthful,
expert in work, disease-free and rich in cattle. Your husbands haven't fallen from dharma, so why
would you reject them?" The real meaning is this: "Even if the husband has those six faults, a virtuous
woman should not give him up, much less if he has those six qualities. I have those six qualities, plus I
have another set of six qualities, the well-know sixfold opulence of godly might. Besides, I am the
main husband, because I am the ultimate protector: I was able to dispel fear when there was a deluge
over Vraja, and so on. So you have no reason to abandon Me. That is, don't return to the village." The
subtle sense of the verse is this: "Your husbands committed a pätaka insofar as they quarreled with you
in trying to prevent you from coming here, so they should be given up. Not only that, your husbands
committed the mahäpätaka known as theft by refusing to return you, the wealth of My life, to Me. I,
the real husband, should not be abandoned by you women who want to have a sight." In other words,
the gopis want Krsna to reveal His erotic nature (lokepsubhih = lokyate prakä'yate 55 iti Ioko
ramanänanda-prakäras tad-icchubhir yu.smäbhih).

54
Baladeva Vidyabhüsana indicates that the above is not a citation from a Smrti other than this Puräna.
Krsnadäs Kaviräja states: patim ca patitarh tyajet (Caitanya-caritämrta 2.15.265). This is the purport of: viSilah
kämavrtto vä gunair vä parivarjitah, upacäryah striyä sädhvyä satatahi deva-vat patih (Manu-smrti 5.154). By
convention, the term mahä-pätaka denotes one of the five cardinal sins in Vedic culture.
55
The verbal root is actually lok[r] darSane (to see). A world is called 10ka because it is seen (lokyate). The
meaning of 'sight' is the usage in the passive impersonal voice (bhäve prayoga).
 10.29.26

asvargyam ayaSasyam ca phalgu krcchram bhayävaham I jugupsitam ca sarvatra hy aupapatyam kula-

striyäh 56 Il

asvargyam—whose purpose is not heaven; ayaSasyam—whose purpose is not fame; ca—and; phalgu
—false; krcchram—difficult; bhaya-ävaham—it conveys fear; jugupsitam—contemptible; ca— and;
sarvatra—everywhere; hi—indeed; aupapatyam—adultery; kula—of a good family; striyäh—of a
woman.

kula-striyäh aupapatyam asvargyam ayaSasyah1 ca phalgu (ca) krcchram (ca) bhayävaharh (ca)
sarvatra hi jugupsitam ca (bhavati).

"Intercourse between a woman of noble pedigree and her paramour bars her from heaven, ruins her
reputation, is paltry, is a cause of hardship, brings her fear and is, of course, despised everywhere.

Sridhara Svämi
The happiness derived from being with a paramour (aupapatyam — jära-saukhyam) is worthless
(phalgu = tuccham). It's hard to make it happen (krcchram = duhsampädyam).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"You gals have a general type of affection for Me, owing to your nature. Fine, but the particular type
of affection which is adverse to dharma ought to be given up by all means."
Upon saying asvargyam, they might have thought, "We didn't have in mind to go to heaven
anyway," so He adds: ayaSasyam. In case they retort, "So what? We don't care to have a good repute,"
He says: phalgu (paltry). In case they respond "That's not true. It's not paltry, rather it's experienced as
the very best thing," He says it involves hardship, because of the opposition created by the husbands
and others (krcchram = paty-ädi-värana-ka$(a-mayam). The textbooks on Rasa state: vämatä
durlabhatvam ca strinäm yä ca niväranä, tad eva paica-bänasya manye paramam äyudham, "I consider
contrariness, being hard to get, and rejection women's topmost weapons related to Cupid" (Smgära-
tilaka 2.30) (Ujjvalanilamani 3.20), and so the gopis might quip, "On the contrary, for us passionate
women that hardhip is a cause of intense pleasure," because of the text: duhkham apy adhikam citte
sukhatvenaiva rajyate, "In the state of räga, even a high degree of unhappiness is felt as happiness
[when the woman hopes to meet Krsna57]" (Ujjvalanilamani 14.126). To that He says: bhayävaham. It
gives fear in this world and in the next because it is prohibited both by people and by the scriptures.
"But on the contrary it evokes great relish," since textbooks on Rasa state: yatra nisedha-viiesah
sudurlabhatvam ca yan mrgäk$inäm, tatraiva nägaränäm nirbharam äsajjate hrdayam, "When there is a
specific prohibition and the woman is hard to get, the lover' heart swells" (Visnugupta-samhitä)
(Ujjvala-nilamapi 3.21). He replies: jugupsitam. The deed done by a paramour (aupapatyam = upapati-
56
kula-striyah (BBT reading) (Vallabhäcärya's reading). Vallabhäcärya takes this as a vocative.
57
Viévanätha comments: duhkharh duhkha-käranarh sukhatvenaiva SUkha-käranatvenaiva vyajyata iti Sri-knna-
läbha-sambhävanäyäm iti jheyam. (Änanda-candrikä 14.126)
kartrkam karma) unto a woman of noble pedigree is despised in every country at all times. This means
the woman is rebuked everywhere. "You all would easily tolerate the rebuke if your wishes would
come true. However, why would I create an occasion for such a rebuke to happen to you? You are the
objects of my love. So return to the village."
In the other interpretation: "It is condemned everywhere, but in the beginning, you heard from
Garga Muni that I am equal to Näräyana, hence any rebuke about adultery when I am involved cannot
be well-founded because, since I am God, My act as a paramour is beyond both materially auspicious
deeds and materially inauspicious deeds. "

Jiva Gosvämi
(The commentary is the same as Brhad-vai$nava-tosani. Additions are underlined.) "Prince of Vraja, by
Your order we'll never reject our husbands, yet they're husbands in name only. Our dealings with
husbandness takes place only with You." Expecting them to say that, He speaks as if with indignation
by criticizing their longcherished desire, a criticism that is a very unpleasant concealment. But in truth,
once again He only means to increase their longing.
The singular in kula-striyäh is used in the sense ofjäti (the category).
The dual sense is this. As before, a husband is called pati because he is obtained (äpatta) by
dharma. A paramour (upapati) is the opposite. Now, He implies that this statement reminiscent of
Smrti is actually a joke. in terms of being a pretext. by referring to the well-know fact that everybody
in the world understands the meaning differently. Instead of taking the conventional sense of upa as
'the opposite' in this context, upa means samipa (near): upa samipe patir yasyäh sä upapatih, "She
whose husband is near is called an upapati." Thus the term aupapatyam means the state of being near
the husband: "Being near your husbands is a bar to heaven, ruins your reputation," and so on. It should
be explained that way in verse 24 too: "Rendering service to the husband is the chief form of
unrighteousness" (paro dharmah = paro 'dharmah = paro adharmah).

Näräyapa Bhatta
There is another interpretation: "The happiness in My presence (aupapatyam = patyur mama samipe
yat sukharil tat) is not found in heaven (asvargyam = svarge na bhavati, atraiva sukharii nästy anyatra).
Again, what is that happiness like? "It is to be praised as good luck" (aya-jasyam = ayena Subha-
drs$ena jasyam). The definition is: ayah Subhävaho vidhih, "Aya means good fortune (lit. 'fate that
brings good fortune')" (Amara-kosa 1.4.27). Moreover, "It is a just little painful" (phalgu krcchram =
atyalparh krcchram). The sense is there is some exertion involved. "And it does not cause fear"
(bhavävaham = bhaya-avaham) because Krsna will always take the gopi's side. "It is despised
everywhere, that is, everywhere else. "86

86 Additional notes: Näräyana Bhatta took his idea of 'happiness' from Sridhara Svämi's above-mentioned gloss of
aupapatyam, but it is not grammatically correct. Still, in conformity with his dual interpretation, the proper derivation of
aupapatyam is "the deed of Krsna as a paramour,"

10.29.27

Gravanäd darianäd dhyänän mayi bhävo •nukirtanät I na tathä sannikarsena pratiyäta tato
grhän Il
'ravanät—by hearing; darianät—by seeing; dhyänät—by meditating; mayi—for Me (or on Me, or
about Me); bhävah—love; anukirtanät—by continuous chanting; na—not; tathä—in that way;
sannikarsepa—by proximity; pratiyäta—you should return; tatah— therefore; grhän—to the houses.

where the suffix syai is applied after upapati in the sense of tasya karma (the activity of that). Further, by rule the word
svargya can only mean "whose purpose is heaven," but when a double meaning is meant, the rules can be bent, and so here
Näräyana Bhatta takes another usage of the suffix ya and applies it to asvargyam. He is referring to the meaning of ya as
"existing there", which normally is only applied to three words in the whole Sanskrit lexicon, by the rule: sagarbha-
sayütha-sanutäd yan (As(ädhyäyi 4.4.114) (tato bhavärthe yan, Siddhänta-kaumudi 3460). In poetical theory, it is said that a
faulty usage of a pun is not faulty if the fault is either aprayukta (not in usage) or nihatärtha (the meaning is obstructed by
the usual sense): aprayukta-nihatärthau "lesädäv adus(au (Kävya-prakäSa verse 301 vrtti). The above 'fault • in the
derivation of asvargyam is nihatärtha: That usage Of the word is never seen. For this reason, the word jugupsitam too can
be derived as a double meaning: "My act as a paramour is meant to be kept secret," where the verbal root is jugupsa (to
desire to conceal). By rule, the desiderative sense is applied after the verbal root gup gopanakutsanayoh only in its sense of
kutsana. Similarly, the Gosvämis' fancy derivation of upapati is the 'fault' called nihatärtha. Usually the etymology i s
upamitah patyä, "[A paramour] is he who is compared with the husband," w here upamita changes to upa by the rule:
avädayah krus(ädy-arthe trtiyayä ( Värttika 2.2.18). Regarding the above, the purists say the rule of exception applies when
the word is grammatically sound to begin with. However, the Bhägavatam is in a class of is own: On occasion, it uses poetic
license to ma ke a pun. An example is the word sumanäthsi in verse 10.3.7. For the details, consult Vallabhäcärya's
commentary on that verse (see Volume On e of this series). Sridhara Svämi did so too, in explaining the word athSab. hägena
in verse 10.2.9: Jiva Gosvämi says two of those explanations by Sridhara Svämi are poetic license (Laghu-vaisnava-tosani
10.2.9).
(yatah yathä) Sravanät darSanät dhyänät anukirtanät (vä) mayi bhävah (bhavati), tathä sannikarsetga
(mayi bhävah) na (bhavati), tatah (yüyahl) grhän pratiyäta.

"Love for Me arises by hearing about Me, by seeing Me, by meditating on Me, and by continuous
chanting. The same result is not achieved by close proximity, so go back home."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"But why do You imagine things in a different way? We didn't come here to have an ahga-sahga with
You. Rather, we know from Garga that Näräyana is equal to You, and so we came here desirous of
Your bhakti. Thus, tonight grant us a place near You and kindly allow us to attend to Your lotus-like
feet." In response, He speaks the words in the verse. The drift is: "For My pure devotees, love of God
derived from the processes starting from Sravana does not occur in the same way it does by close
proximity, and so My pure devotees don't want close proximity to Me. They do not seek the types of
liberation called sämipya (physical proximity to God), sälokya (living on God's planet) and so on. You
Vaisnavis are already familiar with this well-known fact."
In the other interpretation: "Erotic love (bhäva = kandarpah) is not achieved by Sravana and so on
as much as it is by close proximity, therefore do not go home." The word na (not) is carried forward
into this sentence. There is another explanation, by a coalescence of the vowel 'a': "Go to the places
that are not your homes." In other words, "Do not go home" (pratiyäta tato grhän = tato agrhän
pratiyäta = na grhän prati yäta).

Sanätana Gosvämi
In giving rise to love of God, those four, beginning from Sravana, work either one by one or in
conjunction: This was already explained in the uttara-khanda of Sri Bhägavatämrta. Sravapam means
hearing about topics related to the Lord. Darianam means either seeing the deity or seeing Him from
afar. Anukirtanam means constantly (anu = nirantaram) chanting His names. This is the main type of
chanting. For example: evarh-vratah sva-priya-näma-kirtyä jätänurägah (11.2.40). They occur in
sequence: After hearing, one has the desire to see the deity, etc., and after that one meditates:
Meditation nicely engenders joy. Thereafter anukirtanam arises automatically. The term sannikarsena
means either sännidhyena (by close proximity) or ahga-sahgena (by intimate touch). The reasoning
behind this is: sannikarso hi martyänäm anädaranakäranam, "Familiarity breeds contempt." The truth,
however, is that on account of being very curious He speaks that way to see the ardor of the prema of
the gopis whose submissive nature was made even softer by the profuseness of their deep love.
The paronomastic sense is this. "The bhäva known as prema is not achieved by Sravana and so on,
because it becomes perfect only by an ahga-sahga. Therefore, come to Me, who am unmarried"
(agrhän = agrha-sthän akrta-därän asmän prati yäta bhajata). This takes place by a coalescence of the
vowel a. Out of cleverness, He refers to Himself in the plural with the intent to signify His glory.
Alternatively: grhän. "Go to My homes, the pleasure groves."

dasa-jlokendhanais täsärh prema-komalitätmanäm I äSäsu sarväsv audäsya-vahnihi

kautuky ajrmbhayat Il

"The gopis' nature is rendered soft by love, but the wisecracker kindled the fire of His indifference on
all their hopes with the fuel of those ten verses."

Jiva Gosvämi
Suspecting that they would not turn back even in the matter of putting forth counter-arguments, He
displays indifference by being evasive about bhäva. "The bhäva that occurs by hearing, etc., does not
happen in the same way by intimate touch (sannikarsepa = ahgasahgena)." In separation, love
increases spontaneously by a great eagerness, but in meeting it increases because of the slackening of
t
he eagerness. Thus, even though their love had reached the highest stage, He sort of brushes it aside
by pointing out, with a twist in the wording, that it is imperfect.
In that regard, in pürva-raga, for the most part at first the Woman hears about the man, then she sees
him, and later, after the first meeting, the woman is engrossed in thoughts of her lover.
Afterward, a kathä takes place (she and her girlfriends talk about him). It was pointed out by this order.
The truth, however, is that on account of being very curious He speaks that way to see the ardor of the
prema of the gopis whose submissive nature was made even softer by the profuseness of their deep
love.
The paronomastic meaning is this. They might have replied, "The man who is the real husband is
the one whom the woman chooses of her own accord. Since that is not the case for us, our husbands
are not our real husbands. This is settled. But actually this makes no sense because You are far away
and they are near us." To that He says: "Love does not occur in the same manner by close proximity as
it does by hearing and so on." The 'manner' means the manner of a special relishement (yathä is added:
yathä = yena rasaviSesa-prakärepa). The drift is: "Those other ones who are close to you have the
conceit of thinking they are your husbands. There is no love in them (or you have no love for them)."
The bond of love that occurs due to the close proximity of two individuals who are fit to love one
another does not take place in the same way by hearing and so forth. Since everybody knows this,
another word which rests on the meaning is added. Plus, this is obtained by the context, because it was
begun that way right at first. "Therefore do not go home." The word na (not) is connected to both
clauses. Or the word prati has the sense of the opposite meaning of the word base, as in the nouns
pratisedha, pratyäkhyäna and pratipakM, and so the verb pratiyäta signifies "Do things that are the
opposite of going."
 All in all, as before the discourse was twofold: Some gopis took the meanings at face value,
whereas the other gopis found new meanings by the fluctuation of their anuräga.

Priti-sandarbha 332: Now they might say, "Love for You gives affliction. " Expecting this, He says
"Love for Me achieved by getting close to Me is not the same as love for Me achieved by Sravapa and
so forth, that is, by not attaining Me: It is painful. Therefore go to the pleasure groves, each of which
is a home of sorts" (pratiyäta tato grhän = tasmäd agrhän grha-sadrjän kuijän prati yäta). Here na[i] is
paryudäsa (in the sentence, the injunction is the main thing and the prohibition is secondary)'

87 It is paryudäsa because na[i] is in a compound. The purport of

Näräyapa Bhatia
Sravanam means hearing about the lover's qualities. DarSanam means seeing Him: An example of that
is in the verse beginning barhäpidam (10.21.5). Dhyänam means contemplating on His body and so
on. Kirtanam means talking about His deeds and activities. In giving rise to love of God, those four
work either one by one or in conjunction. An example of love arisen solely by hearing is in the verse
beginning frutvä gut.län (10.52.37), where Rukmiqi falls in love with Krsna simply by hearing about
His qualities. The verse beginning tam pravi$(arh striyo viksya (1().59.34) is an example where the
maidens kidnapped by Bhaumäsura fell in love with Krsna the minute He entered their quarters to save
them. The point of comparing 'ravana and so on with close proximity is that madhura-rasa consists of
vipralambha (separation) and sambhoga (meeting).

10.29.28

Sri-Suka uväca iti vipriyam äkamya gopyo govinda-bhä$itam I visannä bhagna-

sahkalpäs; cintäm äpur duratyayäm Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Suka said; iti—in this way; vipriyam— unpleasant; äkarnya—upon hearing;
gopyah—the cowherd girls; govinda-bhä$itam—what was spoken by Govinda; vi$annäh—dejected;
bhagna—were broken; sahkalpäh—whose desires; cintäm—anxiety; äpuh—they attained; duratyayäm
— insurmountable (or unthinkable).

Jiv
a Gosvämi's gloss is that in agrhän, the na[i] has the sense of sädrSya (similarity), which is one of the six meanings na[i]
can have in a compound. In his commentary here, Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana copied Jiva Gosvämi's expl anation. Usually, the
meaning is virodha (the opposite). For the details, consult the Amrta commentary on Hari-nämämr!a-vyäkarana 937.
Sri-Sukah uväca—iti vipriyam govinda-bhä$itam äkarnya gopyah visannäh bhagna-sankalpäh (ca
satyäh) duratyayähl cintäm äpuh.

Sri Suka said: Hearing such unpleasantries spoken by Govinda, the gopis became dejected: Their
ambitions broken, the cowherd girls felt insurmountable anxiety.
Viévanätha Cakravarti
Govinda is so called because He finds many kinds of wordplays to use: gäh nänä-vidhän väg-viläsän
prayokturh vindate labhate iti govindah. The sentences that He spoke were clear (bhä$itam = vyakta-
väkyam). The verbal root is bhä$[a] vyaktäyäm väci (to speak clearly). The gopis heard the
unpleasantries, but at the same time the sentences that He spoke were unclear: They contained implied
double meanings, pleasantries, that were understood by the girls who have sharp intelligence. Not
seeing the reason He had for clearly expressing unpleasantries, and doubting whether the double
meanings were meant to be pleasant, the gopis became dejected on account of the rise of humility
originating from their anuräga, the sthäyi-bhäva, by thinking: "It's true, we're not fit for Him. He's
neglecting us." Their ambitions were crushed: "Alas, He for whose sake we came here by disregarding
our husbands, our fathers, and our dharma, fortitude, fear and shame is disregarding us." They reached
a state of anxiety: "Should we try to win Him over by grasping His feet and by expressing tremor in
our voices or should we resort to fortitude with great effort, go back to the village on a false pretext
and try to figure out His deep and unfathomable intention? Or should we give up our lives? And that
too directly in His presence or secretly, by entering the Yamunä? But if we give up our lives, how will
we be able to see His face again? Still, if we don't give up our lives, how will we stay here? Are we
able to carry out His instruction of eating the vomit which is our rendering service to our husbands?
Where shall we go? What can we do?" They thus became utterly confounded about what to do next.

ähüya gopi-tati-cätakävalih sva-venu-nädena vavarsa yad visam I kr.mas tad

eväSu papuh suvismitäh viSvasya täh kä jahati vratam nijam Il

"By calling the cätaka-bird-like gopis with the sound of His flute, Knna rained poison on them. The
gopis quickly drank it, and became sublimely astonished. Which woman would trust those girls and
relinquish her way of living?"

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) They heard the clear speech (bhä$itam — sphu(am eva vacanam) of
Govinda, who as the prince of Gokula benefits everyone in Gokula, and especially His near and dear
ones. His speech was unpleasant: There were two meanings at the same time, and so the girls could not
ascertain His intention. They became dejected: His neglect of them felt like a throb, due to the nature
of their eagerness. Then they became afflicted, because: bhagnasahkalpäh. Their long-standing desire
for an ahga-sahga with Him was broken. Then they reached the state of anxiety, that is, a state of
meditation generated by not obtaining the fulfillment of their desires; and it was insurmountable
(duratyayäm = anatikramyäm): "Although by nature He is soft and melts with love, He turned very
hard because of our bad luck." They anxiously thought... (The rest of the text was copied and slightly
augmented by ViSvanätha Cakravarti.)

10.2929
 krtvä mukhäny ava Sucah Svasanena Susyadbimbädharäni caranena bhuvarh58
likhantyah I asrair upätta-masibhih 59 kuca-kuhkumäni tasthur mrjantya uru-duhkha-
bharäh sma tü$nim Il (vasanta-tilakä)

krtvä—after making (turning); mukhäni—their faces; ava— downward; Sucah—because of the

heartache; 'vasanena—by the exhalation; Susyat—were drying up; bimba-adharäni—on which the lips,
which looked like bimba fruits (which turn into an amazing red when ripe and which are the size of a
thumb); caranena—with the foot; bhuvam—the ground; likhantyah—while writing (scratching); asraih
—with their tears; upätta—was taken; masibhih—by which the eyeliner; kuca——on the breasts;
kuhkumäni—the abundance of saffron powder; tasthuh—they stood still; mrjantyah—washing away;
uru—great; duhkha—unhappiness; bharäh—who had a mass; sma—(used to fill the meter); tü$Vim—
silent.

(täh gopyah) Sucah (udgatena) 'vasanena Susyad-bimbädharäm• mukhäni ava krtvä carapena bhuvam
likhantyah upätta-masibhih asraih kuca-kuhkumäni mrjantyah uru-duhkha-bharäh tümim tasthuh.

The gopis' exhalations, arising from their heartache, were drying up the two bimba fruits of their lips.
The gopis, who had profuse affliction, stood still in silence: They lowered their heads, and drew lines
on the ground with their feet. Their tears, mixed with eyeliner, washed away the saffron paste on their
breasts.

Sridhara Svämi
He describes the state of their anxiety: "After lowering (ava = aväici) their heads, on which the lips,
which looked like bimba fruits, were drying by the breath which arose because of the heartache
(Gucah Svasanena = Sucah udgatena 'vasanena) (Sucah = Sokät), they remained silent while
scratching the ground with their big toes (caranena = ahgu$(hena) and while washing off the saffron
paste on their breasts with tears which contained eyeliner (upätta-

word masi, like the word masi, is a Dravidian loanword, vide Burrow's Sanskrit Language, p. 385 (Sarma Bisvas, Ashutosh
(1968) Bhägavata Puräna: A Linguistic Study, Dibrugarh (Assam) (self-published), p. 237).
masibhih asraih = grhita-kajjalair airubhih)." They remained silent because: uru-duhkha-bharäh, "They
had a mass, a burden (bhara = bhära), of great sorrow."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
He depicts the anubhävas (physical reactions) of their anxiety. "They lowered (ava krtvä = adhah
krtvä) their heads": Bashfulness is implied by this. "In conformity with prema, we relinquished our
natural bashfulness. And that relinquishment itself became bashful because it was only caused by
prema. " In the opinion of those who are conversant with prema-rasa, that is commendable, not
reproachable. The definition of prema is that it completely subjugates its object, even God. Thus, "If
we haven't been able to subjugate Krsna, the object of our love, then we have no love. In that case,
why did we give up bashfulness at all?" In this way there is remorse, bashfulness, and anxiety.
Of the three, to elaborate on the remorse the speaker gives details about their heads: "On the heads
were bimba lips being dried by the warm breath arising because of the heartache." This means the lips
58
bhuvah (BBT edition).
59
upätta-masibhih (BBT edition). According to Ashutosh Sharma, the
turned out like ripe bimba fruits which, by the heat of the sun, lose their plumpness and become
blemished.
Next he elaborates upon the bashfulness and the anxiety: "They were scratching the ground with
the big toe of their left foot
(caravena = väma-pädähgw(hena)." The gopis thought: "O Mother Earth, we are broken. Open up so
we can enter in you."
He describes the heartache and the affliction: "They were washing off the saffron on their breasts
with tears which had eyeliner." This suggests the following fanciful assumption: Each eye provided a
black line of demarcation for cutting the body in half by means of the saw of the great affliction which
kept increasing their feeling of separation.
The plural in asraih (with tears) and the present tense in mrjantyah (washing off) imply a flow of
tears. Although it is not stated, we can imagine that their inner garments became wet as a result of so
many tears. In the dispute between the rivulets of tears from their eyes and the fire of affliction burning
in their hearts, the rivulets had in mind to extinguish the fire, and the fire wanted to dry them up, yet
neither became victorious. As such the gopis had a mass, a burden (bhara = bhära), of great sorrow.
They remained silent... because their awareness faded away as if due to being unable to tolerate that
burden. And they just stood there (tasthuh), as if they were unconscious dolls.

10.29.30

pres(ham priyetaram iva pratibhäsamänam krsnahl tad-artha-vinivartita-sarva-

kämäh I netre vimrjya ruditopahate sma kificitsamrambha-gadgada-giro
'bruvatänuruktäh Il

lover; priya-itaram—were the opposite of a lover; iva—as if; pratibhäsamäpam—who

was talking in a contrary way; krsnam—Krsna; tat-artha—for His sake; vinivartita—were made to go
away; sarva-kämäh—they by whom all desires; netre—both eyes; vimrjya—wiping; rudita—by the
crying; upahate—[the eyes,] which were impeded; sma—(a verse filler); kificit-samrambha—because
of some aborption in anger; gadgada—were faltering; girah—whose words; abruvata—they spoke;
anuraktäh—the were in love.

(täh gopyah) pres(ham (api) krsnampriyetaram ivapratibhäsamänam (avabudhya) tad-artha-

vinivartita-sarva-kämäh anuraktäh kificitsamrambha-gadgada-girah (satyah) ruditopahate netre
vimrjya (tam prati) abruvata.

Realizing that Knpa, their lover, was verbally rejecting them as if He were the antithesis of a lover, the
gopis, who had given up all desires for His sake and whose eyes brimmed with tears, wiped their eyes
and spoke in a voice faltering due to some resentment. They were in love with Him.
Sridhara Svämi
"In a voice that was faltering because of a slight absorption in anger (samrambhena = kopäve'ena),
they spoke (abruvata sma)." The reason for the anger is: He, the lover was verbally rejecting them
(pratibhäsamänam = pratyäcak$änam) as if He were the opposite of a lover.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Then this happened: He loudly said, "Why are you crying in the forest? Why don't you put a smile on
your faces and quickly go to your respective husbands?" When the gopis heard this, those words
entered deep in the pathways of their ears, and so the gopis woke up from their stupor and proceeded
to let Him know how they felt.
He is the lover, meaning they liked Him very much because they did an ahga-sahga with Him
many times in the past. Plus, without any apparent reason, He was speaking in an adverse way
(pratibhäsamänam = pratikülmh bhäsamänam), very harshly: "Go serve your husbands," as if He were
the antithesis of a lover. Yet such harshness is actually impossible on His part, because: tad-
arthavinivartita-sarva-kämäh, "they by whom all desires were given up for His sake, in a special way"
(vinivartita = vi'esepa nivartita). That is, they gave up their desires in such a way that they wouldn't
even have a trace of a connection with them. Sri Suka's intention in using the word sarva (all) instead
of another word is to signify that here the word käma does not denote a desire to please the Lord. It
simply means some other desire.
"They wiped their eyes, which had become blind due to the crying" (ruditopahate = ruditena andhi-
bhüte). The gopis thought: "Our time to die has come. Let us take a good look at His lotus face one last
time before dying."
They had resentment: "Gosh, we didn't commit an offense, so why is He punishing us with death
even after becoming our lover?" They would not have felt resentment if their thoughts had been like
t
his: "We are not qualified for an ahga-sahga with Him because our bodies and qualities are not suitable
for Him, hence let's give up on this." Therefore, "their voice was faltering due to some resentment."
S
omeone might argue, "One way or the other, they had no love, so they should go back." To that he
says: anuraktäh (the gopis were in love). The drift is: Women who are blinded by love are unable to
think straight.

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions to Brhad-vaiynava-tosani are underlined.) "They spoke to Krsna, who, although He is their
lover, had just rejected them (pratibhä$amänam = pratyäkhyänarh kurvantam) as if He were altogether
different from being a lover." Someone might think, "Then why didn't they turn their minds away from
Him?" In that regard he says, "To attain Him, they had given up all ambitions not connected with Him,
in a special way," that is. in such a way that they wouldn't even have a trace of a connection with them.
Hence they were unable to turn their minds away from Him. Why? Krsna: the son of the king of the
village, the prince who is well known by that name in terms of being one who radiates the greatest
bliss and who attracts everyone by their hearts.
"But how were they able to speak if they were overwhelmed by a mass of sorrow?" He answers:
smhrambha (resentment). This is because they covered up their despondency with indignation. which
was the effect of the despondency. In this matter. wiping their eyes was the result of a combination of
those two emotions, and was for the purpose of talking to Him right after looking at His beautiful face
a little, on account of the nature of anger in love. Thus, it's understood that their bashfulness slackened
because of their great discomfort. They felt 'some' resentment. insofar as part of the dejection was
included in the resentment. Their faltering voice was the effect of those two. The reason for their
dejection and for everything else is: anuraktäh.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Alternatively, "for the sake of that, they gave up all their desires." In other words, "for the sake of the
thing that can't really be talked about," or else "for the top secret thing" (tad-artha = tasmai
anirväcyäya sugopyäya vä arthäya). In short: to have fun with Him. The gist is nothing but Him
appealed to them. Why? krynam.

10.29.31

gopya ücuh60maivam vibho 'rhati bhavän gaditum nr-jmhsmh santyajya sarva-

vi$ayäths tava päda-mülam I bhaktä bhajasva duravagraha mä tyajäsmän devo
yathädi-puru$0 bhajate mumuk$ün I l

gopyah ücuh—the gopis said; mä—not; evam—thus; vibho—O allpervasive one; arhati—should;
bhavän—You; gaditum—speak; nrSamsam—cruelly; santyajya—after completely renouncing;
sarvavisayän—all sensual enjoyments; tava—Your; päda-mülam—soles of the feet; bhaktäh—who
had begun to revere; bhajasva—serve (reciprocate); duravagraha—O You whose avagraha is bad; mä
tyaja—do not reject; asmän—us; devah—God; yathä—just as; ädipurusah—the first Purusa; bhajate—
serves; mumuk$ün—those who desire liberation.

gopyah ücuh—-vibho! duravagraha! bhavän evam nr-jamsarii (vacanarh) gaditum mä arhati. yathä
devah ädi-purusah mumuk$ün bhajate, (tathä) sarva-visayän santyajya tava päda-mülahi bhaktäh
asmän (tvahl) mä tyaja (kintu) bhajasva.

The gopis said: "You, Vibhu, should not speak such cruel words. We completely gave up all types of
enjoyments and had begun to revere Your feet. Reciprocate with us, O You of wicked avagraha, just
like God, the first Purusa, reciprocates with those who strive for liberation. Don't reject us.

Sridhara Svämi
NrSamsam means krüram (cruel). "Hey stubborn, that is, O You who act at Your own will
(duravagraha = svacchanda), reciprocate with us: We had served (bhaktäh = sevitavatih) the soles of
Your feet. Don't abandon us."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here they say, "You instruct us on dharma, and on top of that You want to commit heaps of sins. That
is wrong. " "You shouldn't speak so murderously" (nrSamsam = ghätukam säk$än-märakarh yathä syät

Sri-gopya ücuh (BBT edition) (Vallabhäcärya's edition).

60
tathä). The drift is: "You, the son of Nanda, who is renowned as a dharmic person, shouldn't be a
contrary man. Let anybody else who kills people for a living be a contrary man." Amara states:
nrSamso ghätukah krürah, "Nr,éamsa means murderous, and cruel" (Amara-kosa).
"In only one shot, You cast the arrows of Your speech at us, even though we number in the
millions, so that we'll have to give up our bodies and go to the city of Yamaräja, not to the village as
per Your instructions, whereas only You will go back to the village, carrying with You the deadly sins
of killing millions of women. In case You say You don't want to deal with the murder of women, then
reciprocate with us: We had given up all types of material enjoyment and had served (bhaktäh =
sevitavatih) the soles of Your feet." Here the usage of the word sarva (all) instead of anya (other)
implies that an ahga-sahga with the Lord is not a material form of enjoyment.
"Amorous ladies! Is it that your husbands do not satisfy you in bed? Is that the reason you gave
them up and have become interested in Me?" They respond, "O duravagraha!" In that regard, Pänini
formulated the rule: ave graho varsa-pratibandhe, "[The suffix ghaü is optionally used after] ava +
grah, in the sense of witholding rain" (A$(ädhyäyi 3.3.51). The word is a bahuvrihi compound, and so
the noun it modifies must be added: That noun is a cloud, because that is suitable and because the
context is unhappiness. Thus, He is a cloud whose lack of rain is wicked (dur = dusta). The sense is:
"O cloud who just rains poison!" The gist is: "Although You're far away, You, the kryna cloud, are
friends with us cätaki birds. By a twist of fate, now You rain poison. In case You say You don't rain
water because You're an avagraha, then don't rain. We're dying because we drunk the poison that You
rained. We didn't drink the water of some nearby lake. Try to understand how we feel."
"Therefore, don't reject us... if You have any gratitude." —'Tis true, ladies, cätaki birds look up to
a cloud. But a cloud doesn't need the cätakis. Whether the cätakis live or die, the cloud is not at a loss.
—Fine, but You're not a lifeless cloud. You're the crest jewel of cunning guys. You are equal to
Näräyana, so act like Näräyana."

That is exactly what the gopis say with the word deva (God). "God reciprocates with those who strive
for liberation" and who thereby gave up all types of sensual enjoyments to revere Him, because God is
obedient to a devotee so that what the devotee wants gets accomplished. The sense is: "For Your sake,
we gave up all types of sensual enjoyments. Why don't You reciprocate with us?"

Sanätana Gosvämi
As a double meaning, "The moon (bhavän = candrah) shoudn't speak such cruel words." The word
bha means naksatra (star): The moon has the stars in terms of being their master. He is a moon
because He swells the ocean of the gopis' love. In addition, "O Vibhu, that is, O You who know our
feelings inside out!" The drift is: "You shouldn't talk like that to us."
"Reciprocate with us." Why? "We had begun to serve (bhaktäh bhajanath kartum ärabdhäh) the
soles of Your feet." This is a statement of humility. Or else "the dust of Your feet, the sandals on Your
feet," or "the root which is Your feet." His feet are the root cause of all. They didn't say the metaphor
"lotus feet" in view Of their previous statement that He spoke cruel words. The rule regarding the
suffix [k]ta in bhakta is: ädi-karmani ktah kartari ca (A$(ädhyäyi 3.4.71). Another interpretation is:
"Be stubborn. Reject us" (duravagraha mä tyajäsmän = duravagraham asmän ätyaja).

Jiva Gosvämi
R
egarding this verse, which begins Sri-gopya ücuh, the following Should be considered: Although it is
possible that they all spoke at the same time, since they all felt the same way, that does not convey
Rasa too well because the result of speaking at the same time is a cacophony, hence it should be
understood that only some of the principal gopis spoke. The gopis' discourse consists of four parts:
verses 31 to 33, verses 34 and 35, verses 36 to 38, and verses 39 to 41. Thus, each leader of the four
groups of gopis gave a speech. The four groups were in the four directions facing Him while the
leader spoke, just like all the cowherd boys faced Krsna in circles during their picnic (10.13.8).
As a pun: "Accept us and others too who are not willing to give You up..." (bhajate mumuk$ün =
bhaja te 'mumuk$ün) (bhaja = svikuru). The word te, in the genitive case, stands for tväm. because:
devah. You are God. Plus, You are fittingly (yathä = yathävat) the Ädi-Purusa, Bhagavän."
(Additions are underlined:) Alternatively: "You ought not to speak such cruel words." The reason
for that is: "Reciprocate at will (duravagraham = svacchandarh yathä bhavati tathä) with those women
who have served the root of Your feet after relinquishing all kinds of sensual enjoyments. Abandon us
completely (ätyaja = sarvärhSena tyaja)." Masters only reciprocate with their bhaktas. Then they give
an example: The sense is the Lord reciprocates with the mumuksus, who are not bhaktas. This
interpretation is meant as a joke on their part and reveals their feelings for Him.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
Now, in conformity with His discourse, they make a statement with two meanings. In this regard, the
ladyloves' negation of their entreaty enhances the Rasa, whereas implying it doesn't mar the Rasa.
First interpretation: "It is not so, Vibhu. You ought to speak cruelly. Reciprocate at will
(duravagraham = nirargala,'h yathä syät tathä) with the female devotees who have given up all kinds of
material enjoyments and who serve the soles of Your feet." By saying 'the soles of the feet', the gopis
portray those devotees as being lower than them. "Abandon us completely (ätyaja = samyak tyaja): In
the future, don't even look at us." Then they give an example of reciprocating with others and rejecting
themselves: "just like God, the Ädi-Purusa, reciprocates with those who want to be free. (We're going
back to our husbands.)"
Second interpretation: "O Vibhu, You who are able to do everything, You shouldn't speak so
cruelly. Accept (bhajasva — angikuru) us who have served the root of Your feet after relinquishing all
kinds of material enjoyments. O duravagraha, You who have a bad shortage of rain, that is, O You who
delight in saying rough words, do not abandon us." They give an example to substantiate that: "just
like God, the Ädi-Purusa, Your pastime form in the spiritual world, serves those who want to be
liberated." The sense is the mumuksus too give up material enjoyments.61

10.29.32

61
Additional notes: Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana's dual interpretation is partly based on Priti-sandarbha (332).
Further, in this context, in reference to Krsna's discourse, the straightforward explanation of the vocative
d
wavagraha is "You whose avagraha is wicked." The avagraha is the grammatical term for the apostrophe
that signåls the elision of the vowel • The Äcäryas illustrated double meanings by adding an apostrophe in
a

ver
ses 19, 24 and 27. Sukadeva Mahäräja, however, explains duravagraha as "O You who are hard to catch
low" (duravagraha = durlabhah avagrahah grahanarh yasya sa tathä). (Siddhänta-pradipa 10.29.31)
 yat paty-apatya-suhrdäm anuvrttir ariga stripä"h sva-dharma iti dharma-vidä
tvayoktam I astv evam etad upade'a-pade tva.yije pres!ho bhavärhs tanu-bhrtärh kila
bandhur ätmä I l

yat—which; pati—of the husband; apatya—children; suhrdäm—and friends; anuvrttih—looking after;

idiomatic vocative of endearment: honey); strinäm—of women; sva-dharmah—the own
duty; iti—this; dharma-vidä—by the knower of duty; tvayä—by You; uktam—what was said; astu—
let it be; evam—so; etat—this; upadeSa—of the instruction; pade—the foundation; tvayi—to You; iSe
—God; dearest; bhavän—You; tanu-bhrtäm—for embodied souls; kila—of course;
bandhuh—a friend; ätmä—the inner Soul.
ahga! paty-apatya-suhrdäm anuvrttih sva-dharmah iti yat dharma-vidä tvayä uktam, etat upadesa-pade
tvayi iSe evam astu. bhavän kila tanu-bhrtäm pres(hah bandhuh ätmä (bhavati).

"Honey, You know dharma: You said that looking after the husband, children and relatives is the own
dharma of women. Let this apply to You, God, the foundation of this instruction. For embodied souls,
You, of course, are the dearest friend, the Soul.

Sridhara Svämi
The gopis deride Him in the first sentence: "Honey, You know dharma" and so on. Then they say: "Let
this apply only to You, the object of the teachings (upadesa-pade = upadefänähl pade visaye)." The
reason He is the upadesa-pada is: iSe (God). The sense is: because it's understood that all the teachings
by means of statements based on the desire to know the truth culminate in God. The reason He is God
is: ätmä kila bhavän, "You, of course, are the Soul." The enjoyer of everything enjoyable is the Soul,
God. Therefore: "You are also the dearest friend." The gist is: "Whatever has to be done to all the
friends and relatives should actually be done only to You."
There is another interpretation: "You, a knower of dharma, spoke given that You (tvayi = tvayi sati)
are the substratum of the teachings on dharma, that is, the one who imparts teachings on dharma, and
given that we are inquisitive about dharma. Let it be. But in truth, You are not a teacher on dharma:
rather, You are the Soul."
Alternatively: "What was said, let that apply to a man in the scope of those instructions (upadesa-
pade = tad-gocare puruse). But to You, given that You are the svämi ?!" (evam tvayife = tvayi tu i'e
svämini saty evam). This is said with a modulation in the tone of voice. The sense is: This could never
apply to Him, because: "You are the Soul of embodied beings," meaning He is the prize of embodied
souls (ätmä = phala-rüpah).
There is another explanation: "What was said, 'rendering service to the husband and so on is
dharma' (verse 24), let this apply only to You." Why? upadesa-pade: He is the substratum of the
husbands and others, who are the objects of the teachings in terms of being the ones who are worthy of
being served. Why is He the substratum?
Without God, the substratum, who at all are the husbands, the children and so forth? The rest of the
explanation is the same as the above. Enough of this elaboration.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Now some audacious gopis speak by intending to defeat Him with the very words that He used. "You
said that looking after the husband and others is the own dharma of women. Let it be so." The drift is:
"Let it be that way (evam = anena prakärepa). We're not arguing about it. We're doing it at every
moment." In what way does it occur? They answer: "Let this apply to You, the maker of the teachings
on dharma (upadesa-pade = upadesasya pade äspade dharmopadesa-kartari)." The sense is: "When You
will have been looked after, looking after the husbands and others will be fitting," by the logic that at
first the Äcärya who gives instructions on dharma should be served, then the dharma instructed by him
should be carried out. The scriptures state that dharma is accomplished only by looking after the
Äcärya without duplicity. Over and above that, i'e. If the Äcärya is Parameévara, what more need be
said? Moreover, "Because You're God, You're the Soul of embodied beings. And because You're the
Soul, You're the dearest. And because You're the dearest, You're a friend."
The sense is this. "Looking after the husbands and others who are accompanied by Paramätmä is
mentioned in the scriptures. But when their souls are gone, their bodies are at once taken out of the
house and their faces are burned on a riverbank. This is according to the Dharma-éästras. Therefore,
the accomplishment of looking after the husbands and others occurs by looking after You, the
embodied Soul. What is the use of the others, the husbands et al., whose faces are virtually already
burned and who have no soul, so to speak, because they are adverse to You?"
Someone might wonder, "Love in its complete form covers over the knowledge of His godly might.
But since the love of these gopis was more than complete, how could they have such knowledge of His
godly might?" The reply is this. From the explanation in Bhaktirasämrta-sindhu, love (prema), as
defined in Närada Pancarätra and so on, is both continuously warm by nature in separation and
continuously cool by nature in meeting, and causes anubhävas (physical reactions) by relishing the
separation and by relishing the meeting. It is said in Rasämrta that prema exceeds the experience of the
bliss of Brahman, even if that bliss were to last for half a parärdha: brahmänando bhaved asa cet
parärdha-gupikrtah, naiti bhaktisukhämbhodheh paramäpu-tuläm api, "If the bliss of Brahman were
multiplied by fifty years of Brahmä's lifetime, it would still not equal even one drop of the ocean of the
happiness of bhakti" (BRS 1.1.38). In separation, prema, while burning even more than billions of
harsh rays, reveals all of the Lord's qualities which are related to aiivarya (godly might) and to
mädhurya (sweetness), yet it doesn 't cover over any one of His qualities: It reveals them all because
separation is like a torrid sun. In meeting, however, prema, while giving a delight even greater than
billions of cool rays, reveals the Lord's qualities only consisting of sweetness: Because meeting is
equal to rays of nectar, the aiSvarya is covered over by the exhilaration caused by the nectar. But when
prema reveals ai'varya even in meeting, it's understood that the prema is not complete. Here, however,
this is a glimpse of the gopis' glory in separation. It is separation in the sense that the gopis were
contemplating on their upcoming separation from Him.
Prema might even bring about the display of a nonexistent glory. It can, of course, bring about the
display of an existing glory. Hence an excessive state of prema brings about an excessive glory, as in
the narration of Ädi-Bharata's deeds: kihzvä are äcaritatil tapas tapasvinyä yad iyam avanih, and so on
(Bhägavatam 5.8.24).This is according to the venerable Sri Jiva Gosvämi (Laghu-vaimava-tosapi
10.30.29).92

Jiva Gosvämi
"Why do you transgress your own dharma, stated in bhartuh

92 In that verse, Bharata, who is madly compassionate for a deer, praises the earth on which the deer's hoofprints are seen.
Jiva Gosvämi cites the verse to show that when love is not mixed with the knowledge of aiSvarya, it naturally exalts things
connected with the object of the love. Thus, Bharata's love for a deer made him exalt the earth, which was connected with
the deer in terms of having visible hoofprints of the deer. To give an example in Bhägavatam, Jiva Gosvämi cites verse
10.30.29 (Priti-sandarbha 310-312). But here the gopis went over the top by telling Him they know He is God.
susrüsanam and so on (verse 24)?" Suspecting that He refers to Karma-mimämsä this way, they resort
to Brahma-mimämsä, which annuls that, superimpose on Him the status of being the Soul, due to
having a corresponding character, and, by finding fault with His opinion, expound their idea that in
fact it is adharma in their case.
They deridingly call Him a knower of dharma. Moreover, He is the pada of all scriptural teachings,
that is, He is the object of their purport, by the logic in Sästra-yonitvät, "God is the source of the
scriptures (or the scriptures are the source for knowing God)" (Vedänta-sütra 1.1.3) and in tat tu
samanvayät, "[God is the subject matter of the scriptures,] because that is the thread connecting
everything" (Vedänta-sütra 1.1.4). Consequently, He is iéa. "Let it be so, meaning let this statement
which is an instruction be applied only to You by the manner of rendering service."
"How does being the pada of those apply to Me?" They answer Him under a pretext. The word kila
has the sense of vitarka (guess, opinion). "You are the Soul, Paramätmä." How so? "You are most dear
to everyone. And You are the friend, the one who benefits all without discrimination. Therefore only
You should be looked after." Or He is most dear to everyone in the sense that He steals hearts. He is
the friend who fulfills everyone's ambitions. And He is the Soul, meaning either He governs the heart
or He gives an impulse to it. "Therefore how can You say we're at fault. Rather the fault is Yours.
You're the one who should be instructed so that You don't repeat that kind of fault."
Now, as before the interpretation on the side of ai'varya is fitting. It was already explained by
Sridhara Svämi. In his commentary, two meanings of the word ätmä take place in reference to Vivarta-
väda, by using the word ätmä indiscriminately. Still, in this context it's understood that the enjoyer is
God, just like being an enjoyer points to the king, otherwise, if a jiva were meant, the meaning would
not make sense. In the second interpretation, the words "But in truth, You are not a teacher on dharma:
rather, You are the Soul" are the meaning understood by a modulation of the tone of voice. To be clear:
Only some other person can be an instructor. The Soul can only be the teacher of what relates to the
soul, hence "Given that You cannot possibly be our instructor in the matter of dharma and given that we
have a relation soul to Soul, there is no scope for an injunction such as looking after our husbands."
In his commentary, there are two additional meanings: They are in accordance with the opinions of
Sri Vaisnavas. In the first one, He is called the svämi in the sense that He is chosen as the äSraya (the
refuge). This refers to the following verse:

devarsi-bhütäpta-nmäm pittnäm na kihkaro näyam rni ca räjan I

sarvätmanä yah Saranahl Saranyatiz gato mukundam parihrtya kartam Il

"O king, one who fully renounces work and wholeheartedly takes shelter of Mukunda, the ultimate
refuge, remains neither a servant of nor a debtor to gods, R9is, ordinary beings, honorable men, or
forefathers." (11.5.41 )

Thus, by means of the glory of revering Him, this repudiates dharma, even by way of considering the
Absolute Truth for the sake of the repudiation. In the next meaning, regarding the gloss of pade as
adhi$thäne (the substratum): Being the substratum means being the äSraya of what the husbands
represent (a husband is a symbol of Him), in light of the statement of Sruti: yasya bhäsä sarvam idam
vibhäti, "by whose light all this shines" (Mundaka Upanisad 2.2.10 etc.). In this context, in the
meanings on the side of aiSvarya, the word kila means niScitam (indeed, of course).
Upadesa-pade means Sästra-gurüpadeiya-caranäravinde (to You, whose lotus feet are to be taught
by the scriptures and the gurus). The venerable one explains it like this too. Here, the following is a
joke. "Let this apply only to You. You are like Ajita who became a woman, Mohini, and carried out the
dharma of serving the husband." "What makes you think that?" "You are upadeSa-pada (at whose feet
there are teachings), that is, the guru. The guru is supposed to give the example. Moreover, only You
are able." They express this with the term iSe (God) (from the root i', to be able): "Had You been a
fake woman, no one would have loved You." With the word pres(hah (the dearest) they say, "By nature
You are the dearest of all." "Plus, You have a lovely nature" (bandhurätmä = manohara-svabhävah).
The meaning which is a negation is this. "Hey Krsna (ahga= he krsna), looking after the husbands
is complete adharma (svadharmah = sv-adharmah = sus(hu adharnah). You, a knower of dharma, said
this" by cunningly making a connection between the words in another way (in verse 24: paro dharmah
= paro 'dharmah). "Given that You're an instructor, You're able to say everything and put that in
practice (evam etad upadesa-pade iSe = evam etat iSa eva saty upades(ari sarvam vaktum vyavahartum
ca samarthe)." Next: tvayi astu. "Keep this to Yourself." The drift is: "Only You should be given
instructions." Why? In that regard they say: "You are the dearest, the object of the love, of embodied
beings, even of the four kinds of living beings in Vrindavan. You are the friend, the one who makes
love happen. Therefore You are the Soul," as in: sädhavo hrdayam mahyam sädhünähl hrdayam tv
aham, "Sädhus are My heart, yet I am the hearts of sädhus" (9.4.68). The sense is each one supports
the heart of the other. "Therefore, if You become dispassionate toward the numberless beings in
Vrindavan, then we'll become dispassionate toward our own folks, who are much less in number. And
also think about becoming dispassionate toward us." This is the purport of the joke.
Or let those words, bhartuh SuSrüsam and so on (verse 24), be connected as they were. "Looking
after the husband is the dharma of women. Let this apply to You, who are both the maker of the
instruction and God, because You're the dearest, and so forth. " The gist is: "We've already figured out
who the husband is."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"For women, looking after the husband is complete adharma (svadharmah = sv-adharmah = su$(hu
adharnah). You, a knower of dharma, said that. Let this statement be applied to You," because:
u
padeSa-pade, "You're the one who gave the instruction (upadeSapade = upadey(ari). You should walk
the talk." What is He like? He is Isa, meaning He is able to say anything and do everything. "No One
will find out that You're our paramour, and so no one will accuse You of anything. Moreover, You're the
dearest to everyone, hence no one will argue with You. Plus, You are the Soul and the friend Of
everyone." Alternatively: "You have an uneven temperament" (bandhurätmä = visama-svabhävah).
Ahga is a vocative filled with love.

10.29.33

kurvanti hi tvayi ratim kufaläh sva ätman nitya-priye pati-sutädibhir ärti-daih kim
I tan nah prasida paramesvara 62 mä sma chindyä äSäh1 bhrtärh 63 tvayi ciräd
aravinda-netra Il

kurvanti—they implement; hi—indeed (or only); tvayi—to You; ratim—affection; kusaläh—experts;

sve—[You who are] their Self; ätman—their Soul (ätman = ätmani); nitya-priye—always dear; pati-
suta-ädibhih—by husbands, children etc.; ärti-daih—who give pain; kim—what [is to be gained]?; tat

62
varadesvara (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
63
dhrtäm (BBT edition) (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
—therefore; nah—with us; prasida—be pleased; parama-iSvara—O God (supreme controller); mä sma
—do not; chindyäh—cut; äfäm—the hope; bhrtäm—held; tvayi—in You; cirät—for a long time;
aravinda-netra—O lotus-eyed.

kuSaläh nitya-priye sve ätmani tvayi hi ratirh kurvanti. (atah) ärtidaih pati-sutädibhih (asmäkam) kith
(prayojanam sädhyam). paramejvara! aravinda-netra! tat (tvam) nah prasida. (tvam asmäkam) cirät
tvayi bhrtäm äjärh mä sma chindyäh.

"Indeed, the experts have affection only for You, their Self, their Soul. You are eternally dear to them.
What is the use of having husbands and children? They only give trouble. Therefore be pleased with
us, O God. Don't cut our hope: It rested on You for a long time, O lotus-eyed.

Sridhara Svämi
They entreat Him by fortifying this idea (all dharmic endeavors culminate in God) with the example of
the behavior of saintly persons. The experts are those who are well versed in the scriptures. For
instance, the scriptures state: kim prajayä kari$Yämo yesäm no 'yam ätmäyarh ca lokah, "What would
we have to gain by having a child? For us, the self is the world" (realizing the self is the prize64)
(Brhad-ärapyaka Upani$ad 4.4.22).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Some gopis reiterate that by strengthening the same meaning, but by referring to the behavior of
saintly persons. The experts are those who are clever because they trust Garga's words: ya etasmin
mahä-bhägäh priti'ii kurvanti mänaväh, närayo 'bhibhavanty etän vi$nu-pak$än iväsuräh, "Humans
who are affectionate to Him are very fortunate. Enemies cannot subjugate them, just like asuras cannot
defeat the gods, who have Visnu on their side" (10.8.18). But it cannot really be said ratirii kurvanti
(they implement affection), because in the case of the experts, affection for Him is natural.
Sve (their Self) means sviye (You belong to them): Only He is the focus of their feeling of
possessiveness. Ätman stands for ätmani (their Self): Only He is the focus of their sense of 'I'. Hence
He is eternally dear to them. Thus their affection for Him is constant, whereas their affection for their
husbands and children is conditional, and so it is temporary. They say, "But in fact we don't have
affection for them. They cause problems by preventing us from going on a tryst with You. Therefore
(tat = tasmät) be pleased with us (nah = asmabhyam)... in order to enliven us. But if You don't want to
let us married girls live, why do You make these unmarried girls cry?" "O giver of boons! (varada)."
The sense is: "You already gave a boon to these girls," in reference to verses 10.22.25-27 (You will
enjoy these nights with Me). He might retort, "The reason I was extra kind to these girls is that they
performed the vow of worshiping Kätyäyani. What reason would I have to be pleased with you?" They
entreat Him with tremor in their voices: "Be pleased for no reason."
"O I'vara, O You who only depend on Yourself in the matter of fulfilling Your wishes, don't cut our
hope which rested on You for a long time, since childhood. That is, don't cut that wish-fulfilling
creeper which is now bearing fruit." The word cirät (for a long time) and the verb chindyäh (cut) imply
this: "A creeper in bloom doesn't deserve to be cut by a good man." Next, with the vocative "lotus-
64
Sahkaräcärya comments: yesäm asmäkarh paramärtha-dariinäm nah ayam ätmä ajanäyädi-vinirmuktah sädhv-
asädhubhyäm avikäryo 'yah 10kah phalam abhipretam. (commentary on BAU 4.4.22). In Vivartaväda philosophy, the sense is:
"Realizing the Self (becoming one with Paramätmä) is the prize.'
eyed" they say: "You personally made this creeper grow in the meadows of our minds." The implied
sense is: "Right when we came of age, when we first caught sight of You, the seed, known as bhäva, of
the creeper of our hope was dispatched by Your lotus-like eyes, entered through the holes of our eyes
and was planted in the fields of our hearts." This is in accordance with the ways depicted in the Rasa-
éästras: cak$ü-rägah prathamam cittäsahgas tato 'tha sahkalpah, "At first there is love by seeing. Then
attachment is generated in the heart. Then a firm resolve takes place. "96 The subsequent implied
sense is: "The creeper of our hope grew by hearing about Your qualities, by gazing at Your body, and
so on. It became filled with fruits, some of which have been eaten and some of which are being eaten,
so why would it be cut now by the shears of Your rough words? Surely You're familiar with the
maxim, "Even though the tree is poisonous, if it has grown tall it is wrong to cut it.

Jiva Gosvämi
After thus refusing, by the force of the scriptures, to serve the husbands, here, while repudiating that
also by means of the behavior of saintly persons, in the first half of the verse they especially reject the
chains of the husbands' affection. That binding was indirectly referred to in: "Your mothers, fathers,
sons, brothers and husbands are looking for you" (verse 20).
The word hi has the sense of prasiddha (it is well-known). The experts are those who are clever in
discerning the essence of things, in conformity with Garga's statement: ya etasmin... (see above).
"They implement affection (ratim kurvanti = pritim kurvanti) for

96 The citation is quoted by Viévanätha Kaviräja: kecit tu—nayana-pritih prathamam cittäsahgas tato 'tha sahkalpah
(Sähitya-darpana 3.194) (cited in Ujjvala-nilamani 15.71).
you, who are eternally dear," meaning He is the form of an abode of love inherent in the heart: In
themselves and in others, He sparkles as someone filled with joy. Then the gopis say their husbands
are the exact opposite: "You belong to them and You are the Soul (sve atman = ätmiye ätmani ca). So
what purpose would we achieve with the husbands and others? They give unhappiness. They are
adverse to You." The word sve is an optional form in the locative case: the other option is svasmin,
because although sva is a pronoun it is in the group of the pürvädis. The gopis situated in the first
cardinal direction thus conclude their discourse begun in the second half of verse 31. "Therefore be
pleased with us."
By intending to signify that He must feel pleased with them, they imply this by stating that the
opposite should not happen: "Do not cut the hope which was made firm (dhrtäm = naiicalyena krtäm)
for a long time." Any connection of that with their husbands is repudiated. Next they hint at that hope
in a special way: "O giver of boons!" (varada). The sense is: "You already gave a special boon," in
reference to verses 10.22.25-27. "O iévara," that is, "Only You are able to turn us on." This is the
reason their hope was firm for a long time.
(Additions are underlined.) With the vocative aravinda-netra (lotus-eyed), they express the outrage
in their hearts. A lotus is called ara-vinda because it finds, or acquires, the ara, the petals, which look
like the ara in the primary sense, the spokes of a wheel. His eyes are circular saws which cut their
hearts. That idea is vividly implied in this upcoming verse:

farad-udä'aye sädhu-jäta-satsarasijodara-Sri-muyä dr'ä I surata-nätha te

'Sulka-däsikä varada nighnato neha kim vadhah Il

"God of lovemaking, giver of a boon, You have been killing us, Your slaves obtained without payment,
with Your glance. It steals the splendor of the interior of a lovely and full-blown lotus growing in an
autumnal pond. Are You committing a murder now?" (10.31.2) As a pun, "Hey You whose eyes are not
open at night, just like lotuses. " The implied wisecrack is: "It's fitting that now You disregard us, the
most beautiful women." Another suggested meaning, by the metaphor of a lotus, is this: His glance
dispels everyone's affliction, hence it is wrong for Him to do the opposite to the gopis.
There is also a meaning of ai'varya. The word hi has the sense of Sästra-p.rasiddha (as is well
known in the scriptures). "The experts, Närada and others, have bhäva for You." They don't only have
faith. He is eternally dear. Why is He dear and where is the question of being eternal? sve ätmani: He
is the ätmä in the self. This means He is Paramätmä. For example: krsnam enam avehi tvam ätmänam
akhilätmanäm, "You should understand that Krsna is the Soul of all souls" (10.14.55).
The meaning which is a negation is this. He might have retorted. "If I am the dearest to everyone,
then you. like those who have love for Me in the way suitable for them. should have rati for Me
(romantic love)." Suspecting this, they use the word rati in that sense and say: kuSaläh ärti-daill paty-
ädibhir hetubhih sve ätmani ca nityapriye sati kim tvayi ratim kurvanti, "Since their husbands dispel
their troubles (ärti-daih = duhkhävakhandakaih), do righteous women (kusaläh = mahgala-rüpäh
sädhvyah) love You when there is such a constant beloved in their homes (sve = grhädau)? Of course
not. Therefore, O varada, fulfiller of wishes, O i'vara, master of Gokula, be gracious to us." That is just
what they expound upon: ciräd mäsma. tvayi dhrtähl äSärh chindyäh, "We're not going to stay here for
a long time (mäsma = mä äsma = na ti$!hämah). That is, allow us to go back home. And cut (chindyäh
= chindhi) the hope that has been abiding (dhrtäm = avasthitäm) in You, the hope of wanting to have
an ahga-sahga with us."
In this interpretation, the verbal root in ärti-daih is do avakhandane (to destroy), and the verbal root
in dhrtäm is dhr[h] avasthäne (to exist, remain). In the reading paramejvara instead of varadeSvara. the
sense is the same as i'vara.

10.29.34

citta,'h sukhena bhavatäpahrtath grhesu yan nirviSaty uta karäv api grhya-krtye I
pädau padath na calatas tava päda-müläd yämah katham vrajam atho karaväma kim
vä Il

cittam—the mind (ot the heart); sukhena—easily; bhavatä—by You; apahrtam—was taken away;
grhesu—in our homes; yat—which [mind]; nirvi'ati—enters (delights in); uta—moreover; karau—both
hands; api—and; grhya-krtye—in household chores; pädau—both feet; padam—one step; na calatah—
are not moving; tava pädamülät—from the soles of Your feet; yämah—we go; katham—how?; vrajam
—to the village; atho—thereafter; karaväma—we should do; kim—what'?; vä—at all.

yat (asmakmh) cittahl grhesu nirviSati, (tat) sukhena bhavatä apahrtam. uta (yau) karau grhya-krtye
(nivi$tau, tau) api (bhavatä hrtau). pädau tava päda-mülät padam (api) na calatatah. (atah vayam)
katharh vrajahz yämah. atho (vayam) kith vä karaväma.

"Our minds were taking pleasure at home. You easily lured them away. Our hands were busy in
household chores. You robbed them of their functioning power. Our feet do not even take a step away
from the soles of Your feet. How could we go to the village? And if we do, what might we do there?
Sridhara Svämi
Here they say, "You told us to go back home. But that cannot be done because You stole our hearts and
took control of everything else too." "For all this time our minds were happily busy at home; You stole
our minds. The same happened to our hands, which were engaged in household chores." Alternatively,
"They were stolen by You, who are happy by nature" (sukhena bhavatä = sukhätmanä tvayä).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Other gopis speak while revealing their own love: "Hey Cakravarti of thieves, we only want to recover
our wealth that You stole. We didn't come here for any other purpose." That emperor of thieves stole
their minds. But He didn't do it like other thieves do. There was no strenuous effort involved on His
part. That is just what they say with the word sukhena (easily). The drift is He did it simply by blowing
in the holes of the flute.
Next they say the wealth of their minds is no small thing. Their minds were incessantly absorbed
(nirvi'ati = nihiesena viSati) in all their respective homes. The implied meaning is: "By stealing our
minds, You looted every house." The subsequent implied meaning is: "But really, since our minds are
no longer at home, we don't care: Let our homes burn down or let our households thrive." As an
atiSayokti, an introsusception of 'the senses are homes', the gist is: "Our minds were absorbed in the
senses, that is, to make them useful. Without the mind, the senses have become useless." Therefore,
they say, by stealing their minds He stole their senses: "You stole our hands too, which were absorbed
in household chores." The purport of uta (moreover) is all the other senses too, including the eyes and
the ears, were taken away.
He might rejoin, "For now, go home. Tomorrow or the next day I will examine the situation and
give you your minds back." They respond, "Our feet do not even go one step away from You." The
sense is: "now that our minds are gone." All in all, the substance is: "Give us our minds back. Then
we'll go."

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) "You cannot keep the household happy. by abandoning the husbands."
Suspecting this, they speak by way of finding fault with him. "You happily stole our minds, by
showing Yourself." Alternatively, their minds were happily (sukhena sukhena sahitam) absorbed in
their homes. Or "Now that You have stolen them, our minds, which were in sense gratification (sukhe
— visaye), are no longer (na) absorbed in thought of the home. Our hands too are not engaged in
household duties."
The humor is this. "We didn't come to the forest without a purpose. We came because You stole the
wealth of our hearts. We didn't come to gaze at You. But even though we caught You, the thief, we're
unable to grab You and bring You elsewhere to scold you, because You stole our hands and feet too. So
how can we possibly go to the village without the wealth of our hearts? What would we do there?"
The meaning which is a negation is this: grhesu bhavatä sukhena apahrtam cittam, yad grhya-krtye
nirvijati, "Our minds were stolen away by the happiness existing in the homes, because (yat = yasmät)
our minds are absorbed in household duties. Our hands too are absorbed in household duties. Hence
why would we not go away from Your feet? Why would we not go back to the village? What else
should we do? "97
 10.29.35

sihcähga nas tvad-adharämrta-pürakena häsävaloka-kala-gita-ja-hrc-chayägnim

I no ced vayam virahajägny-upayukta-dehä dhyänena yäma padayoh padavim
sakhe te Il

sifica—quench; ahga—sweetie; nah—our; tvat-adhara—of Your lips; amrta—of the nectar; pürakepa
—with the flood; häsa—by the smiles; avaloka—by the glances; kala—sweet and faint; gita—and by
the song; ja—produced; hrt-saya—which is lust ("Cupid, who stays in the heart"); agnim—the fire; no
—not; cet—if; vayam—we; viraha—of separation; ja—born; agni—the fire; upayukta—fit for ( or
consumed by); dehäh—our bodies; dhyänena—by meditation; Yäma—we should go; padayoh—of the
feet; padavim—to the path; sakhe—O friend; te—Your.

97
In this interpretation, the question marker katham in the fourth line of the verse is also used in the third line.
ahga! sakhe! (tvarh) tvad-adharämrta-pürakena nah häsävalokakalagitaja-hrc-chayägniril siica. (evath
tvam) no (karosi) cet, (tarhi) vayam virahajägny-upayukta-dehäh (satvah) te padayoh padavirh
dhyänena yäma.

"Sweetie, quench with the nood of the nectar of Your lips the fire of our passion, which was ignited by
Your smiles, Your glances and the lovely melody of Your mute. Otherwise we will let our bodies be
consumed by the blaze born of separation, and shall reach the path of Your feet by meditation, dear
friend.

Alternatively: "Sweetie, extinguish with the surge of the nectar of Your lips the fire of Your passion
which arose by our smiling glances and melodious singing. If we are not women whose bodies become
consumed by the fire of separation as a result of meditating on Your feet, we'll be on our way, dear
friend.

Sridhara Svämi
"Therefore, Krsna, sprinkle the fulfilling thing which is the nectar of Your lips on the fire of our
passion arisen by Your smile-filled glances and by the melodious tune. If not, our bodies will become
burned, and we shall attain Oäma = präpnuyäma) nearness (padavim = antikam) to Your feet by
meditation, like yogis do."

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) As a pun, the meaning which is a negation, the sense is that someone who
is really greedy for something unattainable and highly desirable wets his lips. Here the word cet (if)
has the sense of nifcaya (certainly), as in the line: dhatte padam tvam avitä yadi vighna-mürdhni, "If
You are the protector, Your devotees place their feet on the heads of troublemakers" (11.4.10).
 10.29.36

yarhy ambujäksa tava päda-talam ramäyä datta-k$anath kvacid aranya-jana-priyasya

I aspräksma tat-prabhrti nänya-samaksam ariga 65sthätums tvayäbhiramitä bata
pärayämah I t

yarhi—when; ambuja-aksa—O lotus-eyed; tava—Your; pädatalam—the base of the foot; ramäyäh—to

Ramä; datta-ksanam— [the base,] by which a moment is given; kvacit—sometimes; armgya—of the
forest; jana—to the people; priyasya—who are dear; aspräksma—we touched (aorist tense); tat-
prabhrti—from that time onward; na—not; anya—of any other [man]; samak$am—in front; anga—
sweetie; sthätum—to stay; tvayä—by You; abhiramitäh— delighted; bata—what a wonder; pärayämah
—we are able.

ambujäksa! ahga! yarhi arapya-jana-priyasya tava päda-talam ramäyäh kvacit datta-ksapam

aspräksma, tat-prabhrti bata (vayam) tvayä abhiramitäh (satyah) anya-samaksam (api) sthätuth na
pärayämah.

"Hey lotus-eyed, since the time when we touched the base of Your foot, which provides Ramä with a
festival if she gets a chance to touch it, we, delighted by You who like the people in the forest, have
been unable to remain in front of another man. Isn't this amazing, sweetheart!

Sridhara Svämi
He might have quipped: "Get cozy with your respective husbands. They'll do the sprinkling job on that
fire." They rejoin here. The base Of the foot gives either a festival or an opportunity (datta-ksanam
dattotsavath dattävasarmh vä) to Laksmi, but only sometimes (kvacit), not always. The people of the
forest are dear to Him (aranya-jana-priyasya = aranya-janäh priyä yasya tasya). "When— somehow or
other, because the people of the forest are dear to Him—we got a touch of it (aspräk$ma =
spr$tavatyah vayam), we were delighted (abhiramitäh = änanditäh satyah) by You. Starting from that
time, we've been unable to remain in front of another." This means the husbands are insignificant, and
hence unappealing.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
He might have quipped: "Get cozy with your respective husbands. They'll do the sprinkling job on that
fire." They rejoin here. With the vocative 'lotus-eyed' they imply: "We became bees the minute we first
saw Your eyes," in light of the statement of the Rasa-éästras: cak$ü-rägah prathamam cittäsahgas tato
'tha sahkalpah, "At first there is love by seeing..." The drift is: "At first, our pondering over seeing
Your eyes gave rise to our pürva-räga (engrossment in the lover without ever having met)." On top of
that, "Right when (yarhi = yasminn eva kyape) we touched (aspräksma = spt$!avatyo vayam), with our
breasts, the base of Your foot at some place (kvacit), that is, in some pleasure grove of Govardhana..."

afijah (BBT edition) (Vallabhäcärya's edition).

65
What is the base of the foot like? datta-ksanam. It provides a festival to Laksmi, even though she
resides in Vaikuntha and is Näräyana's beloved, which consists of a craving for dalliance. The gopis
knew this because they had heard from Garga about the discourse of Käliya's wives: yad-vähchayä Srir
lalanäcarat tapo vihäya kämän suciram dhrtavratä, "With a desire for the dust of Your feet, Laksmi
relinquished enjoyments and performed austerities for a long time, maintaining her vow" (10.16.36).
"Therefore the base of Your foot provides a festival, consisting of a craving for dalliance, to us who
reside in the woodland. Is it amazing that we would have such a craving too?" Krsna might have
asked: "What is your qualification to obtain which something Laksmi desires?" They answer: aranya-
jana-priyasya tava. "Only the caste of cowherds, who live in the woodland, is dear to You."
Beginning from that time (tat-prabhrti = tam ksanam ärabhya), we have been unable to remain in
front of our respective husbands. When we see them, disgust arises in our minds." "Besides, we not
only touched it, You even made us be the base for a man in the most complete way" (abhiramitäh =
abhi sarvato-bhävena ramitä yathe$(arh sambhujya purusäyati-krtä api). The implied sense is that here
they had tremor in their voices: "We beg You: Don't send us away. We once had a fling together."

Jiva Gosvämi
"It's not My fault if My beauty agitates the hearts of beautiful girls like you. Even if you have no
energy to perform your household duties, you well-mannered women should stay at home and do your
best. " They reply: "Hey lotus-eyed, when (yarhi = yadä), at the time of the rise of some inconceivable
merit of ours, somewhere (kvacit), that is, in a place hard to get to, we, being delighted by You with
the hints of Your feelings for us (abhiramitäh = nija-bhäva-vyahjanayä nanditä satyah), touched the
base of Your foot." This previous verse implies the above:

pürnäh pulindya urugäya-padäbja-rägaSri-kuhkumena dayitä-stana-manditena

I tad-darfana-smara-rujas troa-rü$itena limpantya änana-kucesu jahus tad-
ädhim Il

"The Pulinda women have become successful. The splendorous saffron that was adhering to grass had
adorned a ladylove's breasts and had become a red color on Urugäya's lotus feet. Smearing their faces
and breasts with that saffron, the Pulinda women, who had felt the torment of Eros by seeing it, gave
up that anguish." (10.21.17)

In conformity with my commentary on this verse, some gopi (Rädhä) somehow or other got to touch
the base of His foot. This was well known only in Her group. And because the purport as regards the
gopis who performed the Kätyäyani vow is that they merely accepted His touch, what needs to be
understood here is this: Although those who spoke never had close contact with Him, they imagined
that they were one with those who did.
The base of His foot provides a great festival to Ramä. He might say, "In your dreams you touched
My feet! Otherwise you could have done that all the time, even today." They respond: aranya-
janapriyasya. "You give affection only to those who live in the woodland: the Pulindis, the deer and so
on. It's hard for us to get a hold of You." A rebuke is implied because He is accepting inhabitants of
the forest, and not the gopis and Ramä, who are suitable for Him.
"From the time that we touched You, we cannot even keep standing in front of other people:
Seeing others does not appeal to us. Your touch is a form of uccä(ana magic (the power to make others
abandon their occupational duties) (one of the five powers of Cupid).
The meaning which is a negation is this (na is connected with aspräksma, not with pärayämah).
"When, in Your childhood, You liked to hang around with monkeys, the base of Your foot gave an
opportunity to a beautiful woman. At that time, and even since then, we did not touch it, much less
Your other limbs, although You delighted us in childhood. For this reason we are able to stand in front
of other people such as our mothers-in-law. Otherwise they would despise us. Phew!"

Sanätana Gosvämi
Alternatively, here Ramä means Sri Rädhä. Or, the base of His foot never misses an opportunity for
romantic enjoyment (ramäyä dattak$anam = ramäya ädatta-ksanam = ramapäya grhitävasaram)

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
(Also from Priti-sandarbha 332:) In the double meaning, bata has the sense of Sahkä (apprehension:
phew). The sense is: "Otherwise they would reject us."

10.29.37

jrir yat-padämbuja-raja' cakame tulasyä labdhväpi vaksasi padarh kila bhrtya-

juytam I yasyäh sva-viksana-krte 'nya-sura-prayäsas 66tadvad vayarh ca tava päda-
rajah prapannäh Il srih—Laksmi; yat—whose; pada-ambuja—of the lotus-like
feet; rajah—the dust; cakame—desired; tulasyä—and so did Tulasi; labdhvä—after
obtaining; api—even; vaksasi—on His chest; padam—a place; kila—as is well
known; bhrtya—by servants; justam—served; yasyäh—whose; sva—on
themselves; viksanakrte—for the sake of the glance; anya-sura—of other gods;
prayäsah—the endeavor; tadvat—similarly; vayam—we; ca—too; tava—YOUr;
päda-rajah—the dust of the feet; prapannäh—have attained (approached).

yasyäh ('riyah) anya-sura-prayäsah sva-vik$apa-krte (bhavati, sä) Srih (yathä tava) vak$asi padam kila
labdhvä api tulasyä (saha) yatpadämbuja-rajah bhrtya-jus(arh cakame, tadvad vayam ca (tasya) tava
päda-rajah prapannäh.

"To become the objects of Lakyni's glance, the other gods make great endeavors. Even after obtaining
her now renowned place on His chest, she desired the dust of His lotus-like feet, and so did Tulasi.
That dust is served by His servants. In like manner, we too have approached the dust of Your feet.

Sridhara Svämi
They expound upon the amazingness of the illustriousness of His feet. "Even after obtaining a place on
His chest, without any rivalry, she, along with Tulasi, a co-wife, desired the dust of His lotus feet. That
dust is served by all the servants (bhrtya-jus!am = bhrtyaih sarvaih jus(am): This is a statement of the
superexcellence Of the illustriousness. The other gods are Brahmä and others, who endeavor by means
of undergoing austerities, thinking "May Sri look at us.

66
sva-viksana utänya-sura-prayäsas (BBT edition).
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
"You have thus turned us into Your ladyloves, but we only want to serve Your feet." They speak with
this in mind while illustrating that with an example: "We approached the dust of the feet of You who are
similar to Näräyana, the dust of whose feet is coveted by Laksmi" (yat-padämbuja = yasya näräyapasya
padämbuja) (tadvat tava tat-tulyasya tava). "Since You are similar to Näräyana, according to Garga, it
follows that we are like Laksmi."
Moreover, "Even after obtaining a place on His chest, the very best thing, although that place
belongs to Tulasi (tulasyä = tulasyäh) (in the form of a garland of tulasi leaves), a co-wife, she desired
His foot dust, although it is served by the servants (bhrtya-jus(am = bhrtyaih sevitam)," meaning it is
crowded with men. In other words, she desired it upon giving up her natural bashfulness, although that
is suitable for being the ladylove that she is, and by accepting a status inferior to her own. "Like
Laksmi, we prefer to become maidservants than to be ladyloves. We long to massage Your feet, after
giving up our shyness. And, accepting a status lower than our own, we wish to do what the Pulindis of
Vrindavan do: They smear their foreheads with the saffron paste left on the grass by Your feet."
"Further, Srimän Näräyana, feeling satisfied, gave His chest to her so that she could stay there forever.
But You, Rasika-éekhara, do not allow us to stay near the base of Your feet even for a instant. Our
luck, written on our foreheads, has run out. And if You, craving for fame, aspire to be equal to
Näräyaqa, as per Garga's words, then carry us on Your chest" (keep us in Your heart).

Sanätana Gosvämi
That she desires the dust of His lotus feet was mentioned by Käliya•s wives: yad-vähchayä Srir
lalanäcarat tapo vihäya kämän suciram dhrta-vratä, "With a desire for the dust of Your feet, Laksmi
relinquished enjoyments and performed austerities for a long time, maintaining her vow" (10.16.36). It
was also pointed out by Sri Sanaka and others:

yarh vai vibhütir upayäty anuvelam anyair arthärthibhih sva-firasä dhrta-päda-

renuh I dhanyärpitähghri-tulasi-nava-däma-dhämno lokam madhuvrata-pater iva
kämayänä Il

"Laksmi, the dust of whose feet is worn on the head by seekers of wealth, waits upon You every now
and then as if she actually wants the position of the king of bees who hovers on the fresh garland of
tulasi leaves offered at Your feet by some fortunate devotee." (3.16.20)100

100 Commenting on this verse, Jiva Gosvämi remarks that the Laksmi
The reason for talking about the dust of His foot is: bhrtya-ju$(am (it is served by those who depend
on Him), because of considering that dust the most eminent thing of all since it is served by the däsas,
the devotees, who are the recipients of the topmost affection. Alternatively: "Even after obtaining a
place on the chest of the Lord of Vaikuntha, Sri desires the dust of Your lotus feet, because she is
bewitched by the weight of the unexcelled sweetness. Like Sri (tadvat = Sri-vat), we select as our
refuge (prapannäh = Saranägatatvena äjritäh) that same dust of the feet." The mood of servanthood
(däsyam) is indicated by the mention of foot dust. Only the dust of the feet is stated: Däsya is not
directly stated, due to the intent to express their own lowliness, on account of having the foremost
bhakti. Either the dust of the feet is obtained once däsya is attained, or vice versa. Or yat is a separate
word: "Because (yat = yasmät) Sri so desires, we desire it too."
The metaphor with a lotus is used at first, but not in their own statement. This signifies that
Laksmi's afflictions are dispelled by it, not so the gopis'. Alternatively, the sense is the gopis imply that
they are lower than Laksmi. Repeating the term 'foot dust' is for the purpose of shedding light on the
necessity of achieving only däsya. The drift is: "By craving service to You, Laksmi does not think
much of the fault of having a co-wife, and neither do we."
As another explanation, "Laksmi desires His foot dust, which is connected to Tulasi (tulasyä =
tulasyäh sambandhi)," insofar as Tulasi always abides there since she likes Govinda's feet. The point
Of saying that the dust is served by devotees is to show that the place is crowded, in view of:
särahgänäth padämbujam, "His lotus feet are for the bees, the devotees who sing about the essence"
(1.11.26). Further, both the others, the asuras (anya = daitya), and the gods make endeavors to attract
her glance on them. The rest of the explanation is the same as the above.
Thus, the verse is a reply to verse 24 as follows: "Rendering service to the husbands is not the
topmost dharma, rather only service to You is, because even Laksmi, whose glance of mercy is begged
for by Brahmä and others, requests it."

men
tioned here is the one who is in charge of the world, not the one in Vaikuntha: atra ca pürva-vaj jagad-adhikäriny eva
laksmih, na tu säksät Preyasi vaikuntha-laksmih (Kranuz-sandarbha 3.16.20).
Another interpretation is: "We attained the dust of the feet of You who are similar to Näräyana, the
dust of whose feet is coveted by Laksmi" (yat = yasya näräyanasya) (tadvat tava = tat sa iva yas tvam
yasya tava), because it was said: tasmän nandätmajo 'yam te näräyana-samo gunaih, "Therefore,
Nanda, this son of yours is similar to Näräyana in terms of qualities" (10.8.19).
As a dual sense, this is the meaning without ai'varya: "Although she is who she is, Lakymi, even
after obtaining that type of position on His chest, desired the dust of His feet," but she didn't get it
(whereas we attained it). This implies that He doesn't care about her. Besides, the fact that others seek
her blessings signals some fault: She does not devote her whole attention to Him. (Therefore He has no
reason to reject the gopis like He rejected her.)
Lak$mi is a fine yellowish line on the left side of Krsna's chest.

Kiéora Prasäda
"You are My Präneévaris: You have control over My vitality. And You are My Präoa-sakhis. We are
equal in many respects, so why at all did you touch My feet? It's true, yet the illustriousness of Your
feet is utterly mesmerizing because it is coveted by Laksmi and others." (ViSuddha-rasa-dipikä) 67

Jiva Gosvämi
"You gals come from a good family like I do, so why at all did you touch the base of My foot?"
Expecting Him to say that, they speak with full-fledged humility by concealing their longing. "Even
after obtaining a place on Näräyana's chest, Laksmi desired the dust of the lotus feet." This means she
gave up the particular mindset which is suited for her status as the beloved and only wished to attain a
mindset suitable for a servant. For this reason she accepted to be with a crowd of many servants. What
is she like? She is described in the third line of the verse. Having thus given an example, the speaker
talks about the object to which the example applies: "We attained the foot dust of You who are similar
to Näräyana" (tadvat tava = tat sa iva yas tvam yasya tava), because it was said: tasmän nandätmajo
te näräyana-samo gunaih (10.8.19). The gopis attained the dust of His feet dust even after achieving,
by the excellence of being born in a good family, the status of being a beloved. "The glory of the
qualities of His and of Yours is such that she and we give ourselves the conceit of being lowly
although we had attained that sort of status. '
67
Source: Srimad Bhägavatam, Sri-yukta Nitya-svarüpa Brahmacäri (publ.), Kolkata, Bengal, 1911, p.
1917.
 A distinction between Laksmi and the gopis and between Näräyana's feet and Krsna's feet is
illustrated by using the metaphor with a lotus in the first instance and not mentioning it in the other.
Moreover, just as Laksmi ignored everybody else during the churning of the Milk Ocean and only
chose Visnu, so the gopis only chose Krsna.
Another interpretation is this. "Even in My dreams I don't recall You touching Me. Fine, if you say
so I believe you. Still, one might commit a misdemeanor inadvertently, but it shouldn't happen again.
What you did is highly improper because you transgressed the moral codes for well-mannered women
and because that makes Me look like I'm inciting you to disregard the proper behavior for women."
They answer Him by giving Laksmi as an example: She is the very best of well-mannered women.
Kila has the sense of prasiddhi (well known): "Even after obtaining a place in her husband's heart, as is
well known, she desired the foot dust... because she is bewitched by the weight of the unexcelled
sweetness, and because she considers herself unqualified for an ahga-sahga with You." This is the
syntactical connection: yasya päda-rajo-mälram yadvac cakame, tadvat tasya tava päda-rajo vayam api
prapannäh, "We attained the dust of Your feet in the same way she coveted the dust of Your feet simply
because it has a connection with Vrindavan." They spoke like this since everybody knew about
Laksmi's wish: yad-vähchayä Srir lalanäcarat tapo vihäya kämän sucirarh dhrta-vratä, "With a desire
for the dust of Your feet, Laksmi... (10.16.36). Similarly, the gopis will say: jayati te 'dhikarh janmanä
vrajah frayata indirä SaSvad atra hi, "Vraja is glorious on account of Your birth. Laksmi always resides
here" (10.31.1). It's understood that the repetition of the term 'foot dust' is due to their great longing.
Laksmi was not alone in this. She desired it, and so did Tulasi, that is, Vrndä, the personification of
the pastimes. Although Tulasi is His beloved, she desired the dust of His feet. It is heard from the
Kärtika-mähätmya of Padma Puräna, in the episode about Jälandhara, that she too is His beloved. 68
And in the Mathurämähätmya of Skanda Puräna, it is said that she is under His protection:
vmdävanam dvädaSamam vmdä-devi-samäiritam, harinädhi$(hitam tac ca brahma-rudrädi-sevitam,
"Vrindavan, the twelfth forest, is in Vrndä Devi's jurisdiction. It is governed by Hari and is served by
Brahmä, Rudra and others." Another proof is in that mähätmya in the Varäha Puräna: vmdävanam
dvädajamath vrndayä parirakyitam, mama caiva priyahl bhüme sarva-pätakanäSanam, "Vrndä
oversees Vrindavan, the twelfth forest. O Earth goddess, it is dear to Me and terminates all sinful
reactions."
How is the dust of His feet? bhrtya-jlß(am. It is served by devotees. To give details about the dust,
an example is given to show another distinct characteristic of Laksmi: Other gods, such as Vi,évaksena
and Garuda, long for her glance, which provides excellences culminating in their master's love. "If
Laksmi and Tulasi aspire for the dust of Your feet, are we at fault for seeking that dust too?" Thus, the

68
Rather, the story is that Vrndä married the demon Jälandhara. But Visnu was attracted to Vrndä. One day,
while Jälandhara was away, He used His magic to look like Jälandhara. After intercourse with her, His guise
came undone. Vrndä cursed Him, and He went away (Padma Puräna 6.96—6.103). In another story of
Puranic lore (esp. from Devi Bhägavata), Näräyana's three wives, Laksmi, Gafigä and Sarasvati,
quarreled with each other and ended up cursing one another. Gangä cursed Laksmi to be born as a plant
on Earth. Thus, Mahä-Laksmi was born on Earth as a woman named Tulasi, the daughter of King
Dharmadvaja. Tulasi went to Badarikashram to perform penance with the intent to have Visnu as her
husband. Then Brahmä appeared to her, and informed her of her destiny. Thus, she first became the wife of
Sahkhacüda, a demon who was actually Sridäman: He had felt passion for Vrndä and had been cursed by
Rädhä, for some other reason, to become a demon (Brahma-vaivarta Puräna 4.1.2). Later, while
Sahkhacüda had gone away to fight Siva, Visnu took the form of Sahkhacüda and had intercourse with Tulasi.
When she found out about His true identity, He reminded her that she had performed austerities to
attain Him. Both of them returned to Vaikuntha. She left her body on Earth: Her hair became the Tulasi
plant (sacred basil) (Puranic Encyclopedia).
verse is a response to verse 24: Serving the husbands is the topmost dharma of women. (Laksmi too
has a husband, Näräyana, and wants to serve Krsna.)
The meaning which is a negation is this. "Laksmi and Vrndä desired the dust of Your feet. We too
attained the foot dust in that way?!" With a modulation of the voice, the sense is: Of course not. (No
lotus, no nectar: Now that You ask us to leave, there's no sweetness for us.) The sense is: "Laksmi is
fickle, and Vrndä, who had become the wife of Jälandhara, deviated from moral conduct. We are not
like them.'

Priti-sandarbha 332: In the double meaning, the word ca (too) has the same sense as the word api
(also), which hints at the käku (modulation of the tone of voice). The gist is: "We, being mugdhäs
(innocent, too bashful) like Laksmi and Vrndä, attained the dust Your feet? We don't think so."

Srinätha Pandita
In the double meaning, ca (too) has the sense of tu (but). The abode on His chest, His heart, is not
obtained with money (bhrtya-justam = bhrty-ajus(am) (bhrtih sevä-mülarh tayä aju$tarh
sevanälabdham).

Vaméidhara Pandita
"Laksmi, who is called Sri in the sense that she is served by everyone (the verbal root is Sri[i]
seväyäm, to sevyate nikhilair iti Srir laksmih—wants to serve You, so what more need be
said?" (Bhävärtha-dipikä-prakäja)

10.29.38

tan nah prasida vrjinärdana te 'hghri-mülahl präptä visrjya vasatis tvad-

upäsanä'äh I tvat-sundara-smita-niriksana-tivra-kämataptätmanärh puruya-
bhüyana dehi däsyam Il

tat—therefore; nah—to us; prasida—be gracious; vrjina—of troubles; ardana—O dispeller; te—Your;
ahghri-mülam——the root of the foot (the hee1 69); präptäh—we attained; visrjya—after relinquishing;
vasatih—[our] homes; tvat-upäsanä—to revere You; äSäh—we who wish; tvat—Your; sundara-smita—
beautiful smiling; niriksana—because of the glances; tivra—intense; käma—by the passion; tapta—are
scorched; ätmanäm—whose minds; puru.sabhü$ana—O ornament among men; dehi—bestow; däsyam
— servanthood.

vrjinärdana! tat (tvam) nah prasida. (vayam) tvad-upäsanäjäh vasatih visrjya te anghri-mülarh präptäh.
purusa-bhü$ana! tvatsundara-smita-niriksana-tivra-käma-taptätmanäm (asmäkahl tvarh) däsyahi dehi.

69
Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana glosses ahghri-mülam as caranäntikam (nearness to the feet). Or else ahghri-
mülam signifies the heel: This is a polite way of expressing humility, because to beg for mercy a person falls at
the other person's feet and takes a hold of the latter's heel.
"Therefore be gracious to us, O dispeller of distress. We relinquished our homes and have attained
Your feet. We hope to revere You. Our hearts are scorched by the intense passion caused by Your
beautiful smiles and glances. O jewel of men, make us Your servants.

Sridhara Svämi
"Hey dispeller of unhappiness (vrjinärdana = he duhkha-hantah), we, who only wish to render service
to You (tvad-upäsanäjäh — tvad-upäsane tvad-bhajana eväSä yäsärh täh), gave up our homes (vasatih
= grhän) and attained Your feet like yogis do. Hey jewel of men (puruya-bhüsana = puru.sa-ratna),
bestow servanthood to us. Our minds are schorched by the intense passion caused by Your beautiful
smiles and charming glances" (tvat-sundara-smitaniriksapa-tivra-käma-taptätmanäm = tava sundara-
smita-vilasitaniriksanena yas tivrah kämas tena tapta-cittänäm).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Therefore, having abandoned our homes, our family members and the rest, we, like devotees of
Näräyana, want the status of being Your servants." The sense is: "Because You are similar to Näräyaqa,
be gracious to us."
Knpa: Actually you have some bad karma. That prevents Me from being pleased with you. So why
should I be gracious to you? Does Näräyana show favor at all times?
Gopis: Hey Vrjinärdana: Still You should dispel our distress. Näräyana has to dispel the distress of
those who beseech Him. And we have attained Your feet. Not only that, we have no other desire: We
gave up our families.
Krspa: I understand. Now that you gave up the happiness of family life, you want some form of
pleasure from Me.
Gopis: We wish to revere You. We do not wish for any form of happiness bestowed by You as a result
of revering You. If, in the course of pleasing You, we incidentally become happy by seeing Your face,
what's wrong with that?
Knoa: Then why did you ask Me to extinguish the fire of your passion ?
Gopis: You are the reason it is blazing: Our souls are scorched by the intense passion caused by Your
beautiful smiles and glances. Only make us Your maidservants (däsyam = däsitvam eva). Don't make
us Your wives.

In this regard, this is the commentary of the venerable Srimän Vallabhäcärya: ato däsyärthinya eva
vayam na tu vivähärthinyah, ata upanayanädy-apek$äpi na loka-vyavahärepa kartavyä, "Therefore we
only want to become Your servants. We don't want to marry You. Thus, the requirement of the second-
birth initiation need not be done by worldly customs." (To get married, Krsna would need to receive
the upanayana sarhskära, which He obtained in Ujjain after leaving Vraja.)
The drift is: "Hence it makes no difference whether we girls are married to another man or
unmarried. In either case, it is possible for us to become Your servants."
In Sanätana Gosvämi's commentary, the genuine Vaiygavatosapi (or the commentary that delights
the genuine Vai$navas), the explanation is this: '"Between being with You as a paramour and being
with You as a husband, the latter would involve more pleasure. ' That is well-known in poetic works
and in Bhägavatämrta. Consequently, in this matter only a special type ofdäsya is requested.
And so it is requested: "We should become maidservants'"' (B VT 10.29.39).
The gist is this. "Since only You are a great ocean of passion, and since we are young women, the
sole characteristic of our worship of You, a playboy, is to generate Your pleasure by means of our
limbs. Thus, asking You to sprinkle (or extinguish) the fire of our passion means asking You to let us
worship You that way. The fire of our passion is the main cause of our worship of You." For this
reason, the vocative is fitting: puru$a-bhüsapa. "Since You are an ornament in the form of a man
(purusa-bhüsana = purusa-rüpa-bhüsana), You, an ornament all of whose aspects consist of sapphires,
belong to us golden women."

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) The gopis situated in the third cardinal direction conclude their speech.
"Therefore, that is, because of the aforesaid reasons, be kind to us." Then they mention what type of
kindness they want: "Give us däsya." He might reply, "Hey girls maddened by youthfulness, that kind
of däsya is hard to get. Why should I bestow it to you?" They respond with humility. The sense is:
"You must fulfill the hopes of those who approach You after giving up everything."
As a pun, the compound tvad-upäsanäjäh modifies vasatih, "We abandoned our homes, in which
the veneration of You comes to an end" (tvad-upäsanäjäh = tavopäsa upästih tasya näSo yäsu täh).
Thus, the gopis' rejection of their husbands is proper. This answers His objection in verse 25: "Women
aspiring to win the world should not reject a husband who is not fallen... "
Alternatively, sundara-smita-nirik$ana is a vocative: "Hey You who have beautiful smiles and
glances, bestow däsya to us whose hearts are scorched by intense passion because of You" (tvat =
104

The meaning which is a negation is this: Vrjinärdana is separated as vrjinärda and na. "Therefore
be nice to us: Give up Your obstinacy, O Vrjinärda (begger of problems, or troublemaker). We,

104 This interpretation is valid by considering that the Bhägavatam sometimes uses Vedic Sanskrit. The rule is: supäm su-
luk, "[In the Vedas,] there are deletions of case endings" (AMädhyäyi 7.1.39).
desiring to honor You, gave up our homes, but we did not (na) attain Your feet—we came to see the
moonlight in the forest of Vrindavan (Priti-sandarbha 332)— and so You should give däsya to those
whose hearts are scorched by the intense passion caused by Your beautiful smiles and glances. We
have no use for it, O You who only adorn the guys by Your presence (purusa-bhüsana = purusän sakhin
eva bhü$ayasi iti tathä-bhüta)." Or, "O You who are a stain on the reputation of men" (purusa-bhüsana
= puruya-bhüs tat-sattä purusasämänyah, he tasya üsana pidaka = taj-jäti-mätra-kalahka-kärin). This is
said with resentment. Here the verbal root is ü$ rujäyäm.

10.29.39

viksyälakävrta-mukhahl tava kundala-jri- 70ganda-sthalädhara-sudhmil

hasitävalokam I dattäbhayarh ca bhuja-danda-yugahl vilokya vaksah Sriyaika-
ramanarh ca bhaväma däsyah I l

viksya—after seeing; alaka-ävrta—covered by hair (head hair); mukham—face: tava—Your; kundala-

iri-ganda-sthala—in which the place of the cheeks has the splendor of earrings; adharasudham—and in

70
kundala-Sri (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
which there is the nectar of the lips; hasita—has a smile; avalokam—in which the glance; datta—is
bestowed; abhayam—by which fearlessness; ca—and; bhuja-danda—of polelike arms: yugam—the
pair; vilokya—after seeing; vaksah—Your chest; Sriyä—is by Laksmi; eka—best; ramanam—in
which the amorous delight; ca—and; bhaväma—we must become; däsyah— maidservants.

(vayarh) tava alakävrta-mukham kundala-'ri-gapda-sthalädharasudham hasitävalokatil viksya

dattäbhayarh bhuja-danda-yugarh vilokya ca vaksah 'riyaika-ramanahl (vilokya) ca däsyah bhaväma.
"Your cheeks have the splendor of two earrings, Your lips are nectar, and Your glances are
accompanied with smiles. By thus gazing at Your face, covered by Your curly hair, by observing Your
pole-like arms, the dispellers of fear, and by looking at Your chest, the main thing that excites Laksmi's
romantic mood, we must become Your servants.

Sridhara Svämi
"But why did you put aside your control over your households to beg for servitude to Me?" They
answer here. His chest is the main thing that evokes Laksmi's amorous delight ('riyaika-ramanam =
Sriyä ekam eva ramapahl rati-janakam). 71

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"You are My servants. But did I purchase you with some currency or did you give yourselves freely?"
They answer in this verse. The drift is: "Having purchased us, right from the time when we came of
age, with the cintämani jewel of Your smiling glance, which we have never heard of nor seen
anywhere else and which is millions of times more than the right price to purchase us, You brought us
to Your own pleasure grove, showed us Your wealth, which, under the guise of Your curly hair and so
on, consists of blue gems, rubies, gold, two makara-shaped earrings, a slab of cintämani, pillars
studded with jewels, a place for Laksmi's dalliance, and a tall building which is a sapphire, and daily
made us enjoy the nectar which even the gods find hard to obtain.
"When You put Your red turban sideways on Your head, a maidservant straightens the turban by
raising it with a comb, and You tuck the hair on Your face under the turban. That way, Your face is not
completely covered (alakävrta = alaka-avrta) because Your hair only falls on each side of the forehead.
And when You fasten Your crest, then Your face, slightly covered (ävrta = isad vrta) by Your hair,
which is curly and not too long, falls on each side of Your forehead. Moreover, when You are
massaged with unguents, and when the intercourse has taken place to a high degree, Your face is
completely covered (ävrta = samyak prakärena vrta) by Your hair. When we see Your face on any one
of these occasions, we've made it: We relish the profuse sweetness with our eyes and have become
Your slaves (bhaväma = bhavämah)."
The face is further described. It has splendor (Sri = jobhä) because of the two earrings: Sometimes
the earrings are not covered by the hair, sometimes they are slightly covered, and at other times they
are completely covered, and in addition the earrings are either immobile, swaying, or in full swing.
When He smiles or laughs, the corners of His mouth expand on the cheeks, and so the face has its
nectar of the lips on the cheeks too, meaning His face gives off the illusion of having the sweetness of
the lips on the cheeks as well. The nectar of the lips is being drunk by the cakora birds of the gopis'
eyes which have become fixed on the cheeks. In private moments, however, the nectar of the lips is on
the gopis' cheeks. Or perhaps His face has the nectar of the gopis' lips on the cheeks.

71
In this interpretation, the phonetic combination in Sriyaika is poetic license, says Sanätana Gosvämi.
 Alternatively, on His face are cheeks which have the splendor, in the form of a reflection, of both
earrings, and His face has nectar on the lips. On His face is a glance accompanied with a smile
(hasitävalokam = hasita-yukto 'valoko yatra tat). Or, from His face is a glance which is the merriment
(hasita = praphullatä) of the gopis and of night-blooming lilies.
He might say: "Your husbands will not tolerate this. And by voicing their complaint, they will
make both you and Me afraid of King Kamsa." They respond: "Your pole-like arms bestow
fearlessness, even from Indra's wrath, by lifting Govardhana and so on. Such being the case, Your
arms, which are like two dandas, will beat that animal, Kamsa, to death." The Smgära-rasa becomes
enhanced by the vira-rasa thus implied.
"I don't turn the wives of other men into maidservants." They respond in the fourth line. The sense
is: "But You did bring Lak$mi, the woman of Näräyana, from Vaikuntha by force, and now You carry
her on Your chest." On that chest, the main amorous enjoyment is done by Lak$mi, who is a golden
line out of shyness (Sriyaika-ramapam = 'riyä lakymyä kartryä lajjä-vaiät suvarparekhä-rüpayä ekam
mukhyam ramanarh yatra tat). The implied sense is: "We know: Whether in Mahä-Vaikuntha or
elsewhere, You never rejected a beautiful young women in Your life."

Jiva Gosvämi
"I did not purchase you with any type of wealth, nor did I give you any wages, so how could you
possibly become maidservants?" Here they say: "That reasoning applies to others elsewhere. The gift
of making Your face seen is the payment." The gopis saw His face in the details (vikyya = viSesena
iksya). They expound upon the details with the various modifiers. Further, the poles of His arms
bestow fearlessness: They make the gopis fearless of their husbands. On His chest, the main amorous
enjoyment is done by the Lak$mi who is a golden line on the left side ('riyaika-ramanam = 'riyä
lakymyä kartryä ekarh Grey(harh ramapahl yasmin). This means He is the primary source of all sorts
of excellence, including the topmost beauty.
From the order of the words, this is understood: In seeing the various types of the beauty of His
face, the gopis did not gaze as if they had four eyes, out of of shyness, rather they gazed at His face
with great longing. Right after that, they glanced at His arms. Then they looked at His chest, thinking:
"Let us slacken our burning desire to see His arms and rest here for a while." Thus, it's implied that the
reason they want to become His servants is that He is the ultimate bewitcher. 72
Further, in the world some money is given to purchase a thing. But in His case, that payment is
automatically made by the obtainment of His charming face, of His sweet lips, of the touch of His
arms, and of His chest, the abode of Laksmi. Not only that, the repeated mention of the action of
seeing suggests that the gopis' eyes were captured like khanjana birds. His locks of hair were the ropes.
His earrings were the nooses at the ends of those. His cheeks were the cages. His lips were the
delicious bait. His smiling eyes were the trained khaöjana birds acting as lures by giving trust. His
arms dispelled fear since His fingers are shoots. His chest was the lovely place to be.
The meaning which is a negation takes place by a modulation of the tone of voice: "After seeing all
this, we would become Your servants? No way."

72
The order in which Krsna's body parts are enumerated here suggests that the gopis don't want to
become servants in the usual sense of the term, because in meditation a certain sequence, from the bottom
up, is prescribed for the servants of the Lord. For example, the Bhägavatam says a yogi should meditate on
the Lord by visualizing select body parts of His from the thighs to the face (3.28.24-30). But here the gopis start
from the top, the face.
 Sanätana Gosvämi
In case He were to reply, "All right, you can become My servants like Sridämä and Subala," with
emotion they tell Him the reason they request a special form of däsya. Their intention in mostly
describing His face, His arms and His chest is that they want to kiss His cheeks, imbibe the nectar of
His lips and hug Him tightly. Because of L,aksmi, or because of its splendor, His chest is the best place
for amorous enjoyment.
The subtle intention is this. "Between being with You as a paramour and being with You as a
husband, the latter would involve more pleasure." That is well-known in poetic works and in
Bhägavatämrta. Consequently, in this matter only a special type of däsya is requested. And so it is
requested: "We must become maidservants." The request for a special type of däsya means they want
Him to be their paramour. The verse is the answer to text 26: "Paramourship bars a woman from
heaven etc."
The pun is achieved by a modulation of the tone of voice: "After seeing all this, we would just
become Your menial servants (däsyah - karma-käryo 'pi)? No way. Laksmi is fickle, but we are
devoted to our husbands, so we do not take pleasure by looking at Your face and so on.'

10.29.40

kä stry ahga te kala-padämrta-vepu-gita- 73sammohitärya-caritän na calet tri-lokyäm I

trailokya-saubhagam idatil ca niriksya rüpahl yad go-dvija-druma-mrgäh pulakäny abibhran
Il

kä—which?; stri—woman; ahga—seetie; te—Your; kala—was sweet-sounding tones; pada—whose

characteristic74 amrta— which is nectar; vepu-gita—by the song of the flute; sammohitä— completely
bewildered; ärya—of civilized people; carität—from the deeds; na calet—would not deviate; tri-
lokyäm—in the group of three worlds; trai-lokya—in the three worlds; saubhagam—because of which
there is the goos fortune; idam—this; ca—and; niriksya— after seeing: rüpam—the form (or the
beauty); yat—because of which; go—cattle; dvija—birds; druma—trees; mrgäh—and deer; pulakäni
—hairs standing on end; abibhran—have.

ahga! te kala-padämrta-venu-gita-sammohitä (sati) trailokyasaubhagam idahl rüpahl ca niriksya tri-

lokyäm (vartamänä) kä (sä) stri (yä) ärya-carität na calet, yad go-dvija-druma-mrgäh pulakäni
abibhran.

"Sweetie, which woman, anywhere in the three worlds, mystified by the music of Your flute would not
deviate from the dharma of the Aryans upon seeing this body, the good fortune of the three worlds?
That music, consisting of melodious tones, is the nectar. As a result, the cattle, the birds, the trees and
the deer have hairs standing on end.

kala-padäyata-mürcchitena (Sridhara Svämi's reading); kalapadäyata-vepu-gita- (BBT reading).

73

The definition is: padam vyavasiti-träna-sthäna-laksmähghri-vastusu (Amara-kosa 3.3.93). Here pada

74

means laksman (characteristic).

 Sridhara Svämi
This is their response to verse 26: "Paramourship bars a woman from heaven etc." "Hey Krsna (ahga =
he kryga), who is the woman who would not fall from her moral code of conduct (ärya-carität nija-
dharmät) upon being bewildered by a long mürcchana (mürcchitena = svaräläpabhedas tena) in which
there are sweet tones?" In the other reading, "upon being bewildered by a flute song consisting of the
nectar of sweet tones?" Moreover, in point of trailokya-saubhagam: "because of which (yat = yatah)
the animals have (abibhran = hairs standing on end." The gist is: "Giving up one's dharma
is proper even just by hearing sounds that hint at Your presence, much more so by having a realization
of You in person. "

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) "Women who are faithful to their husbands will deride you." In that regard,
they clearly speak with humility tinged with anger. "Which woman in the three worlds would not
deviate from that?" Everyone would deviate. That was implied in this verse:

krsnarh nirik$ya vanitotsava-rüpa-'ilahl 'rutvä ca tat-kvapita-vepu-vivikta-gitam

I devyo vimäna-gatayah smara-nunna-särä bhra'yat-prasüna-kabarä mumuhur
vinivyah Il

"Gazing at Knoa, whose beauty and character bring about a festival for women, and listening to the
distinct song of the flute that He played, the goddesses, who were going in aircrafts and whose
solemnity was shaken off by Cupid, became bewildered. mowers fell from their braids, and their
girdles loosened." (10.21.12)

The term kala was explained earlier (in verse 3). With pada they make it known that it was like that at
every step (pratipada). With äyata (drawn-out) they shed light on Sri Krsna's steadfastness, and hide
the fact that they themselves spent much time listening to it attentively. In the other reading (amrta),
they imply that the music of the flute was relishable and out of this world. The word saubhagam means
saubhägyam, and means either jana-priyatvam (His body is dear to people) or saundaryam (beauty).
"The cows and the other animals have hairs standing on end because of both hearing the music of the
flute and seeing His body" (yat = yäbhyärh venu-gita-rüpäbhyäm). Men too become bewildered:

11
0 Gafigä Sahäya remarks that the absence of the suffix [j]us, in abibhran, is poetic license (Anvitärtha-prakäjikä). The rule
is: sij-abhyastaVidibhyas ca (A$(ädhyäyi 3.4.109); si-näräyana-vettibhyo 'na us (HNV 336).
savanasas tad upadhärya sureSäh
Sakra-sarva-paramesthi-purogäh I kavava änata-kandhara-cittäh
kaSmalam yayur ani'cita-tattväh I l

"Upon hearing the music of His flute, abounding in fluctuations of tempo, Indra, Siva, Brahmä and
other gods are mesmerized. Their minds bow out of respect, and their heads tilt in the direction of the
music. Although these gods are very learned, they cannot penetrate the subtleties of it." (10.35.15)

The Lord Himself (svayarh bhagavän) becomes bewildered:

yan martya-lilaupayikam sva-yogamäyä-balam darjayatä grhitam I

vismäpanmh svasya ca saubhagarddheh param padarh bhüsana-bhüsanähgam
Il
"Knpa's body was suited to human pastimes. It was taken by Him to show the power of His Yogamäyä.
It amazes Him also. It is the utmost limit of an abundance of loveliness, and its limbs are the
ornaments of its ornaments."111 (3.2.12)

Thus, the verse under discussion is the gopis' response to verse 25: "Women aspiring to win the world
should not reject a husband who is not fallen...
The second meaning, a negation, is this. "Due to behaving properly (ärya-carität = sad-äcäräd
hetoh), which woman, even though she may be bewildered by Your music, would not go away (na
calet = na apayäyät) from You (te — tvattah), because (yat — yasmät) even the cows and other
animals have hairs standing on end?" The sense is: "Which woman would not go away upon seeing
You? If a sexy woman happens to be near a good-looking man who

1 1 1 Viévanätha Cakravarti comments: grhitam äviskrtam iti sandarbhah.

[. . .l svasya ca vaikun(ha-sthasya Sri-närävana-svarüpasyäpi vismäpanam, "In the Sandarbhas it is said: "It was taken"
means "It was made to appear." Moreover: It amazes Him also, meaning His body even amazes Näräyana in Vaikuntha"
(Särärtha-dar'ini 3.2.12).
is not her husband, peQple criticize her."

priti-sandarbha 332: "Hey You whose flute music is drawn-out with melodious tones (kala-padäyata-
venu-gita)! Hey You who are bewildered by Cupid's arrow called sammohana (sammohita = he
sammohanäkhya-käma-bäpa-mohita)! Due to behaving properly, which woman in the three worlds
would not go away from You?" The sense is: "We follow the etiquette of the righteous, so there's no
way we're going to stay here with You." Having thus exposed His faultiness, the reason for their
departure, with two vocatives, one that relates to a quality and the other to a state of mind, they
mention a fault that relates to His body: "On account of being wellbehaved, which woman would not
go away upon seeing this body, You, because even the cows and other animals have hairs standing on
endO" 1 12

Sanätana Gosvämi
"This body" means "This incredible body." Alternatively, rüpam means saundaryam (beauty). As a
pun, kala-padäyata-venu-gita and sammohita are vocatives. Sammohita means käma-sammohita (Hey
You who are bewildered by Cupid).

Srinätha Pandita
"Because You, an illustrious person, perform feats (ärya-carität — äryasya tava carität hetoh), which
woman bewildered by Your melodious tunes is not moved (na calet = asthirä na bhavati) upon seeing
Your body?"

10.29.41

11
2 This is a milita alahkära-dhvani (an implied milita ornament), because the hairs standing on end have a different
significance, as a second interpretation. The definition is: samena laksmanä vastu vastunä yan nigühyate, nijenägantukenäpi
tan militam iti smrtam, "If one thing is COncealed by another by means of a similar characteristic, which is either intri nsic or
extrinsic, that is milita (indistinct). Thus it has two varieties" (Kävya-prakäia 10.130).
 Il
vyaktarh bhavän vraja-bhayärti-haro 'bhijäto devo yathädi-puruyah sura-loka-
goptä I tan no nidhehi kara-pahkajam ärta-bandho tapta-staneyu ca 'irahsu ca
kihkarinäm Il

vyaktam—clearly; bhavän—You; vraja—of the people in the village; bhaya—of the fear; ärti—and of
the pain; harah—the remover; abhijätah—have taken birth; devah—God; yathä—just as; ädi-purusah
—the first human-like form of God; sura-loka— of the planets of the gods; goptä—the protector; tat—
therefore; nah—our; nidhehi—You should put; kara—[in the form of] a hand; pahkajam—lotus; ärta—
of the distressed; bandho—O friend; tapta—torrid; staneyu—on the breasts; ca—and; 'irahsu—on the
heads; ca—and; us] maidservants.

ärta-bandho! yathä devah ädi-puru$ah sura-loka-goptä (bhavati, tathä) bhavän vraja-bhayärti-harah

abhijätah (iti) vyaktam. tat (tvarh) nah kihkaripäm tapta-staneyu ca Sirahsu ca (tava) karapahkajam
nidhehi.

"Clearly, You took birth as the dispeller of the fear and pain of the people of Vrindavan like God in the
form of the Ädi-Purusa is the protector of the residents of heaven. Therefore, dear friend of the
distressed, place Your lotus hand on our hot breasts and on our heads. We are Your slaves."

Sridhara Svämi
Vyaktam (clearly) means nifcitam (obviously).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
With vyaktam they say: "Stop flashing off Your cunningness. Don't hide Your true feelings anymore."
"Clearly," meaning the legendary tale is no secret. What tale is that? "You dispel Vraja's fears, such as
the fear of a conflagration, and Vraja's distress, such as that caused by wind and rain—another reading
is vraja-janärti-harah—and You fully took birth (abhijätah = sarvato-bhävena jätah), in Nanda's home,
just like Näräyana... Everyone proclaims this." KNpa.• Then what do you want?
Gopis: Place Your lotus hand on our hot breasts.
Krspa: My hand is soft. Will it not get burned?
Gopis: Although our breasts are hot, they are the means to wait on You, and we are those who wait on
You. The heat of the rising sun does not burn a lotus, rather it makes it happy. Also place Your hand on
our heads, so that we'll have no fear that You'll ever reject us.

Jiva Gosvämi
Even though the gopis in the fourth cardinal direction are speaking, they express what everyone really
wants to say. They conclude their speech by rejecting any idea that they are at fault in their
performance of dharma and, as a strategy, by implying that He could potentially be at fault in His
execution of dharma. "My qualities are similar to those of Näräyana. All My desires have been
fulfilled, and so I have nothing to gain by any type of action." "You, the dispeller of the fear and pain
of the residents of the village, took birth in an eminent family (abhijätah = sat-kuläj jätah)." The sense
is: "You took birth to dispel the villagers' fear and pain." "We fear separation from You, and have pain
in separation from You. If we die, the fault will be Yours, and in that way Your vow of protecting the
residents of the village would be broken." Krsna had thought:

tasmän mac-charanam gostharil man-nätharh mat-parigraham I gopäye svätma-yogena so 'yam me

vrata ähitah Il

"Therefore, by My own mystic might I shall save this cowherd community. I assume that well-known
obligation. I am their shelter and master, and they are My family and My entourage." (10.25.18)

"You dispelled the community's fear of Pütanä and the fear of a COnflagration. And You took away the
pain caused by wind and rain. Although iévara has the quality of being pürna-käma, such a Protection
and such a desire are seen." That is just what they say: " just like the Ädi-Purusa, the best of all the
Purusas, who is deva in the sense that He is shining, that is, resplendent, in every way, is the protector
of the heavenly planets: By His own desire, He took birth from Aditi and from other goddesses only to
protect His people."
"Therefore... (tat = tasmät)." His hand is a lotus: The metaphor applies in the sense that a lotus
dispels heat. But in truth, heat is only caused by not attaining Him, and disappears right at the
beginning of attaining Him. With only this in mind, they request Him to put His hand on their hot
breasts. As before, they speak with humility when they say: "Place it on our heads also." They call
themselves 'slaves' with this intention: "From here onward, and later too, consider us to be Your very
own."
(Words from Brhad-vaisnava-tosapi are underlined.) The implied sense of the vocative ärta-bandho
(friend of those in pain) is: "Given that You, the friend of those who are in pain, are directly present in
a splendid way, the distress, or the heat, of Your servants is improper. Hence don't place Your hand on
us out of lust. rather put it there only as a friend of those in pain." The subtle intention of their speech
is this: "Although our heartfelt desire is hidden by our ways of concealing our emotions, it will rise by
itself when You will place Your hand on our limbs."
The second meaning, a negation, is this. They speak suspecting that He would touch them as if by
force. In the first half of the verse the purport is that He ought to safeguard dharma; it should not
dwindle in any way. Then they say: "Hey friend of those who are in distress—the sense is they hint at
their distress of the fear of straying from dharma—, hey You whose heart is scorched by the fire of lust
(tapta = he kämägni-santäpita-hrdaya), do not (no = mä) put Your hand on the heads of the servants of
our households, much less on their breasts. And don't even think of touching us."
All this, from svägatam and so on (verse 18) to this verse, is the anubhäva called samläpa, by the
definition: ukti-pratyuktimadväkymh samläpa iti kirtyate, "Communication in the format of a
statement and a reply is called samläpa" (Ujjvala-nilamani 11.85). 75Priti-sandarbha 332: In this
samläpa, the first meaning in Sri Krsna's statements is the form of a request to be together with them,
who have the mood of showing contrariness even though they were bewitched by the music of His
flute. The second meaning is the form of the refusal of their desire to be with Him, which was the
reason for their arrival, and is for joking and also for testing their love. In like manner, the first
meaning in the gopis' statements is a refusal of His request. And the second sense is implied, in most
instances, 114 is the well-known one and consists of a request to be with Him, a request which they put
forth by acting as their own matchmakers. Thus, Rasa is greatly enhanced when both parties have a
similar kind of cleverness.
75
Smhläpa is one of the twelve väcika anubhävas. In a general sense, an anubhäva is that which reveals the
emotion in one's heart: anubhäväs tu citta-stha-bhävänäm avabodhakäh (Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 2.2.1).
There are three kinds of anubhävas: (1) the twenty or twenty-two alahkäras of
 Sanätana Gosvämi
In the dual sense, the vocative ärta-bandho means "Hey friend who are in pain." Furthermore, with the
clause about God, the ÄdiPurusa, as the protector of the heavenly planets, they respond to His
objection stated in verse 26: "Intercourse between a woman of noble pedigree and her paramour bars
her from heaven..."
There is another interpretation: "You are God, the Ädi-Purusa, and the protector of the heavenly
planets, hence You fittingly (yathä = yathävat) took birth to dispel the fear and the pain of the residents
of the village. That is clear. Therefore put Your lotus hand on our breasts overcome by the torment of
Cupid, and afterward, to dispel our mental pain, put it on our heads too." In both cases, the purpose is
to give fearlessness. Or the purpose is to strengthen His acceptance of them as His slaves. His hand is
a lotus in the sense that it is naturally cool to the touch, dispels heat, and effuses the Rasa of bliss. The
two words ca (and) signify that each one, the breasts and the head, are important. Thus, the purpose of
His descent, a purpose which is the revelation of the essence of His unlimited godhood, can come to
fruition.

Srhgära-rasa, (2) external transformations (udbhäsvara), and (3) the vocal kind (väcika). What is commonly called
anubhäva corresponds to udbhäsvara. That said, Rüpa Gosvämi's example of samläpa (conversation) consists of a series of
short sentences and replies (UN 11.86).
114 For example, when a double meaning is achieved by käku (modulation of the tone of voice), as in verses 37 and 39,
that meaning is not literal, hence it's an exception to the general scheme propounded by Jiva Gosvämi here.

Srinätha Pandita
The Ädi-Purusa is Näräyana. He is deva, God, in the sense that He is intent on playing games (kridä)
(the verbal root div[u] has the meanings of kridä, dyuti, etc.). Although Krsna is superior to him, He is
compared to him because no other example is suitable.

10.29.42

Sri-Suka uväca iti viklavitamh täsälh frutvä _yogeSvareSvarah I prahasya sa-dayath

gopir ätmärämo 'py ariramat Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Suka said; iti—in this way; viklavitam— instance of expressing anxiety; täsäm
—their; Srutvä—upon hearing; yoga-ifvara-ijvarah—the master of the masters of mystic yoga;
prahasya—after laughing; sa-dayam—sympathetically; gopih— the gopis; ätma-ärämah—He whose
delight in is the Soul; api— although; ariramat—He gave romantic pleasure.

Sri-Sukah uväca—iti viklavitath täsälh Srutvä yogeSvareSvarah sadayam prahasya ätmärämah api gopih ariramat.

Sri Suka continued: Laughing out of sympathy upon hearing this touching plea by the gopis, Knpa, the
master of the masters of mystic yoga, induced the girls to take pleasure, although He revels in Himself.
Sridhara Svämi
Viklavitam (touching plea) means päravasya-pralapitam (prattle caused by being out of control).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Upon hearing their statements which hinted at their uneasiness of mind (viklavitam = vaiklavya-
vyaijaka"h väkyam), in other words, upon thinking 'mission accomplished' by hearing that, He
laughed. "Aho! Every time we meet, you emotional women implement an insurmountable mood of
contrariness (vämya-bhäva), whereas I, on a single day, only showed a slight mood of contrariness as a
means of concealment: It actually involved My mood of being submissive to you (däk$inya-bhäva).
Even so, you feel uneasy in mind and pay your final respects to bashfulness from afar. You make Me
laugh. Therefore I, who am renowned for turning the ocean of your daily mood of concealing your
emotions into a spoonful of water, have conquered you. O ladies, you think you are the most
intelligent!? Acknowledge your defeat: Come here of your own accord by giving up impediments such
as bashfulness and steadfastness, become like a garland of gold-studded jewels on My neck, and make
Me drink the nectar of your lips. This great thirst of Mine arose a long time ago. "
"After laughing, He gave pleasure to the gopis affectionately
(sa-dayam = sa-sneham), or in such a way that there was good fortune (sa-dayam = sad-ayam = san
ayah Subhävaho vidhir yatra tat yathä syät tathä), although He is an ätmäräma (He revels in His Self)."
The gopis' love was such [that He gave them pleasure], much like in the verse that begins ätmärämäsq
ca munayah (1.7.10), it is said: itthathbhüta-guno harih, "Hari's qualities are such [that the ätmärämas
too perform exclusive devotional service]." Since the gopis are functions of Hlädini-éakti, which is
part of His nature, it makes sense that He enjoyed with them, who are His ätmä, so to speak.
Moreover, even though Krsoa is an ätmäräma, He derives more joy from His devotees than He does
from Himself, in accordance with: na ca sahkarsano na Grir naivätmä ca yathä bhavän, "Neither
Safikarsana, Laksmi, or My own Self is as dear to Me as you, Uddhava" (11.14.15) and näham
ätmänam ä'äse mad-bhaktaih sädhubhir vinä, "Without My saintly devotees, I do not desire My own
Self" (9.4.64). And because these gopis are the best of all His devotees, He, though an ätmäräma,
enjoyed with them just to increase His bliss.
Someone might argue: "By looking at Ägama scriptures such as Krama-dipikä: pramadä-'ata-
ko(ibhir äkulite, "He was 'crowded' by hundreds of millions of women" (5.53) (cited in Priti-sandarbha
285), they numbered in the millions, and so He could not possibly have taken pleasure in being with
them one by one at the same time in the same place." The response is this: The mystic yogis are
Saubhari and others, the masters of mystic yoga are Rudra and others, but He is their master. Saubhari
made separate forms of himself to take pleasure in being with his own women, but Krsna, whose
behavior is inconceivable, did not do that. It will be said: citram bataitad ekena vapuyä yugapat prthak,
"It is quite amazing that in a single body, Krsna simultaneously married sixteen thousand women, each
in a separate palace" (10.69.2).

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Upon hearing this (iti = etat) speech uttered with uneasiness of mind (viklavitam = vaikalyoktam), He
eminently smiled (prahasya = prakarsena hasya), as a gesture of sympathy (sa-dayam)." He laughed
because they were expounding His desire. The sympathy was appropriate because their speech too
could be taken in two ways. Or He sympathetically gave them pleasure, by wiping their tears with His
hand, and He laughed because of their uneasiness of mind, caused by their ignorance of His intention,
and also because in that way His concealment of His true feelings was a success. Or perhaps He
laughed because, by speaking in that way, their concealment of their emotions disintegrated, and thus
they experienced the rise of a certain transformation of their passion.
Here, laughter is a vyabhicäri-bhäva of Srhgära-rasa.
By such cleverness in His wording, His status as an ätmäräma had already stopped taking place.
Further, since He is Yogeévareévara, it's implied that although He is one, He as if had many forms and
thus enjoyed the gopis one by one at the same time. llS

115 This topic is revisited in verses 10.33.3 and 10.33.20 (10.33.19 in the BBT edition). Verse 10.33.20 says Krsna
expanded Himself in as many forms as there were gopis. However, some scholars, such as Kavi Karnapüra (Änanda-
vrndävana-campü), say Krsna stayed in one form and zigzagged His way between each gopi at lightning speed. In short, at
the most the yogis can only expand in eight forms of themselves. for a total of nine, whereas Krsna can expand unlimitedly,
and another difference is that each of Krsna's forms is as good as the original one. Chapter 69 describes Närada seeing one
Krsna in each palace, and from Jiva Gosvämi's commentary on verses 20 to 22 in that chapter. it's understood that Krsna
was in each palace at the same time. Gila Prabhupäda shares his opinion (Krsna) (BBT

Jiva Gosvämi
He laughed upon hearing what they said with anger and humility, both of which consisted of the
agitation of love (viklavitam = premavaiklavya-maya-rosa-dainyoktam). The gopis had spoken in that
manner. meaning what they said could be taken in two ways just like His statements (iti = nijoktivad
ubhayärtha-sparfätmakarh etat). With a melting heart (sa-dayam = cittärdratä-sahitath yathä syät tathä).
He induced the gopis to take pleasure (ariramat = rantillh svayath eva prayojayämäsa). This means He
insisted that they enjoy being with Him. Hence the parasmaipada is used, because by rule the result of
the action goes to the doer of the action: anäv akarmakäc cittavat kartrkät, "After the causative form of
a verbal root which is intransitive in its noncausative form and whose doer is a conscious thing, the
parasmaipada is used [as a replacement of the rule which ordains the ätmanepada when the result of
the action goes to the doer (ref. the verb cakre in verse 1)]" (A$(ädhyäyi 1.3.88). (The rest of the
commentary was copied by Viévanätha Cakravarti.)

Krama-sandarbha: He heard the words triggered by their being in an agitated state of love (viklavitam
= prema-vaiva'ya-vacah) in the way that was said (iti = pürvokta-prakärena)...

Baladeva
He laughed upon hearing their aforesaid (iti = ukta-prakärakam) words, some of which involved no
agitation and some of which involved a special kind of agitation (viklavitam = vigata-klavarh viSiMa-
klavam ca väkyam). 116
The gopis are not different from His ätmä (Soul), in the light Of: änanda-cinmaya-rasa-
pratibhävitäbhis täbhir ya eva, "with those women, who correspond to the transcendental Rasa of bliss"
(Brahma-sathhitä 5.37). In that sense, this cannot be said: "Although He is an ätmäräma, He enjoyed
being with the gopis." Here the word

Purport 10.69.20-22).
116
Here Baladeva Vidvabhüsana glosses the prefix vi in two ways.
eover, in his commentary on Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 3.2.35, Jiva
Mor

GOS
Vämi says that according to Vopadeva, the verbal root is klav[a] bhaye (to be afraid), and adds that prema-viklava means
prema-vihvala (agitated by love).
api (although) has the sense of avadhärana (limitation): "Being that He is only one who delights in His
Self (ätmärämo 'pi = ätmäräma eva san). .. " This means there is no loss of His being ätmäräma by
enjoying with them who are not different from Him in essence. 76Furthermore, by His Acintya-éakti,
Krsna, though one, took delight in being with the gopis by means of multiple manifestations, as told in
verse 10.69.2.

Gangä Sahäya
The term sa-dayam (sympathetically) is an adverb modifying His laughter and means krpayä (out of
compassion). This repudiates any idea that He had material lust. He laughed to relieve them of their
tension.

10.29.43

täbhih sametäbhir udära-cestitah priyek$anotphulla-mukhibhir acyutah I

udära-häsa-dvija-kunda-didhitir vyarocatainähka ivodubhir vrtah Il (upajäti
12)

täbhih—with the girls; sametäbhih—who had assembled; udära—are illustrious; whose

deeds; priya—of the lover; iksana— by the glance; utphulla—have bloomed; mukhibhih—whose
faces; acyutah—Acyuta; udära-häsa—caused by the broad smile; dvija— on the teeth; kunda—
jasmine-like; didhitih—He whose splendor; vyarocata—He was resplendent; ena-ahkah—the moon
("it has the mark of a deer"); iva—like; udubhih—by stars; vrtah—surrounded.

udubhih epähkah iva, acyutah udära-ce$(itah udära-häsa-dvijakunda-didhitih täbhih sametäbhih

priyeksanotphulla-mukhibhih vrtah (san) vyarocata.

The girls approached Him together. Encircled by them, whose faces had bloomed because of His
glance, Acyuta, whose deeds are illustrious and the sheen of whose teeth resembles the radiance of
jasmines when He broadly smiles, looked splendid like the moon surrounded by stars.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
His deeds, that is, His pastimes, are illustrious: they bestow the pleasure of romance to the girls, and
confer prema to the bhävabhaktas by means of hearing or reading about His pastimes. He is called
Acyuta because He has no letdown as regards flirting with each girl at the same time. The sheen of His

76
The term ätmäräma has a conventional meaning, but here Baladeva Vidyabhüsana takes the
etymological sense. By definition, however, the word api does not have the sense of avadhärana, yet here
the same idea is obtained by taking the sense of samuccaya (conjunction): "Just as the gopis were
ätmärämas in the conventional sense in their previous life, He too is an ätmäräma, but in the etymological
sense." The definition is: garhä-samuccaya-praSna-Sahkä-sambhävanäsv api, "Api is used in the senses of
garhä (criticism), samuccaya (conjunction), praSna (question, interrogation), Sahkä (doubt), and
sambhävanä (assumption; possibility)" (Amara-kosa 3.3.248).
jasmine-like teeth is made manifest by His smiles, which are udära, which means either they are broad
or they make the girls happy.

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) While describing in four verses the way the romantic pleasure took place,
at first, to illustrate that He is the one who caused it, he gives an example along with the details of His
resplendence as a result of a meeting of love with the gopis. He was resplendent in a special way
(vyarocata = viSesena asobhata). On top of that, He is Acyuta, meaning He has no letdown in meetin
eve one of them. The com ound ri eksanot hullamukhibhih signifies that the gopis' faces bloomed either
because of the lover's glance or because the girls glanced at the lover. By the word utphulla (bloomed) is
implied the metaphor that the faces are lotuses, because of the obtainment of daylight in His glance,
since the gloom of their minds was thus dispelled.
His jasmine-like teeth are a radiance, because of which His smile is illustrious (udära-häsa-dvija-
kunda-didhitih = udäro häso yayä sä, dvija-kunda-didhitir yasya): The splendor of His smile is
accentuated by the manifestation of the beautiful teeth.
Although His constant splendor automatically reaches the pinnacle of beauty, with them He
becomes especially beautiful. That is shown through an example. Enähka is the full moon, "that which
has the mark of a deer." He was resplendent like the full moon surrounded everywhere by bright stars.
These ideas are implied: Krsna and the gopis are splendid together, they are dear to one another, and
they are eternally connected.

Sanätana Gosvämi
The term sametäbhih (they approached together) means they came very close to Him. Or it means the
girls were joined by Sri Rädhä, who is sa-mä in the sense that She has mä, splendor, that is, the
topmost beauty (sametäbhih = samä parama-sundari Sri-rädhä, tayä itäbhih präptäbhih): This means
She was not present among them at first, at the time of the ukti-pratyukti (His statements and the gopis'
replies).
The name Acyuta means He is not defeated by lust and whatnot. The ViSva states: anirjite cäcyutas
tu. Or the sense is He doesn't fall for the beauty of just any girl. Or, He never fails to expand the Rasa.
By the word utphulla is implied the metaphor that the faces are lotuses and His glance is the sun. 77

10.29.44

77
Here the larger context is a simile between Krsna and the moon, which has the sign of a deer. Thus, first of
all the implied sense is the gopis' faces are night-blooming lotuses. It involves two concomitant implied
meanings: His glance is like a moonray, in consideration of the simile, and His face is like the moon. And
secondly, the subsequent implied sense is: He who has deer-like eyes is a perfect match for women who
have doe-like eyes. Having a face in bloom means having eyes wide-open, that is, wide-open like the eyes of a
doe in the case of a woman. Thus the compound utphullamukhi gives rise to a mixed metaphor. The word
utphulla means "wideopen, stretched out." The definition is: utphullahi karmge strinäm uttäne 'pi vikasvare,
"Utphulla means the female organ of reproduction; wide-open; and bloomed" (Medini-koSa). Moreover,
using the word udära twice in the verse, with a difference in meaning (illustrious, broad), constitutes the
 upagiyamäna udgäyan vanitä-jata-yüthapah I mäläm bibhrad vaijayantim vyacaran
mandayan vanam I l

upagiyamänah—being sung about; udgäyan—singing loudly; vanitä—of women; Sata—of hundreds;

yütha-pah—the leader of groups; mäläm—a garland; bibhrat—wearing; vaijayantim—of five colors;
vyacarat—strolled; mandayan—while adorning; vanam—the woodland.

(sah) vanitä-Sata-yüthapah (täbhih) upagiyamänah (svayarh ca) udgäyan vaijayantim mäläm bibhrat vanahi mandayan
vyacarat.

Knna, the leader of groups of hundreds of women, was glorified in song. He Himself sang loudly,
sporting a Vaijayanti garland and strolling in the woodland while adorning it.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"He was glorified in a superior way (upagiyamänah = ädhikyena giyamänah) by the gopis, by means
of räga (melody), svara (pitch), täla (tempo), and so on. Of those, this is a song in täla-traya (tin täla):

vadanath madhurima-sadanam calanatii dalanath karindra-kirtinäm I

hasitmh sudrg-abhilasitam tava savayah pätu mäm aniSam Il

"Dear friend, Your face is the abode of sweetness, Your moves nullify the fame of the best of elephants,
and Your smile is the object Of the desires of pretty-eyed women. Forever protect me."

PUnar-uktavad-äbhäsa ornament (semblance of a repetition).

And He Himself, the leader of groups of hundreds of women, among whom Sri Rädhä and Sri
Candrävali are foremost, sang loudly, to each one, with that very song in the manner of a repeated
utterance. For instance:

tvad-vadanatii sadanath madhurimnärh

tatra hanta drgantä viläsäh I tesv asamähl susamäm upajagmuh
sundari käma-kaläh sakaläs täh Il känte tvad-äsyodaya-dattam
indur mrgac-chaläd duryafa eva dhatte I janopahäsäsahano 'thavä kith dvijo
'pi müdho jaghäsa Il

"Your face is the abode of all types of sweetness. Wow! In it the corners of your eyes are forms of
flirtation. And in them the skills of Cupid have achieved an unparalleled refulgence. Hey beautiful girl,
you have the whole array of those skills.
"Hey beloved, because your face is visible, the moon has acquired a bad reputation on account of
that sham in the form of a deer. If not, why are the birds too, confounded since they can no longer
tolerate people deriding them, consuming poisonous narcotics?" (Krsna-bhävanämrta 19.70-71)

Here, the manner of the repeated utterance is this: Upon saying sundari (hey beautiful girl), the gopis
immediately responded: sundara (hey beautiful guy). And upon saying känte (hey beloved), they
replied känta (hey sweetheart). Further, the Vaijayanti is a garland made with flowers of five different
kinds because of five colors, in accordance with the statement: paica-varnä vaijayanti.
 Jiva Gosvämi
(The first paragraph is from Brhad-vaisnava-tosani.) Here he says: While giving splendor to Vrindavan
by the rise of such an extraordinary resplendence, He strolled by proceeding step by step to inflame
love by means of uddipanas which are singing a song and the offering of flowers, etc., and to end up
on a shore of the Yamunä which is suited for romance.
Krsna sang loudly (udgäyan = uccair gäyan), with joy, about uddipanas of love such as the moon.
And He was sung by the girls, meaning He was described with the same songs done once more, in the
manner of a repeated utterance, because the double meaning in the repetition made full sense. That can
be understood as follows. This is an example from Sri Rasämrta-sindhu:

akhila-rasämrta-mürtih prasrmara-ruci-ruddha-tärakä-pälih I kalita-

Syämä-lalito rädhä-preyän vidhur jayati Il

[First interpretation:]
The moon abides with eminence: It covers the stars with its nicely diffused radiance and thus makes
the loveliness of the night. When it greatly likes the Rädhä constellation (on the full moon night of
Vaiéäkha), its orb brings about a complete relish, the nectar.

[Second interpretation:]
Knoa is glorious. His form is the entire nectar of Rasa. He renders Tärakä and Päli submissive with
His expansive luster, He counts Syämä and Lalitä as His own, and He greatly loves Rädhä.
(Bhaktirasämrta-sindhu 1.1.1)

And sometimes the manner of the repetition was the replacement of one or two syllables. For example:

yämini-krta-rucih Suci-käntiS candrikävali-vibhä-vikaca-srih I

$ätpadäli-kalitaih kala-gitaih pasya bhäti kumudäkara esah Il

kämini-krta-rucih Suci-käntiS candrakävali-vibhävi-kaca-'rih I sat-padäli-kalitaih kala-gitaih paSya

bhäti ku-mudä-kara esah Il

[First verse:]
L
ook! This pond abounding in lilies is splendid with the subtle singing done by bees. The pond's
brilliance is made by the night, the glitter on it is impeccable, and its beauty is even more radiant
because of the distinct light of moonrays.
[Second verse:]
Look! He makes the delight of the Earth. He is splendid with sweet songs that have just the right
words. His brilliance is caused by us ladyloves. He effuses Snigära-rasa. And on Him the beauty of our
breasts will be accentuated by the eye in His peacock feather crest.

Or, "while He sang about those uddipanas by name along with His pitch, tempo, and so on, He was
sung by one girl," because only He flashed in the words given that He had taken possession of her
mind. For example, it is said in Sri Visnu Puräna:

krsnah Sarac-candramasmh kaumudirh kumudäkaram I jagau gopi-janas tv ekath krsna-näma

punah punah Il
"Knpa sang about the autumnal moon, the moonlight, and the place abounding in white lilies. The
gopis, however, sang one name of Knpa again and again." (Vimu Puräna 5.13.52)

Here also the pair of meanings is relishable. It can also be explained thus: "The gopis only (ekam =
kevalam) sang about Krsna and sang the names" (knna-näma = krynaS ca näma ca knna-näma tad
eva).
(Additions are underlined.) The definition of vanitä is given by Amara: vanitä
janitätyarthänurägäyähi ca yositi, " Vanitä also means a woman whose passion is fully developed"
(Amara-kosa 3.3.73), and so the compound vanitä-jata-yüthapah means: täsärh Satäni yüthäni päti,
"He protects hundreds of groups of such women." other words He is their lover. 78 As a pun, pa
stands for pibati: He drinks them, with His eyes, as in: pibanta iva caksurbhyäm, "The people in the
stands were as if drinking Krsna and Balaräma with their eyes" (10.43.21), meaning with great
attachment He serves the gopis. Alternatively, He drinks them, literally, by drinking the nectar of their
lips and so forth. The gopis were in groups according to their respective types of love for Him.
The Vaijayanti is a garland made with flowers of five different kinds because of five colors, in
accordance with the statement: panca-varnä vaijayanti. Although there were other ornaments, since
they are going to be mentioned later, in verse 10.33.6, here it is said "He was wearing the Vaijayanti
garland" because this is an important aspect in the suitablity of strolling in the woodland. It's
understood that the garland was quickly strung by those girls and offered by them, or else by Vrndä,
the presiding deity of that forest, and for that purpose the garland had been placed in a pleasure grove
somewhere.

10.29.45

nadyäh pulinam äviSya gopibhir hima-välukam I reme tat-taralänanda-kumudämoda-

väyunä Il 79

nadyäh—of the river; pulinam—the shore; äviSya—after reaching; gopibhih—with the gopis; hima—
was cool; välukam—whose sand; reme—He took pleasure; tat—of that (river); tarala—of the waves;
änanda—which had the bliss; kumuda—of the night-blooming lilies; ämoda—which had the
fragrance; väyunä—because of the wind.

(sah) hima-välukath nadyäh pulinam gopibhih äviSya tattaralänanda-kumudämoda-väyunä reme.

Accompanied by the gopis, He reached the river's shore, where the sand was cool. He took pleasure
because the wind conveyed the elation of the river's waves and carried the fragrance of lilies.

78
Moreover, the other definition of the word vanitä is simply 'woman': stri YO$id abalä yoyä näri simantini
vadhüh, pratipa-darSini vämä vanitä mahilä tathä (Amara-kosa 2.6.2).
ju$(am tat-taralänandi-kumudämoda-väyunä (BBT reading); reme - aralänandi-kumudämoda-väyunä
79 tat t

(Vallabhäcärya's edition).
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
Th
e wind gave pleasure because of the river's waves—this means it gave pleasure by its coolness and its
slow velocity (änandi = Saityamändyäbhyäm änanda-däyaka)—and in it was the fragrance of the
lotuses which had bloomed at night (kamalämoda-väyunä = räträv api praphullänäth kamalänäm
ämodo yatah sa ca tena väyunä). "He took pleasure because of the wind." Sometimes the reading is ju$
(am, instead of reme. In that reading, juMam is syntactically connected to the verb ramayäicakära in
the next verse. 80 Sometimes kumudämoda is seen instead of kamalämoda, and taralänanda instead of
taralänandi. 81

Sanätana Gosvämi
In two verses he says He took pleasure by manifesting a special cleverness upon leading them to the
shore of the Yamunä. The river is indeed the Kälindi, because of the upcoming text: punah pulinam
ägatya kälindyäh (10.30.45). The forest too is not mentioned by name because it is well-known.
"Accompanied by the gopis, He reached the shore, where the sand was cool (hima-välukam = himäh
Sitaläh välukäh yasmin tat). The shore was served (juts(am = sevitam) by the wind, which happily
frolicked with the Yamunä's waves (tattaralänandi = tasyä nadyäs tarahgair sukha-vihäri cäsau) and
carried the lotuses' fragrance (kamalämoda-väyunä = kamalämoda-yuktaväyuS ca tena)." Three
qualities stand out: coolness, slowness, and having fragrance.

Jiva Gosvämi
The sand on the shore was as white as camphor. Both hima and hima-välukä mean camphor. The wind
happily frolicked with the Yamunä's waves and carried the lotuses' fragrance. The lotuses were
blooming at night, just like the jasmines were blooming in autumn, by the power of the Rasa of that
pastime. The slowness of the wind is pointed out with the words änandi and juMam. The wind's
qualities of having fragrance and being cool are obvious. This text and the next form one unit. But
sometimes the reading is reme. In that case, the verse should be numbered separately. 82

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
This shore is the Räsa-sthali, meaning this is the place where the Räsa dance occurred (chapter 33).

Garigä Sahäya
In the reading reme, the sense is: "Upon reaching the shore, where the sand was cool because of the
wind, He took delight in being with the gopis."
80
In that reading, jusgam modifies pulinam in this verse: tat-taralänandakumudämoda-väyunä jus(am
pulinam äviSya tä ramayäicakära. According to Sukadeva Mahäräja, in the reading reme the word jusgam
needs to be added to the text (Siddhänta-pradipa).
81
In the reading änanda, the word is formed in the active voice to make the same interpretation. Moreover,
in this verse too the usage of the words änanda and ämoda with a difference in meaning constitute the
punaruktavad-äbhäsa ornament (semblance of a repetition): Sometimes ämoda means änanda.
82
According to Jiva Gosvämi, a number should correspond to a COmplete sentence, not to a verse per se. In
the reading jus(am, the finite verb is in the next verse, and so this verse and the next should form one unit.
Ne
ither verse should be numbered separately. Nobody else follows this Principle. In his commentary on
Bhägavatam 10.3.1, Jiva Gosvämi makes an exception to his rule by saying that the sentence there, which
consists of eight verses, should be numbered in conformity with each verse.
10.29.46

bähu-prasära-parirambha-karälakorunivi-stanälabhana-narma-nakhägra-pätaih
I k;velyävaloka-hasitair vraja-sundarinäm uttambhayan rati-patim ramayäicakära
Il (vasanta-tilakä)

bähu—of His arms; prasära—by the throwing; parirambha—by embracing; kara—of their hands;
alaka—hair; üru—thighs; nivi— cords; stana—and breasts; älabhana—by touching; narma—with
jokes; nakha—of fingernails; agra-pätaih—with the fall of the front part; k$velyä—by playing;
avaloka—with glances; hasitaih—and with laughter; vraja-sundarinäm—of the beautiful young girls of
the village; uttambhayan—increasing; rati-patim—Cupid ("Rati's husband"); ramayämcakära—He
caused to take pleasure.

(sah) bähu-prasära-parirambha-karälakoru-nivi-stanälabhananarma-nakhägra-pätaih k;velyä avaloka-

hasitaih vraja-sundarinärh rati-patim uttambhayan (täh) ramayäficakära.

Exciting Cupid in the beautiful girls of the village by extending His arms toward them, by embracing
them, by touching their hands, their hair, their thighs, the cords on their waists, and their breasts, by
cutting jokes with them, by inserting His fingernails in their skin, by playing games, by casting glances
and by laughing, He made them take pleasure.

Sridhara Svämi
Inflaming (uttambhayan uddipayan) their lust (rati-patim kämam) by stretching the arms, by
embracing, by touching (älabhana = sparSa) the hands and so forth, by joking, by the strikes of
fingernails, by having fun (kyvelyä = kridayä), by casting glances, and by laughing, He induced them
to take pleasure (ramayäficakära = tä ramayämäsa).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"He stretched the arms," meaning He stretched the gopis' arms which they had crossed on their chests.
By glancing at the girls while speaking in jest (ksvelyä = kridoktyä), by laughing, and so on, He
inflamed both His lust consisting of love and theirs and made each one take pleasure only by means of
those gestures.
Here a doubt might arise: "Since all this was taking place in the open while so many gopis were
rubbing elbows, so to speak, on such a tiny shore, and since there was no bed for lovemaking nor any
other type of furniture, it doesn't make sense that the pastime of having intercourse with each one of
those hundreds of millions of women could take place." It was definitely possible. Because the land of
Vrindavan, like the form of Bhagavän, is all-expansive, even a piece of land in Vrindavan as small as a
sesame seed can expand into a vast area, full of many types of private pleasure groves, replete with
aromas, flower garlands, betel nuts and so on, and especially with flower beds for sex. Everything was
manifested by Yogamäyä, the potency that is very clever in making the impossible possible. And when
the pastimes were over, Yogamäyä withdrew everything. 83

Jiva Gosvämi
(Words from Brhad-vai$nava-tosani are underlined.) He increased the master of rati (romance), that is,
the rati which is the affection suitable for a lover, although that master was concealed by their natural
bashfulness. Alternatively, He increased the topmost prema, called mahä-bhäva, which was concealed
that way. By His extending the arms and so on, His attachment to romance and His cleverness are
shown. "He extended the arms" means "He began the motion of embracing the girls." Or the words are
taken together: bähu-prasära-parirambha, meaning He embraced the girls by extending the arms. The
term ksveli (having fun, playing games) denotes making allusions and so forth. Here the gopis are
described as Vraja-sundaris (the beautiful girls of the village) with the intent to express that beauty is
most suitable for romance. And by this, that type of cunningness too is indicated, by the maxim:
yaträkrtis tatra gunä vasanti, "Where there is a well-proportioned body there are qualities." By His
special power of bewilderment. the gopis did not notice that every one of them was having a good time
with Him.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Alternatively, He extended His arms to attract the girls who were some distance away. The term k$veli
denotes either making allusions and so forth or biting their lips and drinking the nectar of their lips.

10.29.47

Il
evanz bhagavatah krsnäl labdha-mänä mahätmanah I ätmänarh menire strinäm mäninyo
'bhyadhikaril 84 bhuvi Il

evam—thus; bhagavatah—from the Lord; kr$Pät—Krsna•, labdhamänäh—they by whom respect was

obtained; mahä-ätmanah—who is the great Soul; ätmänam—themselves; menire—they considered;
strinäm—among women; mäninyah—they had overweening pride; abhyadhikam—the very best;
bhuvi—on Earth.

(tah) evarh bhagavatah krmät mahätmanah labdha-mänäh bhuvi (vartamänänähi) stripärh (madhye)
abhyadhikam ätmänarh menire, (atah) mäninyah (jätäh).

Having thus received much respect from Lord Knpa, the great Soul, the gopis considered themselves
the very best of all women on Earth, and so they became proud.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Now he says the Lilä-éakti gave rise to a pretext to create vipralambha in order to enhance the Rasa, in
conformity with this maxim by Bharata Muni:
83
This paragraph is perhaps out of place. It mostly relates to verse 1033.25 (24 in the BBT edition) and to
Viévanätha Cakravarti's commentary on verse 10.33.20.
84
mäninyo hy adhikam (BBT edition).
 na vinä vipralambhena sambhogah pustim ainute I kasäyite hi vasträdau bhüyän rägo
'bhivardhate I l

"Without separation, the meeting of lovers is not enhanced. When a garment is dipped in a reddish dye
many times, the red color (räga) increases." (Sarasvati-kamhäbharana 5.52) (Ujjvala-nilamam• 15.3)

Having obtained respect (labdha-mänäh = präptädaräh) from the great Soul—that is, from the best of
all kinds of lovers who are both divine and worldly—, who is the Lord and, to boot, Krsna, the
primeval Godhead, the girls considered themselves the best of all women on the face of the Earth...
because the girls had achieved romantic pleasure by being with Sri Krsqa. The sense is each girl
thought she was the best on Earth. They had overweening pride: Each one thought, "Only I am super
lucky."

Sanätana Gosvämi
Now he begins to talk about a special thing, vipralambha, for the sake of a special fun later, on account
of the upsurge of prema. "Having obtained respect (mäna = sammäna) from Him, the great soul, that
is, although He delights in Himself (mahätmanah ätmärämäd api)..." Or else, "Having obtained all-
out pride, which is a certain mood of feeling lofty, because of Him... " The reason for the obtainment is
He is the Lord, meaning He is intent on revealing His godhood for the purpose of providing a distinct
realization. And therefore: Krsna, the great ocean of the most amazing Rasa. Or the sense is He attracts
the heart. Thus, "Due to being mäninis that way (mäninyah = mäninyah satyah), they considered
themselves the very best of all women on Earth." Alternatively the term mänini makes a separate
sentence: "The girls considered themselves, each one severally, the best of all the gopis, and so they
became mäninis. "

Jiva Gosvämi
(The commentary was copied by Viévanätha Cakravarti.)

Garigä Sahäya
The term mahätmä means gambhira-citta (he whose mind is profound).

10.29.48

täsäm tat-saubhaga-madam vik$ya mänahi ca kesavah I praSamäya prasädäya

tatraiväntaradhiyata Il

äm—their; tat—that [overexcitement]; saubhaga—caused by the good fortune; madam—

täs

overexcitement (or false pride); viksya— upon seeing; mänam—pique (or overweening pride); ca—
and; keSavah—Keéava; praSamäya—to calm; prasädäya—to show favor (or to be content); tatra eva—
right there; antaradhiyata—He disappeared.
keSavah täsäm tat-saubhaga-madariz mänam ca vikya (madamänayoh) praSamäya (täsu) prasädäya
(ca) tatra (puline) eva antaradhiyata.
Seeing their hysteria, caused by such good fortune, and the huffiness, Kesava disappeared on the spot
with a view to appease them and to show His grace.

Alternatively: Seeing their hubris, caused by that good fortune, and the pique, Keéava disappeared
right then and there for His own peace of mind and for His satisfaction.

Sridhara Svämi
He perceived their mood of independence (madam = asvädhinatäm), caused by their good fortune.
Mänam means garvam (self-conceit, overweening pride). Keéava is so called because He brings
Brahmä and Siva under control (keSavah = kaf ca iSaS ca tau vaSayatiti tathä sah).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Because the Lord enjoyed romance with all the girls without making any distinction, the foremost
gopi, Vrsabhänu-nandini, felt jealous. Her eyes turned red, and She became mänini. All the other
gopis, who are inferior to Her, became proud of their good fortune. When this amazing disparity
occurred, the Lord reconciled the situation.
This is what he talks about here.
The pronoun täsäm (of the girls) means "of Vrsabhänu-nandini and of the other beautiful girls of
the village." Thus, "Seeing the girls' mada (conceit) caused by the good fortune and seeing Rädhä's
mäna (huffiness, pique), He disappeared to curb those girls' conceit and to show favor to Her, who was
in a pique." Sometimes the reading is tam saubhaga-madam. The meaning is the same as tatsaubhaga-
madam.
He is called Keéava because He instructs Brahmä and Siva (keSavah = ko brahmä iSaS ca täv api
vayate praiästi). The drift is: Curbing their pride arisen by good fortune doesn't involve much of an
effort on His part. The name Keéava also means: keSän vayate samskarotiti, "He beautifies the hair."
The gist is: He, RasikaSekhara, is clever enough to do Her a favor by arranging Her hair and so on.
The verb antaradhiyata is poetic license. The sense is antaradadhät. Or, the verb antaradhiyata is in
the active voice, but the verbal root is dhi[fi] anädare85 (to disrespect), a fourth class dhätu (4A). By
looking ahead in the text, it's understood that He took Sri Rädhä with Him by force before
disappearing (without anyone noticing). "He disappeared right there," meaning the girls did not see
Him go elsewhere. When He desired to disappear that way, Yogamäyä made it happen.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Seeing the mada, He disappeared to appease it, otherwise, if the girls were to act whimsically, without
relying on Him (madam = svädhinatväbhävam), the Räsa would not have turned out the way He
wanted it to. His purpose in disappearing upon seeing the mäna was that He wanted to do a special
favor derived from the satisfaction obtained by the love games of mäna. Without disappearing, the
vibe of the love at that time would not have been fitting for the Räsa.
Or He vanished to appease both the mada and the mäna. For what purpose? prasädäya, to do them
a special favor with the Räsa.

85
Viévanätha Cakravarti copied Jiva Gosvämi's explanation. In Pänini's Dhätu-pä!ha, however, the meaning
of dhi[i] is ädhäre (to contain). In Mädhaviyä dhätu-vrtti, the meaning is ädäne (to take). That said, the verb
antar + dhi does not exist. Still, antar can form a separate word: antar adhiyata (He disrespected the heart).
 There is another explanation. The term mada means either mattatä (hysteria) 86 or harsa (joy,
excitement). The ViSva states: mado retasi kastüryärh garve harsebha-dänayoh, "Mada means retas,
musk, conceit, excitement, and the rut fluid on an elephant's temples." The mäna, a peculiar exultation
of the mind, was a form of the mada. Thus, He disappeared for an eminent pleasure (prasamäya =
prakr$tah 'amah sukhath tasmai), the entertainment Of the Räsa, and for a special favor: the subtle
revelation of the way He reciprocates. This will become clear ahead (at the end of chapter 32).
Alternatively, He disappeared to do a special favor for the sake of eminent pleasure.
At any rate, the purpose of His disappearance was to create a special bond of love. Therefore later
it is said: mayä parok$arh bhajatä tirohitam, "I disappeared to reciprocate in an indirect way"
(10.32.21). It wasn't impossible for Him to vanish at once; with this in mind he uses the name Keéava
to point out that He is God.

Jiva Gosvämi
The words tat saubhaga-madam stand for tarh saubhaga-madam. "He especially saw (vik$ya =
viSesena dt$tvä) the self-conceit (madam = garvam) caused by their good fortune—the definition in
the ViSva is: mado retasi kastüryäth garve harsebha-dänayoh. The drift is: He saw that the conceit
could not be remedied by some other form of logical reasoning and that the pique could not be
remedied by conciliation, even though that had been done before. He disappeared to appease the
conceit and to soothe (prasädäya = prasädanäya) the pique. The verb antaradhiyata means antaradhät
(He disappeared): The verbal root is dhi[i] anädare (to disrespect), a fourth class root. "He disappeared
right there" means nobody saw Him go elsewhere. In accordance with upcoming statements, it's
understood that He disappeared with Sri Rädhä alone. When He desired to disappear that way,
Yogamäyä made it happen.
Although to pacify mäna which has a cause, jealousy, sometimes the lover needs to show
indifference, in view of the text: hetujo 'pi Samarh yäti yathä-yogarii prakalpitaih, säma-bheda-kriyä-
däna-natyupek$ä-rasäntaraih, "Mäna which has a cause comes to a standstill by means of either säma
(conciliation), bheda (creating a rift), kriyä (some action), däna (a gift), nati (physically showing
respect), upek$ä (indifference, neglect) or rasäntara (another rasa), used in conformity with the
circumstance" (Ujjvala-nilamatßi 15.112), still, causeless mäna has no countermeasure, or the
countermeasure is just a little something. Nevertheless, to pacify it, here indifference took place—
although normally this is unsuitable for soothing causeless mäna (Krama-sandarbha)—because the
mäna had gone overboard due to its connection with the conceit. Hence He disappeared to pacify both
the conceit and the pique. The desire to pacify both of them, although they were mature consequences
of prema, took place simultaneously by the Lilä-éakti, which involves His desire, and by the desire for
the Räsa, which consists of giving great Rasa to all those girls. Thus, the vipralambha here will
become useful for the highest prema. It will be said: näham tu sakhyo bhajato 'pi jantün bhajämy
ami$äm anuvrtti-vrttaye, "Dear girlfriends, to sustain their thoughts on Me, I do not reciprocate with
people even when they serve Me" (10.32.20). His main reason for disappearing is that He was eager
for a pastime with Her alone.
Regarding the name Keéava, here the sense is that He had the foremost radiance, in light of this
text: amSavo ye prakäSante mama te kefa-samjiitäh, sarvajiäh keSavam tasmän mäm ähur muni-
sattama, "O best sage, My manifest rays are named keSa, hence all-knowing men call Me Keéava"
(Mahäbhärata 12.328.43). The implied sense is that although all types of splendor were present, when
He disappeared everything suddenly became devoid of splendor.

86
This is the equivalent of the meaning of mada as mäda (rapture in intoxication): mädo madah (Amara-
kosa 3.2.12).
Priti-sandarbha 386: Causeless mäna (pique not caused by jealousy), also called pranaya-mäna
(huffiness in intimate love), has no cause in the sense that the mäna is a playful variation of sheer
intimacy. The lover too can have this type of mäna. In the above verse, the cause of the pranaya-mäna
was the pride arisen by the good fortune (saubhaga-mada). Therefore, to shower His grace on the
gopis, a grace in the form of appeasing their huffiness, He disappeared of His own accord
(antaradhiyata = svayam api antaradhiyata) 87 because He had the same kind of pranaya-mäna.

Näräyapa Bhatta
He disappeared to hear the gopis' prattle of love, in order to make the eminence of the Rasa (relish)
even more excellent. Specifically, He disappeared to give them relief later on (prasamäya = sukhäya
agre) and to satisfy them. That satisfaction (prasäda = prasannatä) took the form of the ultimate thing
in romantic love. Keéava is so called because He controls (va = vaSayati) 129 Brahmä and Siva. Or, He
is Keéava in the sense that His hair is eminent (prasastä keSä yasyeti keSavah). 130 Alternatively: "He
gets the god of happiness" (ka = sukha) (va = väti = gacchati = präpnoti): The verbal root is vä gati-
gandhanayoh. However, He became invisible to dispel their mada and their mäna, due to being an
ätmäräma. Previously, it was said that He disregarded His mindset of being an ätmäräma only to give
them pleasure: ätmärämo 'py ariramat (10.29.42).

unchanged." In theory, though, the concept of kartr-karmani prayoga only applies to certain verbs, and ya[k] is not used: na
duha-snu-namähi yakcinau (A$(ädhyayi 3.1.89 and Värttika). For example: prasnute gauh svayam eva, "The cow milks,
that is, by itself" (HNV Brhat 947). The verbal root in the verse is indeed because the corresponding participle
antarhite is used in the next verse (10.30.1). Here the ultimate purpose Of this peculiar usage is to make the aforesaid pun
(antar adhiyata). All in all, He showed disrespect by disappearing.
129 This explanation, copied from Sridhara Svämi, is poetic license because the proper form would be keiavat.
130 In this explanation, the word va is a suffix expressing possession. For the details and for more derivations of the
name Keéava, consult the commentaries on Bhägavatam 10.1.10 and the footnotes there.

By this gloss, Jiva Gosvämi indicates that the usage of the verb antaradhiyata is a form of karma-kartari
87

prayoga called kartr-karmm.ii prayoga. The passive voice is used with the intent to express that the subject f the O

verb is accomplishing the action with ease by itself (svayam api or svayam eva). It is a separate grammatical
category because it is neither a pure form of the passive voice nor karma-kartari prayoga (the object of the
ac
tion becomes the subject, and the verb looks like it is conjugated in the passive voice). In this regard, in his
commentary here the author of Brhatkrama-sandarbha gives an example of kartr-karmani prayoga by
Kälidäsa: Vikära-hetau sati vikriyante yesähl na cetärizsi ta eva dhiräh, "Intelligent persons are those whose minds are
not changed when there is a reason for the change" (Kumära-sambhava 1.59). But Mallinätha disagrees
with this interpretation: He says the usage of vikriyante here is simply the passive voice. He comments: yesälii cetähisi
na vikriyante na vikrtitil niyante ta eva dhiräh, karmani lat. This makes sense only if the doer of the action, vikärena
(minds are not changed 'by the change') would be implied, yet this would go against the intended idea: "Of
their own accord, the minds easily remain
 Ohapter Thirty

Te ' K.ceZ
10.30.1

Sri-Suka uväca antarhite bhagavati sahasaiva vrajähganäh I atapyarhs tam

acak$änäh karinya iva yüthapam Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Suka said; antarhite bhagavati—when the Lord disappeared; sahasä eva—at
once; vraja-ahganäh—the women of the village; atapyan—became aggrieved; tam—Him; acak$änäh
— not seeing; karinyah—female elephants; iva—like; yütha-pam—the leader of the herd.

Sri-Sukah uväca—bhagavati antarhite (sati) vrajähganäh, karinyah iva yüthaparil (apa'yantyah

tapyante), tam acak$änäh sahasä eva atapyan.

Sri Suka said: When the Lord disappeared, the young women, not seeing Him, immediately became
aggrieved, like female elephants not seeing the leader of the herd.

241
Sridhara Svämi trimée viraha-santapta-gopibhih krsna-märganam I unmatta-van na
niyataril bhramantibhir vane vane I l

"In the thirtieth chapter, the gopis, utterly aggrieved by the separation, wandered here and there in the
woodland in search of Krsna as though they were mad."

Acak$änäh means apafyantyah (not seeing).

Viévanätha Cakravarti trimée tu virahonmattä krsnam pr$tä nagän striyah I tal-liläm

anucakrus täh sambhujya sa ca täm jahau I l

"In the thirtieth chapter, the women, maddened by the separation, asked the trees about Knpa. Those
women imitated His pastimes, whereas Knpa intimately enjoyed that one woman and then abandoned
Her."
 Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions to Brhad-vaimava-tosani are underlined.) Sri Bädaräyani took a break after mentioning His
disappearance, since he felt their pain to some degree, and so this resulted in the separation between
the two chapters. Although he felt unhappy that way. after a moment he took interest in the good
fortune of the gopi, the best one. among them whom the Lord had taken before disappearing. hence he
became steadfast again and resumed his discourse. "He disappeared at once (sahasä eva), inasmuch as
the manner in which He did so couldn't be guessed. Thus, Amara's definition is: atarkite tu sahasä,
"Sahasä means unexpectedly, inexplicably" (Amarakosa). It's inferred that this is the reason the gopis
became even more aggrieved. The term vrajähganäh (women of the village) is said with the intent to
point out the appropriateness and the intensity of the gopis' sorrow in separation, insofar as only He
was dear to them. The example "like female elephants [not seeing] the leader of the herd, that is, the
king of elephants in rut..." illustrates the intensity of the women's grief caused by the separation with
regard to the fact that He was the only lover.
Krama-sandarbha: Not seeing Him, they at once became aggrieved.

priti-sandarbha 389: The verse illustrates praväsa, the variety of vipralambha where the lovers are in
separation because they are not in the same place. There are various types of praväsa, and each one
culminates in its special type of meeting. The above is an example of the lover going a short distance
away (and eventually returning) in the same pastime.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Or the example illustrates the intensity of the women's grief caused by the separation, but with regard
to the saying: "A male elephant is clever in love games."

10.30.2

gatyänuräga-smita-vibhramek$itair manoramäläpa-vihära-vibhramai}.i I
äk$ipta-cittäh pramadä ramä-pates täs tä vices(ä jagrhus tad-ätmikäh Il
(upajäti 12)

gatyä—by the moves (or gait); anuräga—of love; smita—with smiles; vibhrama—of splendor131 ;
ik$itaih—by the glances; manorama— charming; äläpa—talk; vihära—entertainment; vibhramaih—
by the style; äk$ipta-cittäh—they whose minds were transported; pramadäh—the women; ramä-pateh
—of Ramä's husband; täh täh— those various ones; deeds; jagrhuh—they took
(undertook); tat-ätmikäh—of that nature (or of His nature).

13
1 The definition is: vibhramah, jobhäyärii samjaye häve (Hema-kosa
3.503-504).
(täh) pramadäh (krynasya) gatyä (ca) anuräga-smita-vibhramek$itaih (ca) manoramäläpa-vihära-
vibhramaih (ca) äk$ipta-cittäh tadätmikäh (satyah tasya) ramä-pateh täh täh vices!äh jagrhuh.
The young women were transported by His moves, by His stylish glances cast with smiles of love, by
His sweet talk, by His entertainment and by His style. Becoming one in essence with Him, they
undertook those distinct deeds of Ramä's husband.

Sridhara Svämi
The girls' minds were transported by Ramä-pati's moves, playful (vibhrama = sa-viläsa) glances
accompanied with love and a smile, charming conversation, amusements (vihära = kri.dä) and other
fun things (vibhramaih = anyaih viläsaih). Therefore their souls were only in Him (tad-ätmikäh =
tasminn evätmä yäsäm täh). They had fun by imitating (jagrhuh = tad-anukaranena akridan) His
various deeds (vices(äh = vividhäS cestäh).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Afterward, the gopis, who were unable to attain Him even while looking for Him in the pleasure
groves, became mad on account of the ever-increasing pain of separation. Madness is the saicäri-bhäva
called unmäda (high madness). In two verses he describes the way in which it manifestly developed. 88
Krsna is called Ramä-pati since He owns the excellence of complete beauty. "Because of His love-
laden smiles due to His gait, that is, the natural movements of His feet while He would approach the
gopis at the beginning of an encounter; because of His glances, in which the eyes would whirl in
special ways (vibhramek$itaih — viSi$(o bhramo bhramanam tärakäyä yatra tathä-bhütänik$itäni ca
taih); because of His sweet talk..." For example:
Knpa: Hey lotus girl, won't you give your nectar to Me? I'm a thirsty bee.
Gopi: Hey bee, the husband of a lotus is the sun, not a bee, so why would a lotus allow You to drink its
own nectar?
Knpa: Hey lotus, the very nature of you lotuses is this, that you never give your nectar to your
husband, the sun, but only give it to your paramour, the bee.

Then the girl would laugh upon being defeated by such sweet talk, and so the entertainment (vihära) of
drinking the nectar of the lips would take place between the two of them. Or, the sweet talk was like
this:
Knpa: Ah, I understand. You have gone to the base of this Kadamba tree, which is near Me, because
you were bitten by a snake. And now the poison has reached your chest. Still, because you're a well-
mannered girl, you don't ask Me to give you relief. Since I'm compassionate, I'll go near you of My
own accord and recite a mantra to counteract the poison while rubbing your limbs with My hands.
Gopi: Hey snake charmer, no snake bit me. Go rub the body of whichever girl was bitten by a snake.
Krspa: By the tremor in your voice I can tell that the poison is active in you. If I disregard you now, I'll
be accused of the death of a woman, so let Me counteract the poison.

Upon saying this, He placed His fingertips on her chest. Afterward the two of them had intercourse
(vihära = samprayoga). Then they were crazy in lust (vibhrama = kämonmattatä). This explanation is
substantiated by the definition: citta-vrtty-anavasthänahl Snigäräd vibhramo matah, "The unsettled
condition of the mental functions as a result of romantic love is called vibhrama."133
88
Unmäda is also one of stages in the pang of separation. The ten stages are: ahgesu täpa (heat in the
limbs), kr'atä (thinness), jägarya (staying awake), älamba-Sünyatä (mental voidness), adhrti (lack of mental
composure), jadatä (indolence), vyädhi (disease, or specific mental agony), unmäda (high madness),
mürcchita (swoon), and mrti (death, i.e. not desiring to live) (Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 3.2.116).
1
33 The citation is taken from the Tosanis, but is nowhere found in the Standard books on poetics (Nätya-Sästra, Snigära-
prakäja, DaSa-rüpaka, Sähitya-darpana, etc.), where vibhrama is an alahkära of Snigära defined as follows: Bewildered at
the time of setting out to go to the tryst, the woman Places her ornaments in the wrong places ( Ujjvala-nilamani 11.39).
Näräyana Bhatta copies the citation and says it is from Rasärnava-sudhäkara, yet it is not there; Singabhüpäla defines
vibhrama like everybody else does. The
Because of all of those, which had entered the range of the gopis' remembrance due to the intensity
in their condition of separation, they rebuked their own minds (äksipta-cittäh = äk$iptäni sva-cittäni
yäbhis täh): "Hey, what are you doing here? Get out and look for the one who is dear to the life force."
Their minds left their bodies after this rebuke. They reviled their minds because: pramadäh, meaning
the women were eminently mad (pramadäh = prakarsena mädyantiti täh). Thereafter, upon attaining
unmäda, their mindset became like His (tad-ätmikäh = tasyevätmäno buddhy-ädayo yäsäm täh), and so
they undertook those various deeds of His, meaning they imitated the undertaking by means of the
corresponding mindset (jagrhuh = buddhi-pürvakarh grahanädin anucakruh).

Jiva Gosvämi
(Words from Brhad-vaimava-tosatgi are underlined.) The speaker sheds light on their affliction. This
will continue up to verse 10.32.1 inclusively. The first word vibhrama denotes sweet gestures of the
eyebrows and so forth: The sense of vibhramek$itaih is vibhramayuktek$itaih (because of glances
which had vibhrama). The term vihära means Srhgära-ce$tä (romantic gestures), and the second word
vibhrama signifies Snigära-bhäva-vijesa (special romantic moods). It was stated that way: citta-vrtty-
anavasthänatil Snigäräd vibhramo matah (see above). They are classed in three categories: His love
and the vibhrama which is the unstable condition of the mind relate to the mind, His gait, smiles and
glances endowed with sweet gestures relate to the body, and His sweet talk relates to speech. Other
things are indicated by these.
The gopis' minds were overwhelmed by those, which had taken place in the past. Then, becoming
imbued with Him (tad-ätmikäh = tan-mayyah satyah), the women achieved (jagrhuh = präptäh) all the
various deeds mentioned earlier, such as bähu-prasära (extending

citation is not given by Vallabhäcärya, yet he reiterates Sridhara Svämi's two glosses of vibhrama as viläsa, and says that
the second term viläsa denotes instances of intercourse which the gopis and Krsna had in the past: ity äha vihära iti. taträpi
viläsä aväntara-bhedäh yathottänaka-grämyadharmädayah taih pürva-krtaih tama-sattva-rajo-rüpaih tri-vidham api cittam
äk$iptam iti äk$ipta-cittä jätä atah täparil na präptavatya iti bhävah. (Subodhini 10.30.2)
the arms) (10.29.46). In the etymological sense, the word pramadäh (women) means prakr$(a-mada-
yuktäh (they had eminent hysteria). The drift is: Were those women in love or what!
He is called Ramä-pati in the sense that He is in charge of the potency which governs all the types
of wealth of mädhurya and of aiSvarya, regarding the form and the qualities. It's implied that He
excels everyone. Or, as before Ramä means Sri Rädhä. This way it's implied that They were together.
This will be confirmed ahead.

Sanätana Gosvämi
The term vihära (entertainment) denotes either the pastimes, such as the upholding of Govardhana
Hill, or the playing of the flute and so on. The second word vibhrama means Snigära-ce$tä (romantic
gestures). It was stated that way: citta-vrtty-anavasthänam Smgäräd vibhramo matah (see above). All
those reasons why their minds were overwhelmed are stated in increasing order of importance.
"Then, becoming imbued with Him (tadätmikäh = tan-mayyah satyah)..." Alternatively, the word
tad-ätmikäh forms a separate sentence at the end of the verse: tad-ätmikäS ca babhüvuh, "And so they
became one with Him in essence."
 The women had eminent hysteria (pramadäh = prakn(o mado yäsäm täh). This points to the mäna
stated earlier. Or pramada means harsa (joy). They are synonyms of änanda (Amara-kosa 1.4.24). The
gist is: "Although the gopis are forms of änanda, they felt much pain." The women undertook those
various deeds. In AlafikäraSästra (treatises on poetics), this is called lilä, by the definition:
priyänukaranam lilä, "Imitating the lover is called lilä. "134 There is another interpretation: "The
various deeds took the women."

Näräyapa Bhatta
The substance is this: During the sambhoga aspect of Srhgära, the man and the woman become one in
essence. In the vipralambha here, because their minds were absorbed in Him the women forgot
t
hemselves as if they were possessed by some graha (evil spirit), and so they undertook (jagrhuh, from
the verbal root grah) those

4 priyänukaranarii yat tu... sä lilä nigadyate (Rasärnava-sudhäkara 1 200); i$ta-janasyänukrtir lilä jieyä prayoga-jnaih
13

(Nätya-Sästra 22.14).
deeds since the deeds had the same nature as Krsna's (tad-ätmikäh krsnätmakatvena). To dispel their
affliction, they imitated their lover's pastimes.

10.30.3

gati-smita-preksana-bhäsanädisu priyäh priyasya pratirüdha-mürtayah I

asäv aharh tv ity abaläs tad-ätmikä nyavedisuh krypa-vihära-vibhramäh Il

gati—into the gait; smita—the smiling; prekyapa—the gazing; bhä$anä—the speaking; ädisu—and so
on; priyäh—the ladyloves; priyasya—of the lover; pratirüdha—were replicas ("mounted in return");
mürtayah—whose bodies; asau—He; aham—l; tu— only; iti—(end of citation); abaläh—the women
(or hey girls); tatätmikäh—of the same nature as His; nyavedisuh—they proclaimed; krsna-vihära—of
Krsna's entertainment; vibhramäh—who had the style.

(täh) priyäh priyasya gati-smita-preksapa-bhäsapädisu pratirüdhamürtayah kryna-vihära-vibhramäh

tad-ätmikäh abaläh! asau aha"! tu (bhavati) iti (parasparmh) nyavedi$uh.

The ladyloves' bodies replicated the lover's gait, smile, gaze, utterance, and so on. The women became
one in essence with Him and announced: "Hey girls, I am He." They nailed the style of His
entertainment.

Sridhara Svämi
The gopis' bodies were engrossed (pratirüdha-mürtayah = ävi$(ä mürtayo yäsäm täh) in the lover's gait
and so on. Therefore: kr,na-vihära-vibhramäh, meaning the gopis' fun diversions (vihära-vibhramäh =
kridä-viläsä yäsäm täh) were like Krsna's. They announced to one another (nyavedisuh parasparam
niveditavatyah): "I am Krsna" (asäv aham tv iti = aham eva krsna iti).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
He describes the condition that the gopis reached when the unmäda became fully developed. "Their
bodies were pratirüdha in the lover's aforementioned gait and so on." The sense is this: At first His
gait, His smile and so on had mounted (ärüdha) in each of their bodies, that is, in their minds, in their
senses and in their limbs; afterward their bodies returned the favor by mounting (pratyärüdha) on those
ones, the gait, the smile and so on.
And after that, when the mindset of oneness took place, because of the unmäda, they gave up the
conception involving avadhärana (limitation, 'only') (expressed by tu or eva), as in "I am only Krsna"
or "Krsna is just me," and announced to one another: "Krsna is I. I am Krsna." Having thus reached the
state of the fullfledged maturity of the relish of Rasa, they became one in essence with Him (tad-
ätmikäh = präpta-krsna-tädätm_yäh), but not by the force of ahahgrahopäsanä (thinking: "I am God").
This should be understood, because here it is said priyäh (the ladyloves) and priyasya (of the lover).
"They announced to one another..." This means they didn't even know "We are women of the village."
The reason for that is: kryna-vihära-vibhramäh, meaning their vibhrama, the unmäda, occurred
because of Krsna's vihäras (multiple entertainments).

Jiva Gosvämi
(Words from Brhad-vaimava-tosani are underlined.) Here he only sheds light on the quality of being
one in essence with Him. "Their bodies, including their senses, had become similar (pratirüdha sadrSi-
bhüta) to the lover's gait and so on." It is thus told that their bhäva (mood) took place both internally
and externally. The gait and the rest had been mentioned in the previous verse, and so the word ädi
signifies vihära and vibhrama.
What were the gopis like? They had fun in the romantic gestures
that resembled Krsna's (krsna-vihära-vibhramäh = krmavad-vihäre vibhramo viläso yäsäm). Ora
because of the gopis, there was some perplexity about Krsna's romantic gestures (kryna-vihära-
vibhramäh — knna-vihärasya vibhramo bhräntir yäbhyo vä). The gopis became one in essence with
Him only by the nature of the weight of premalilä, not by an absorption in ahahgrahopäsanä. With this
in mind he says priyäh and priyasya.
This anubhäva is called lilä, by the definition: priyänukaranmii lilä ramyair veia-kriyädibhih,
"Imitating the lover by means of a lovely attire, a cute act, and so on, is called lilä " (Ujjvala-nilamani
11.28). This is an example of the usage: muhur avalokita-mandanalilä, madhuripur aham iti bhävana-
jilä, "Her lilä is the form of repeatedly looking at Your ornaments on Her. She has the habit of
imagining "I am Krsna" (Gita-govinda 6.5).

Sanätana Gosvämi
The word abaläh means striyah (women). It's implied that they should only imitate other women.
Alternatively, the sense is they lost all strength, because of the abundant affliction. They told one
another "I am He." Either they were helpless in separation or they were absorbed in the lilä. The
reason for that is they had become one in essence with Him, meaning they were imbued with Him
(tadätmikäh = tan-mayyah satyah). Or they were one in essence with the gait and so forth. They didn't
directly say "I am Krsna" because they were out of control in separation. The rest was explained by
Sridhara Svämi. Alternatively, the word abaläh is a vocative: "Hey girls, I'm He." It's understood that
they added something which Krsna would have said in jest, such as "I'm the top banana around here."
Why is the sentence in the text incomplete? With this in mind he says: tad-ätmikäh, meaning tan-
manaskäh (their minds were in Him). Or the reason is they were out of control, because: krsnavihära-
vibhramäh, their vibhrama, the unmäda, took place due to Krsna's vihäras (romantic deeds).

Näräyapa Bhatta
"Their bodies were engrossed in the lover's gait and so forth." It is thus told that the women had lost
their self-control, since they were possessed by the Krsna ghost. They reached a state of being non-
different from Him. In that regard, there are three kinds of non-difference: in meditative trance, in
bhakti, and in a sacred rite. After all that, what were they like? krypa-vihära-vibhramäh, they had
vibhrama as regards Krsna's entertainment (vihära = kridä): Some girl would stroll like Krsna does, and
upon observing her the others would have vibhrama, defined in Rasärnava as the placing of ornaments
in the wrong places when the lover is arriving. Moreover, all those deeds were imitated, and so a
reversal took place. According to Vätsyäyana, more Rasa is produced when the woman takes the role
of the man. 89

10.30.4

gäyantya uccair amum eva samhatä vicikyur unmattaka-vad vanäd vanam I

papracchur äkäja-vad antararh bahir bhütesu santam purusarh vanaspatin Il

gäyantyah—while singing; uccaih—loudly; amum eva—that same one (Him); samhatäh—together in

a group; vicikyuh—they searched; unmattaka-vat—as though they were slightly crazy; vanät vanam—
f
rom woodland to woodland; papracchuh—they asked; äkäSa-vat— like the sky; antaram—inside;
bahih—and outside; bhütesu—in beings; santam—existing; purusam—about the man (or the Purusa);
v
anaspatin—the trees ("masters of the forest").

(täh) sarhhatäh (satyah) uccaih gäyantyah vanäd vanam (gacchantyah) amum eva unmattaka-vad
vicikyuh. (täh) äkäSa-vad bahir (vyäpya) bhütesu antararh santam (tam) puru.sarh vanaspatin
papracchuh.
While singing loudly about Him, they assembled and looked for Him from woodland to woodland as
though they were unhinged. They asked the trees about the Purusa who, like the sky, exists both in all
beings and outside of them.

Sridhara Svämi
Going from woodland to woodland, they searched (vicikyuh amrgayan) for Him. Next he expounds
upon their similarity to crazy people (unmattaka = unmatta): They asked the trees. He exists in all
beings and outside too (antararh bahir bhütesu santanz purusam = bhütesv antaram madhye santarh
purusam bahiS ca santam).
89
That perspective sheds light on the compound pratirüdha-mürtayah, "Their bodies had mounted in
return." Whenever the Bhägavatam uses a word that seems unusual in the context, a pun is meant.
Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here he describes what they did when their unmäda passed its peak and became weak. The gopis'
awareness of external things was at the halfway point. They took interest externally: "We women of
the village are unhappy in separation from our lover. Let us search for Him."
"They got together (samhatäh = militäh). While going from woodland to woodland, as though they
were slightly mad (unmattaka-vat = isad unmattä iva)—the suffix ka has the sense of alpa (a little)—,
they asked the trees—this is a characteristic of unmäda—about the Purusa, Sri Krsna."
Someone might wonder: "We know that Krsna was enjoying with Rädhä, the chief gopi, at that
time. But was He aware of the questions that the gopis were asking in their state of unmäda?"
Therefore he specifies: He is inside all beings and pervades outside too like the sky. Thus, it's implied
that although Krsna's svarüpa is not delimited, because He pervades everything He heard their
questions even though He remained unseen.

Jiva Gosvämi
(Words from Brhad-vaisnava-tosani are underlined.) They returned to the normal state after a long
time, but again reached the condition called unmäda. He describes it here. They sang a song that was
popular in the village, a song about the killing of Pütanä and so on. They sang with the intent to keep
themselves safe, in the manner of this upcoming verse: visa-jaläpyayäd... "You repeatedly saved us
from all kinds of danger" (10.31.3). They sang loudly to make Him hear about their pain. although He
was far away. Or they sang loudly to attract Him with that song, since He is fond of tunes. Or perhaps
the reason was simply that they felt burdened by the pain. They directed their song at Him even though
He was causing them sorrow by abandoning them. It is reminiscent of this: ganayati guna-grämam
bhrämarh bhramäd api nehate, "My heart counts His many qualities and does not wish to implement
anger, even unintentionally" (Gitagovinda 2.9).
They got together to facilitate the search everywhere. Or the purpose was to assuage their pain out
of mutual friendship. Or perhaps the reason was simply that they felt burdened by the distinct pain.
They sang and searched at the same time. Every now and then in the middle of doing so, they inquired
about Him. The reason for questioning the trees is: unmattaka-vat (as though they were unhinged). The
suffix ka is used without changing the meaning. It's implied that their hair was loose.
They asked the trees about the Purusa, the inner Soul of all, and so here it is also said that He, like
the sky, exists inside beings while pervading outside. The gist is: He was the object of their questions
simply because His form for human pastimes was the sole älambana of their love.
There is another interpretation of this. Someone might think, "Well, wasn't this just some crying in
the forest on their part?" No. This is what he says with äkäSa-vat and so on (like the sky, He exists
both in all beings and outside of them). He Himself will say it: mayä paroksam bhajatä tirohitam, "I
disappeared to reciprocate in an indirect way" (10.32.21).
There is yet another explanation: "They asked the trees about the man their lover." They inquired
about Him who, like the sky, exists in all living things, whether immobile or not, and outside too. That
is, they inquired about Him who seems to be directly existing in them (in the manner of symbolism).
That kind of vision Of knowledge took place only because it was their special premaVivarta
(bewilderment due to love). It is similar to this verse:

vana-latäs tarava ätmani visnum vyafijayantya iva puspa-phalädhyäh I pranata-

bhära-vi(apä madhu-dhäräh prema-hr$(a-tanavo sasrjuh sma I l
"When Krsna calls the cows with the sound of His mute, the forestial creepers (in the female gender)
and the trees (their husbands), richly endowed with mowers and fruits, stoop under the weight; their
bodies are thrilled out of love; and they trickle nectarous sap as if to reveal the presence of Vi$nu
(Rasa) in themselves." (10.35.9)

In this explanation, His existence outside of things means He is far away, and the word antaram has the
sense of nearness: He had been near the living things in the forest. Thus, it was quite suitable to ask the
trees, although they cannot respond.

10.30.5

dr$to vah kaccid ajvattha plak$a nyagrodha no manah I nanda-sünur gato hrtvä prema-
häsävalokanaih Il

seen; vah—by you; kaccit—whether; aSvattha—O fig tree; plaksa—O wavy-leaf fig tree;
nyagrodha—O Banyan tree; nah—our; manah—minds; nanda-sünuh—Nanda's son; gatah— went
away; hrtvä—after stealing; prema—of love; häsa—with His smiles; avalokanaih—and glances.

ajvattha! plaksa! nyagrodha! (sah) vah kaccit dr$tah. nanda-sünuh nah manah prema-häsävalokanaih
hrtvä gatah.

"O Aévattha tree, O Plalea tree, O Banyan tree, did you see Nanda's son? He stole our hearts with His
glances and smiles of love and went away.

Sridhara Svämi
He elaborates upon that in nine verses. They asked these trees because the gopis thought "They are
mahats, so they might have seen Him." "He stole our hearts with His glances and went away like a
thief. Did you see Him?"

Viévanätha Cakravarti
In nine verses, he elaborates upon the inquiring. They asked these trees because they thought "Since
they are very tall, they must have seen Him even though He was far away." The Plaksa tree is known
as Pilukhanu. The Nyagrodha is the banyan tree. "Why do you ask?" Expecting this reply from them,
they say: "Although Krsna is the son of the pious Nanda, He has stolen our hearts and left." The drift
is: "He stole the jewels of our hearts by dispatching His accomplices, His smiles and glances of love:
They have a special magic potion that mystifies the whole world. They entered our innermost
consciousness through our eyes. He stole the goods and ran away."
After waiting a moment for an answer, they thought, "What is the use of these insignificant beings?
They're disrespecting us by not replying. They just stand still in front of us. Who are they anyway?
Their fruits are meager, they don't know the moral duty of helping others, they do not bloom, and their
minds are impure." The gopis left the trees and went elsewhere.
 Sanätana Gosvämi
They call Him Nanda's son. This is a proper way of mentioning Him, their svämi. Or their intention is
to point out that He is Rasika. The same also applies ahead. 90 "He stole their minds." This suggests
that their minds are jewels.

10.30.6

kaccit kurabakäjoka-näga-punnäga-campakäh I rämänujo mänininäm ito darpa-hara-smitah I

l kaccit—whether; kurabaka-aSoka-näga-punnäga-campakäh—O Kurabaka, ASoka, Näga,
Punnäga and Campaka flowers; rämaanujah—the younger brother of Balaräma; mänininäm
—of proud women; itah—He is gone; darpa—the pride; hara—removes; smitah—whose
smile.

kurabakäioka-näga-punnäga-campakäh! rämänujah mänininäm darpa-hara-smitah kaccit itah.

"O Kurabaka, Aéoka, Näga, Punnäga and Campaka mower trees, is Balaräma's younger brother gone?
His smile dispels the pride of huffy women.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Entering a flower grove, the gopis thought, "Ah, yes, it is better to ask these trees which have pure
hearts: They serve their guests, the bees, by offering them their flower nectar." The Kurubaka is red
and always in bloom. Näga means nägakesara. "Is He gone?" Or the sense is: "Was He hiding here?"
"Why do you ask?" Suspecting this, they say: "His smiling takes away the pride of us huffy women
whose wealth is huffiness. He deprived us of our wealth." When the wind suddently shook the tips of
the branches, the gopis looked at the trees and pondered, "By shaking their heads, they're saying they
don't know. What are these hard-hearted males good for?" The girls went elsewhere.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Since they are mahats, for sure they will not speak to us, as a manner of disrespecting us." Therefore
they went to other trees. "Did He go from here?" (itah = itah gatah). Or the sense is: Previously they
asked "Did you see Him?", and now they ask: itah (from here, i.e. "Did you see Him from here?" )
because from this vantage point, seeing Him far away might have been possible. "Since He came here,
we will find His footprints and search for Him that way."

Jiva Gosvämi
(The commentary is the same. In addition:) They call Him "the younger brother of Balaräma" for the
same reason they called Him Nanda's son: They were resentful.

90
It is well known that in the old days, Indian girls were enamored of the prince. Nanda was the king of the
village, so to speak: he is called Nanda ahäräja. Alternatively, He is the son of Nanda, so called because he
M

gives bliss, and so He too gives bliss.

10.30.7

kaccit tulasi kalyäni govinda-carapa-priye I saha tväli-kulair bibhrad dr$(as te 'tipriyo

'cyutah Il

kaccit—whether; tulasi—O Tulasi plant; kalyäni—O lucky one; govinda-carana-priye—O you to

whom Govinda's feet are dear (or O you who are dear to the venerable Govinda); saha—with; tvä—
you (as a garland on the chest); ali—of bees; kulaih—[with] multitudes; bibhrat—carrying;
seen; te—to you; atipriyah—very dear; acyutah—Acyuta.

tulasi! kalyäni! govinda-carana-priye! te atipriyah cyutah ali-kulaih saha (vartamänäm api) tvä bibhrat
(gatah. sah tvayä) kaccit dry(ah.

"O Tulasi plant, you lucky one: You have affection for Govinda's feet. Acyuta is very dear to you. He
wears you, who are accompanied with a swarm of bees. Did you see Him?

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Approaching the plants, the gopis thought, "These ones are female, so they're on our side. They
understand the agony of a woman's heart, hence they'll be merciful. Let's inquire from them." Of those,
a
t first they inquired from the Tulasi, since she is by far the best. "Hey lucky one. We are unlucky
because we're separated from Krsna. Only you fare well." The reason for that is: "You have affection for
Govinda's feet." Alternatively: "You are dear to the Venerable Govinda." Here the word carana (feet)
only indicates respect, as in the expression äcärya-caranä vadanti (the venerable master teachers speak).
"You gopis too are dear to Him." "True, but you are more f0rtunate than us because of an additional
quality: You are never separated from Him." That is just what they say: "He went away while wearing
you" (tvä bibhrat = tväril bibhrad eva gatah). In this way they imply that only her eminent fragrance is
the cause. "He wears you, and He doesn't mind chasing away the thousands of bees which hover next
to you. Therefore we conclude that He doesn't want to be with us only because we don't have this kind
of scent."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Those ones are on Krsna's side. They understand that we women are proud of ourselves, so they won't
talk to us." Next they inquired from Sri Tulasi, since they considered her to be their friend. They
thought that she must have seen Him, due to her special good fortune, and so they address her: "O
lucky one!" The reason for that is: govinda-carapa-priye. They didn't use a metaphor with a lotus, for
instance, since they were resentful. "Did you see Him? He is so dear to you that He has been wearing
you even though you are accompanied with swarms of bees." He was wearing her in the sense that she
is included in the Vaijayanti garland. Or He is wearing her right now as a garland. The accompaniment
by a swarm of bees implies that she consists of nectar, He will never give her up, and there can never
be any secrecy because of their buzzing. The gist is: Assuredly, He went near her, and she saw Him.
The name Acyuta means He will never let her down. The same idea was mentioned just before and this
strengthens it.
 As a pun, the term ali-kulaih (accompanied with a swarm of bees) connotes this: "He holds you,
although you have many lovers, but not us. Thus, He has gone beyond His ladyloves (ati-priyah =
atikräntäh priyä yena sah)." Or He has gone beyond all types of pleasures (ati-priyah = atikräntarh
priyarh sarvam api yena sah). This is a statement of indignation due to resentment.91

10.30.8

mälaty adarSi vah kaccin mallike jäti yüthike I pritirii vo janayan yätah kara-sparsena
mädhavah Il

mälati—O Mälati plant (a type of white jasmine); adarSi—was seen; vah—by you; kaccit—whether;
mallike—O Mallikä (another type of jasmine); jäti—O Jäti (another kind of white jasmine): yüthike—
O Yüthikä (yet another jasmine); pritim—pleasure; vah—your; janayan—while producing; yätah—
went; kara-sparsena—by the touch of the hand; mädhavah—Mädhava.

mälati! mallike! jäti! yüthike! (sah) vah kaccit adarSi. mädhavah (puspa-grahanärthahl) kara-spar'ena
vah pritirh janayan (kaccit) yätah.

"O Mälati, Mallikä, Jäti and Yüthikä, did you see Him? When He passed by, did He give you pleasure
by touching you with the hand?

Sridhara Svämi
"These ones might have seen Him, because they bow even though they have plenty of qualities. " The
Mälati and the Jäti are subvarieties that should be looked into.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Tulasi doesn't even look at us. She's a little too extravagant with the haughtiness of her good fortune.
Let's ask these plants: They don't have that kind of good fortune, they're her rivals, and they look like
us." Krsna touched those plants with the hand to pick their flowers. The Mälati and the Jäti are
subvarieties that should be looked into by these characteristics: The former blooms more in the rainy
season, the latter in the fall.

asmad-vidhän.

91
In this interpretation, te signifies tvayä. Sanätana Gosvämi studied Kätantra grammar. In Pänini's system,
the word ati-priyah is analyzed as atikräntah priyäh (He surpasses the ladyloves) or atikräntah priyam
(He has gone beyond pleasure). The compound is formed by the rule: atyädayo dvitiyayä (Hari-nämämrta-
vyäkarana 959); aty-ädayah kräntädyarthe dvitiyayä (Värttika 2.2.18). In all editions of Laghu-vai$nava-tosani, Jiva
Gosvämi's rendering is: Slesenätikränta-priyän asmad-vidhän ity api dhvanitam, which I suspect is a
typographical mistake of: atikräntah priyän
Sanätana Gosvämi
"Out of rivalry with us, Tulasi won't talk about Him." Therefore they ask Krsna's female servants.
They consider those plants His däsis since they provide good flowers, and so they address each one
with affection. "While going, He touched you with the hand," while cutting the flowers. As a pun, they
mean this as a joke, in the sense that His fingernails made imprints on the däsis. He is called Mädhava,
meaning He is Laksmi's husband. The drift is He did this for Laksmi's sake. Using that name of His is
expressive of resentment. In truth, however, as before Mä is Sri Rädhä. He picked flowers to adorn
Her. Actually, this knowledge was not in the scope of the girls' awareness, but because it automatically
flashed in their minds, either by the course of fate or on account of their transcendental nature, it
naturally came out of their mouths.

Jiva Gosvämi
"Tulasi won't say anything because she's conceited, since He respects her." Then they ask those plants:
Although they are Krsna's female servants, they have no self-conceit because they offer flowers by
bowing. They address the plants one by one due to zeal. The reason He might have touched the plants
is that He is Mädhava. The word mädhava also means spring: Because He likes to pick flowers,
Madhava is like spring. Moreover, they imply that His fingernails made imprints on the däsis. This is
meant as humor with a trace of jealousy.

10.30.9

cüta-priyäla-panasäsana-kovidärajambv-arka-bilva-bakulämra-kadamba-
nipäh I ye 'nye parärtha-bhavakä yamunopaküläh
Samsantu krsna-padavim rahitätmanärh nah Il
(vasanta-tilakä) cüta-priyäla-panasa-asana-kovidära-jambu-arka-bilva-bakulämrakadamba-
nipäh—O Cüta, Priyäla, Panasa, Asana, Kovidära, JambU, Arka, Bilva, Bakula, Ämra,
Kadamba and Nipa; ye—who; anye—others; para-artha—is for the sake of others;
bhavakäh— whose existence; yamunä-upaküläh—who are on on the near shore of the
Yamunä; Samsantu—they should tell; kt$na-padavim— Krsna's path; rahita-ätmanäm—
who have no mind; nah—us.

cüta-priyäla-panasäsana-kovidära-jambv-arka-bilva-bakulämrakadamba-nipäh! (yüyam) ye (ca) anye

parärtha-bhavakäh yamunopaküläh (bhavanti te) rahitätmanäm nah krsna-padavim Samsantu.

"O Cüta, Priyäla, Panasa, Asana, Kovidära, Jambu, Arka, Bilva, Bakula, Ämra, Kadamba and Nipa!
You plants and trees, and whoever else on the Yamunä's shore has dedicated their life to other beings,
should tell us the path Krsna took. We have lost our minds.
 Sridhara Svämi
"These ones, who gratify all living beings with their fruits, must have seen Him." Hence the girls ask
them. The cüta and the ämra are subvarieties of the same species (mango), and so are the kadamba and
the nipa. The compound yamunopaküläh is derived as: tasyäh küla-samipe vartamänäh (they abide
near the Yamuna's shore). The sense is they live in a holy place.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The cüta is a mango creeper, whereas the ämra is a mango tree. The nipa is dhüli-kadamba (a kadamba
with pollen) with large flowers, Whereas the kadamba has smaller flowers with more fragrance. The
priyäla is a type of Säla tree. The asana is a yellow Säla tree. The kovidära is a type of käicanära
(mountain ebony tree). Although the arka plant is insignificant, it is always on that shore because it is
dear to gopiévara Mahädeva. The others include the coconut tree and the betel-nut tree.

Sanätana Gosvämi
It is well known that the Yamunä's shore is holy. The gopis thought: "Since they live there, they'll
speak the truth. They won't cheat us." But they might reply, "You girls can look for Him by
yourselves." Expecting this, they evoke compassion by letting them know about their pain:
rahitätmanäm, "We've lost our minds." Alternatively the sense is "Our Soul, our lover, has left us."
"Therefore we're on the verge of passing out. We can't look for Him by ourselves."

Jiva Gosvämi
"Darn, those plants won't speak to us because they're Krsna's däsis. Let•s ask trees which are reliable
due to being almost like sages. " 'The seed of the priyäla is called cärubija and is edible. The panasa is
the kamaki-phala. The kovidära has double leaves and is well known in the Vindhyä region as
koyiläva. It is similar to the käficanära. It is a type of käicanära. Although the arka tree is very
insignificant, they inquired from it: This makes it clear that the girls had an intense longing. The
compound yamunopaküläh is construed as: upa samipe külam yesäm te upaküläh _yamunäyä upakülä
yamunopaküläh, "The upakülas are things in relation to whom the shore is nearby. They are upakülas
of the Yamuna.

10.30.10

kim te krtaril k$iti tapo bata keSavähghrispar'otsavotpulakitähga-ruhair vibhäsi

I apy ahghri-sambhava urukrama-vikramäd vä äho varäha-vapusah
parirambhanena I l

138 The word upa-küläh is a bahuvrihi compound formed by the rule: samkhyayävyayäsannädürädhika-smhkhyäh
samkhyeye (As(ädhyäyi
2.2.25); avyayädürädhikäsannäh sahkhyeya-väci-sahkhyayä (HNV Brhat 1786).
kim—What?; te—by you; krtam—was performed; k$iti—O Earth; tapah—austerity; bata—(a term
expressive of amazement); keSavaanghri—by Keéava's feet; spar'a—because of the touch; utsava—
who have a festival; utpulakitä—filled with goose bumps; ahgaruhaih—with the growths of the body;
vibhäsi—you look splendid; api—also (or a question marker); ahghri-sambhavah—the source is the
feet; urukrama—of Trivikrama; vikramät—because of the stride; vai—indeed (or vä—or); äho—or;
varäha-vapusah—of Väraha's body; parirambhanena—because of the embrace.

k'iti! kim tapah te krtam. bata, (Wahl) keSavähghri-sparSotsavä anga-ruhaih utpulakitä (ca sati)
vibhäsi. api (ayam utsavah) anghrisambhavah, vä urukrama-vikramät. (kifica ayam romaficah ahghri
sambhavah,) äho varäha-vapusah parirambhapena.

"O Earth, what austerities did you perform? Wow, you look splendid: You're holding a festival because
Keéava's feet touched you, and your hairs are standing on end. Is the cause really His feet? Perhaps the
festival originated at the time of Urukrama's strides, and maybe your horripilation began when you
received the embrace of Varäha's body.

Sridhara Svämi
Kyiti should read k$ite (O Earth). Api means kim (a question marker 139): "Did this festival originate
just recently with the touch of His feet, or (vä = yadvä) did it occur in the past, because of Trivikrama's
stride? Or (äho = athavä) it began even before that, with the embrace of Varäha's body. Hence you
must have seen Him. Show Him to us."

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) By begging the trees and other plants to tell them the path that He took,
they focused more on the path,

1
39 The definition is: garhä-samuccaya-praina-iahkä-sambhävanäsv api, "Api is used in the senses of garhä (criticism),
samuccaya (conjunction), PraSna (question), Sahkä (doubt), and sambhävanä (assumption)" (Amarakosa 3.3.248).
and by looking down to the ground they imagined that the Earth must have seen Him, since she is
everywhere. By considering her sprouts of grass to be her hairs standing on end due to the joy of being
touched by His feet, they describe how greatly fortunate the Earth is, since she thus hints that nothing
is more eminent than Him. Here the term tapah (austerity) only_ means an action which yields punya
(merit. good karma). They guess what the austerity was. Api means kim (whether): "Is the festival
whose origination is the touch of Keéava's feet taking place because of the touch of Trivikrama's feet?
Or is it because of the embrace of Varäha's body? Tell us." In this way Sri Krsna's special glories are
implied. "Therefore how can we possibly tolerate separation from Him? You're highly fortunate,
whereas we are lost. Please show us the way that He took."

Sanätana Gosvämi
They do not use the metaphor "lotus feet" because, also by disregarding qualities such as softness, they
mean to say that the festival occurred simply because of the touch of the base of His feet. This festival
is not due to the connection with His feet, rather the reason is intimate union. That is just what they say
in the last clause.
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
"None of them knows. Anyway, what is the use of unnecessarily criticizing the residents of a holy
place? We cannot tell if they really know where Krsna went. So let us find someone who definitely
knows where He is." The gopis asked one another: "Do you who that someone is?" One of them
pointed to the ground with her finger. Another said: "You're right. Wherever Krsna is, He is
somewhere on Earth. Since Krsna always walks on the Earth, she is never separated from Him.
However, as such she cannot understand our feeling of separation, so we shouldn't ask her the same
kind of question. Rather, we should ask her about the type of austerity that she perfomed, so that we
too, after doing it, may not feel the pain of separation too much."
Seeing that the Earth was not responding, the girls inferred the reason by remembering her history:
"You obtained His feet (mighrisambhavah = ahghri-präptih) because of Trivikrama's stride." The sense
is: "If the austerity was characterized by tolerating His huge weight, why was it just that?" The verbal
root in sambhava is bhü präptau (to obtain). Vai has the sense of niScaya (indeed). Or it is used to fill
the meter. "Or perhaps it is because of Varäha's embrace." The drift is: "The austerity was
characterized by getting pain as a result of His tight embrace. Why was it just that? Your austerity
which is the means to obtain this festival is hard for other women to achieve. And on top of that, in
your case it only involved happiness because you got close to your man. Thus, no one is more
fortunate than you."

10.30.11

apy ena-patny upagatah priyayeha gätrais tanvan drSäh1 sakhi sunirvrtim

acyuto vah I käntähga-sahga-kuca-kuhkuma-rafijitäyäh kunda-srajah kula-pater
iha väti gandhah Il

api—whether; ena—of the deer; patni—O wife; upagatah—has come close; priyayä—with His
beloved; iha—here; gätraih—with His body parts; tanvan—while spreading; dr'äm—of the eyes; sakhi
—O friend; su-nirvrtim—superb delight; acyutah—Acyuta; vah—your; käntä—His girlfriend; ahga-
sahga—because of embracing; kuca— on the breasts; kuhkuma—with the saffron paste; raijitäyäh—
tinged; kunda—of jasmine flowers; srajah—of the garland; kula—of the community; pateh—of the
chief; iha—here; väti—is blowing; gandhah—the scent.
e
na-patni! sakhi! api acyutah vah drSäm gätraih su-nirvrtim tanvan Priyayä (saha) iha upagatah. (tasya)
kula-pateh käntähga-sahgakuca-kuhkuma-raijitäyäh kunda-srajah gandhah iha väti.

"Hey friend the doe, wife of the deer, did Acyuta come here with His beloved while increasing the
superb delight of your eyes with His beautiful limbs? A waft of the scent of His jasmine garland,
which was tinged with the saffron cream on her breasts when He, the chief of the group, embraced her
is blowing here.
 Sridhara Svämi
They talk to a doe by conjecturing that Krsna was in the range of its eyesight. Api is a question
marker: "Did He go nearby? (upagatah = samipath gatah)." He was spreading great delight with His
face, His arms and other beautiful body parts of His. He was with His beloved (priyayä = priyayä
saha): In the second half of the verse, they shed light on that. 92 The scent is coming (väti = ägacchati).

Sanätana Gosvämi
"The Earth, like Sri Tulasi, is forever dear to Him, so she won't talk, either because of rivalry or
because she is obedient to His whims." Then they ask the doe by trusting her as a friend: "Hey wife of
the deer!" The drift is: "You know what the pain of separation from the sweetheart feels like, so talk to
us." The singular is used because they only spotted one of them and didn't look too far ahead, on
account of the weight of the grief of separation. The gopis give her much respect by using the plural in
drSäm (of the eyes) and in vah (your), given that Acyuta had come nearby. Or the singular simply
refers to the category, and the plural is used because they ask a question in general to only one of them
who, of all the does there, was closest to them.
He was strolling with His girlfriend, some gopi. "He was increasing the topmost joy (su-nirvrtim =
parama-sukham) of the eyes with His limbs." That must have been the case, otherwise the eyes of the
doe wouldn't be so big. The word su is used with the intent to express that the pleasure was even more
special than the happiness of liberation. This means the doe must have looked at Him intensely close-
by. The gopis call the doe a friend either because they habitually stroll in the forest in the company of
does or becaUSe the doe too sees Krsna with eyes of love. The gist is: "For sure, she won't cheat us."
He is called Acyuta because He never fails to expand the sunirvrti. Or, He never fails to go there,
on the shore of the Yamunä. It's understood that He had three garlands: At first it was said that He was
wearing the Vaijayanti, in verse 10.29.44, then it was said that He had a garland of tulasi, in verse
10.30.7, and now He has a jasmine garland. Or He was only wearing the jasmine garland, because it
makes a special resplendence at night in the moonlight.
The gopis call Him kula-pati so that they don't mention His name, either out of shyness or due to
cleverness. He is the king of the village. Or He controls the gopis. The sense is: "Tell us quickly. He's
the only one in our life, so our life rests upon Him." As a pun, He is the king only of those who take
what is despicable (kula-patih = kutsitarh läti ädadäti yo janas tasyaiva patih). "Hence it is fitting that
He should be with her." This is expressive of resentment.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The gopis detect a fragrance that has by chance blown their way, and they repeatedly declare with
great glee, "Yes! Yes! This is it! By embracing His girlfriend, Krsqa's jasmine garland was tinged with
the saffron powder on her breasts, and the scent of that garland wafted on the breeze up to here." This
means the scent of the lovers' two bodies, of the saffron on the breasts, and of the jasmines was
ascertained by both nostrils of theirs. Krsoa is called kula-pati (chief of the group), which means gopi-
kula-ramapa (lover of the multitude of gopis). The sense is: "Giving up His status as kulapati, now He
is enjoying Himself with only one girl. Just see His betrayal!"

92
In other words, the second sentence in the verse is the kävya-lihga ornament (explanatory reason),
because it is the reason why the question is asked.
Jiva Gosvämi
Now let us reflect upon the topic. The Lord disappeared by taking some girl with Him. Although this
will become clear ahead, the reason the king of sages, Sukadeva, did not clearly mention it is this. "Of
all the multifarious forms of the manifestations of Godhead, I have a special inclination for My form as
Sri Krsna, the primeval Godhead. Of all the various types of entourage associated with those, I prefer
the residents of Vraja. And out of them, I have a special inclination for the goddesses of the village.
This is an open secret. But not everybody knows that out of all these girls, My favorite is Sri Rädhä.
Of all the above, the greater the eminence, the greater the inclination. My mind shrinks at the thought
of directly giving this information about Her. She is the most mysterious. Still, out of fear of being
miserly in giving knowledge, My mind wants to let this be known. Therefore I shall reveal it in the
midst of things, on occasion, but only by vyaijanä-vrtti (the literary function called Suggestiveness),
from the words of Her friends and, when that will not be apparent, from the words of Her rivals. If I
Myself will reveal it at all, by the force of My engrossment, I will not directly say Her name. Not only
that, I will not say the names of the other gopis. Moreover, only vyaijanä-vrtti, not mukhyä-vrtti (the
function called Denotation), unfolds the various types of Rasa in every instance. And if, when the
context is well understood, vyafijanä-vrtti gives rise to a meaning that implies a special thing, then
vyaijanä-vrtti causes great astonishment. "
Intending to signify all this, when, in the very beginning, the Lord at once vanished with Her to let
this be known through the sakhis, the various sakhis only remained confused. Although the sakhis
went together and were intent on finding only Him, and although they had unmäda to some degree, by
staying in their respective groups which remained separate with the eagerness to look for the couple,
their desire burst forth. While going here and there, they had some realization, somewhere, without
seeing His footprints, which are about to be mentioned (verse 32). The gopis' statement in this verse is
an example. Here the meaning of the statement as a whole and of all the words which only suggests an
approval is put forward, and so the friendship of these girls conforms to the couple. Their longing to
see Them is another meaning of the statement.
Api has the sense of sambhävanä (possibility): The sense is: "We think this is possible." Or api is
used in the sense of praina (asking a question): "Hey friend, did Acyuta come near you?" The reply
might be: "He has the habit of roaming the woodland, so if He comes near us who live in the forest, is
that a cause of wonder?" Anticipating this, they say: "He was with His beloved." "OK, that's
astonishing, but is the wonder due to Her being with Him in the place where He can be seen some
higher form of joy at all?" In response the gopis give the details: "While being with Her, by means of
His limbs, which are amazing because of various anubhävas that reveal His bliss, He was expanding
the topmost bliss, by being seen with Her, and also by being seen by Himself, of your eyes and of the
eyes of those who are connected with you. Hence you shouldn't hide anything from us. We know the
dharma which is antarahga in this matter. We're able to figure out everything about Him simply by
smelling the scent coming our way."

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
Acyuta is Nanda's son. As a pun, He is so called because He does not fail to be with Her.

Näräyapa Bhatta
He is called Acyuta in the sense that He has no letdown in taking pleasure. They say priyayä (with the
beloved) by making use of vyafijanä-vrtti.
 10.30.12

bähum priyämsa upadhäya grhita-padmo rämänujas tulasikäli-kulair

madändhaih I anviyamäna iha vas taravah pranämam kith väbhinandati caran
prapayävalokaih I l
b
ähum—His arm; priyä—of His beloved; arhse—on the shoulder; Upadhäya—placing; grhita-padmah
—He by whom a lotus is held; räma-anujah—Krsna, the younger brother of Balaräma; tulasikä— from
tulasis; ali-kulaih—by multitudes of bees; mada—because of rapture; andhaih—who are blind; anu-
iyamänah—being followed; iha—here; vah—your; taravah—O trees; pranämam—salutation; kim—
whether; vä—at all; abhinandati—shows consideration; Caran—while strolling; pranaya—of affection;
avalokaih—with His glances.
taravah! grhita-padmah rämänujah priyämse bähum upadhäya tulasikäli-kulaih madändhaih an
viyamänah iha caran pranayävalokaih vah pranämarh kith vä abhinandati..

"O trees, Balaräma's younger brother held a lotus, placed the other arm on His ladylove's shoulder, and
was followed by swarms of bees from the tulasis. The bees were blinded because of the rapture. While
He was thus strolling here, did He acknowledge your salutation at all? Did He cast affectionate glances
on you?

Sridhara Svämi
Thinking that the trees which were bowing on account of the weight of their fruits were offering
salutation due to seeing Krsna, they inquire while imagining the playfulness of His ways with Her.
"While strolling, He was followed by swarms of bees from the tulasikä, hence the bees were blinded
by rapture because of the aroma."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
While informing one another of yet another sign that He was in the surroundings, they they speak in
the manner of making assumptions after thinking that the trees whose branches are low due to the
weight of fruits and flowers are in fact bowing. "Hey trees, while strolling here, does Krsna
acknowledge, with affectionate glances, your salutation or not?" (vä = na vä). They were like citizens
who pay the tax by offering fruits and flowers. "Alas, alas, why is it that He has time to glance with
affection at sättvika pious people of your type?" They thus speak with envy, "Balaräma's younger
brother, meaning He is a bit loose, placed (upadhäya) His arm, the left one, on His beloved's shoulder."
The sense is He turned His arm into a pillow (upadhäna) by placing it there. He was tired due to the
exertion of lovemaking. "With His right arm, He held a blue lotus to drive away the bees that are
coming and going because of the fragrance of Her face. He is thus only absorbed in serving Her, so
how could He possibly cast a glance on you?"
 "He is being followed by bees of the tulasikäs, that is, of the grove of soft tulasis. This means He
gave up the tulasikäs and is secretly wandering around here. If so, let's follow these bees." "No, they're
blinded by intoxication. It is not proper for respectable persons to follow such individuals."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The girls imagined that the does were transfixed because they too were experiencing the rise of
profuse affliction by seeing with a fixed gaxe their own affliction of separation, and so they left them
alone and inquired from all those trees which stooped due to the weight of fruits and flowers, thinking
they are great sädhus who are bowing due to the weight of humility.
With the words "He had placed His arm on the beloved's shoulder" and so on, it is said that the
scent of His armpit mixed with her fragrance, that the aroma of the lotus combined with the scent of
His hand, and that the fragrance of the tulasis on His body blended with the odor of the bees. Or those
words were stated thus because this is the way city girls like it. The expression tulasikäyä ali-kulaih
(by swarms of bees from the tulasikä), signifies that tulasi's fragrance is special and is the sweetest of
all. Hence an extraordinary Rasa was taking place, by the mention of both "He was followed by bees
blinded by rapture "141 and "He had placed His arm" and so on. In that way, tulasi's good fortune is
implied, and so is the bees' by their connection with her.
Fearing that the great buzzing of the bees blinded by rapture would give away His location and
thus disturb His secret dalliance, He was strolling to dispel the bees, hoping that the trees would
provide some assistance by obstructing the bees. Or His purpose was to collect flowers from the trees.
"Does He approve—or does He accept (abhinandati = anumodate svikaroti vä)—your salutation with
His glances of affection?" They say this because His glances are hard to get. The word kim is the
question marker. The term kith vä is an oblique way of asking the question.
As a double meaning, "Only those who are blinded by rapture follow Him. And He too is blinded
by rapture owing to a connection with that kind of people." This is a statement of anger in love.
A
lternatively, "The fact that He is followed by us, although we are

14
1 The bees had rapture by smelling all those scents. Ahead, Näräyana Bhatta brings the count of six aromas down to four.
blinded by hysteria (madändhaih = madändhair api), and therefore our pique is gone, is improper.

Jiva Gosvämi
(The first paragraph is virtually the same. In addition:) The gopis mention the reasons He is absorbed
in sweet dalliance with Her there as a way of refuting the idea that He acknowledged the trees'
salutation. With the details, just like they did before by expounding the purport of the combined smell
of jasmine and saffron, they say the reason they know all this is that they are familiar with the dharma
which is antarahga in this matter. First of all, they state the general reason He did not acknowledge it:
He was strolling there, meaning He was busy going to the various places that are conducive to
entertainment. He placed His arm on Her shoulder, with a thought like "She is soft." He was holding a
play lotus in His right hand and was moving it around to drive the bees away from His beloved. So
how could He possibly acknowledge their salutation?
The word tulasikäli-kulaih implies that the fragrance of the tulasis in the groves for entertainment
was more eminent than anything fragrant. For example, it will be said: divya-gandha-tulasi-
madhumattaih, "He was sung by bees that were maddened by the nectar of tulasi, whose fragrance is
divine143 (10.35.10). And therefore the bees following Him were blinded by the rapture of drinking
the juice of that nectar. The special perfume that manifested when He pressed His body on Hers is thus
illustrated.
142 Above, Viévanätha Cakravarti gave his version of this. Another explanation is that the implied sense arises from
the words themselves: "He is followed by us, His friends" (tulasikäli-kulaih = tulasikä-äli-kulaih). In the literal sense,
tulasikä means tulasi, just like gopikä is a synonym of gopi, but in the interpretation as a dual sense, tulasikä stands for
tulasikä, meaning the girls are like tulasi. The girls are jealous, much like on Krsna's chest Tulasi is Laksmi's rival. The
word tulasikä is formed by adding the suffix ka in the sense of iva (like) by the rule: ive pratikrtau (A$(ädhyäyi 5.3.96). In
this interpretation, the word tulasikä is poetic license in place of tulasikä, just like the word tulasi-vat in Bhägavatam
3.15.49 is used instead tulasi-vat, to conform with the meter. The double meaning was obliquely pointed to by the use of
the term kithvä, which, as one word, literally means "or else; alternatively. "
143 In that instance, the tulasi was part of His garland. Jiva Gosvämi does not cite the whole text: vana-mälä-divya-
gandha-tulasi-madhu-mattaih.
Now, the Vaijayanti had been mentioned in verse 10.29.44. In the middle, in verse 7 it was said that
He wears a tulasi garland. And after that, in the previous verse it was shown that He wears a garland of
jasmines. It is implied that at this time, His multiple gestures of 'rhgära caused those garlands to fall
off.
By thus mentioning those various things, the statement as a whole suggests that the girls approved
of the situation. Now, as before the meanings of the words one by one can be taken in consideration
too: In that way it is obtained that the speakers here were friends of Rädhä. However, this upcoming
verse was spoken by those who were opposed to Her: tasyä amüni nah k$0bham, "Those footprints of
that girl disturb us" (10.30.30).

Näräyapa Bhatta
He was followed by bees that had some connection with tulasi (tulasikäli-kulaih tulasikäyäh
sambandhibhir ali-kulaih). It's implied that they were blind due to drinking the flower nectar of that
tulasi.
Seeing the trees stooping, the gopis imagine the reasons they are that way. The girls counted four
types of aromas: of His arm, of the ladylove, of the lotus, and of the tulasi. By fancifully assuming
that the girls around them were part of a rival faction, they imagined that the bees had become mad by
hearing the humming arisen during the love games. They also considered three types of good fortune:
of the ladylove, of tulasi and of the bees. Then they asked: "O trees, did He acknowledge with
affectionate glances your salutation? You're providing assistance with your flowers and fruits and
you're instrumental in keeping His dalliance secret." The term kim vä means kim na vä (whether or
no) and is an oblique way of inquiring, "Obviously He didn't acknowledge it, so what was He really
doing at the time of wandering this way in your presence?"

10.30.13

prcchatemä latä bähün apy äSli$tä vanaspateh I nünam tat-karaja-spr$(ä bibhraty

utpulakäny aho Il prcchata—you should ask; imäh—these; latäh—creepers; bähün— the
arms; api—(a word expressive of conjecture); embracing; vanaspateh—of the tree;
nünam—certainly; tat—His; kara-ja—by the fingernails ("born from the hand");
touched; bibhrati—they have; utpulakäni—goose bumps; aho—how amazing.

(yüymh) imäh latäh vanaspateh prcchata, (yatah etäh) bähün äSli$(äh api. nünarh (etäh) tat-karaja-
sprs(äh, (yatah etäh) utpulakäni bibhrati. aho.
"You all should ask these creepers. They're embracing the arms of the tree. For sure, the creepers were
touched by His fingernails: they have goose bumps. What a wonder!"

Sridhara Svämi
Some girls say: "Hey sakhis, for sure these creepers were met by Krsna, so ask them." "But meeting
Him is quite hard to achieve while meeting the husband." "No. The creepers are even embraced by the
arm (bähün = bähunä) of the tree, the husband. How amazing is their good luck! Certainly, the
creepers were touched by His fingernails, because they have hairs standing on end." The drift is: This
kind of goose bumps cannot possibly occur in meeting the husband.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Those trees are His devotees. They act in conformity with His preferences, so surely they won't talk."
"Then ask these creepers. They're women like us." They thus talk to one another. "The creepers were
embraced by the arm..." Grasping the whole idea beginning from this depends on one's mindset.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Other girls show yet another sign. "Hey sakhis, ask these creepers who bear the marks of a close
encounter with Krsna. Don't say that meeting Him is quite hard to achieve while meeting the husband,
because the creepers are even embracing the arms of the tree, the husband. How amazing is their
upsurge of lust! For sure, the creepers were touched by His fingernails: They have hairs standing on
end. " The gist is: This kind of goose bumps cannot possibly occur in meeting the husband. Therefore,
since we're seeing that sign, they will not be able to lie to us like the previous ones did: "We didn't see
Him."

Jiva Gosvämi
Here the king of sages implies the indifference of these girls (the speakers) to show that they had
inclinations which differed from those of the previous girls. "You all should ask only these creepers,
which embrace even the arms of the husband, 144 the tree." "Even so, why do you conjecture that these
ones encountered Him?" They respond to that. Nünam has the sense of vitarka (conjecture): "For sure,
they were touched by Sri Krsna's fingernails." "What makes you think so?" "They have goosebumps in
the form of sprouts. What a wonder." The sense is: Things were not like this before.

Priti-sandarbha 285-286: The gopis are divided in four groups: sakhi (best friends of Rädhä) (Her own
group), suhrt (allies), tata.sthä (neutrals) and prätipaksiki (rivals). This verse was spoken by gopis in
the neutral party. Rädhä's sakhis spoke verses 11 and 12. Her allies will speak verse 28: anayärädhito
nünam. The neutral party will speak afterward, in verse 29. The rivals speak in verse 30.

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
Nünam means niScitam (surely). "The creepers too embraced the three arms of a king of the wood."

1
44 Here Jiva Gosvämi contradicts Sridhara Svämi and Sanätana Gosvämi by showing that the reading in the verse is
grammatically correct. Viévanätha Cakravarti agrees with him. The participle äSli$(äh (embraced) is indeed transitive.
Although the verbal root Glis is intransitive, it becomes transitive when it is used with a prefix, by the rule: gaty-
arthäkarmaka-'li$aSih-sthäsa-vasa-jana-ruha-jiryatibhyah ktah kartari ca (HNV 767); gatyarthäkarmaka-jli;a-'ih-sthäsa-vasa-
jana-ruha-jiryatibhya' ca (A$(ädhyäyi
3.4.72).

10.30.14

ity unmatta-vaco-gopyah knnänvesana-kätaräh I lilä bhagavatas täs tä hy anucakrus tad-

ätmikäh Il

iti—in this way (or end of citation); unmatta-vacah—whose words were mad; gopyah—the gopis;
krsna-anvesana—by searching for Krsna; kätaräh—distraught; liläh—the pastimes; bhagavatah—of
the Lord; täh täh—those various; hi—only; anucakruh—they imitated; tat-ätmikäh—one in essence
with Him.

iti unmatta-vaco-gopyah krsnänvesmga-kätaräh bhagavatah täh täh liläh hi anucakruh. (täh gopyah)
tad-ätmikäh (babhüvuh).

Having spoken such crazy words, the gopis, deeply agitated by searching for Knpa, imitated those
pastimes of the Lord, and thus became one in essence with Him.

Sridhara Svämi
Verse 4, "As though they were unhinged, they inquired," has thus been elaborated upon. Now he
elaborates on verse 2: "Becoming one in essence with Him, they undertook those distinct deeds of
Ramä's husband." They had become very agitated by searching for Krsna (krynänvesana-kätaräh =
krsrgasyänvesanena kätarä ativihvaläh).

Jiva Gosvämi
"The gopis, whose words, the manner of which was told (iti — pürvokta-prakärakam), were like those
of a crazy person (unmattavaco-gopyah = unmattasya vaca iva vaco yäsäm tädrsyah), were distraught
in searching for Krsna." This means they were unable to continue. Being in such a state, they began to
recall His pastimes in song, along the lines of verse 4: "While singing loudly about Him, they
assembled and looked for Him." And while thus singing, they took the opportunity to act out some of
His pastimes, such as the killing of Pütanä. The reason for that is: tad-ätmikäh. This means their ätmä,
their citta (entire consciousness), was in Him. The gist is they were deeply attached to Him. Clearly,
imitating Krsna took place by that state of being tad-ätmaka. There was not even a glimmer of
nondifference from Him by giving up the nature.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Their words were like the words of a crazy person insofar as they asked questions to inanimate objects
and ascribed desires and so on to them. Of all the gopis who were distraught in searching for Him,
some gopis thought: "By enacting those deeds, I will show that I am the form of Krsna, and thus I will
give momentary pleasure to these distraught gopis and to myself." They enacted those pastimes,
beginning from the killing of Pütanä, one after the other. The gopis' minds were only in Him (tad-
ätmikäh = tasminn evätmä mano yäsärh täh). In that regard, only Yogamäyä enacted the deeds of the
bad guys: She assumed the form of a gopi, right in their midst, and did the enactment to bring all those
pastimes to fruition. The real gopis did the enactment of the good kind.

no nah kathä vada sadahsv iti tan-nisiddho 'py änanda-nighna iha tä yad avocam
eva I nämäni tu prathayitäsmi tad atra näsäm ittham munir manasi samprati
niécikäya I l

"Although I was forbidden thus: "Don't mention topics about us in an assembly," I, who rely on bliss,
did speak those topics here in the assembly, therefore here I will only spread the good name of these
girls." At this time, the sage made things clear in his mind that way.

Sanätana Gosvämi
T
hey were deeply agitated because of separation after searching for Krsna, the one who is the most
attractive. Hence they imitated the pastimes only due to being so distraught, not because they
V
oluntarily decided to be in la-la land. The reason for that is: tadätmikäh. This means He had stolen
their hearts. Or the pronoun tad refers to the word lilä. The sense is their act was perfectly executed due
to the engrossment.

10.30.15

kasyäjcit pütanäyantyäh krsnäyanty apibat stanam I tokäyitvä rudaty anyä padähan

Sakatäyatim Il

kasyä'cit—of some girl; pütanäyantyäh—who was thinking she was Pütanä; girl] who
was thinking she was Krsqa•, apibat—drank (sucked); stanam—the breast; tokäyitvä—after thinking
of herself as a toddler; rudati—while crying; anyä—another girl; padä—with her foot; ahan—struck;
girl who thought she was a cart.

(ekä) krynäyanti kasyä'cit pütanäyantyäh stanam apibat. anyä tokäyitvä rudati Saka(äyatirh padä ahan.

A girl who thought she was KNpa sucked the breast of some girl who thought of herself as Pütanä.
Another girl, thinking of herself as a toddler, cried and thus struck with her foot the girl who thought
of herself as a cart.

Sridhara Svämi
The enactment is elaborated upon throughout four verses. The four verses after those illustrate the state
of being identical with Him. And the verse after those is another instance of the enactment. "The girl
who was acting like Krsna (krygäyanti = kryga-vad äcaranti) sucked the breast of the girl who was
acting like Pütanä (pütanäyantyäh = pütanä-vad äcarantyäh)." Such is the analysis. Tokäyitvä means
toka-vad ätmänarh krtvä (after making herself like a toddler).
 Sanätana Gosvämi
The analysis was stated by Sridhara Svämi. In addition, the elaboration on the state of being identical
with Him (verses 1922), even though the elaboration on the enactment had to be done
(because it is revisited in verse 23), is for the sake of making one understand that the enactment was
perfect. Or that too is simply an elaboration of the enactment. Further, there were three kinds of
enactments: of the deeds, of the speech, and of the thoughts. But in each one the main thing was the
imitation of the mood. Thus, this verse and the next two center on the enactment of deeds. All this took
place due to the girls' helpless condition in separation. Pütanäyantyäh should read pütanäyamänäyäh.
As regards "She drank the breast," that was just an imitation, because a mere imitation was expected.
The same is inferred for similar instances ahead. Saka!äyatim should read 'aka(äyamänäm. The same
kind of poetic license is seen later on (verse 17). The girl who was acting like a cart was above the girl
acting like a toddler.

Jiva Gosvämi
In nine verses, he expounds upon the enactment, which took place by being one in essence with Him.
The girl who was acting like Pütanä (pütanäyantyäh = pütanä-vad äcarantyä eva) did so by remaining
in her own nature, not by really taking Pütanä's mood of opposition. The girl who was acting like
Krsqa was also imitating His mindset, in conformity with the upcoming text krmärbha-bhävanäm
(verse 16). The same understanding applies to the other instances. As regards "She drank the breast,"
that was just an imitation, because a mere imitation was expected. "Another girl hit the girl who was
acting like a cart ('aka!äyatim = 'aka(äyamänäm)." The fourth gopi was on all fours and had raised her
torso.

Srinätha Pandita
Being identical with Him (tädätmyam) means being imbued with Him (tan-mayi-bhäva) by the
absence of another functioning of the mind, owing to the highest limit of love, so how can there be
identity with Him by the absence of an engrossment, on account of the absence Of love when the bad
guys such as Pütanä are the characters? If the answer to that is "The pastime requires a villain to take
part," the term tad-ätmikäh doesn't make sense, and there is a contradiction in the experience. Therefore
the proper reasoning is this: The pronoun kasyäjcid (of some girl) refers to Yogamäyä. The modus
operandi is : yogamäyäm upäjritah, "Relying on Yogamäyä" (10.29.1). By the Lord's will, Yogamäyä
provides all types of assistance to the gopis,
both in meeting and in separation. 145

10.30.16-17

11
 daityäyitvä jahäränyäm ekä krsnärbha-bhävanäm I rihgayämäsa käpy ahghri karsanti
ghosa-nihsvanaih Il knsna-rämäyite dve tu gopäyantyaj ca käjcana I vatsäyatirh hanti cänyä
tatraikä tu bakäyatim I l

daityäyitvä—by acting like the asura; jahära—took away; anyäm— another gopi; ekä—one girl; knpa-
arbha—of a baby in the form of Krsqa•, bhävanäm—who had the mood; kä api
—some girl; ahghri—both feet; karsanti—while dragging; ghosa—of tinkling bells; nihsvanaih—with
the sounds; krmarämäyite—two were acting like Krsna and Balaräma; dve—two girls; tu—only;
gopäyantyah—acting like cowherds; ca—and; käfcana— some girls; vatsäyatim—who was imitating
the calf demon; hanti— kills (killed); ca—and; anyä—another girl; tatra—there; ekä—one girl; tu—
but; bakäyatim—one who was acting like the crane demon.

145 Additional notes: The words krsnäyanti, pütanäyantyäh and 'aka(äyatim are participles which should read:
krsnäyamänä, pütanäyamänäyäh, and Saka(äyamänäm, made with the suffix kyah. The literal sense of krsnäyamänä, for
example, is "She acts like Krsna." Or else they should read: krsniyanti, pütaniyantyäh and 'aka(iyatim. Those three are
elliptical similes made with the suffix kyac, which Jiva Gosvämi calls kyan. The literal sense of krmiyanti, for instance, is
"She thinks she is Krsna," by the rule: upamänäd äcäre (As(ädhyäyi 3.1.10); yam iväcarati yasminn iva ca tasmät kyan
(HNV 607). There is another interpretation: It was a mix of both. For example, the word krsnäyanti means she was acting
like Krsna up to the point of almost thinking she was Krsna. Moreover, the indeclinable participle tokäyitvä is made with
the suffix kyah.
146 The verb rihgayämäsa is poetic license, because the verbal root is rig[i] gatau, which is a bhv-ädi root, not a cur-
ädi, and so there is no need to add [n]i.
ekä daityäyitvä anyäm krynärbha-bhävanähl jahära. kä api (gopi) ghosa-nihsvanaih (sahitau) ahghri
karsanti rihgayämäsa. käScana ca gopäyantyah (jätäh), dve tu (gopyau) kryna-rämäyite. anyä ca
vatsäyatirh (gopim) hanti. tatra ekä tu bakäyatim (gopihl hanti).

One girl acting like Tmävarta abducted another, who had the mood of baby Knpa. Some girl crawled
while dragging both feet: The anklets were jingling. Some gopis acted like cowherd boys, and in their
midst were two girls: One acted like Knpa, the other like Balaräma. Another girl killed a gopi who was
acting like Vatsäsura. And yet another killed one who pretended to be Baka.

Sanätana Gosvämi
The girl who was crawling had the sounds of anklets (ghosanihsvanaih = gh0$äh kihkinyas tesähl
nisvanaih krtvä sahitä iti vä). That is because the girls already had anklets on their feet. Thus, the
lovely enactment of the crawling was in conformity with: ghosapraghosa-ruciram, "[The pairs of feet
of those two infants] were splendid because of the sounds of anklets" (10.8.22). The word gopäyantyah
means the girls were imitating cowherd boys. The verb hanti stands for ahan. The present tense is used
in the sense of nearness to the present.

10.30.18

ähüya düra-gä yadvat krygas tam anuvartatim I venuhi kvapantim kridantim anyäh
jamsanti sädhv iti Il
äh
üya—calling; düra-gäh—which go far away; yadvat—just as; krsnah—Krsna; tam—Him;
anuvartatim—who was imitating; venum—the flute; kvapantim—while playing; kridantim—while
ha
ving fun; anyäh—other girls; Gamsanti—praised; sädhu—good; of citation).
yadvat krsnah düra-gäh (gäh ähvayati, tadvat gäh) ähüya tam (krynam) anuvartatiriz venuhl kvapantirh
kridantim anyäh sädhu iti Gamsanti.

Some girl was having fun while playing the nute: She was imitating the way Knpa calls the faraway
cows. The other gopis praised her: "Excellent!"

Sridhara Svämi
Düra-gäh means düre vartamänä gäh (the cows which are far away). Anuvartatim should read
anuvartamänäm. Another version is anukurvatim.

Jiva Gosvämi
Thus, the mere imitation has been told. Now, in two verses he again describes the anubhäva called lilä,
the imitation of the lover, because in imitating the amazing pastime done in the summer before
Pralamba was killed, His age of kaiSora, which is the form of the älambana of Snigära-rasa, made its
appearance. 93 In point of düra-gäh, because the rules governing the end of a compound are
inconsistent, the sense is düra-gavih. 94 The other gopis referred to above thought of themselves as
cowherd boys.

10.30.19

kasyähcit sva-bhujarh nyasya calanty ähäparä nanu I krsno 'ham pajyata gatirh lalitäm iti
tan-manäh Il

93
Similarly, in Laghu-vaisnava-t0$tmi 10.45.3 Jiva Gosvämi says Krsna's kaiSora began at the outset of his seventh
year, when He killed Dhenuka while going to the forest of ripe Täla fruits: That evening, the gopis
manifested the first signs of love for Him (Bhägavatam 10.15.43); in the summer of the seventh year Pralamba
was killed: during the month of Äévina (September-October) in His eighth year, He played the flute (vcnu-
gitam, Bhägavatam 10.21); Krsna lifted Govardhana afterward, in the month of Kärtika (October-
November), because Bhägavatam 10.26.14 says He was seven years old at the time; the Räsa-lilä occurred in
the fall of His ninth year; He left Vraja at eleven years of age, He went to Mathurä; but He reached the
peak of kaijora at the end of His ninth year Of age (fifteen years of age by human standards), after which He
did not age, because Bhägavatam 10.55.28 says the women of the palace in Dwärakä thought Pradyumna
was Krsna (LVT 10.45.3). The Brahma-samhitä says Krsna eternally remains in the age of nava-yauvana
(fresh youth) (5.33), a synonym of the full state of kaiSora. However, Srila Prabhupäda wrote: "from the
eleventh to the end of the fifteenth year [by human standards] is called kaiSora. After the beginning of the
sixteenth year, Krsna is called a yauvana, or a youth, and this continues with no change." (Nectar of Devotion,
chapter 26)
94
Gahgä Sahäya points out that in Sridhara Svämi's interpretation, the absence of the suffix (ac in düra-gäh is
poetic license (Anvitärtha-prakäSikä). The rule is: gor ataddhita-luki (A$(ädhyäyi 5.4.92). When that rule is
applied to düra + go, the result is düra-gava. In the feminine, the nominal base is düra-gavi.
kasyäicit—on some girl; sva-bhujam—her arm; nyasya—after placing; calanti—while moving about;
äha—says; aparä—another girl; nanu—(signifies the beginning of a sentence); krsnah—Krsna; aham
—l; pajyata—you all should see; gatim—my moves; lalitäm— elegant; iti-—(end of citation) (or in
this way); tat-manäh—she whose mind was in Him.

aparä kasyäficit sva-bhujarh nyasya calanti äha. nanu ahahl krypa& (asmi. yüyahl mama) gatihl
lalitäm paiyata iti (sä) tan-manäh (abhavat).

Another girl placed her ann on some gopi and said this while moving about: "I'm Knpa. You all should
see my elegant moves." Her mind was thus absorbed in Him.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
I
n four verses he says the girls who wanted to imitate yet other pastimes totally identified themselves
with Krsna because they lost awareness of themselves by the influence of the saicäri-bhäva called
u
nmäda (high madness) and by the force of the increase of their contemplation on Him. "I'm Krsna.
My arm is on Subala's shoulder. Look at my lovely gait" (lalitäm = atiramaniyäm).

Sanätana Gosvämi
"She spoke in the manner of having a settled opinion" (nanu — nifcitam eva). The sense is: "Don't
doubt that I'm Krsna." Alternatively, nanu signifies a vocative: "Hey cowherds!" or else "Hey
cowgirls!" "Look at my charming moves." 149 am therefore look at the gopi named Lalitä, who
is My support (gatim = mamäfraya-bhütäm)." Krsna had stolen the girl's heart. Or the term tan-manäh
is used to signify, as before, that the enactment was perfect.

10.30.20

mä bhai$ta väta-varsäbhyärh tat-tränarh vihitam mayä I ity uktvaikena hastena yatanty

unnidadhe 'mbaram Il

mä bhai$(a—have no fear väta-varsäbhyäm—from the wind and rain; tat—from those two; tränam—
your protection; vihitam—has been arranged; mayä—by me; iti—thus; uktvä—after speaking; ekena
hastena—with one hand; yatanti—while endeavoring; unnidadhe— she lifted ("she held high");
ambaram—the garment (her upper garment).

(käcit tan-manäh yüyarh) väta-varyäbhyähl mä bhai$!a tat-tränarh mayä vihitam iti uktvä ekena
hastena yatanti ambaram unnidadhe.

149 Puri Däsa remarks that the words from "alternatively" are seen in only two manuscripts out of six. Similarly, Näräyana
Bhatta and Gangä Sahäya say nanu indicates a vocative. But this is not sourced in the classical dictionaries. In Medini-
kosa, one of the meanings of nanu is vinigraha (disjunction): nanu-Sabdo vinigrahe, anupraSne parakrtäV adhikäre ca
sambhrame, ämantrane 'py anunaye praSnänujiävadhärane (Medini-koSa). Hemacandra renders this as väkyärambha (nanu
is used to indicate the beginning of a citation, just like iti is used as the last quotation mark): nanv äk$epe paripraSne
pratyuktäv avadhärane, väkyärambhe 'py anunayämantranänujiayor api (Hema-koSa, pariSi$(a 38). Baladeva
Vidyäbhüsana paraphrases Viévanätha Cakravarti.
"Don't be afraid of the tempest and the deluge. I have planned your protection." So saying, she
continuously held her shawl high while sustaining the act with a single hand.

Sanätana Gosvämi
There seemed to be a wind there due to their absorption in the pastimes. "She continuously held high
her shawl (unnidadhe — ürdhvarh nitarähl dhrtavati) while endeavoring," in the same way Krsna lifted
Govardhana Hill.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü9apa
The participle yatanti (while sustaining) should be in the ätmanepada.

10.30.21

Il
äruhyaikä padäkramya 'irasy ähäparäm nrpa I dustähe gaccha jäto 'ham khalänäm nanu
danda-krt Il

äruhya—upon climbing; ekä—one girl; padä—with her foot; äkramya—climbing; Sirasi—on the
head; äha—said; aparäm— upon another girl; nrpa—O king (Parik$it); dusta-ahe—hey wicked snake;
gaccha—go away; jätah—was born; aham—l; khalänäm—of miscreants; nanu—only; danda-krt—a
maker of punishment.

nrpa! ekä aparäm äruhya padä Girasi äkramya (täm) äha: dus(ähe! (tvam itah) gaccha. aharh khalänäm
nanu danda-krt jätah.

O king, one girl climbed on the shoulders of another, placed one foot on her head and told her: "Hey
wicked snake, get out of here. I am a natural-born punisher of miscreants."

Jiva Gosvämi
Sh
e climbed by stepping on her. In some editions, the reading is nrpa (O king): The vocative is said due
to astonishment. Another reading is nanu, which has the sense of either niScaya (certainly) or
sambodhana (a vocative). 95 The term dustähe (hey wicked snake) is a vocative meant to belittle
Käliya. The gist is: "Get out of here (gaccha = ito nihsara) or for sure (nanu = niScitam) I'll punish
you."

10.30.22

The reading nanu instead of nrpa is not mentioned by anyone else. 151 The two alternative readings
95

mentioned by Jiva Gosvämi are not listed anywhere.

 tatraikoväca he gopä dävägnihl pa,éyatolbanam I cak$üth$Y äSv apidadhvmh vo vidhäsye
k;emam aijasä Il

tatra—among them; ekä—one girl; uväca—said; he gopäh—hey cowherd boys; däva-agnim—the

conflagration; pajyata—see; ulbanam—fierce; cak$ürh$i—eyes; ä'u—quickly; apidadhvam— you
should close; vah—your; vidhäsye—l will make; kæmam—the safety; anjasä—instantly.

tatra ekä uväca: he gopäh! (yüyam) ulbanam dävägnirh pajyata, cak$ürh$i äju apidadhvmh (ca. aham)
vah k$emam anjasä vidhäsye.

One girl among them said: "Hey cowherd boys, look. There is an impetuous wildfire. Quickly close
your eyes. I will immediately protect you."

Jiva Gosvämi
The verse begins: tatra ca. There is thus a semantic connection with ca. The sense is: "During the
enactment of the pastime of subduing Käliya." The reading tatraikoväca he gopäh is found in many
editions. However, the reading re instead of he is not acceptable because it is unpleasant. 151 Krsna had
actually told the boys to close their eyes. The reason for that is: ulbanam (impetuous). This means the
conflagration was harming the eyes. But it was only a pretext so that they would close their eyes (and
not see His might). That event happened in the thicket of reeds (10.19.5-7).
The correct form of the verb is apidhaddhvam, by remembering the rule: dadhas ta-thoS ca (A$
(ädhyäyi 8.2.38) (dhäfio narasya dho nirgune vaisnave, HNV 533). The form apidadhvam is poetic
license, or it is the mistake of a scribe. Aijasä (immediately) means anäyäsenaiva (only with ease).

10.30.23

baddhänyayä srajä käcit tanvi tatra ulükhale | 96bhitä sudrk pidhäyäsyahi bheje bhiti-
vidambanam Il

baddhä—was tied up; anyayä—by another girl; srajä—with a garland; käcit—one gopi; tanvi—
slender; tatra—among the girls; ulükhale—to the mortar used for grinding; bhitä—afraid; su-drk—in
which the eyes are beautiful; pidhäya—after covering; äsyam—her face; bheje—assumed (did); bhiti
—of fear; vidambanam—a show.

tatra käcit tanvi anyayä (ya,éodä-vad vartamänayä gopyä) srajä ulükhale baddhä bhitä su-drk äsyahl
pidhäya bhiti-vidambanahl bheje.

Some slender girl among them was bound to a mortar by another girl by means of a garland. Afraid,
the pretty-eyed girl covered her face and put on a show of fear.

96
The BBT edition has the additional line (two lines of an anus(up verse): badhnämi bhända-bhettärmh
haiyahgava-mu;am tv iti. But it is neither in Sridhara Svämi's edition nor in Vallabhäcärya's edition. It is only
ack
nowledged by Viévanätha Cakravarti and by Vira-Räghava (BhägavataCandra-candrikä). Moreover, the absence
of phonetic combination in tatra ulükhale is metri causa.
Sridhara Svämi
T
he word su-drk modifies the face and means su-nayanam (in which the eyes are superb). Or it
modifies käcit and signifies varäk$i (her eyes are the best). Bhiti-vidambanam (show of fear) means
bhayänukaranam (imitation of fear).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Some girl was trying to enact the pastime of breaking a vessel and stealing the fresh butter in it.
Yogamäyä noticed her and, acting like Yaéodä, did what was appropriate. She said: "You butter thief!
I'll bind You." The girl was bound by her with a garland. The girl covered her own pretty-eyed face
and did an enactment of fear. All this constitutes the syntactical connection of the words in the verse.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Now he talks about the imitation that mostly consisted of an action of the mind: The enactment of fear.
The girl was bound with a garland by some other girl, a messenger, who had arrived at a later time. Or
the girl had begun to be bound with one garland, and was bound with another garland.
She was slender due to separation from Krsna. That is the reason she was enacting this pastime,
which involves the Lord's special quality of being controlled by His devotee. The pronoun tatra
signifies either anukarane (during the enactment) or täsu (among the girls). She was bound to the
mortar, meaning she was bound to some girl who portrayed herself as a mortar (used for churning milk
into butter).
The word sudrk implies that the girl imitated being afraid by casting distraught glances. She
covered her face... with both hands. This is the natural characteristic of a terrified child. She put on a
show of fear by imitating His trembling, His slight crying, and His plaintive words.
Thus, of all the pastimes, this one, Dämodara-lilä, is the sweetest, for it consists of His quality of
being totally controlled by His devotee. It is stated at the end of all by the maxim: madhurena
samäpayet, "One should end on a sweet note."

10.30.24

evarh krsnarh prcchamänä vrndävana-latäs tarün I vyacaksata vanoddeSe padäni

paramätmanah I l

evam—in this way; krmam—about Krsqa•, prcchamänäh—while asking; vrndävana-latäh—the

creepers in Vrindavan; tarün—and the trees; vyacaksata—they saw; vana—of the forest; uddeSe—in a
high place; padäni—the footprints; parama-ätmanah—of the Supreme Soul.

(täh) evarh (kurvatyah punah ca) vrndävana-latäh tarün (ca) krsnmh prcchamänäh vanoddeSe
paramätmanah padäni vyacak$ata.

While thus inquiring from the creepers in the forest of Vrindavan and from the trees about Knpa, they
saw, in a remote part of the woodland, the footprints of the Supreme Soul.
Sridhara Svämi
"In an area of the woodland (vanoddeSe = vana-pradeSe), they again asked both the creepers in
Vrindavan and the trees about Krsna." The participle prcchamänäh should have been in the
parasmaipada.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"They were inquiring in this way," meaning either in the aforesaid manner of asking questions or by
repeatedly imitating the pastimes in the way that was told. The reason for inquiring is: krsna, the one
who attracts the heart.
They saw His footprints. This means the girls saw them in a special way (vyacaksata = vi'esena
acaksata), by again looking at the ground. The term paramätmanah (of the Supreme Soul) signifies
parama-priyatamasya (of the topmost beloved).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"The gopis were asking about Krsna in this manner (evam = anena P rakärena)." The manner is this.
Unmäda occurs in separation. In the highest stage of unmäda, self-forgetfulness is at its peak. This stage
was described in verse 3: "The ladyloves' bodies replicated the lover's gait, smile," and so on and in
verse 19: "I'm Krsna. You all should see my elegant moves." In the middle stage of unmäda, when
there is some sort of self-awareness, the enactment thus takes place. An example of this is in the
narration of Prahläda's deeds: kvacit tad-bhävanä-yuktas tan-mayo 'nucakära ha, "Sometimes, having
Krsna's mood, he felt imbued with Him and imitated Him" (7.4.40). And when the unmäda is slight,
self-awareness is almost back to normal: Thus, the girls inquired from insentient beings such as the
trees, the bushes, and so on.

10.30.25

padäni vyaktam etäni nanda-sünor mahätmanah I lak$yante hi dhvajämbhoja-vajrähku'a-

yavädibhih Il

padäni—footprints; vyaktam—clearly; etäni—these; nanda-sünoh— of Nanda's son; mahä-ätmanah—

who is the great Soul; laksyante— are characterized; hi—because; dhvaja—by a flag; ambhoja—a
lotus; vajra—a thunderbolt: ahku'a—an elephant goad; yava-ädibhih—a barleycorn, and so on.

etäni padäni nanda-sünoh mahätmanah (bhavanti iti) vyaktam, hi (täni) dhvajämbhoja-vajrähku'a-

yavädibhih laksyante.

"Clearly, these footprints are those of the great Soul, the son of Nanda, because they have the signs of
a flag, a lotus, a thunderbolt, an elephant goad, a barleycorn and so on."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"For sure (vyaktam — nifcttam), these footprints are those of Nanda's son, because (hi = yatah) they
are characterized by the flag and so on." The reason for that is: mahätmanah (of the great Soul). The
sense is: "because He is the Mahä-Purusa." The location and the purpose of the flag and so on are
mentioned in Skanda Puma: daksinasya pado 'hgu$(ha-müle cakram bibharty ajah I tatra namra-
janasyogra-samsära-cchedanäya sah Il 97madhyamähguli-müle tu dhatte kamalam acyutah I dhyätr-
citta-dvirephänäm lobhanäyätijobhanam Il padmasyädho dhvajam dhatte sarvänartha-jaya-dhvajam I
vajram bhakta-päpädri-bhedanam I l värsni-madhye 'hkuSam bhakta-cittebha-vaja-kärinam I
bhoga-sampan-mayam dhatte yavam ahgus(ha-parvani Il tathä väma-padähgu$tha-mülatas tan-
mukham daram I sarva-vidyä-prakäSäya dadhäti bhagavän asau I padmädiny api cihnäni tatra
dak$ina-pädavat I l

"On the right foot, at the base of the large toe the unborn Lord has the sign of a disc, which is meant to
cut down the fierce material life of a humble person. At the bottom of the middle toe, Acyuta has a
splendid lotus, which is meant to increase the greed of the bee-like minds of the meditators. Below the
lotus, He has a nag, a victory nag which signifies the triumph over of all obstacles. At the base of the
small toe is a thunderbolt, which smashes the mountains of His devotees' sinful reactions. In the
middle of His heel is the mark of an elephant goad, which brings the elephants of His devotees' minds
under control. The joint of the large toe bears the mark of a barleycorn, representing all kinds of
pleasure. At the base of the toe of the left foot, the Lord has a conch, which faces the toe and is meant
to reveal all types of knowledge. The signs of the lotus and so on are on the left foot just like those on
the right foot."

Jiva Gosvämi
In the Ädi-varäha Puräna, nineteen marks are mentioned. This includes the sixteen listed in Padma
Puräna and the disc, the conch and the parasol. The marks listed in Skanda Puräna are those of
V
isnu and of other Avatäras. For Krsna, the placement is as follows•

madhye dhvajä tu vijieyä padmam try-ähgula-mänatah I vajram vai daksine pärSve

ahkuSo vai tad-agratah Il

"In the middle of the right foot is the flag. Three fingers below the middle toe, above the nag is a lotus.
On the right side is the thunderbolt, and above it is the goad."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
On Krsna's foot, the thunderbolt is at the base of His small toe and the elephant goad below the
thunderbolt. An elephant goad on the heel belongs to Näräyana and others.

10.30.26

tais taih padais tat-padavim anvicchantyo 'grato 'baläh I vadhväh padaih suprktäni
vilokyärtäh samabruvan I l

taih taih—by those various; padaih—footprints; tat-padavim—His path; anvicchantyah—while

examining; agratah—ahead; abaläh— the women; vadhväh—(of the new wife) (or of a woman);
97
Viévanätha Cakravarti reads this line as: tatra namra-janasyäri-$adVarga-cchedanäya sah. The end of the
citation too reads differently in his commentary.
padaih— with the footprints; suprktäni—well mixed; vilokya—upon seeing; ärtäh—distressed;
samabruvan—they spoke.

abaläh taih taih padaih tat-padavim anvicchantyah agratah (kasyäScid) vadhväh padaih suprktäni
(tasya padäni) vilokya ärtäh (satyah parasparmh) samabruvan.

While tracing His path ahead by following those footsteps, the girls noticed that they were mixed with
those of the new wife. Pained at heart, they spoke to one another.

Jiva Gosvämi
The vadhü (new bride 98• or young woman) was Sri Rädhä, because it's about to be established that
only She has the topmost good fortune. Her footprints were not visible at first because Krsna was
carrying Her. The girls are called abaläh (women) in the sense that they were weak, due to the
separation and due to looking for Him.

10.30.27

kasyäh padäni caitäni yätäyä nanda-sünunä I amsa-nyasta-prak0$!häyäh karenoh

karinä yathä Il

kasyäh—belong to which woman?; padäni—footprints; ca—(a verse filler); etäni—these; yätäyäh—

who was going; nanda-sünunä—with Nanda's son;
Il forearm is placed
on the shoulder; karepoh—of a female elephant; karinä—by a male elephant; yathä—like.

karinä (saha gacchantyäh) karenoh yathä nanda-sünunä (saha) yätäyäh amsa-nyasta-prak0$thäyäh

kasyäh etäni padäni.

"These are the footprints of which girl? She must have placed her forearm on His shoulder. She was
walking with Nanda's son like a female elephant saunters with her tusker.

10.30.28

anayärädhito nünarh bhagavän harir i'varah I yan no vihäya govindah prito yäm
anayad rahah I l

98
In his commentary on text 10.33.8 (10.33.7 in the BBT edition), Jiva Gosvami says the word krsna-vadhvah
therein means the gopis are Krsna's wives. This is true from an ontological perspective (tattva-vicära).
a
nayä—by Her; ärädhitah—was worshiped; nünam—surely; bhagavän—the Lord; harih—Hari;
iSvarah—God, the controller; yat—because; nah—us; vihäya—after abandoning; govindah— Govinda;
pritah—likes; yäm—whom; anayat—led; rahah—to a secluded place.
nünmh bhagavän harir iSvarah anayä ärädhitah, yat govindah nah vihäya pritah (san) yäm rahah
anayat.

"Surely, Lord Hari, i'vara, was worshiped by her. Govinda likes her, because He abandoned us and led
her to a secluded place.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Afterward they figured out that the footprints were those of Sri Rädhä-devi, and so they
enthusiastically talked about Her good fortune by means of the etymology of Her name.
Nünam has the sense of either vitarka (conjecture) or niScaya (certainty). "Hari, the one who
dispels all unhappiness, who is Bhagavän, that is, Sri Näräyana, and who is iévara, meaning either He
fulfills the devotees' wishes or 'although He is independent', was brought under control by her, not by
us, by means of worship (ärädhitah = ärädhya vaiikrtah)." The construction of Her name is thus
shown: rädhayati ärädhayatiti Sri-rädhä, "Rädhä is so called because She makes successful, that is, She
worships. . . . because (yat = yasmät) Govinda abandoned us in a peculiar way (vihäya = viSesena
hitvä), by leaving us in the middle of the woods at night, and on top of that He led Her to a secluded
place, inaccessible to us."
Or 'Govinda' is the main noun: "Govinda was worshiped by Her." And they give details about
Govinda to shed light on the fact that Her good fortune is foremost: He is Bhagavän, meaning He is
intent on manifesting His godly might. Therefore He is Hari, the one who dispels all pain, or the one
who steals everyone's hearts. He is isvara, the kingpin, the präpa-nätha of the residents of the village.
The gist is: The realization of Him as such was achieved by Her alone. The rest is the same.
Alternatively, "Because (yat = yasmät) He was pleased, He took Her to a secluded place." Or, "While
going
(yan = gacchan) to the secluded place, [He did the deed of a näyaka (anayat)]. "

Jiva Gosvämi
Of all the girls, Her sakhis remained self-composed because they are insiders; Her rivals suddenly
became unhappy; and the neutral party was not interested in that, hence at first only Her allies spoke.
(The second paragraph above is the same. In addition:) Or, "While going (yan = gacchan) after
abandoning us, He led only Her to the secluded place."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The allies of Sri Vrsabhänu-nandini found out by the symbols in Her footprints that the girl in question
was indeed She. Those girls cheered up internally but, in the midst of the girls of the other factions,
they acted out as though they didn't know whose footprints those l,vere, and enthusiastically talked
about Her good fortune by means of the etymology of Her name.
"Surely (nünam = niScaye), Hari, the one who dispels His devotees' unhappiness, who is
Bhagavän, that is, Näräyaqa, and who is iévara, meaning He is able to fulfill His devotees' wishes, was
worshiped by Her, not by us, because He abandoned us" and so on. The construction of Her name is
shown: rädhayaty ärädhayatiti rädhä. Her name has thus become conspicuous. With great effort, the
sage had tried to keep Her name hidden, yet in this way it automatically came out of his moonlike
mouth. Perhaps the favor that She got is meant to resound like kettledrums of good fortune.
There is another explanation: "Hey politically incorrect girls!" (anayä = anayäh = aniti-matyah).
The drift is: "You vainly consider yourselves equal to Her. She's the greatest." "Assuredly, Hari scored
Rädhä (rädhitah = rädhäm itah) (itah = präptah)." A different grammatical form is obtained in the
construction because the word is a Sakandhv-ädi. 99 "He is Bhagavän," meaning either He is beautiful,
He is overcome by passion, or He likes to spread His fame; Amara's definition is: bhagah1 Sri-käma-
mähätmya-virya-yatnärka-kirtisu, "Bhaga means beauty, lust (passion), greatness, power, endeavor, the
sun, and fame" (Amara-kosa 3.3.26). "He is isvara, that is, He is able to cheat us, because He
abandoned us beautiful girls." He is Govinda in the sense that He finds Her body parts meant for
romantic pleasure, or He makes Her get the organ for that purpose (govindah = gäs tasyä indriyäni
ramanärthath vindati vindayatiti vä sah). The symbols on Her feet are in the commentary on
Ujjvalanilamani (Locana-rocani 4.24).

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
In the double meaning, "Hari scored Rädhä," the sense is Rädhikä became a vadhü (His new bride). 100

10.30.29

dhanyä aho ami älyo govindähghry-abja-repavah | 101

99
The rule is: Sakandhv-ädi$u para-rüpam vaktavyam (Värttika 6.1.94). The expected form is rädhetah. The last ä
of rädhä was elided. In usage, however, that rule only applies to nouns, not to participles. Moreover,
Bhattoji Diksita gives the word manisä as an example, which is derived as manasa i$ä (the pole of the mind,
i.e. the intelligence) (Siddhänta-kaumudi 79). The letters as in the nominal base manas were elided. But
Jiva Gosvämi classes this word as a prsodarädi (HNV 1035) and says the Sakandhv-ädis are words where only
a short a was elided: Sakandhv-ädayaS ca. a-räma arena sädhavah (HNV Brhat 1977). The word Sakandhu is
h

derived as: Sakasya andhuh (the well of the Sakas). Similarly, Bhattoji Dik$ita says the name Patafijali is a
Sakandhv-ädi, but Jiva Gosvämi classes it as a Prsodarädi, by the derivation: patann aijalir yasya (he
whose cupped hands are descending).
100
Additional notes: The participle rädhitah literally means "He was made successful." The verbal root is
rädh samsiddhau (to succeed, accomplish) (4P) (5P). Or else rädhitah means "He was made into
springtime" (rädha), by the definition: vaijäkhe mädhavo rädhah (Amarakosa 1.4.16). The derivation of
Rädhä as ärädhayati is, of course, poetic license. In that sense, the verb ärädhayati can also be taken in a
causative sense, meaning She makes Krsna worship Her or She makes others worship Him. Rüpa
Gosvämi's definition is: athärcaty aficati bhajaty apacäyati cätmane, catasrah püjayaty atra mahayaty
arhayaty api, sabhäjayaty arcayate mahaty ärädhayaty api, saparyayati cärädhnoty ärädhyati tathärhati,
mänayaty api püjäyäm, "The verbs arcati, aficati, bhajati, bhajate, apacäyati, apacäyate, püjayati, püjayate,
mahayati, mahayate, arhayati, sabhäjayati, arcayate, mahati, ärädhayati, saparyayati, ärädhnoti, ärädhyati,
arhati, and mänayati mean "to honor, worship" (Prayuktäkhyäta-mafijari 2.2.79). The strict derivation of
Rädhä is rädhyatiti rädhä or rädhnotiti rädhä, that is, She is successful. The definition is: nispadyate phalati ca
siddhau sidhyati rädhyati, "Nispadyate, phalati, sidhyati, and rädhyati mean "to be accomplished, finished,
successful" (PAM 1.1.3).
101
The words ami älyo should read amy älyo. The discrepancy is metri causa.
 Y'än brahmeSau ramä-devi dadhur mürdhny agha-nuttaye Il dhanyäh—are blessed; aho—how
amazing; ami—the ("those"); ayah—hey girlfriends; govinda—of Govinda; ahghri-abja—of the
lotuslike feet; renavah—the particles of dust; yän—which [particles]; brahmä-iSau—Brahmä and iéa;
ramä-devi—the goddess named Ramä; dadhuh—put; mürdhni—on their heads; agha—bad karma;
nuttaye—to drive away.

älyah! aho ami govindähghry-abja-repavah dhanyäh (bhavanti), yän (renün) brahmeSau ramä devi
agha-nuttaye mürdhni dadhuh.

"Hey girls, the dust from Govinda's lotus feet is so sacred that, 10 and behold, Brahmä, Siva and
Ramä-devi put it on their heads to dispel impurities.

Sridhara Svämi
Älyah is a vocative: "Hey girlfriends" (älyah = sakhyah). Those dust particles are sacred (dhanyäh =
atipunyäh). Then they mention the reason for that, in the second half of the verse. The drift is: "If we
make an ablution of this dust on ourselves, that just might be the rite of passage we need to get Krsna."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The pronoun ami (those ones) should have been ime (these ones). The purpose of the vocative älyah is
to make all the girls think in the same way. Or it is for the sake of giving rise to a special bhakti.
Brahmä, Siva and Laksmi are enumerated in increasing order of importance. The gopis always see
them taking the dust of Krsqa's lotus feet behind Him, hence that very sighting is being described;
there is no intent to add glorification.
The word devi is used to exclude Sri Rädhä. Or the sense of devi is püjyä (she is worthy of honor):
This is said because of the rise of bhakti in Laksmi on account of having that dust. Those three hold it
on their heads: This hints at the abundance of their bhakti. The word agha (impurity) signifies either an
offense or unhappiness due to separation and so on. Therefore the gist is: "They have no agha at all,
whereas our agha is fitting because we don't hold that dust with bhakti. "
Alternatively, älyah is not a vocative: "The dust is blessed, and so is She." The word älyah refers to
Her, a friend, and is in the plural as a way of showing great respect because Govinda went with Her.

Jiva Gosvämi
The neutral gopis speak. The verb dadhuh (they put) is in the past tense to show that the girls know
this for sure. Brahmä, Siva, and Ramä Devi are enumerated in increasing order of importance. Over
and above that, the modifier of Ramä suggests that she is more eminent than those two. The reason the
dust is sacred is: govindähghri. The genitive case was elided in consideration of the meter, by the rule:
supärh su-luk, "[In the Vedas,] there are deletions of case endings (A$tädhyäyi 7.1.39). The sense is
the dust is sacred because it has a connection with Him. 102

102
In truth, there is no grammatical anomaly here, and so there is no scope for supätii su-luk. However,
the genitive case of the word Govinda, which was elided in the formation of the compound, should have been
apparent, by not making the compound. Since the sacred.ness of the dust rests upon the fact that the dust
relates to Him, compounding the word that denotes Him constitutes the literary fault called avimt$(a-
vidheyähiSa (not giving proper eminence to an important aspect of the predicate) because in a tatpurusa
compound more importance is attributed to the second word than to the first word.
 Therefore the gist is: "The dust is blessed because it obtained a connection with Him, whereas we
don't have a connection with Him, and so we're more insignificant than the dust." This imagination of
the glory of the dust particles of His feet was done by prema. Love enlarges the glory even when the
glory is nonexistent. Hence an excessive state of prema brings about an excessive glory, as in the
narration of Ädi-Bharata's deeds: kithvä are äcaritahl tapas tapasvinyä yad iyam avanih, and so on
(5.8.24): In this line of prose, the good fortune of the Earth is described because the Earth came in
contact with the hoofprints of the deer loved by Bharata.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The neutral gopis, who were not interested in what had taken place, only observed Krsna's footprints
and spoke. "Brahmä and the others place the dust on their heads to dispel the sorrow they feel in
separation from Him." In the late afternoon, when Krsna returns from the pastures with His comrades,
the gods take the dust of His feet and are seen in action. That will be said: vandyamäna-caranah pathi
vrddhaih, "His feet are being sung by the elders (the topmost gods) on the path" (10.35.22) and
vandinas tam upadeva-ganä ye, "The minor gods sing about Him" (10.35.21). The sense is: "We're
unable to hold the dust, due to our bashfulness. That is why we're getting some agha. "

Näräyapa Bhatta
The pronoun ami (those ones) signifies that the particles of dust were being seen up-close. They were
the particles of dust that have some connection with Govinda's lotus feet (govindähghry-abja-renavah
= govindasya caraväbja-sambandhino repavah). "Those three placed the dust on their heads to dispel
their sins (agha-nuttaye = päpanä'ärtham)." Although they do not have have sins per se, they do
deviate. For instance, Brahmä's sin is that he gives boons to asuras who are inimical to the Lord. Siva's
wrong is that he boosts the prominence of heretics and of hypocrits. Laksmi's demerit is that she
makes asuras rich too. The implied sense is this: The gopis apply that logical reasoning to themselves:
"Just as they became sinless by holding that dust on their heads, so we will give ourselves an ablution
of it and thereby dispel our sorrow in separation from Him, a separation which is the result of our
lowly act of being in a huff."

10.30.30

tasyä amüni nah k$0bhahi kurvanty uccaih padäni yat I yaikäpahrtya gopinäm raho bhuhkte
'cyutädharam Il
t
asyäh—of hers; amüni—those; nah—our; k$0bham—agitation; kurvanti—make; uccaih—greatly;
padäni—footprints; yat—because; Yä—who; ekä—alone; apahrtya—after stealing (or after being
taken away); gopinäm—which belong to the gopis; rahah—secretly (or in a secluded place); bhuhkte—
she enjoys; acyuta-adharam—Acyuta's lips.
tasyäh amüni padäni nah k$0bham uccaih kurvanti, yat yä ekä gopinärh (sarvasvam) acyutädhararh
apahrtya (tam acyutädharah) rahah bhurikte. {kihzvä.• . . yat yä ekä apahrtya gopinäm (sarvasvam)
acyutädharam rahah bhuhkte. }
"The footprints of that girl disturb us, because after being taken away she alone is secretly enjoying
Acyuta's lips, which belong to us gopis.

Sridhara Svämi
Other girls speak. Acyuta's lips are the gopis' all in all (gopinäm — gopinähl sarvasvam). The gist is:
"We would give ourselves an ablution of the dust, if only His footprints were not intermingled with
hers. Her footprints make us unhappy."

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) Rädhä's rivals speak. "Those footprints of hers make us very unhappy
(kyobham = atiduhkham) to a higher degree (uccair = adhikam), because after being taken away she
alone is enjoying His lips in a secluded place (rahah = rahasi)." Or apahrtya means she stole His lips.
She is a thief.
"His lips belong to the gopis" means the lips belong to all the girls in a general way, that is, "They
belong to us." Sometimes the reading is dhanam (the wealth). The meaning is almost the same as
sarvasvam (all in all), without looking at Sridhara Svämi's commentary. The reading raho, however, is
seen everywhere. 103Here He is called Acyuta because He didn't fail her: He did not abandon her to go
elsewhere.

Priti-sandarbha 287: This verse illustrates the rivals' envy because they despise that the other girls are
doing well.

Sanätana Gosvämi
The sakhis of Sri Candrävali speak. The reading dhanam is approved by the venerable one, because of
his explanation as sarvasvam, otherwise he would have explained gopinäm as gopinärh bhogyam.
Alternatively, acyutädharam is separated as acyutä and adharam. She is Acyutä in the sense that
She is not separated from Him. A prolonged enjoyment is meant. As a pun, bhuhkte 'cyutädharam
stands for bhuhkte cyutädharam (lit. she enjoys the lips which fell): "She enjoys the lips which were
taken away from our mouths."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Her rivals speak. "After secretly (rahah) stealing (apahrtya corayitvä) Acyuta's lips, which belong to
the gopis, that is, only we should enjoy them (gopinäm = sarväsäm eva asmäkahi bhogyam), she alone
is enjoying them." The drift is: "Krsna was controlled by that passionate girl because of some deed,
and so He abandoned us amorous girls and took her this far."

Näräyapa Bhatia
"Those footprints of that girl are higher (uccair), which means she was dallying with Him in a special
way, and so they annoy us even more (uccair)."

The text of Bhägavatam which Sridhara Svämi included with his commentary reads raho. Either Sridhara
103

Svämi preferred the reading dhanam or He explained gopinäm as gopinäm sarvasvam.

 10.30.31

na laksyante padäny atra tasyä nünarh tmähkuraih I khidyat-sujätähghri-taläm unninye

preyasith priyah Il

na lak$yante—are not discerned; padäni—the footprints; atra— here; tasyäh—her; nünam—

apparently; trna—of grass; ahkuraih— by sprouts; khidyat—were being pained; sujäta—fine ("well-
born"); ahghri-taläm—the bottom of whose feet; unninye—He lifted; preyasim—the ladylove; priyah
—the lover.

syäh padäni atra na lak$yante. nünarh priyah tngähkuraih khidyatsujätähghri-taläm preyasihl unninye.
ta

"Over here, her footprints cannot be discerned. Apparently, the lover lifted His ladylove, the bottom of
whose delicate feet were being pricked by sprouts of grass.

Sridhara Svämi
While searching for the dust of Krsna's feet which was not mixed with Her footprints, they again saw
His footprints, but again became very afflicted; he describes this in three verses. The base of each foot
was very soft (sujäta = sukomära). He lifted Her up, meaning He put Her on His shoulders.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Her best friends speak: "Ho, girls possessed by the great disease of envy! Stop whining. Her footprints
are not here." The other gopis, however, cast a glance with a wry smile at those girls and speak the rest
of the words in the verse. Nünam means they are guessing what happened. "He lifted Her up" means
He took Her with both hands and raised Her up to His chest, because: preyasim, She is the object of
great affection. It did this since He could not bear to see Her feel pain on the bottom of Her feet.
Here it's understood that Her friends had two kinds of happiness: One arisen by seeing that kind of
good fortune of Hers, the other arisen by seeing the dejection of Her rivals.

10.30.32

*rcq: Il
imäny adhika-magnäni padäni vahato vadhüm I gopyah pa'yata krmasya bhäräkräntasya
käminah I l

imäni—these•, adhika—more; magnäni—sunk in; padäni— footprints; vahatah—of Him who was
carrying; vadhüm—the bride

160 This verse and the first two lines of the anus(up meter in the next verse are not in Vallabhäcärya's edition. Many
commentators point out that those texts could be an interpolation. Sridhara Svämi does not comment on them.
(or young woman); gopyah—O gopis; pasyata—see; krsnasya—of Krsna; bhära—by the weight;
äkräntasya—oppressed; käminah— lusty.
gopyah! (yüyarh) vadhüm vahatah bhäräkräntasya krynasya käminah imäni padäni adhika-magnäni
pasyata.

"Hey gopis, look at these footprints of Knpa. They are impressed more deeply. The lusty guy was
burdened by the bride's weight while carrying Her.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"He is lusty. Otherwise that occurrence would be impossible." This is said with jealousy. This verse is
not seen in many editions.

Jiva Gosvämi
Rädhä's rivals speak with envy. "Krspa is only driven by lust, not by the cleverness of prema-rasa (the
relish of love)."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Her rivals speak to imply this: "Why do you say "Stop whining"? We're more distressed by not seeing
Her footprints than by seeing them! Not seeing them makes our life force vanish too."
In point of vadhüm (the bride), the sense is Krsna made Her His bride in the forest although He
had not received the upanayana samskära (second birth initiation). Therefore: bhäräkräntasya (He was
burdened by the weight). A married man is burdened by the weight of his wife. This means he only
keeps going here and there.
"Krsna is lusty. He has no love, because He abandoned us who have love. Hence only lust makes
Him carry Her, otherwise why Would the prince of the village, who is very delicate, be the carrier of a
cowherd girl?"

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
"Krsna is a kämi. He is maddened by Cupid. He has no affection. Only lust makes Him carry Her." Her
rivals reveal their jealousy that way. The goddess of speech, however, hints at this meaning: He has a
desire, the desire to make Her happy. This will become clear ahead.

10.30.33

aträvaropitä käntä puspa-hetor mahätmanä I atra prasünävacayah priyärthe

preyasä krtah I prapadäkramana ete pajyatäsakale pade Il

atra—here; avaropitä—put down; käntä—the ladylove; puspahetoh—because of flowers; mahä-

ätmanä—by the great Soul; atra— here; prasüna—of flowers; avacayah—the accumulation; priyäarthe
—for the sake of the ladylove; preyasä—by the lover; krtah— was done; prapada—with the front part
of the feet; äkramane—in which the pressing; ete—these; paSyata—see; asakale—incomplete; pade—
the pair of footprints.
mahätmanä puspa-hetoh atra avaropitä käntä. atra prasünävacayah priyärthe preyasä krtah. (yüyahl)
ete prapadäkramane asakale pade pasyata.

"Here the ladylove was brought down by the great Soul for the purpose of flowers. Here the inamorato
picked blossoms for His inamorata. You all should see the pairs of incomplete footprints, in which the
pressing was done with the front part of the feet.

Sridhara Svämi
In the footprints, the pressing on the ground was done with the front part of the feet (prapadäkramane
= prapadäbhyäm ksoni-mardanam yayoh), therefore: asakale (the footprints were incomplete).

Sanätana Gosvämi
Mahätmanä means either "by the jewel of clever persons" or "by Him whose intelligence is huge."
This is expressive of jealousy.
Moreover, in verse 31 She was called preyasi (the best ladylove) with regard to His action of lifting
Her up, and now He is called preyas, the best sweetheart (preyasä = priyatamena), to signify that He is
picking flowers by Her order. 104
The word pade is in the dual case: There were two footprints inasmuch as from one spot many
flowers can be picked because there were numerous flower trees in the forest of Vrindavan. Or there
were many places where footprints were seen two by two. Therefore the Sri Visnu Puräna states:

puspävacayam atroccaiS cakre dämodaro dhruvam I yenägräkränta-mäträni padäny atra

mahätmanah I l

"Here for sure Dämodara plucked very high flowers because only the tips of the great Soul's feet made
imprints." (VP 5.13.34)

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Again the sakhis speak. The term mahätmanä (by the great Soul) signifies "by the jewel of clever
persons," or else "by Him whose mind is in the festival (maha = utsave) of decorating Her." He
brought Her down to pick flowers (puspa-hetoh = puspärtham): "As soon as this ASoka tree was
touched by Her foot, it burst into bloom so that I may decorate Her with its flowers." Hence
mahätmanä can also mean "by Him who is very intelligent." There were no flowers on the lower
branches of this tree, and so He pressed the ground with the front part of His feet while picking
flowers from the higher branches. There were two footprints.

104
The word preyas is formed as follows. The word priya conventionally means lover, by the definition:
abhi$te 'bhipsitam hrdyam dayitam vallabham priyam (Amara-kosa 3.1.53). Then the suffix iyus[u] is applied. It has
the nse of the comparative suffix tara[p] (more): dvi-vacana-vibhajyopapade tarab-iyasunau (A$(ädhyäyi
se

5.3.57). When iyus[u] is applied after priya, the word priya becomes pra, by the rule: priya-sthira-sphiroru-
bahula-guruvrddha-trpra-dirgha- vrndärakäpäm pra-stha-spha-var-bamhi-gar-varsitrab-dräghi-vrndäh (A$
(ädhyäyi 6.4.157). Thus pra + iyas[u] becomes the minal base preyas[u] (lit. better lover). In Sanskrit, by
no

itself a comparative word often has the sense of the superlative (best lover).
Jiva Gosvämi
Rädhä's friends speak the words from aträvaropitä, which form one half verse. The term mahätmanä
means vidagdha-firomapinä (by the jewel of clever persons). In some editions, this half verse is not
seen, and so it is not numbered separately.
Other sakhis speak the words atra prasüna and so on. Preyasä (by the inamorato) is explained as
atiSayena priti-karträ (by the great giver of affection).
In the next half verse, they talk about a telltale sign related to the previous one. "See the pair of
footprints... at every flower tree." This needs to be added. There were indeed many pairs of footprints,
as mentioned in Sri Vi$nu Puräna, where padäni is used instead of pade: pu$pävacayam... (see above).

Gangä Sahäya
The word pade (two footprints) is used in the sense of jäti (category) and signifies the plural: padäni.

10.30.34

keSa-prasädhanmh tv atra käminyäh käminä krtam I täni cüdayatä käntäm upavi$(am iha
dhruvam Il

keSa—of Her hair; prasädhanam—the decorative arrangement; tu— (indicates the beginning of a new
idea); atra—here; käminyäh—of the lusty girl; käminä—by the lusty boy; krtam—was done; täni—
those (the flowers); cüdayatä—by Him who was making a crest; käntäm—[on the topic of] His
consort; was done; iha—here; dhruvam—certainly.

keia-prasädhanahl tu atra käminyäh käminä krtam. käntäm (adhikrtya) täni (prasünäni) cüdayatä (tena)
iha upavi$(am (iti) dhruvam.

"Here the lusty boy arranged the hair of the lusty girl. Evidently, He sat here while fashioning those
nowers into a wreath for Her.

Sridhara Svämi
They speak upon seeing a sign that she sat between Krsna's knees. "Evidently, having Her in mind
(käntäm = käntäm adhikrtya), He sat while tying the flowers (täni = prasünäni) into an imitation of a
chaplet (cüdayatä = cüdänukärena badhnatä)."

Sanätana Gosvämi
He did Her hair with His fingers, or with a comb that He had placed on His head for that purpose. The
word tu has the sense of bhinnopakrama (a different beginning). The point of arranging Her hair is
implied: käminyäh käminä (of the lusty girl by the lusty boy). This means it was for the sake of the
good fun of being in lust.
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
Rädhä's rivals again speak, upon seeing a sign that she sat between Krsna's knees. It's understood that
He arranged Her hair with a comb provided by the presiding goddess of the forest.
"The girl is lusty: She is not in love, because she cheated her friends and went to a secluded place
by taking that libertine with her. The youth is lusty: He is not in love, because He doesn't care about
the pain that we lovey-dovey girls feel in separation from Him. "
"Certainly, sitting here was done by Him who was making the ladylove endowed with a wreath
(cüdayatä = cüdävatim kurvatä) by means of the flowers," or by means of Her braids (täni = taih 105 —
prasünaih kesair vä), in order to reveal His manliness in a humorous way. The suffix mat[up] was
elided by the rule: vin-mator luk (A$(ädhyäyi 5.3.65).

Gangä Sahäya
The participle cüdayatä is formed by adding the affix [pli in the sense of tatkaroti (he does that) after
the word cüdä (crest) (or after CÜdävati, according to Viévanätha Cakravarti). Then the suffix Satr is
adjoined: The word is in the third case ending. The word upavi$tam is in the passive impersonal voice.

Variléidhara Pandita
Nowadays, the place where this took place is called Srngära-vata (a village on the Parikramä path
between Varsänä and Nandagräma; the Banyan tree (va(a) that was once there has now disappeared).

10.30.35

reme tayä cätma-rata ätmärämo 'py akhanditah I käminäm darSayan dainyam strinäm
caiva durätmatäm If

reme—He took romantic pleasure; tayä—with Her; ca—moreover; ätma-ratah—He who is fond of
himself; ätma-ärämah—His delight is in Himself; api—although; akhanditah—complete; käminäm—
of lusty men; darfayan—while showing (or to show); dainyam—the meekness (or wretchedness);
strinäm—womea's; ca—and; eva— only (or used to fill the meter); durätmatäm—state of having a bad
nature (or hardhearted).

(sah) ätma-ratah ätmärämah api akhanditah käminäm dainyam strinäm durätmatäm ca darSayan tayä
ca reme.

"Knpa, who is self-satisfied, had a good time with Her although He is an ätmäräma. He is complete.
He thus showed how lusty men are meek and how women are hardhearted."

By changing
the case ending, Viévanätha Cakravarti is implicitly referring to this: supärh supo bhavanti,
105

"[In the Vedas,] case endings occur instead of [other] case endings" (Värttika 7.1.39). Sometimes the
B
hägavatam uses the grammar of Vedic Sanskrit.
Sridhara Svämi
These are the words of Suka. Krsna is inherently content (ätmaratah = svatas tustah). His pleasure is in
Himself (ätmärämah = svakridah). He engaged in dalliance with Her although He is whole, that is,
although He is not allured by the flirting of women. So why did He engage in dalliance? Therefore he
says the second half of the verse.

Srinätha Pandita
"Although He is an ätmäräma and so on, He had romantic pleasure in Her company while showing
how lusty men are meek, that is, they don't mind falling at the ladylove's feet and so on, and while
showing how women are hard to get (durätmatäm = duhsädhyatäm)."
Alternatively, a contrast is inferred: "He had romantic pleasure in Her company to show the
wretchedness of lusty men and the bad nature of materialistic women." This means His romantic
pleasure was transcendental.

Jiva Gosvämi
Having thus extolled His pastimes with Her, only through the gopis' mouths, now he himself extols
them. "Although He is svätma-rata and although He is ätmäräma, He had a good time (reme = nandati
sma) because of Her (tayä = tayä hetunä), by disregarding those two mindsets. " He is svätma-rata in
the sense that His desires are fulfilled only by His own: "He delights in Himself, because of His own,"
that is, the vaibhavas which are the svämSas, which includes both Laksmi and others in Vaikuntha and
the ladyloves of the village. He is their am'i. He has no need of anyone else. In the reading reme tayä
cätma-ratah, there is the fault of repetition with regard to ätmäräma, because an ätmäräma's desires
become fulfilled; and the conjunction ca (and) is connected as reme ca, which signifies: "And He had a
good time just like the girls thought He would." Further, He is an ätmäräma in the sense that He is
intent on remaining absorbed in the bliss of His nature.
The reason He disregards those two mindsets is: tayä. Because the pronoun tat, from which tayä is
made, suggests that the speaker thinks She is something else, the drift is She is the visaya (the object)
of the ä'raya (the subject) of that love which exceeds all.
Someone might wonder, "Isn't it that His romantic enjoyment with Laksmi, and even with those
ladyloves, is seen?" Sukadeva responds: akhapditah (He is complete). The gist is He never breaks up
with Her, even though there might be reasons to, such as Laksmi and the other girls, whereas She is the
reason He sometimes breaks up with them. Therefore, because He is conquered by Her love, it's
i
mplied that He offers everything He has, even Himself, to Her. And that state of being controlled by
the love of a dear one is His great quality. This was written many times before, and has been expounded
in Sri Bhägavatämrta. Thus, such is Her love that He becomes controlled by it even though He is
svätma-rata, and such is His love that even His mindset of being an ätmäräma disappears because of it.
Next he says lusty men and lusty women, both of whom lack the quality of being controlled by the
love of that type of älambana, are shown to be defeated by His glory. First of all, the nature of a lusty
man is that he lusts for serving his body, which contains gross by-products. Plus, he has no inherent
self-satisfaction, given that his body is not transcendental, not to mention that he does not have the
nature of love, characterized by feeling happy simply by satisfying the ladylove, who has affection for
him. Thus, lusty men are miserable (dainyam = durgatatvam).
The same general idea applies to lusty women, and in addition a materialistic woman doesn't have
a transcendental body which could be the reason why He would want to be romantically involved with
her. In that line of thought, the suitability for being a woman who appeals to Him will be stated later:
"Acyuta was surrounded by gopis just like the Purusa by his potencies" (10.32.10). Thus, women other
than the gopis have a bad nature (durätmatäm = duMa-svabhävatäm), that is, they feel joyful and
proud when they control the abovementioned type of miserable lover. That idea was expressed by Sri
Rukmiqi-devi:

tvak-SmaSru-roma-nakha-keSa-pinaddham antar mämsästhi-rakta-krmi-vi(-kapha-

pitta-vätam I jivac-chavarh bhajati känta-matir vimüdhä yä te padäbja-makarandam
ajighrati stri Il

"A foolish woman, one who is not smelling the fragrance of the honey of Your lotus feet, serves a
living corpse, which is covered by skin, facial hair, body hair, nails and head hair, and which inwardly
consists of mesh, bones, blood, worms, mucus, bile, air, etc., while thinking it is her beloved."
(10.60.45)

This citation also states that Sri Krsna too is something else, with the mention of "the honey of Your
lotus feet." The implication is that only some women who have such extraordinary characteristics are
fit for realizing how extraordinary He is.
priti-sandarbha 288: "Although He is inherently content (svätmaratah = svatas tu$!o 'pi) and although
His pleasure is in Himself (ätmärämo 'pi = sva-krido 'pi), while being continuously attracted to Her
(akhapditah = tasyäm satatäsaktah san) (They form a whole, a couple) He had a good time." How can
He be svätma-rata and ätmäräma and be attracted to someone? Therefore he says tayä. This means She
is the essence of the all in all of His prema, in terms of having such a quality that, much like in the
text: ittham-bhüta-gupo harih, "Such are Hari's qualities" (1.7.10), He loves Her although He is
svätma-rata and ätmäräma.
Thereafter he says all other lovers only have the conceit of considering themselves so, for in truth
this pastime of Krsna makes them look insignificant: Krsqa showed that materialistic lusty men have
dainya (scarcity), meaning they lack the excellence of Rasa, and that materialistic women have a
wicked outlook on life (durätmatäm = duMa-bhävatäm) if they serve another man without Him. The
overall analogy is similar to this: darSayad vidhu-paräjayahi ramävaktrahi ullasati dhüta-läfichanam,
"Laksmi's face, which has no mark, is splendid while showing its victory over the moon."

Sanätana Gosvämi
Alternatively, ätma-rata is in the locative case, and the suffix kta is in the passive impersonal voice.
The sense is ätma-ratau. This is syntactically connected with the two elements: "He had a good time
with Her to show lusty men that there is only unhappiness (dainyam = duhkham eva) in being fond of
oneself, and to show materialistic women that when a girl is only fond of herself, that is a state of
having a bad nature."163
All in all, it makes sense that the verse is a statement by the Vraja-devis, 164 because it involves a
special relish by not deviating from their own mood, even though the knowledge of bhagavattattva (His
identity as God) is apparent.

163
Or else the connection is just as it is in the verse: reme tayä cätma-rate, "He had a good time with Her, given that the
pleasure related to the Self. 164 This is also Vallabhäcärya's opinion. Sridhara Svämi does not comment on the next verse,
meaning He does not acknowledge it is genuine. There the word iti signifies the end of the citation (the gopis' statements).
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
After thus illustrating, by means of the gopis' statements, the profuse excellence of Her good fortune,
he interprets it with philosophical arguments. "Although He is an ätmäräma, He had a good time with
Her (tayä = tayä saha)." The reason for that is sv-ätma-ratah, "He whose own dalliance is resplendent
with Her" (sv-ätma-ratah = tayä saha Sobhamänam ätmano ramanam yasya sah). This means He does
not derive as much joy in His mindset of being an ätmäräma as He does by having romantic pleasure
in Her company. In the reading cätma-ratah, there is the fault of redundancy, because of the word
ätmäräma. Hence, to avoid that the explanation is this: ca means eva (only) 106 • "He had a good time
only with Her." Atmaratah is construed as "He whose dalliance occurs with effort" (ätma ätmanä =
yatnena). Amara's definition is: ätmä yatno dhrtir buddhih, "Ätman means effort, firmness, and
intelligence" (AmaraIcosa 3.3.109). The gist is He does so much effort because He doesn't get that
type of pleasure in His mindset of ätmäräma.
Someone might think, "Then it follows that She is complete." Therefore he says: akhanditah (He is
whole). The drift is: He is complete nonetheless. He is not incomplete, because She, the Hlädini-éakti
(the pleasure potency), is His nature. In hlädini-Sakti, the essence of total pleasure is prema (love); the
topmost stage of prema is mahä-bhäva, and so because She is the form of mahäbhäva, the Lord derives
more romantic enjoyment with Her, who is the finest essence of pleasure, than from the pleasure He
has as an ätmäräma. That was stated in a Tantra: hlädini yä mahä-Saktih sarvaSakti-variyasi, tat-sära-
bhäva-rüpeyam, "Hlädini-éakti is the great potency, the one which is better than all potencies. She is
the form of the emotion of its essence" (Gautamiya Tantra) (Ujjvala-nilamam• 4.6). In addition: and
mahäbhäva-svarüpeyam gunair ativariyasi, "She is the very form of mahäbhäva, and excels Candrävali
in terms of qualities" (Ujjvala-nilamani 4.3).
Hence the connection of the words is: "Although He is an ätmäräma, He had a good time with Her.
And although He is a svätma-rata, He is complete."
Next he says: As a result, He benefited those who have a materialistic viewpoint and are unaware
of bhagavat-tattva (the truth about the personal form of God) and concealed the truth about His
enjoyment. The sense is He taught the world that what He did cannot be understood by men who are
under the sway of lust and are controlled by women. When a man is under the sway of lust, he
becomes a wretch, and then women have a bad nature. The explanation should be done as follows
because of the words ca (also) and eva (only): Only while showing this, He also kept secret the truth
about prema-rasa (the relish of love). The Lord and His beloved are the referential scheme. Those who
gossip here and there become the reasons for concealing the truth about ujjvalaprema-rasa (the relish
of romantic love).
There is another explanation: käminärh sambandhe dainyarh darSayan. He showed the
wretchedness of lusty men and the bad nature of women. This means He was becoming the inspiration
for the lusty men to see how miserable they are and the inspiration (in reference to Rädhä) for the
women to see how bad they are. This understanding takes place by the maxim ätma-van manyate jagat,
"One thinks of the world in the same way one thinks of oneself" (i.e. by the double reverse logic of
that, "One sees oneself in contrast to someone else in the world, Krsna.").

106
This explanation is sourced in Medini-koSa: cänväcaye samähäre 'py anyonyärthe samuccaye, pak$äntare
tathä päda-pürane 'py avadhärane, "Ca is used in the meanings of anväcaya (connecting a secondary action
with a main action), samähära (combination), anyonyärtha (the sense of one and the other), samuccaya
(conjunction), paksäntaram (another alternative), päda-püranam (filling a line of a verse), and avadhärapam
(limitation (eva), restriction)."
 There is another interpretation: He showed, that is, He let the Rasikas know, that a lusty man
inevitably becomes wretched, by asking for sex, etc., and so in this matter women should be
hardhearted by refusing his advances, otherwise the Rasa does not develop.

Baladeva Vidyäbhüyapa
H
e had a good time with Her means He gave Her pleasure by embracing Her and so forth. What is He
like? He is only an ätmäräma. The word api has the sense of avadhärana (restriction). This means He
only delights in His nature. He is not a womanizer. How so? In that regard he says svätma-ratah, "He is
fond of Her, who is His soul." That is, She is not different from Him because She is the Svarüpa-éakti. In
that way there is no decrease of His state of being an ätmäräma. It was stated that way in Gopäla
Upani$ad:

yo ha vai kämena kämän kämayate sa kämi bhavati I yo ha vai tv akämena kämän kämayate
so 'kämi bhavati Il

"A person who desires sense gratification due to a yearning to enjoy is a sensualist. But one who
desires sensory objects without that yearning is not a sensualist." (GTU 2.21)

In this citation, akämena (without that yearning) means kämasadrSena prempä (with love, which
resembles lust). And therefore He is whole, meaning His potency is no longer separated from Him
(akhanditah = avicchinna-jaktikah).
Krsna did this to show how lusty men, such as Indra, who only care for their happiness, have
scarcity (dainyam), that is, they lack the excellence of Rasa, and how materialistic women, such as
Indra's wife, are hardhearted (durätmatäm = dus(a-cittatäm) inasmuch as they maintain a covert mood
of contrariness toward their man. The usage is similar to: darSayad vidhu-paräjayam... (see Priti-
sandarbha).

Näräyapa Bhatta
Now the girls talk about the reason why He did all this. Having expounded upon the enjoyment, which
was described by giving ear to the Vraja-devis' guesses and with his own realizations, now Sri Suka
informs Pariksit that Sri Krsna is only controlled by love, by the path of Rasa. The word api (although)
is connected to each word: ätma-rata, ätmäräma, and akhandita.

10.30.36-37

ity evam darsayantyas täf cerur gopyo vicetasah I l 107yäm gopim anayat kryno
vihäyänyäh striyo vane I sä ca mene tadätmänam vari$(ham sarva-yositäm I hitvä gopih
käma-yänä mäm asau bhajate priyah I l

of citation); evam—in this manner; darsayantyah—while showing; täh—those girls; ceruh—

kept moving; gopyah—the gopis; vicetasah—whose minds were gone; yäm gopim—which gopi;
anayat—He led away; krynah—Krsna; vihäya—after abandoning; anyäh striyah—the other women;

107
In Vallabhäcärya's edition, the half verse has a preliminary: Sri-Suka uväca (Sri Suka spoke).
vane—in the forest; sä—She; ca—too; mene—thought; tadä—at that time; ätmänam—Herself;
best; sarva-ymitäm—of all women; hitvä—after abandoning; gopih—the gopis; käma-yänäh—driven
by lust; mäm— Me; asau—He (or the); bhajate—serves; priyah—the lover.

iti evam dariayantyah täh gopyah vicetasah (satyah) ceruh. krspah anyäh striyah vane vihäya yähl
gopim anayat, sä ca tadä ätmänath sarva-yositäm mene: asau priyah gopih käma-yänäh hitvä
mäm (eva) bhajate (iti).

While showing off in this way, those gopis kept moving. They were out of their minds. At the time,
that gopi too, whom Knoa had carried away after abandoning the other girls in the forest, considered
Herself the best of all women: "The lover gave up the gopis who are driven by lust and is serving Me."

Sridhara Svämi
In two verses beginning from sä ca, he talks about the hardheartedness Of women. "He abandoned the
gopis whose reason for coming was lust (käma-yänäh = kämo yänam ägamana-sädhanam yäsärh täh)
a
nd is serving Me." Therefore She considered Herself the best.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Wh
ile showing to one another the signs of the couple's amusements in this way, or else in accordance
with the sequence (evam = uktaprakärena, yathä-kramam vä), they became pained by the separation by
talking that way, hence they lost their good judgment (vicetasah hata-vivekäh satyah), because:
gopyah, the gopis are only under the control of His love, and so they kept moving, or they went here
and there. Alternatively, the words ity evarh darSayantyah signify: idrSam vadantya evanz
darSayantyaS ca, "While saying this sort of thing and while showing the signs to one another in this
manner."
"At that time, She considered Herself the best of all women," that is, of all the women in the
village. In this regard, some commentators say that at first, when She was among those girls, She had
no overweening pride, but on this occasion it occurred. In truth, however, tadä (at that time) stands for
tädrSa-ratau satyäm (when that type of romance took place). The reason She felt proud is: "After
abandoning the gopis, all of them, and on top of that they had a yearning to selfishly enjoy
(kämayänäh = kämayamänäh), He affectionately follows (bhajate = prityänuvartate) only Me, and
moreover He is a lover, meaning He only has love for Me." Alternatively, "Although He is the lover of
all the women, He is only with Me." The pronoun asau (He, or the lover) means "He whose greatness
is amazing and inexpressible," in other words "He is supremely independent, and is hard to get." Thus,
She had the pride of a svädhina-bhartrkä (a woman who controls her man).

Jiva Gosvämi
The two half verses beginning from ity evam are not acknowledged by the venerable one, because if
the first half verse were to exist, it would logically contradict the notion that the previous verse was
spoken by Suka and because if the second half verse were to exist, then it would make no sense to
begin a verse with just sä ca (10.30.37).
Having thus praised the love of those two, now in two verses, which includes the verse of three
lines beginning from sä ca, he describes Her kind of huffiness, which is the subject matter and which
involves coquetry, and what happened to appease it. The idea obtained from the words sä ca tadä mene
is this: At first, when She was among those girls, She had no overweening pride, but on this occasion it
occurred.
In the case of women, two types of pride are possible when they have that sort of mood: The first
one occurs when only the lover is present, consists of the sthäyi-bhäva and abounds in joy and the like.
The other happens when some other person is present, consists of the sthäyi-bhäva and abounds in
overweening pride. She was with Him alone, and therefore, on account of the predominance of Her
deep, passionate love, She felt pride consisting of joy for a long time, and now it somehow came out.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Having described the aspect of Vrsabhänu-nandini's ujjvala-rasa called sambhoga (meeting), which
excels all, now, in order to describe the aspect called vipralambha (separation), he makes the seed of it
rise.
The sense of sä ca (that girl too) is this: Earlier, all the girls were proud of their good fortune
(1().29.48), and now She felt so too. The reason for that is He abandoned the other gopis. Kämayänäh
stands for kämayamänäh, or it means kämo yänam ägamana-sädhanarh yäsäm täh (see above). Thus,
the pique She had felt because of the gopis' good fortune had now completely subsided.

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
The sense of kämayänäh ispriyariz svam icchantir eva (He abandoned the gopis who only wanted the
lover to be their own).

10.30.38

tato gatvä vanoddeSam drptä kesavam abravit I na päraye 'ham calitum naya mäm
yatra te manah Il

ah—because of that; gatvä—after going; vana-uddejam—to a Place of the forest; drptä—She was
tat

proud; keSavam—to Kegava•, abravit—She said; na päraye—am not able; aham—l; calitum—to go;
naya—bring; mäm—Me; yatra—where; te—Your; manah— mind.
(sä) vanoddeSam gatvä tatah drptä (sati) kesavam (prati) "aham (itah agre) calitum na päraye. yatra te
manah (asti, tatra tvam) mäm naya" (iti) abravit.

Feeling proud because of that, the gopi, who had gone to that eminent part of the forest, said to
Keéava: "I'm unable to move. Take Me wherever Your mind is."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"She felt proud because of that," meaning either because of the aforesaid conceit, because of the place
of amorous enjoyment, or because She thought "He will certainly continue to take care of Me." "I am
unable to go." The reason She was unable to go is that She had exerted Herself in love games. Or She
spoke that way only on account of Her overweening pride.
He might have replied, "Sweetie, let's go to another lovely place ahead, far away from those girls."
She answered: "Take Me." The sense is: "Take Me by placing Me on Your shoulder as before."
Jiva Gosvämi
After that, meaning after She had thought of Herself as the best of all women, the two of them went
further ahead, to a special place of the forest. Feeling proud, She spoke to Keéava, so called because
He arranged Her hair, "I'm unable to go." She was unable to go inasmuch as She had become fatigued
by walking so much. This suggests a reason which was a pretext. (The rest is the same as the last
paragraph above.)

Viévanätha Cakravarti
They went to an eminent place of the forest (vanodde'am — vanasyotkn(a-pradefam). He is called
Keéava insofar as He arranged Her hair, that is, He had tied a topknot with amazing braids for Her
who was loosening up. That is the reason She felt proud.

Srinätha Pandita
The covert meaning is this: "By saying "I'm unable to go," He will stay here. Then the girls will come
to this place and meet Him. I cannot go any further by leaving My close friends behind."

10.30.39

evam uktah priyäm äha skandha äruhyatäm iti I tatas; cäntardadhe krynah sä vadhür
anvatapyata Il

evam—thus; uktah—told; priyäm—to the ladylove; äha—He says (He said); skandhe—on My
shoulder; äruhyatäm—climbing should be done; iti—(end of citation); tatah—after that; ca—and;
antardadhe—disappeared; krmah—Krsqa•, sä—She; vadhüh—the bride (or the young woman);
anvatapyata—repeatedly lamented.
' (sah) evam uktah priyärh "(evarh cet,
tarhi tvayä) skandhe äruhyatäm iti äha. tatah ca krynah antardadhe. sä vadhüh anvatapyata.

Thus addressed, Knpa told His ladylove: "Climb on My shoulder." And then He disappeared. The
young bride repeatedly lamented.

Sridhara Svämi
In the first half of the verse, the speaker illustrates the wretchedness of lusty men. In the second half,
he talks about His quality of being akhandita (complete). The sense is He disappeared when She tried
to climb on His shoulder.

Sanätana Gosvämi
He disappeared afterward (tatah = pascät), or else "from that place," or "from Her sight." The word ca
has the sense of tu, in the meaning Of bhinnopakrama (a different event). Alternatively: antardadhe ca
(He again disappeared). His disappearance had a purpose which was mentioned before. That is just
what he implies with the name Krsna, which means He is the topmost bliss in condensed form. This
mea
ns He disappeared for the sake of a special bliss. And therefore it is said: priyäm (to the ladylove). In
this context, there is a special detail in Sri Visnu Puräna:
puspa-bandhana-sammäna-krta-mänäm apäsya täm I nanda-gopa-suto yäto
märgenänena paSyata Il anuyäne 'samarthänyä nitamba-bhara-mantharä I yä gantavye
drutam yäti nimna-pädägra-sarhsthitih I l
hasta-nyastägra-hasteyam tena yäti tathä sakhi I anäyatta-pada-nyäsä lakyyate pada-
paddhatih I l hasta-samsparSa-mätrena dhürtenai'ä vimänitä I nairäSyän manda-
gäminyä nivrttam laksyate padam Il nünam uktä tvarämiti punar e;yämi te 'ntikam I
tena krsnena yenaisä tvaritä pada-paddhatih I l

"See, Nanda's son went away by this path. He did that to dispel the pride she felt after he honored her
by inserting flowers in her braids. Another girl followed him here. She was going nonchalantly, due to
the weight of her buttocks: When she needed to go fast to catch up, the tips of her feet went deeper in
the ground. When he went with this sakhi, he held her fingers in his hand: The series of her footsteps
is irregular. He merely touched the hand of this girl. The rake slighted her, and so her overweening
pride vanished: She lost hope, went slowly and ceased walking. Therek no doubt that he told this girl
"I'm going fast, but I'll come back to you", because the series of his footsteps indicates speed." (Visnu
Puräna 5.13.36-40)

The pronoun sä (she) means She was proud, or the sense is Her life only depends on seeing Him. She
repeatedly lamented (anvatapyata = muhur vilaläpa).

Jiva Gosvämi
Upon hearing what She said, a statement which was suitable for Her as a svädhina-bhartrkä and
which involved a fake fatigue, He too, with humor, disappeared. He did this so that the other girls
would not be envious of Her. It's understood that He intended to unite the rival girls. This is exactly
what He had in mind the first time He disappeared. His utter cleverness in accomplishing, with only
one deed, more than one impossible thing was displayed that way. Aho, the Lord's intelligence is well
above the intelligence of others.
Having thus shown the highest level of love, a level which consists of being a svädhina-bhartrkä
and which is based on sambhoga, with the line that begins sä he hints at the excellence of
vipralambha, even though it involved humor, to show its highest stage, consisting of bewilderment
with the topmost meekness: "She, the one whose life only depends on seeing Him, repeatedly
lamented (anvatapyata muhur vilaläpa)."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
And after that, Krsna thought as follows: "Aho, She has already given up Her natural behavior. A
genuine ladylove does not give her approval to a lover who tries to bring her to a flower bed. If She
has abandoned Her natural behavior, vämya-bhäva (mood of contrariness), then I too should give up
My nature, being a dak$ina lover, characterized by being obedient to the ladylove he has enjoyed. If
both lovers are vämya, or if both are dak$ina, the Rasa does not become very relishable. There is no
reason why the Rasikas would say I am at fault. Rasa becomes tasteful when it properly follows the
course of action begun by the ladylove.
"Moreover, now, on this occasion, My desire to see the special state She reaches in separation from
Me will be fulfilled. I've had this desire for a long time. She has a lot of love. The other gopis have
already realized how She is more fortunate than them, because She is with Me. Now let those other
gopis become immersed in an ocean of the highest astonishment by seeing the exceptional condition
Rädhä attains in separation from Me, a condition which hints at the highest level of love. Let those
girls' feeling of separation act like a burning ghee wick in front of the flames of the torrid submarine
fire of Rädhä's separation from Me.
"And after that, when Rädhä's sambhoga and vipralambha will have become complete to the fullest
extent, Srhgära-rasa too should reach the state of being fully complete. I am creating this separation
between Us. Once all the feelings She experiences in separation from Me will have subsided, all the
gopis will cease their rivalries, and thus, today, the Räsa too, which I intend to do, will be
a
ccomplished. Otherwise, if I were to remain with Her, it would be hard for Me to appease the girls'
pique in any way."
Upon considering many purposes such as these, Krsna then spoke with a desire to disappear
suddenly. "He disappeared" means that even as Rädhä watched Krsna standing there, He removed
Himself from Her vision.
When Vrsabhänu-nandini said "Take Me where Your mind is," She was thinking as follows: "I am
exhausted because of the exertion in having fun and because of the exertion of wandering in the forest,
so I need to take some rest. If Krsna spends the whole night without sleeping, that will be inauspicious
and be the rising sun of His unhappiness. Therefore, if He is leading Me to a flower bed, let Him do
so. We can take rest there together." For this reason Rädhä did not disagree.
It should be understood that the Lord's knowledge of what was going on in Her mind was covered
over by the Lilä-éakti which consists of prema-rasa, so that those various pastimes become perfect.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
The word ca means Krsna disappeared from Her heart too. She, Srimati, became pained by separation
on the spot by not seeing Him, and so She repeatedly lamented: "What did I say?" She is called a
vadhü in the sense that She is Krsna's favorite ladylove. The derivation of vadhü is either vahati
prema-räfim (she conveys a mass of love) or badhnäti prema-rasanayä priyam (she binds her lover
with the rope of love). 108

10.30.40

hä nätha ramapa pres(ha kväsi kvä.si mahä-bhuja I däsyäs te krpanäyä me sakhe dariaya
sannidhim Il

hä—ah (expressive of pain); nätha—O husband; ramana—O lover; mate; kva—where?; asi—
are [You]; kva asi—where are You?; mahä-bhuja—O You of mighty-arms; däsyäh—who am a
maidservant; te—Your; krpanäyäh—miserable; me—to Me; sakhe—O friend; dariaya—please show;
sannidhim—proximity (or presence).

hä nätha! ramana! pres(ha! (tvam) kva asi. (tvam) kva asi. mahäbhuja! sakhe! (tvam) te däsyäh
krpanäyäh me sannidhim (tava) darSaya.

108
The word vadhü means a bride or a young woman and is formed by adding the suffixes dh and ü after the
verbal root vah (to carry. convey), by Unädi-sütra 1.83: vaher dhaS ca. The word üdhä (married woman) is a past
passive participle of the verbal root vah. A bride was carried from her father's home to her husband's house.
"Ah, hubby, lover, mate, where are You? Where are You? O You of mighty arms! I am Your slave, and
am miserable. My friend, reveal how close You are to Me."

Sanätana Gosvämi
Rädhä's lamentation is described in this verse. Hä indicates distress. Or it is a vocative expressive of
pain. The word should be linked to each vocative. "Ah god of My life (nätha = präpeSvara). Ah
romantic husband (ramana bhartah, rati-däyaka). Ah lover (pres(ha priyatama). Ah You of mighty
arms, giver of deep embraces!" Of these, a relation of cause and effect between one vocative and the
next should be inferred.
There is another interpretation: "O swayer (nätha = prabho), O giver of joy (ramapa = sukha-prada)
—or else "0 organizer of various love games"—, O You who are dearer to Me than My own self (pres!
ha = ätmano 'pi sakäSät parama-priya)," because: mahäbhuja, "O maker of the greatest enjoyment."
The sense is the joy of romance was always occurring.
There is another explanation: "O nätha, due to being the prince of Vraja, O ramana, due to
accomplishing the purpose of a husband, O pres(ha, as a paramour, O mighty-armed one, since You are
most beautiful." Alternatively, while wailing "Where are You? Where are You?" on account of great
pain, She fell to the ground, desiring Him to pick Her up and to give Her a hug, and so She said:
mahäbhuja (O You of mighty arms).
"Reveal how close You are to Me" (me sannidhim darSaya = mähl prati tava sannidhim dariaya).
This means: sannihito bhava, "Be close." "Why'?" „I am Your maidservant, and am miserable to boot.
If You don't show up, I will reach the final stage, and then only You will lament." With this in mind
She says: "O friend, dearest one!" Or the sense is: "O friend. Don't deceive Me as before. I trust You. "
It's understood that afterward, She became confused and fell to the ground, because the next verse
states: mohitäm (She was bewildered). Or it is because He said: "Climb on My shoulder" (verse 39).
Out of curiosity, Krsna stayed nearby. But when He saw the other girls, He vanished.

Jiva Gosvämi
"Ah protector due to being the husband (nätha = svämitayä pälaka). Ah giver of joy suitable for a
beloved (ramana = käntocita-sukhaprada). Ah expander of love which is suitable for Me (prey(ha =
mad-visayaka-tad-ucita-prema-vistäraka). Where are You?" The sense is: "Where are You staying all
alone even though You are affectionate to Me that way? Alas, alas, because I don't know it, My mind is
wavering." "Where are You?" The repetition is due to agitation.
Then She says mahä-bhuja by again evoking the remembrance of Her good fortune, such as being
a recipient of His embrace, while becoming perplexed by remembering the distinct beauty of His
limbs, which is an uddipana of Her Rasa.
Then with complete meekness She says: "I am Your maidservant" and so on. "I am miserable." The
sense is: "I cannot tolerate this sorrow and do not know how to dispel it. Therefore don't deceive Me,
and do not sow the seed of Your remorse." This is the anubhäva called audärya (having a sincerely
good disposition), by the definition: audäryam vinayam prähuh sarvävasthä-gatam budhäh, "The
learned say audärya means being modest in any circumstance" (Rasärnava-sudhäkara 1.118) (Ujjvala-
nilamani 11.23). (This is one of the twenty or twenty-two alahkäras of Srhgära-rasa.)
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Hä nätha! I am being burned by the great fire of separation from You, and My life force is about to
leave My body. Even with the greatest endeavor I cannot stay alive. But You are the nätha of My life,
and so You can quickly save Me simply by giving Me Your darSana. '
"I ask You to save My life, not for My sake, but for Yours." That is just what She says with
ramana. "After abandoning all the other gopis, You brought Me this far to a secluded place in the forest
for the sake of the special pleasure of ramana (romance, or lovers). If I die, You will not be able to find
the happiness of amorous enjoyment anywhere. You will remember Me and thus lament out of
sorrow." Kßpa: "Let Me become unhappy. What does that matter to You?" Rädhä: "O pres(ha, because
You are My dearest, I will feel Your unhappiness millions of times more than You do. Even after I'm
dead, I will not be able to tolerate the pain that You feel. Even just one area on the nails of Your lotus
feet is worthy of receiving a waving of ghee wicks by millions of My life airs. Therefore make that
pain go away by coming close to Me, out of compassion." Knoa: "But if Your life force is on the verge
of leaving Your body, what can I do to stop that?"
Rädhä: "O mahäbhuja, simply by the touch of Your arm, which is the medicinal herb with the power to
revive the dead, My body will return to its healthy, normal state, and My life force will automatically
come back in My body and remain there."

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
"I am Your maidservant, and am miserable." He might reply, "You're My sweetheart. This language of
meekness doesn't appeal to Me." In response She says: sakhe, "O friend!" The drift is: "If I am truly
Your friend, acknowledge that We are equals."

Näräyapa Bhatta
"I am miserable: I cannot give You up, and am approaching the final stage. Show Me My real treasure
(sannidhim = samicinahi nidhim), Your lotus face."

10.30.41

Sri-Suka uväca

anvicchantyo bhagavato märgam gopyo 'vidüratah | 109dadr'uh priya-vi'lesa-mohitäm 110

duhkhitäm sakhim Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Sukadeva said; anvicchantyah—while searching for; bhagavatah—of the Lord;
märgam—the path; gopyah—the gopis; avidüratah—not too far away; dadr'uh—they saw; priya—
from Her lover; vi'leya—because of separation; mohitäm—bemused; duhkhitäm—unhappy (lovesick);
sakhim—their girlfriend.

109
gopyo vicetasah (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
pri_va-viSlesän mohitäm (BBT edition). Sanätana Gosvämi prefer this reading.
110 s
Sri-Sukah uväca—gopyah bhagavatah märgam anvicchantyah priyaviilesa-mohitäm duhkhitäm
sakhim avidüratah dadrSuh.

Sri Suka continued: While looking for the Lord's path, the gopis saw their girlfriend not too far off.
She was bemused because of separation from Her lover, and was lovesick.

Sridhara Svämi
Anvicchantyah means mrgayamänäh (while searching for). Avidüratah means samipe (nearby).

Sanätana Gosvämi
At first they saw Her from far away (vidüratah = atyanta-düre 'pi), due to Her distinct resplendence.
Alternatively: vidürato 'nvicchantyah (while searching far away): This means they were searching for
His path by going deeper in the woods. Or, by a coalescence of the vowel a, the word is avidüratah:
They saw Her nearby. But they did not hear the sounds of pain that She had made earlier.
She had been unhappy because of separation from Her lover, Sri Krsna. She became bewildered
afterward. She was in a pitiful state. With this word, mohitäm (bewildered), it is shown that Her
affection for Krsna is superior to the affection all the other girls have for Him. Those girls did an
enactment of His pastimes, due to the pain of separation, and She had moha (bewilderment to the point
of a diminution of internal awareness), which is tantamount to the final stage.
"They saw their friend." By seeing the condition She was in, they felt Her pain, and lost their
enviousness. It's understood that they helped Her recover. Then they asked Her what had happened.

Jiva Gosvämi
"They saw Her from not too far off (avidüratah = nätidüratah)." There were hindrances in seeing Her
from too far off, but it would have been possible to see Her from far off, because Her special splendor
defeats the splendor of the full moon. "She was lovesick, and so She had fainted (mohitäm =
mürcchitäm)."
The term sakhim (friend) is said because, by having empathy for Her lovesickness and especially
by seeing that He had abandoned Her, who was now all alone, their jealousy vanished and they
became united. However, at this time Her close friends experienced a special immersion in prema.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"While searching (anvicchantyah = anvesayantyah) for the path, they saw Her even though they were
very far off (vidüratah = vidürato 'pi)," because Her brilliance is like lightning.
The term sakhi is used on account of the rise of warmheartedness in the girls, even in Her rivals, by
seeing the condition She was in. Moreover, the nature of ujjvala-rasa is this, that when it is known that
the lover is separated from all the ladyloves, the ladyloves have no jealousy, hatred and the like. The
state of having affection for one another was stated as follows:

k$ipen mitho vijätiya-bhävayor esa paksayoh I irsyädin sva-parivärän yoge

I ata eva hi vi"lese snehas täsätii prakäSate Il

"When Knpa is present, to please Him Srigära-rasa might throw jealousy and its attendants to the two
camps of rival gopis. Therefore, in His absence, the girls' mutual affection becomes manifest."
(Ujjvala-nilamani 9.43)
10.30.42

tayä kathitam äkangya mäna-präptitil ca mädhavät I avamänam ca daurätmyäd vismayaD1

paramarh yayuh Il

tayä—by Her; kathitam—which were told; äkamya—upon hearing; mäna—of respect; präptim—the
obtainment; ca—both; mädhavät— from Mädhava; avamänam—the disrespect; ca—and; daurätmyät
— because of hardheartedness; vismayam—amazement; paramam— the topmost; yayuh—they
attained.

(täh) mädhavät mäna-präptirh ca daurätmyät avamänaril ca tayä kathitam äkarnya vismayam paramam
yayuh.

Jiva Gosvämi—
(täh) tayä kathitaril (sarvam vrttam) äkarpya mädhavät mänapräptirh ca (äkarnya) daurätmyät
avamänam ca (äkamya) vismayariz paramam yayuh.

She told them how Mädhava had given Her much respect, and how He had disrespected Her because
of hardheartedness. The girls' astonishment reached a new high.

Sanätana Gosvämi
She got respect from Mädhava, that is, although He is Laksmi's lover (mädhavät = laksmi-käntäd api).
She means to say that He gave Her respect only by the greatness of His compassion, not because of
Her qualities, and that He disrespected Her only because of Her fault of hardheartedness. Alternatively,
He disrespected Her insofar as He had gone far away, by deriving daurätmya either as the state where
Her body is far from Sri Krsna or as the state where Her soul, Sri Krsna, is far away (daurätmyät = Sri-
krynäd düre ätmä
Sri-kryno vä yasyäh sä durätmä, tad-bhävo daurätmyarh tasmät taddüra-gamanät).

Jiva Gosvämi
The syntactical connection is this: Upon hearing everything that happened, which was told by Her in a
manner such as this: didn't know that I had become separated from you girls, but I regained
awareness of Myself far away," and upon hearing about the obtainment of respect (mäna — sammäna),
automatically, from Mädhava, that is, from the owner of splendor, the excellence of all the qualities of
a lover which is desired by Laksmi too, and upon hearing about the disrespect, the abandonment,
caused by Her hardheartedness which was Her overweening pride, the girls attained the highest
astonishment.
In this context, the word daurätmya (hardheartedness) is used because it follows the mention of His
dainya (His wretchedness) (verse 39). In truth, however, the real meaning is this: The disrespect was
the fact that They were separated very far apart, by deriving daurätmya either as the state where Her
body is far from Sri Krsna or as the state where Her soul, Sri Krsna, is far away.
The girls' astonishment reached a new high because all His deeds performed with Her, beginning
from His disappearance, are harder to fathom than His deeds with them; because Her obtainment of
that kind of respect was not perceived by them even though they number in the millions; and because
it is completely inconceivable that She was disrespected in that situation.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
When Rädhä fully regained consciousness, because of Her friends' efforts by wailing and by doing
service such as fanning, they asked Her, "Ayi dear girlfriend, tell us what happened to You."
Rädhä replied, "My dear friends, I don't know how I became separated from you. I was foolish. I
just went with the flow. But I conclude that both My obtainment of respect and the disrespect were the
result of hardheartedness. That He gave only Me such a good treatment by disrespecting thousands of
you amorous girls and by making you burn in the fire of separation was His hardheartedness. And that I,
being foolish, if not impudent, told this prince, a trickster: "I'm unable to go. Carry Me" (verse 38) was
M
y hardheartedness, insofar as I got so much disrespect because of it• Thus, on two counts, My mind is
greatly unhappy." Resentment toward Her lover, modesty toward Her friends, and meekness toward
Herself are implied.
In this context, the word daurätmya (hardheartedness) is used by the king of sages only because it
follows the mention about Him. In truth, however, the meaning is that the disrespect was due to the
separation, by deriving daurätmya either as the state where Her body is far from Sri Krsna or as the
state where Her soul, Sri Krsna, is far away.
The girls' astonishment reached a new high: "Priya-sakhi, it is only fitting that He treated You well.
In this matter, there was no hardheartedness on His part. Your ordering Him, Your lover, when You, a
svädhina-bhartrkä, were exhausted because of amorous enjoyment was not hardheartedness on Your
part, rather it was only conducive to Rasa. However, for the anuküla lover to transgress the order of his
ladylove after enjoying her, and to then bring her to such a miserable state is indicative of
hardheartedness, which goes against the Rasa. Alas, alas, how could the greatest of great Rasikas and
the most loving ocean of kindness want to do that?"

10.30.43

tato 'viSan vanam candra-jyotsnä yävad vibhävyate I tamah pravi$(am älaksya tato
nivavrtuh striyah Il 111

tatah—after that; aviSan—they entered; vanam—the forest; candra— of the moon; jyotsnä—the light;
yävat—as far; vibhävyate—was perceived; tamah—darkness; entered; älaksya— upon
noticing; tatah—from that (or from there); nivavrtuh—desisted (or they returned); striyah—the
women.

tatah yävat (vanarh vyäpya) candra-jyotsnä vibhävyate, (tävat) striyah vanam avifan. (täh agre) tamah
pravi$tam älak$ya tatah nivavrtuh. Then all the gopis penetrated the forest as far as the moonlight was
visible. When they noticed that the area ahead of them was pitchblack, they desisted from searching.

111
nivavrtur hareh (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
 Sridhara Svämi
The women, accompanied by Her, penetrated the forest to search for Krsna. They desisted (nivavrtuh
= nivrttäh) from searching for Hari (tatah = harer anvesanät).

Sanätana Gosvämi
"When they observed that the darkness had fully entered, meaning there was complete darkness, they
turned away (nivavrtuh nivrttäh) from the forest (tatah = tasmäd vanät)." This means they turned
back. This is substantiated in Vi$nu Puräpa.•

pravi$(o gahanarh krygah padam atra na lak$yate I nivartadhvam SaSähkasya naitad

didhiti-gocarah Il

"Krspa entered a deep part of the forest: We cannot see His footprints.You all should desist from going
any further. This area is out of the reach of moonrays." (5.13.41)

Garigä Sahäya
The absence of the ätmanepada in the verb nivavrtuh is poetic license. (The proper grammatical form
is nivawtire.)

10.30044

tan-manaskäs tad-aläpäs tad-vices(äs tad-ätmikäh I tad-gunän eva gäyantyo nätmägäräni

sasmaruh Il

-manaskäh—their minds were in Him; tat-äläpäh—their gossip was about Him; tat-vice$(äh—their
tat

special gestures were His; tatätmikäh—their souls were He; tat-gunän—His qualities; eva—only;
gäyantyah—while singing; na—not; ätma—their own; ägäräpi— homes; sasmaruh—they remembered.
(täh) tan-manaskäh tad-aläpäh tad-vices(äh tad-ätmikäh tad-gunän eva gäyantyah ätmägäräni na
sasmaruh.

Their minds were in Him, their gossip was about Him, their special gestures were His, and their souls
were He. They forgot about their homes. They sang about His qualities.

Sridhara Svämi
"Their souls were He" (tad-ätmikäh = sa evätmä yäsäm täh). The sense is tan-mayyah (they were
imbued with Him).

Sanätana Gosvämi
Did they go back home? They didn't even remember their homes, let alone their bodies. They even
forgot their own souls (ätmägäräm• = ätmanah sviyäni, yadvä ätmänam deham k;etrajfiam vä, ägäräpi
grhäni deha-gehäni vä). The cause of the forgetfulness is tanmanaskäh and so forth. Their absorption
in Him in terms of mind, speech and deed is thus stated in the first three lines of the verse.
 They only sang about His qualities, not about His faults such as being harsh by abandoning them.
They sang because the Lord is fond of songs. He Himself said it:

näham vasämi vaikun!he yoginäm hrdaye na ca I mad-bhaktä yatra gäyanti tatra tisthämi
närada I l

"Närada, I reside neither in a spiritual world nor in the yogis' hearts. I abide wherever My devotees
sing." (Padma Puräna 6.92.21—22)

What is meant here is that singing is the best of all, because it is the cause of making the Lord be
subject to one's control (or because it evokes Rasa).
There is another interpretation. Their minds were like His mind, devoid of fear and so on. Their
speech were like His, profound, sweet, humorous, abounding in wordplay and so forth. Their gestures
were like His. And their bodies (ätmä = deha) were like His, in terms Of imitating the way He curves
His body in three places. Still, they only sang about His qualities. The nature of those girls is thus
described.
Moreover, it is implied that their longing to attain Him by these means only increased. It didn't stop.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
As before, when their unmäda was slight, given that the girls were only tan-manaska (their minds are
in Him), their verbosity occurred, as in "O Aévattha tree, did you see Nanda's son?" (verse 5). When
the unmäda reached the intermediate stage, while the girls were thus verbally active, they became tad-
vices(äh, meaning they imitated His deeds, as in "A girl who thought she was Krsna sucked the breast"
(verse 15). And when the unmäda reached its peak, the girls became tad-ätmikäh, that is, they became
imbued with Him while forgetting about themselves, as in "I'm Krsna. You all should see my elegant
moves" (verse 19). Only by the force of a previous samskära, they only sang about His qualities, as in
"While singing loudly about Him" (verse 4).

10.30.45

punah pulinam ägatya kälindyäh knna-bhävanäh I samavetä jaguh krynam tad-ägamana-

kähk$itäh Il

punah—again; pulinam—to the shore; ägatya—coming; kälindyäh— of the Kälindi river; kryga-
bhävanäh—they whose contemplation is on Krsna; samavetäh—assembled; jaguh—they sang; krynam
— about Krsna; tat-ägamana—was His arrival; kähk$itäh—whose desire.

(täh) kälindyäh pulinarh punah ägatya knna-bhävanäh samavetäh (satyah) krsnam tad-ägamana-
kähk$itäh jaguh.
U
pon returning to the shore of the Kälindi, the girls, who were contemplating on Knpa, got together and
sang about Knpa while wishing for His arrival.
 Sridhara Svämi
They returned to the same place on the shore of the Yamunä where they had been with Krsna. Their
desire was Krsna's arrival (tadägamana-kärik$itäh krsnasyägamanam kähk$itam yäsäm täh). They
assembled and only sang about Him.

Sanätana Gosvämi
They assembled, and loudly sang about Him so that Krsna would be able to hear. Or they did that
simply by nature, because of the pang of separation, by the maxim: na duhkham paicabhih saha,
"There is no unhappiness by being with five people. "171 Krsna is the one who attracts the heart. Or
the sense is He is the condensed form of the topmost bliss. By singing, the life force doesn't go away.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Alas, wherever we go to look for Him, He runs away from that place. Why should we take the trouble
to roam the forest? Let us bring up something about Him. " They went to the same place where all of
them had met, and sang about Him while as if proving the validity of this scriptural statement: yam
evaisa vmute tena labhyalg, "He is attainable only by one whom He chooses" (Katha Upanisad 1.2.23)
and while as if shedding light on this philosophical truth: The cause of obtaining sight of Him is His
compassion, and the cause of His compassion is a sahkirtana about Him.

Näräyapa Bhatta
Why did He return to the place where He had left them? Anticipating this, he says: krsna-bhävanäh.
They returned to that place because they thought "The shore will grant us His association" with this
intention: "Krsna will bring about romantic enjoyment on the shore." They loudly sang about Krsna,
who is the embodiment of Snigära-rasa.

171 The maxim is cited by Vallabhäcärya in his commentary on verse

10.30.41 (10.30.40 in his edition).

•apter Thirty-one

10.31.1
 gopya ücuh 112
jayati te 'dhikarh janmanä vrajah
Grayata indirä SaSvad atra hi I dayita drSyatärh diksu tävakäs tvayi
dhrtäsavas tvärh vicinvate Il (indirä)

gopyah ücuh—the gopis said;jayati—is glorious (or is supereminent); te—Your; adhikam—more:

janmanä—because of [your] birth; vrajah—the land of Vraja (Vraja-mandala, the twelve holy forests)
(or the multitude); Srayate—serves (or resides); indirä—Laksmi; SaSvat—continuously; atra hi—right
here; dayita—O lover; drSyatäm—may [you] be seen (or may seeing be done by you); dik$u—in the
cardinal directions; tävakäh—those who are Yours; tvayi—in You; dhrta-asavah—by whom the life
airs are kept; tväm— for You; vicinvate—are searching.

335
gopyah ücuh—vrajah te janmanä adhikam jayati. indirä SaSvat atra hi Srayate. dayita! (tvayä)
drSyatäm. tävakäh (gopi-janäh) tvayi dhrtäsavah tväm diksu vicinvate.

The gopis said: "Because of Your birth, Vraja is more glorious. Indirä always resides here. O
sweetheart, show Yourself. Those who belong to You and whose lives depend on You are looking for
You in all the directions.

Alternatively: "By its origination, the group that belongs to You is more eminent. Rädhä continuously
abides in it. O sweetheart, the life airs which are Yours and are kept for Your sake seek You in all the
directions. You should see this.

Sridhara Svämi ekatrimée niräéäs täh punah pulinam ägatäh I krsnam evänugäyantyah
prärthayante tad-ägamam I l

"In the thirty-first chapter, the gopis, who had lost hope and had returned to the shore, pray for Krspa's
arrival while continuously singing about Him."

"Due to Your birth, Vraja is supereminent (jayati utkarsena vartate) to a higher degree. Because You
took birth here, Indirä, Laksmi, decorates Vraja by her presence (atra hi frayate = vrajam alahkrtya
vartate). While everyone in Vraja is in good spirits, here, however, those who are Yours, the gopis
(tävakäh = tvadiyäh gopijanäh), are somehow or other keeping their life airs together only for Your
sake (tvayi = tvad-artham eva) and are searching for You. Therefore You should show up (drsyatäm =
tvayä dryyatäm = tvayä pratyak$i-bhüyatäm)." Alternatively, "You should be seen by us" (dryyatäm =
asmäbhir bhavän dryatäm). Or "You should see how these girls are looking for You."

Vallabhäcärya astävimée harer gänam svabhäväd aparädhatah I krtävajfiä gopikä hi

stotram cakrur itiryate I l ekonaviméati-vidhä gopyah svasyädhikäratah I
ekonaviméati-vidhäm stutim cakrur hareh priyäm I l

Sri-gopya ücuh (Vallabhäcärya's edition).

112
"In the twenty-eighth chapter it is said that the gopis, who had shown disrespect by
committing an offense, due to their nature, did a song which is a praise of Hari. There are nineteen
kinds of gopis. They did a praise that pleased Hari. Hence the praise consists of nineteen varieties."

The verb jayati is used at the very beginning for auspiciousness, otherwise a verb should never be used
at the beginning of a sentence. The sense is: "May the effort be done so that we become successful."
Vraja is more glorious than Vaikuntha because the Lord does not perfom this kind of pastime there.

Srinätha Pandita
The verb jayati is used at the very beginning for auspiciousness. Although the Earth is glorious, Vraja
is more glorious.
The word janäh needs to be added to tävakäh. If the word were feminine, it would be tävakyah.

Sanätana Gosvämi krsnaika-gamyo väg-artho yäsäm lekhitum isyate I

k$äntvä go-vraja-devyas tä bhaktim tanvantu me nijäm I l pita-Sri-gopikä-gita-sudhä-sära-
rasa-ériyäm I
Sridhara-sväminäm kificid ucchistam upaciyate I l

"I intend to write about the meanings of the speech of those girls. Only Knpa can understand these
meanings. May those goddesses Of the pastures for cows be patient with me and increase my bhakti. I
have collected some portions left by Sridhara Svämi, who has splendor because He imbibed the Rasa
which is the essence of the nectar of the song of the beautiful gopis."

17
3 Vallabhäcärya does not accept chapters twelve to fourteen of the tenth canto, although he comments on them. He
explains: kathä-mätram harer väcyahl sarvatrety atra kecana I kathä'h vaktuph bhägavatim kvacit Siddhäm alaukikim Il
yojayitvä tv ädhunikä adhyäya-tritaymh jaguh I Sabdärtha-sahgatinä'ii hi spas(ä tatra viruddhatä I loka-prasiddhes tac cäpi
ka
thancid rüpyate sphu(am Il (Subodhini 10.12.1).
"Vraja is more glorious"... than before, or than all. Or it is even more glorious than Sri Vaikuntha.
"...because (hi = yatah) Indirä, that is, the highest excellence in all its aspects which is like Laksmi, the
embodied form, continuously (Sasvat — nirantaram) serves (frayate = sevate) of its own accord,
without anyone asking, here in vraj a. '9174
Or Indirä herself, Laksmi, even though she is the empress of Vaikuntha, resides (Srayate = vasati)
here repeatedly, by coming and going because of her mood of being surrendered to Him or because she
is unable to stay here permanently due to shying away from that. She thus resides in Vraja because
there is more wealth here than in the spiritual world. The term adhikam can be carried forward to this
clause. The sense is: muhur ädhikyena (she serves or resides in an ever-increasing way).
Alternatively, hi has the sense of nifcaya (certainly, of course): In that line of thought, the verse
which begins tata ärabhya was stated because the eminence of Vraja had fully taken place due to His
birth in Mathurä:

tata ärabhya nandasya vrajah sarva-samrddhimän I harer niväsätma-gupai ramäkridam

abhün nrpa Il

"Since then, O king, Nanda's Vraja, which is endowed with all excellences on account of qualities of
its own due to being abode, became a place of pastimes for Ramä." (10.5.18)

Another explanation is that the text says janmanä vrajah (Vraja is glorious due to His birth) because
most of the gopis were certain that He had taken birth only in Vraja.
 The sense of drsyatäm (You should see) is jiäyatäm (You

174 The gist is: "Because Indirä serves (or resides) in Vraja, due to Your taking birth, Vraja is more glorious." Jiva Gosvämi
kept the interpretation of hi as 'because', but Viévanätha Cakravarti preferred Sanätana Gosvämi's other explanation,
whereas Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana omitted hi. The definition is: hi hetäv avadhärane, "Hi is used in the sense of either hetu
('because') or avadhärana ('only' or 'indeed') (Amara-kosa 3.3.255), and so atra hi can mean "right here" (only here). Or else
hi is used to fill the meter: tu hi ca sma ha vai päda-pürane (Amara-kosa 3.4.5).
should know). In point of dikyu (in the directions), the implied meaning is the girls had some hardship
by searching for Him all over the place. The term tävakäh means either tvayä svikrtäh (those who were
accepted by You) or tvadiyäbhimäna-vatyah (the girls who have the conceit of being Yours). And
therefore: vicinvate (they are searching), meaning they are feeling very unhappy by looking for Him.
The drift is they get so much unhappiness simply because they are tävaka, otherwise they wouldn't be
unhappy. The missing antecedent is either vayam (we) 113 or gopi-janäh (the ones who are the gopis).
The general mention is for the purpose of adding profundity to the statement. The same idea applies to
apaSyatäm in verse 15.
Krsna might reply: "You gals are not too smart. Why don't you find some other man?" In that
regard they call Him dayita (O sweetheart). The sense is no one else and nothing else appeals to those
for whom only He is dear. He might retort: "By the saying 'In the world of humans, true love does not
exist, for if it did, who would be the object of separation, and who could live in separation?', the
beloved ladyloves could not live in separation from their beloved lover." With the following words the
gopis say: "That's correct, yet the only reason we are not dying is You": "The life airs are kept because
of You (tvayi = tvayi nimitte). That is, the life airs remain alive with the hope of attaining You."
Alternatively, tvayi means tvayi visaye. This means the life airs (asavah = pränäh) do not perish due to
being placed (dhrta = nyasta) in Him.
In this chapter, every verse abounds in a similarity of consonants. For the most part, in each verse
the second phoneme of each line is the same. Sometimes the letters d and I are interchangeable. And
often, in each line the first phoneme and the sixth phoneme are the same. This was mentioned in the
commentary on Muktä-phala. 114

Jiva Gosvämi krsnaika-gamyo väg-artho yäsäm lekhitum isyate I tä eva karunä-

mayyah svikurvantu mad-ägraham I l pita-Sri-gopikä-gita-sudhä-sära-rasa-ériyäm I
Sridhara-sväminäm kiöcid avaéi$tam vicäryate I l

113
Jiva Gosvämi edited that out. If the antecedent were vayam, then tävakäh would have been in the
feminine. If the antecedent is gopi-janäh, then vayam can be added as a predicate, not as a direct modifier.
Jiva Gosvämi changed tvadiyäbhimäna-vatyah to tvadiyatäbhimäna-vatyah, but he should have left it out, for
the aforesaid reason. The feminine form of tävaka is tävaki because the word tävaka is made by adding the
affixes khan and an to yu$mad (A$(ädhyäyi 4.3.2-3) and because a word formed with takes hip in the feminine:
an

tid-dhän-ai-dvayasaj-daghnafi-mätrac-tayap(hak-thafi-kai-kvarap (Astädhyäyi 4.1.15).

114
Muktä-phala was written by Vopadeva, and Hemädri wrote the commentary, called Kaivalya-dipikä. But here Jiva
Gosvämi and Viévanätha Cakravarti changed "the sixth phoneme" to "the seventh phoneme." Hemädri had simply stated the
general idea of a similarity of consonants, without going deep in the details: unmatta-vad ity uktam. tam eva vicitrapraläpädi-
hetur unmädam prapaicayati—jayatiti. esu Slokesu ca kutühala(vas(inä varna-nirvähe citram darSitam. taträdya-vrtte
prathama-pädayor dvitiyam aksaram ya-kärah. antyayor va-kärah. te janmanädhikam jayati hi yasmät. (Kaivalya-dipikä
12.21); faradi udäiayo jalädhärah tasmin. atra päda-catu.$ke 'pi dvitiyam aksarahi rephah. (Kaivalya-dipikä 12.22 on
Bhägavatam 10.31.2). In this verse (10.31.1), each line begins with the letter y, and in each line the first and seventh phonemes
are the same. In addition, above Hemädri remarks that the consonant v is used near the end of each line.
"I intend to write about the meanings of the speech of those girls. Only Knpa can understand these
meanings. May those gopis, who are filled with compassion, accept my obstinacy. I have collected
some portions left by Sridhara Svämi, who has splendor because He imbibed the Rasa which is the
essence of the nectar of the song of the beautiful Gopikäs."

The word indirä is used in terms of a non-difference between affluence and the presiding deity of it.
The gist is wealth is profuse in its place of origin.
The gopis generate compassion by calling Him dayita (O sweetheart) because there is meekness by
the derivation: dayate 'nukampate iti dayitah, "A dayita is one who is compassionate." Or the sense is
He shows compassion only to Indirä, insofar as a trace of a reproach is obtained in conformity with
K$irasvämi's derivation: dayate cittam ädatte dayitah, "A dayita is one who takes the heart" (dayate —
ädatte = cittam ädatte). 177 (You stole our hearts. Give them back.)
Viévanätha Cakravarti ekatrimée prema-madhu-svara-tälädi-saurabhä I gopi-gitämbuja-
éreni krsnäly-äkarsini babhau I l sanätanebhyah svämibhyah Sri-gurubhyo namo namah I
yad-ucchi$taika-jivätué ceste samprati Sam prati I l

"In the thirty-first chapter is the Gopi-gitä. It is a series of lotuses whose fragrance is the voice, the
tempo and the melody, whose honey is love, and which attracts the Knpa bee. The gopis' song is thus
sublime. I repeatedly offer obeisances to Sanätana Gosvämi, to Sridhara Svämi and to my gurus. Now
I, whose life depends on what they left, am making an effort toward auspicious happiness."

177 Ksirasvämi is famous for his commentary on Amara-kosa. That citation is not in my copy of his commentary (Näma-
lihgänuiänasam (2008) Delhi: New Bharatiya Book Corporation). Only the word dayitam is listed in Amara-kosa. Some
say he also wrote a commentary on Kälidäsa's Kumära-sambhava. But the masculine form of dayita is not used in
Kumärasambhava. As an unconventional derivation, the word dayita evokes the same general sense as dayä (compassion),
since dayä is a synonym of krpä and anukampä (Amara-kosa 1.7.18). And that is fitting in this context. But the strict
etymology of the word dayita is this: The suffix [k]ta is added to the verbal root day (IA), which is listed in the meanings of
rak$ane dänagati-himsädänesu ca, and the verbal root takes i[t]. According to the two Sanskrit lexicons, Sabda-kalpa-
druma and Väcaspatyam, dayita means pati (husband) and dayitä means bhäryä (wife). Most likely, the sense of raksana is
referred to: A dayita is one who protects, and a dayitä is his wife (a wife is protected): This point will be made in verse 3: te
vayam rak$itäh (we were protected by You). Here Vallabhäcärya comments: ata eka-väram tvadiyäh paSyeti prärthanä.
evam ekayä (gopyä) darianam prärthitam. dayiteti sambodhanäd bhartr-adarsane strinäm jivanam na yuktam iti nirüpitam,
"Therefore the gopi says: 'At least one time, look at those who belong to You.' The gopi thus requests Him to show up.
Because of the vocative dayita, this idea is described: It is improper for women to keep living when they cannot see the
husband" (Subodhini 10.31.1). Further, in the neuter gender, the word dayita means something which is desired: abhi$(e
'bhipsitam hrdyam dayitam vallabham priyam (Amara-kosa 3.1.53). The neuter form in the vocative case is the same in the
masculine.
The last verse of the previous chapter stated that the gopis sang about Krsna. What did they sing? The
sage answers that here, with gopya ücuh (the gopis spoke). 178 "Due to Your birth, O sweetheart, Vraja
is eminent (jayati = utkarsena vartate)." Since no relation with anything is indicated in the text, the
drift is Vraja is eminent as compared to all the worlds. The word adhikam (more) is used to repudiate
the idea that Vaikuntha is like that too. The sense is: Vaikuntha exceeds everything in point of
eminence, but Vraja is the most eminent. The gopis put forth another reason: "Indirä, MahäLaksmi,
always serves (Srayate = sevate)." The verbal root in Srayate is Sri[i] seväyäm (to serve). In
Vaikuntha, however, she is always served. Hence Vraja is more replete with all types of excellence
than Vaikuntha is.
Next they mean to say: "Given that Vraja is fully replete with great happiness because of You, we,
Your girlfriends, do not ask You to dispel the sorrow we are feeling, even though our sorrow has never
been felt nor heard of by anyone in the world before and is highly intolerable. But at least look at us
once to make Your eyes successful." "Indeed (hi = niScitam eva), You should take a look at Vrindavan
(atra = vmdävane)."179
Krsna: "What is there to see?"
Gopis: "Your near and dear ones (tävakäh = tävakä janäh) are looking for You."
Knpa: "But why should women who are afflicted to this extent be in danger of dying?"
Gopis: "Don't worry. We, by whom the life airs are offered in You (tvayi dhrtäsavah = tvayi dhrtä
arpitäh asavo yaih), have been maddened by You. If our life airs were to always stay in us, they

178 As the words tad-gunän eva gäyantyah (10.30.44) indicate, the gopis' Song of Separation is an elaboration on
guna-kirtana, one of the ten stages of separation in Bharata Muni's methodology: abhiläsa (longing), cintana (pondering),
anusmrti (constant remembrance), gupa-kirtana (mentioning the lover's qualities), udvega (anxiety), viläpa (chatter),
unmäda (madness), vyädhi (sickness; mental ailment), jadatä (indolence), and marana (death; no desire to live)
(Nätya-'ästra 22.170-172). Most of them are vyabhicäribhävas. Rüpa Gosvämi's list was stated in a footnote in Särärtha-
dar'ini 10.30.2.
179 Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana edited that out by connecting atra with the verb in the previous clause instead (Grayate)
and by forgetting about hi.
would be burned by the fire of separation. That would be better for us. We would die in a flash and
become happy. Yet they follow Your happiness, given that You, our god, are very joyful, so why
would the body be in danger of perishing when the life airs are happy? It seems that You derive
pleasure by seeing us unhappy. "

Näräyapa Bhatia
The vocative dayita means präpa-vallabha (O You who are dear to our life force). "You should see that
those who belong to you are unhappy because of You." "Our life force depends on You." The drift is:
"We cannot live without You. Since You don't want to be seen, it would be better for us to die than to
live in this condition. You should show up. We're not alive and we're not dead. Make us die or make
us live."

10.31.2

Sarad-udäjaye sädhu-jäta-satsarasijodara-Sri-mu.9ä drSä I surata-nätha

te 'Sulka-däsikä vara-da nighnato neha kith vadhah Il

farad—of autumn; uda-ä'aye—in a pond ("a reservoir of water"); sädhu-jäta—nicely grown; sat—
eminent; sarasi-ja—of a lotus; udara—in the interior; Sri—the beauty; mu$ä—which steals; drSä—
w
ith a glance; surata-nätha—O god of lovemaking; te—Your; without payment;
däsikäh—maidservants; vara —O giver of a boon; nighnatah—[of You] who have been killing; na-—
da

not; iha—here (or now); kim—whether; vadhah—murder.

SU
rata-nätha! vara-da! Sarad-udäSaye sädhu-jäta-sat-sarasijodara-'rimusä te drSä (te) aSulka-däsikäh
(asmän) nighnatah (te) kith vadhah iha na (bhavati).
"God of lovemaking, giver of a boon, You have been killing us, Your slaves obtained without payment,
with Your glance. It steals the splendor of the interior of a lovely and full-blown lotus growing in an
autumnal pond. Are You committing a murder now?

Alternatively: "With Your glance, which steals the beauty of the middle of a fine and full-blown lotus
nourishing in a lake in the fall, You were begging for love. Now You, O nullifier of the boon, are
killing us, Your slaves obtained for free. Why don't You finish us

Sridhara Svämi
Here other gopis speak, because there were many independent speakers. Thus, in each verse the
implied introduction is the same (other gopis spoke). Krsna might have rejoined: "Keep searching.
What does that matter to Me?" They reply here. The gist is this: "Killing with a weapon is murder, but
killing with a glance is not murder? Of course it is. Therefore show up so that You can return our life
force, which You stole with Your glance." So long as the context allows, the words tvayä drSyatäm
(You should show up) should be added to every verse.

Vallabhäcärya
Regarding Sri-musä (it steals the beauty), the point is that a robber becomes a killer. The better the
thief, the better he gets at killing. Krsna 's expertise in stealing is shown. What He did was an
impossible act of grand theft: The beauty was concealed within, it belonged to an eminently good
individual (sädhu-jäta), and the individual was located in a fort, the lotus, surrounded by a moat filled
with water. On top of that, the robbery occurred in broad daylight, when the weather was warm,
meaning everyone was out and about, and so no one could go unnoticed.
"We are maidservants who weren't bought. You didn't pay anything to obtain us. We are dharma-
däsikäs, so there is no reason why we should be killed." By thus conceiving of various types Of theft,
some gopi rebukes the Lord. When the Rasa (relish) remains internal, it is enhanced, but if it becomes
outwardly manifest, it can never be complete.

Srinätha Pandita
"If You don't show up, we'll die." "The glance which takes away the beauty of aquatic lotuses has been
taking the life of us land lotuses. Although You've been killing us with Your glance (by stealing our life
force), we still ask You to become visible, by the logic that poison is the medicine for the same
poison."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The words Sri-mu$ä imply that His glance is the topmost thief, because it takes away the great wealth
which is like Laksmi and was kept in the middle of the sädhus' treasures in the fort in a lake. This
means killing is easily accomplished by a robber of that sort. In truth, however, it is said that His
glance has the highest beauty. The glance is in the singular to obliquely point out that He has a special
frame of mind when He looks at them. "With Your glance, You have been killing Your maidservants
bought without payment (aSulka-däsikäh = mülyam vinä kritä däsikäh)."
 The two vocatives suggest that killing them is inappropriate, because He had given them a boon
("You will enjoy these upcoming nights with Me") (10.22.27), yet it hadn't been fulfilled. Their desire
for surata was included in that boon.
As a pun, the vocative surata-nätha, which means surateSvara (god of lovemaking), implies that He
instilled that desire in them, and moreover the vocative vara-da signifies that by giving the boon, the
desire was made stronger. In short, the gopis are not at fault if that desire is firmly implanted in them.
The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. Or surata-nätha means su$(hu-ratänärh janänäm upatäpaka
(O You who cause pain to those who are well-disposed), inasmuch as the verbal root can have the
sense of upatäpa. 115
There is another interpretation. In this verse they say: "If we die, the fault will be Yours." The
connection is: driä surata-nätha. The sense is: "You provide the enjoyment of lovemaking simply with
Your glance." "You are killing us, Your maidservants—by letting us die in pain, due to separation. And
You are breaking the boon You gave us." In this regard, the verbal root in vara-da is do avakhandane (to
destroy). "Therefore, to rectify Your faults, You ought to come here."

Jiva Gosvämi
The eminence of the time of origination of a lotus is shown with farad (autumn), of the place of
origination with udäSaye (in a pond), of the origination itself with sädhu-jäta (nicely grown), of the
species and of every single one with sat (fine), and of its interior with udara (middle). The highest
possible stage of the splendor of a lotus is thus illustrated. This means He belittles Sri with the beauty
of His glance which steals the Sri (beauty) of that kind of lotus. Wherever His beauty comes forth, that
Sri is no longer seen. Surely, that Sri was snatched by the ever fresh beauty of His glance.
The glance is in the singular to obliquely point out that He has a special frame of mind when He
looks at them. What need be said about His casting a glance with both eyes?
As a pun: drSä is connected with surata-nätha. The sense is: he drSyaiva surata-yäcaka (O You
who beg for lovemaking, simply with a glance). He instilled that desire in them, and moreover the
vocative vara-da signifies that by giving the boon, the desire was made stronger. Thus they are not at
fault for having that desire. Plus, they are maidservants obtained without a payment. That is a good
thing. Hence He is at fault. And now His fault is even greater because: nighnatah, He is killing them by
leaving them alone.
As a play on words, to put the blame solely on Him it is shown that He is engrossed in stealing.
The act of stealing takes place in one of three ways, and He is doing all three: (l) A thief does not
reckon the colossal fault of taking the wealth of the righteous, (2) A thief knows about the most private
belonging of some other person, and (3) A thief crosses the line by going in an area which is very hard
to access.
Of those, the first aspect is expressed in farad-udäfa_ve sädhujäta-sat-sarasija, because Sarad-
udäSaye is a praise of the progenitor (the lake), which has the quality of clearness; sädhu-jäta is a
praise of the birth; and sat is a praise of the quality of being sat (good). (The lotus represents the
righteous person.) The second aspect is the fact that the beauty is in the middle of a lotus whch is in the
midst Of a huge body of water. And the third aspect is that the interior Of a lotus, called sarasija because
it has a thousand petals, is hard to penetrate with the eyes, not to mention that the lotus is in the midst
of a lake which is hard to access because it is filled to the brim given that autumn occurs after the rainy
season.
"Moreover, You snatched the ladylove which is Sri even though she was concealed as if out of fear
Of You, but You are leaving us alone although we have been fearlessly wandering in the woods." With

115
The verbal root is näth[r] yäciopatäpaiSvaryäSihsu (to beg, to cause pain. to be master, to desire).
nighnatah they say: "Although we are maidservants without a price, You have begun to kill us. This is
quite unjust." With neha kith vadhah they exclaim: "People shouldn't know that You committed a theft.
So why don't You kill us? "181
There is another explanation: By the sound, te 'Sulka-däsikäh means te Sulka-däsikäh. "We are
maidservants who were bought by means of Your glance." The derivation is: sulkena däsikäh, they
became maidservants because of a payment, that glance. Although they are that way, He is killing
them by leaving them alone. Moreover, surata-nätha means susthu-ratänärh janänäm upatäpaka (O You
who cause pain to those who are well-disposed), as the verbal root can have the sense Of upatäpa. And
vara-da means nijavara-cchedaka (O You who are breaking Your boon), where the verbal root is do
avakhandane (to destroy) (4P). "Therefore You ought to come, especially to rectify Your faults."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Krsna might retort, "How can you insinuate that I want to make you unhappy?" They reply here: "Not
only that. You're just killing us."
"With a glance, You used to beg us for amorous pleasure, and with that glance You used to give us
the happiness that we wanted (vara-da — abhi'(a-sukhahi dadäsi). But You've been killing us by
taking away our life force, thus You're putting an end to our happiness in this life and in the next
(vara-da = sukham dyasi khandayasi). You have a killer glance.'
The reason the girls became His slaves without getting any Payment is that He is the cakravarti Of
great thieves due to His Capacity to create moha (bewilderment) and unmäda (madness) in

181 Krsna steals from lotuses, thus He is a bee. He has a weapon of choice. Conversely, "We weren't paid: No one is
conducting a sting operation on You."
them. To express that reason, they give details about His glance: It steals the splendor, that is, the
excellence, situated in the middle of an eminent lotus in bloom in a lake filled with limpid and deep
water in autumn. If His glance is able to enter the consciousness of an eminent person of noble descent
whose mind is clear and deep, what can be said about His effect on the girls?
"His glance is some thief. The wealth of our amorous pleasure was given of our own accord by us
who had been maddened by the throwing of the powders (a standard technique of Vedic burglars) of
mohana and unmäda by someone who shall not be named. And then we gave Him our life force. We're
dying here." The implied sense is: "You should be prepared to accept the consequences of killing
thousands of women." The subsequent implied meaning is: "Out of fear of being responsible for this
sin, You should show up."

Näräyapa Bhatta
"Hey giver of a boon, the one that You said: mayemä ramsyatha ksapäh, "You will enjoy these nights
with Me" (10.22.27), is the murder of those who have come to let that happen appropriate? Of course
not." Alternatively: "We are Your maidservants, who were purchased with Your glance. You are killing
us softly. This is not a contemptible murder on Your part?" (kith vadhah = kihl-vadhah = kutsito
vadhah). 116

116
The rule is: kimah k;epe (A$tädhyäyi 5.4.70).
10.31.3

visa-jaläpyayäd vyäla-räksasäd varsa-märutäd vaidyutänalät I vrsa-

mayätmajäd viSvato bhayäd rsabha te vavahz raksitä muhuh Il with
poison; jala—by water; apyayät—from destruction; vyäla-räksasät—from
the demon who was a snake; varsa—from rain; märutät—from the wind;
vaidyuta-analät—from the fire of the thunderbolt; vrsa—from the bull;
maya-ätmajät— from the son of Maya; viSvatah—all; bhayät—from fear;
ryabha—O bull (best); te—by You; vayam—we; rak$itäh—were protected;
muhuh—repeatedly.

r;abha! visa-jaläpyayät vyäla-räksasät varsa-märutät vaidyutänalät vrsa-mayätmajät viSvatah bhayät

(ca) vayarh te muhuh rak$itäh.

"O bull among men, You saved us many times: You protected us from destruction by poisonous
waters, from the demoniac python, from wind and rain, from the fire of the thunderbolt, from the bull,
and from Maya's son. You also delivered us from all types of fear.

Sridhara Svämi
Here they say: "Moreover, after saving us from death many times, out of compassion, why do You kill
us by dispatching Cupid by means of Your glance now?" "O best of all (nabha = Sres(ha), we were
protected from destruction from poisonous water (visa-jaläpyayät = visa-mayäj jaläd yo 'pyayo näSas
tasmät), from Aghäsura, from rain, from wind (varsa-märutät = varyän märutät), from the fall of the
thunderbolt (vaidyutänalät = ajani-pätät), from Arista, from Vyoma (vrsa-mayätmajät = vryo tasmän
mayätmajäd vyomät), from all Other things and from fear (viSvato bhayät = anyasmäd api sarvato
bhayäc ca), by means of the subduing of Käliya and others, so why do You neglect us now?"

Vallabhäcärya
O
ther gopis, the soft ones, speak. "We were protected by You (te - tvayä) many times, so protect us now
too." The poisonous water was Käliya's lake. The snakes (vyäla = sarpa) include Käliya and SUdaréana
(Sahkhacüda). The Räksasas are Trnävarta and others. In the compound vyäla-räksasät, the singular is
used by considering them to be of the same kind (eka-vad-bhäva). The gopis didn't bother making
distinctions between past events and future events because they knew everything.

Sanätana Gosvämi
They say "We were protected" due to an upsurge of love, either because they and their relatives were
protected by Krsna's saving both the cows and the cowherd boys from the poisonous waters, etc., and
the entire land of Vraja from the rains and so forth, or because they thought that everyone was saved
just by the fact that Krsna was well and unhurt.
 The compound vrsa-mayätmajät (from Arista and from Vyoma) hints at future events (chapters 36
and 37). The girls mention them as past events since they were certain the events were going to
happen, because the gopis naturally knew everything and especially because they automatically had a
vision of those, given that the girls' love was flying high due to the pain of separation. That is also the
reason they mention the events out of sequence.
"Gosh, there were too many to count! We were saved by You (ta = tvayä), or else we who belong
to You (te = tvadiyäh) were saved, from the fear of all (viSvatah)," including Pütanä, the cart demon,
Trnävarta, the two arjuna trees, Baka, Vatsa, the forest conflagration, and Keéi. And that was fitting.
This is just what they indicate with the vocative "O best of all (ryabha = sarvatah Sre$!ha) because of
Your compassion and so on." (Or a bull, nabha, is a symbol of dharma.) The rest was revealed by
Sridhara Svämi.
There is another explanation: "They, the cowherd men (te = gopäh), and we were saved again and
again—the word tvayä (by You) is understood in the context, besides the term 'the cowherd men' is not
specifically mentioned because that would be improper under the circumstances—from the snakes
(vyäla = sarpa) such as Käliya, from the Räksasas such as Pütanä, Baka and Agha, and also
Sahkhacüda because the Yaksas and the Räksasas are not really different, as evidenced in the narration
of Sri Dhruva—the singular is used in consideration of the jäti (category), and the dvandva compound
is declined in the singular117• the same understanding applies for the ones ahead—, from the rain sent
by the Samvartaka clouds dispatched by wrathful Indra, from the wind that occurred at that time and
also from the wind created by Trnävarta, from the lightning strikes (vaidyuta = vidyut-samüha) which
happened during the aforesaid deluge, from the fires, that is, the two conflagrations, and from all
others (viSvatah = itarebhyah) including the cart demon. "
The drift is: "We were thus saved in a general way. But now we, for whom You are the only focus,
ought to be saved in a special way." The rest of the explanation is the same as the above. Or the word
kim (question marker) is carried forward from the previous verse. The sense is: "Why did You protect
us at all? Had we died on any of those occasions, we would be better off." In this regard, it should be
inferred that the enumeration is sequentially increasing in point of being hard to kill.

Jiva Gosvämi
"We were protected by You both in terms of being connected to the others and by being part of the
general population." "You saved us from destruction caused by drinking the poisonous water of Käliya
's lake, insofar as the cows and the boys had died. You also saved us from Agha (vyäla-räksasät =
aghät) who had swallowed the boys and the calves. By saving them, the life of the village, You
protected the village, and in that way we too were protected." The protection in terms of being
connected to the others is thus shown. Agha was a Räksasa, in accordance with this text: rakso
viditväkhila-bhüta-hrtsthitah, "The Lord, who is in the hearts of all beings, knew that he was a
Räksasa" (10.12.25).
"By Your holding Sri Govardhana, we were saved from wind that was mixed with rain (varsa-
märutät = varsa-miirän

n't have breath" (A$(ädhyäyi 2.4.6); apräni-dravya-jätinäm (HNV 972), and vyäla-räk$asät is singular by considering the
do

Räks•asas to be animals, by the rule: vibhä$ä vrksa-mrga-trna-dhänya-vyaijana-pasu-fakuny-afvavadava-

117
The rule is: sarvo 'pi dvandvo vibhäsayaika-vad bhavati, "All dvandva compounds can optionally be
singular" (Käfikä 1.2.63); sarve 'pi rämakrsnä vibhä$ayaika-vad bhavanti (Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 976)• Jiva
Gosvämi refers to KäSikä's statement in Krama-sandarbha 11.2.53• Another explanation is that varsa-märutät
and vaidyutänalät are singular by the rule: jätir apräninäm, "There is samähära of the jätis of things which
pürväparädharottaränäm, "There is optionally samähära of trees, Of wild animals, of grasses, of grains, of vegetables, of
domestic animals, and Of birds, provided there is plurality of each one" (As(ädhyäyi 2.4.12).
184
Usually the word miSra is added when the word it modifies is food, by the rule: bhak$yena mifri-karanam (A$(ädhyäyi
2.1.35); samskära-dravyam
and from the fire of lightning." The protection in terms of being part of the general population is thus
shown.
The word vrsa-mayätmajät is a samähära dvandva compound. The gopis were saved from
Vatsäsura, who looked like a calf at first but ended up as a bull inasmuch as his body became huge
after he was killed (10.11.44), and from Vyomäsura, the son of Maya. Again the protection in terms of
being connected to the others is shown. The killing of Vyoma was earlier in time, just like varäha-toko
niragät (3.3.18), because that pastime is going to be ascertained as a deed of very early childhood
(Laghu-vaisnava-tosapi 10.45.3). 185 Alternatively, the gopis were saved from Vatsäsura, the son of a
bull, and from Vyoma, the son of Maya (vrsa-mayätmajät = vrsätmajän mayätmajäc ca).
Next, by combining them all together they say: viSvato bhayät. Then they state the qualification
for all of the above: "O best of all" (r;abha = sarva-jre$(ha).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"O best of men (r;abha = purusa-jrestha), putting our faith in You as our protector, we come to You to
assuage the burning fever inflicted by Cupid. If You neglect us, we will burn in the blazing fire of
separation from You, which is millions of times more intense than that heat. Are You not afraid of
killing those who place their trust in You?"
Although the killings of Arista and Vyoma are future events, they are mentioned here as past
events because the gopis had

bhaksyena (HNV 945). But the same idea is obtained by replacing mifrät with yuktät (which has). At any rate, for this
compound there is no need to refer to the rule: sarvo 'pi dvandvo vibhä$ayaika-vad bhavati (KäSikä 1.2.63).
185 The story of Varäha is narrated in the context of the Sväyambhuva Manvantara although it occurred in the Cäksusa
Manvantara: vastutas tu cäk$usäntara-samplave eväyam prasahgah. ata eva sväyambhuvädisamplave (Krama-sandarbha
3.13.31). In the case of Vyoma, however, the narration occurs in the context of Krsna's kaiSora whereas the episode
actually occurred in His bälya, according to Jiva Gosvämi. But Viévanätha Cakravarti follows Rüpa Gosvämi's opinion that
Varäha appeared twice, once in each Manvantara, and that Maitreya combined both stories into one. (Särärtha-darfini
3.13.31) (Laghu-bhägavatämrta 1.3.10-17)
heard about Krsna's horoscope from Garga and Bhäguri (hence the gopis considered those deeds
already accomplished: Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana).

10.31.4

na khalu gopikä-nandano bhavän akhila-dehinäm antarätma-drk I

vikhanasärthito vifva-guptaye sakha udeyivän sätvatäm kule Il

na—not; khalu—(used as an ornament of the sentence); gopikä— of the gopi (Yaéodä); nandanah—
the son; bhavän—You; akhila— of all; dehinäm—embodied souls; antah-ätma—of the inner mind; drk
—the seer; vikhanasä—by Brahmä; arthitah—asked; vifvaguptaye—for the protection of the world (or
for the concealment from all); sakhe—O friend; udeyivän—You arose (made with the verbal root i[n]
gatau and the suffix kvasu); sätvatäm—of the Yädavas; kule—in the dynasty.

sakhe! khalu bhavän gopikä-nandanah na (bhavati. bhavän) akhiladehinäm antarätma-drk viSva-

guptaye vikhanasä arthitah (san) sätvatärh kule udeyivän.

"Dear friend, You are not the darling son of a gopi. You are the witness of the intelligence of all
embodied souls. Asked by Brahmä to protect the world, You arose in the dynasty of the Sätvatas.

Alternatively: "Dear friend, You are not the son of Your mother. And obviously You don't see the
hearts of all beings. Asked by Brahmä (who is known to request his subjects to increase progeny), You
took birth in a line of the Yädavas for the purpose of remaining hidden from the external world.

Sridhara Svämi
They speak with this in mind: "It is utterly inappropriate for You who have descended to protect the
world to disregard Your devotees." "Dear friend, assuredly (khalu = niScitam) You are not Yaéodä's
son, but the witness of the intellect (antarätma-drk = buddhi-säk$i) of all living beings." Can He be
seen? In that regard they say: "Requested (arthitah = prärthitah) by Brahmä to protect the world, You
arose
(udeyivän = uditah) in the dynasty of the Sätvatas."

Vallabhäcärya
Given that the Lord is Nanda's son, all rebukes directed at Him are appropriate. But He is not only
that, hence all rebukes of Him are improper.
"You are not Yaéodä's son. If You were, we Gopikäs would be able to control You like she does.
You are not only Purusottama, the overlord of Vaikuntha, rather You see what goes on in the minds of
all, including ours." Therefore, if He were to see the type of affliction that is in their hearts, He would
be happy. Thus nothing more need be said to Him.
"You have come to protect everyone, including us. If we were on the verge of dying and You knew
about our condition, You would save us."
Brahmä is called Vikhanas because he digs [from the mine of the Vedas] in a special way, meaning
he ponders over the purport of the Vedas in every way: (vikhanä = vi'esena khanatiti sarvathä
vedärthavicärakah). Thus, the Vaikhänasa system was made by Brahmä and propounds a method of
worshiping the Lord. God accepts formal worship only by that method. The püjä is done that way in
Vehkata and elsewhere. 118
"Because You are the inner Soul, You are the friend of all beings. To reveal this to the world, You
made Your appearance in the dynasty of the Yädavas. As per Your own will, You give the inspiration."
Something special should be said to Him who has thus come. And that takes the form of ätma-

118
Vehkata is where the deity of Lord VehkateSwara (Balaji, Lord of the Vehkata Hills) is located, on the
outskirts of Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). The Vehkata Hills are also called the Tirumala Hills, hence
Vehkateévara is also called Tiru-pati. Those hills are so long and so beautiful (the rest Of the state is flat) that
in ancient times the inhabitants must have seen God in that wonder, and so they installed a deity. This in
accordance with the axiom: raso vai sah (God is Rasa). The temple follows Vaikhänasa Ägama. The
organization in charge of that temple also manages the temple in Udupi (Karnataka). The line for dariana
is shorter in Udupi. There is an unwritten rule that a man must take off his upper garments before seeing
the deity, to
nivedanam (revealing one's true feelings to the Lord; or entirely offering oneself to God) (as in the
expression: sakhyam ätma-nivedanam, 7.5.23). "Hence what can we possibly inform You of? Let's do
what is appropriate."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"You do not only exist outwardly, You also exist within, as the witness of the intelligence of all beings,
therefore You already know that we are unhappy." The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation: "Although You are the witness of the intelligence of all beings, are
You not Gopikä-nandana, the delighter of the gopis? Of course You are, therefore we deserve to be
delighted by You. But You did not take birth in a family of cowherds, rather You took birth in a line of
Yädavas (sätvatäm = sätvatänäm = yädavänäm) to destroy everyone (avifva-guptaye = jagat-
sarhhäräya). "
Alternatively, because na[fi] is stated at the very beginning, it is connected to the other clauses too:
"Hey spoilsport (asakhe = pratiküla) (viSva-guptaye sakha = viSva-guptaye 'sakha), You are not the
son of Yaéodä. If You were, You wouldn't disregard us and You would show qualities such as being
controlled by a devotee, like You did in Dämodara-lilä. Or, You are not Gopikä-nandana, in the sense
that You do not delight us women of Vraja, otherwise we wouldn't be in this situation and the exact
opposite would be happening. Moreover, You are not the witness of the intelligence Of all beings,
because if You were You would know that we are

show complete surrender to God. In Tirumala, the emphasis is on shaving the head. Moreover, there are two kinds of
Vaisnava Ägamas: Vaikhänasa and Paöcarätra. The Vaikhänasa Ägama derives its name from Vikhanas Muni. He was an
incarnation of Brahmä who lived in Naimisäranya and taught the formal worship of Visnu to his four disciples: Marici,
Atri, Bhrgu and Kasyapa. The two works of Vikhanas, Vaikhänasa-kalpa-sütra and Daivika-sütra, are no longer available.
Most Vaikhänasa Vaisnavas are in South India: They place more emphasis on rituals than on high-minded Philosophy and
are not formally affiliated with the tradition of Rämänuja.
unhappy. You were not• asked by Brahmä to protect the world, otherwise You would protect us. Nor
did You arise in the line of the Sätvatas, otherwise You would abound in unconditional compassion
like they do."
There is another explanation: sakhe is separated as sa khe. "You, who are well-known (sa = sah =
prasiddhah) as the witness of the intelligence of all beings, were requested by Brahmä to descend in a
line of devotees to protect the world. But obviously, You have Your head in the clouds (khe udeyivän =
äkäSe udeyivän): Like the sky, You have no ties and are aloof. Thus, You are not Gopikänandana.'

Jiva Gosvämi
He might say, "You are not My devotees." They respond with vikhanasärthito viSva-guptaye. "You
should care for us because Brahmä requested You to protect everyone. In truth, however, among the
devotees we have a special mood, and so we especially deserve that You care about us." They express
this with sakhe (O friend).
Or the following is to be understood: The gopis obtained knowledge of the Lord's aiSvarya
(godhood, godly might) by hearing from sages about His glory. Thus, although the gopis are only in
the mood of mädhurya (sweetness), which consists of seeing Him only as Sri Gopikä-nandana, they
turn those various types of aiSvarya into reasons to motivate Him to do what they want Him to do, as
though they are begging to get what they want. The same understanding applies to other such instances
too. The rest was expounded by Sridhara Svämi.
 Alternatively, khalu has the sense of pratisedha (negation). 119"It is not that You are not Gopikä-
nandana because You are the witness of the intelligence of all beings. Hence You should care about us.
"
Or perhaps they speak with sarcasm: "You are not Gopikänandana, the son of Yaéodä, the queen of
Vraja who cares about us with the highest kindness, rather You are only Paramätmä because You are
completely indifferent to everything."

Näräyapa Bhatta
"Obviously, You don't delight us gopis" (na gopikä-nandanah — gopikäh änandayati iti na).
Alternatively: "You are not a delighter of gopis?" This is said with käku (modulation of the tone of
voice).
Brahmä is called Vikhanas because he digs in a special way, meaning he ponders over the purport
of the Vedas: viSesena khanati vedärtharh vicärayatiti vikhanä brahmä.
The verse has another meaning because na[i] at the very beginning negates everything after it: "It
is not that You, Gopikänandana, were petitioned by Vikhanas to remain hidden from everyone 188
(viSva-guptaye = viSvasmät guptaye apräkatyäya antardhänärtham) and rose in a line of devotees.
Otherwise we wouldn't be so unhappy. If You, the witness of the intellect of all beings, know about our
suffering, why do You remain silent?" The gist is: "We don't know why You're giving us the blues."

10.31.5

viracitäbhayarh vrmi-dhurya te caranam 189 iyu$äm samsrter bhayät I

kara-saroruharh känta käma-dam
'irasi dhehi nah Sri-kara-graham Il

1
88 In Manu-smrti, it is said that an anchorite (Vänaprastha) may Optionally follow the rules set forth by Vikhanas: puya-
müla-phalair väpi kevalair vartayet sadä, käla-pakvaih svayam Sirnair vaikhänasa-mate sthitah, "Or, abiding by the
Vaikhänasa system, he may constantly subsist only on flowers, roots, and fruits which have been ripened by time and have
fallen by themselves" (6.21).
189 Saranam (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
viracita—is made; abhayam—because of which the fearlessness; vrsni-dhurya—O leader of the
Vrsnis; te—Your; caranam—feet; iyuyäm—of those who approach; samsrteh—of transmigration (the
cycle of material birth and death) (or of fully going); bhayät— out of fear, kara—hand; sarah-ruham—
[like] a lotus; sweetheart; käma-dam—which gives (or fulfills) desires (or which puts an end to
Cupid); Sirasi—on the head; dhehi—put; nah—our; Sri-kara—Laksmi's hand; graham—which takes.

vrsni-dhurya! känta! (tvam) samsrteh bhayät caranam iyu$ähl viracitäbhayam kara-saroruham käma-
dam te Sri-kara-graham nah 'irasi dhehi.

119
The definition is: nisedha-väkyälahkära-jijiäsänunaye khalu, "Khalu is used in the sense of nisedha
(prohibition, negation), as an ornament Of a sentence, in the sense of a desire to understand, and in the
sense of showing respect" (Amara-kosa 3.3.254).
"Leader of the Vrspis, Your lotus-like hand bestows fearlessness to those who approach Your feet out
of fear of material life. Sweetheart, place Your hand on our heads. It ends the torment inflicted by
Cupid and held Laksmi's hand.

Alternatively: "O best of the Vnpis, place Your lotus hand on one of our heads. That would bestow
fearlessness to us who seek Your support, because we are afraid of trekking too far. Beloved, Your
hand fulfills desires. Taking Your hand makes a resplendence.

Sridhara Svämi
In four verses they say: "Therefore fulfill our fourfold prayer, since we are Your devotees." His hand
bestows fearlessness (viracitäbhayam = viracitam dattam abhayam yena tat) to living beings who have
taken shelter of Him (carapam iyusäm = Saranarh präptänärh präninäm).

Vallabhäcärya
Now the sättvika-sättviki gopis, who are distinguished from those who are mostly characterized by
rajas and who thought "Our hearts are quivering. If no request is made, He will not bestow anything,"
request a connection between the Lord's hand and their heads: "Place Your lotus hand on our heads so
that all our limbs may be rejuvenated." A lotus is cooling, and moreover its place of origination is a
still lake, hence the heat of the gopis' sorrow will be mitigated that way. Placing one's hand on another
person's head signifies accepting the latter individual as subordinate. Afterward, His hand is described
as käma-dam, meaning it will bestow Cupid again.
Someone might object: "The Lord is Purusottama and is meditated upon by yogis, so why would
He touch women?" In answer to this, it is said: Sri-kara-graham. In His form as Näräyana, He took
Laksmi's hand in marriage. Thus He is a Grhastha. "He married Laksmi by the rules. But why would
He touch them?" In response they say: samsrter bhayät Saranam iyu$äm viracitäbhayam. The drift is
this: Compared to marriage, protecting those who are surrended is more important, not to mention that
it is the customary dharma of God. "But that is prohibited. How could He possibly protect them?" In
that regard they say: vrmi-dhurya, "O best (dhurya = Sre$!ha) of the Vrsnis." Vrsni took birth in Yadu's
line and had many women. The Lord, the maker of the dynasty of the Yadus, is the best in that dynasty.
In addition, women approach the Lord out of fear of samsära (transmigration). Samsära is not
inherently bad, but is a cause of intolerable sorrow. In a similar way, the gopis have great sorrow.
Bhagavän dispels that by means of dry!a (foreseen potential results of deeds) and adr$(a (unforeseen
potential results of deeds). Fearlessness is implied simply by this. Therefore they address Him as
känta. "You are our husband, hence remember Your pledge and do what women want."

Sanätana Gosvämi
With viracitäbhayam, it is said that His hand bestows liberation. Käma-dam means His hand fulfills
the desires of those who ask for dharma, artha and käma. Being a bestower of the tri-varga and of
bhakti are stated thus. With Sri-kara-graham, it is said that He is under the control of a dear person,
due to pure love, and that He is Rasika. In point of eminence, those three terms are mentioned in
increasing order. The metaphor with a lotus implies that His hand is the prize because His hand is
naturally cooling and sweet. The liberation mentioned above only denotes the cessation of the series Of
various unhappy moments, in order to facilitate the increase of the affluence of pure love which is free
from obstacles. The tri-varga is accepted since it is useful to achieve pure love, but the rest should be
disregarded by devotees.
 Krsna might say: "You girls are not worthy of My putting My hand on your heads." They respond:
"True. Still, put it there in consideration of Your own glory." They express this with the vocative vrsni-
dhurya. The sense is: "You descended in the dynasty of a particular Yadu to reveal Your personal,
infinite sweetness." And with the vocative känta, which means priya (O beloved), they say "Put it there
with a special mood." The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. 120
Alternatively, the metaphor with a lotus implies that His hand will dispel the heat of their
affliction. With viracitäbhayam and so on, they say it will end their fear of separation. The import of
Srikara-graham is that by this example, the gopis can expect the same kind of thing to happen to them.
Or the idea is: "Although You took Laksmi's hand, place Your lotus hand on our heads." The reason for
that is vrsni-dhurya.
In like manner, in the verse that begins apy ahghri-müle patitasya (10.38.16), Akrüra will ask
Krsna to place His lotus hand on his head to remove all fear.

Jiva Gosvämi
(The commentary is the same as the first two paragraphs in Brhadvaisnava-tosani. In addition:)
Alternatively, because He controls Sri, the presiding deity of excellences, under His control, insofar as
she lives in His Gokula, His hand as if took her hand. Therefore, obtaining His hand on their heads
means their fear of separation from Him will be dispelled, and concomitantly they will have all sorts of
excellences.
The vocative vrsni-dhurya signifies •'0 ornament of the line of the king of Vraja, who is a particular
Vrsni." The gist is: "We naturally deserve to be protected. We should never be neglected." Either way,
the purport of "Place Your hand on our heads" is this: "Accept us, for crying out loud."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"O affectionate speakers, I disappeared only to drink the nectar of your words of loving anger. Now I
that have fulfilled that desire, you can choose your boon." Thinking He was satisfied, the gopis felt
relieved. In four verses, they ask four separate things.

Gopis: "O best of the Vrsnis, O sun for the lotus of Your family, place Your lotus hand on our heads."
Knpa: "Why?"
Gopis: "The touch of Your hand dispels Cupid (käma-dam = kämarh dyati khapda_yati), in fear of
whose arrows we approached You for shelter, even while it bestows Cupid (käma-dam = kämarh dadad
api). You cannot say that You are unable to dispel Cupid, because Your hand bestows fearlessness to
people who have surrendered to You out of fear of transmigration. For one who is able to protect
everyone from the fear of samsära, what effort would it take to protect a person from the fear of lust?"
Knna: "In that case, may I place My hand on your chests? That is where I want to put it."
Gopis: "No, Your hand was held by Laksmi's hands (Sri-karagraham = Sriyä laksmyä karäbhyärh
grahanath tad-dhäranärtham yasya tat) to prevent You from putting Your hand on her chest, hence we
too should prevent You from doing that."

120
Madhu represents the fifteenth generation after Yadu, and Vrsni was Madhu's eldest son. The
Bhägavatam states that the Mädhavas and the Vrsnis are so called after them (9.23.29-30). However, several
other descendants of Yadu are called Madhu and Vrsni. For example, Vrsni is also the name of Sätvata's
son (9.24.6).
Näräyapa Bhatta
"How should I protect you?" They respond here. "Your lotus hand bestows fearlessness to people who
take shelter of You out of fear of samsrti, and we too have taken shelter of You out of fear of samsrti,
t
hat is, out of fear of lust, 'that because of which going on a tryst is complete' (samsrteh = samyak srtih
saranam abhisaranam yasmät samsrtih kämas tasya). Assuage the heat of our lust. Taking Your lotus
hand affords all types of excellence (Sri-kara-graham = sarvasampat-sampädako graho grahapam
ägraho vä yasya). "

10.31.6

vraja-janärti-han vira yo$itäth nija-jana-smaya-dhvamsana-smita I

bhaja sakhe bhavat-kihkarih sma no jalaruhänanam cäru darSaya I l

vraja-jana—of the people of Vraja; ärti—of the pain; han—O killer; vira—O hero; yositäm—of
women; nija—own; jana—of the people; smaya—the false pride; dhvamsana—destroys; smita—
whose smiling; bhaja—serve; sakhe—O friend; bhavat—Your; kihkarih— maidservants; sma—(used
to fill the meter); nah—us; jala-ruha— lotus ("growing in water"); änanam—Your face; cäru—
beautiful; dariaya—show.

vraja-janärti-han! yo$itärh vira! nija-jana-smaya-dhvarhsana-smita! sakhe! (tvam) bhavat-kihkarih nah

bhaja. (tvam) cärujalaruhänanmil darSaya.

"You, the dispeller of the pain of the people of Vraja, and the women's hero, have a smile that
disintegrates the false pride of Your entourage. Dear friend, reciprocate with us, Your slaves. Show us
Your beautiful lotus-like face.

Sridhara Svämi
Smaya means garva (false pride). "Dear friend, decidedly (sma = niScitam) make us (nah = asmän),
Your maidservants, connect with You (bhaja = äSraya). But first of all, show us women (yoyitäm =
yositäm nah) Your beautiful lotus face."

Vallabhäcärya
Now a tämasi gopi, who is bolder, asks Him the same thing. She addresses Him with the term sakhe
(dear friend) to indicate that He should not deceive them. "Reciprocate with us." Here the verb bhaja
(serve, i.e. reciprocate) is used like the verb bhajämi is in His promise: ye yathä mähl prapadyante
täh•zs tathaiva bhajämy aham, "l serve them in the same way they devote themselves to Me"
(Bhagavad-gitä 4.11).
Krsqa is a hero of women (yositäm vira). In the world, He alone is fit for such a vocative because
only He is able to fulfill their desires. Moreover, His smile shatters the false pride of those whom He
considers His own. To dispel their false pride, abandoning them is not the means. Rather He should
show His smile. Further, His face is like a lotus (jalaruhänanam = kamala-sadrSam änanam): When the
nectar of His face is drunk, no trace of a fault remains in the onlooker. Thus, a friend should
reciprocate with a friend.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Not only should He place His divine hand on our heads, our desire should be fulfilled." This was
implied before, and now they subtly reveal it with eagerness, in this verse which begins vraja. With
this, the suitability of the reciprocation is stated.
Smaya means mäna (false pride, or pique). The drift is: "Mäna is dispelled by a mere smile of
Yours, so enough of remaining hidden for that purpose." Or His quality of being charming is meant by
this, and so the sense is He must be seen.
The vocative sakhe hints at the manner in which the reciprocation should take place. Or the gist is:
"If You don't reciprocate, You'll be at fault for letting down those who place their trust in You."
Cäru (beautiful) is an adverb: "Show Your lotus-like face (jalaruhänanam = jalaruha-vad änanam)
to us women in a beautiful way," that is, either by casting sidelong glances and twitching the
eyebrows while smiling or by coming close. The simile with a lotus signifies that the heat of their
separation will dissipate simply by looking. Moreover, the word yositäm (to women) implies this:
Since the joy of looking at His face should be experienced only with the heart of a woman, providing
that only to them is fitting. The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation: "O You whose smile shatters the false pride of those whom, among
women (yositäm = _Y0$itä'h madhye), You consider Your very own, reciprocate with Your däsis. "
Then, from the last line of the verse to the end of verse 8, they mention the way that should take
place.
Or the connection is yo;itäm vira (O hero of women). The sense is: "You're able to kill women.
Therefore, since we're as good as dead, now You should serve other women, those who are not Your
däsis (sakhe bhavat-kihkarih = sakhe 'bhavat-kihkarih) (abhavatkihkarih = anyä adäsir eva). And do
not (no) show Your beautiful lotus-like face, because for sure we're going to die." This is said with
loving anger and with the topmost pain.

Jiva Gosvämi
Having thus petitioned Him at first, with yearning, merely to accept them, in three verses they ask for
specific things that they want. Of those, here they request to be with Him in a general way. The verb
bhaja means: "Be close to us to counteract our unhappiness."
"At first, show Your lovely (cäru = manoharam) lotus-like face (jalaruhänanam = jalaruha-
tulyänanam api)." In that regard, with the vocative vraja-janärti-han (O You who dispel the pain of the
people of Vraja) the suitability of the action expressed by the verb bhaja is stated. (The rest of the
commentary is virtually the same as Brhad-vaisnava-tosani from the second paragraph, except that the
fourth paragraph therein was deleted.)

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Other gopis speak. He eliminates the pain, caused by the strikes of Cupid, of those who, among the
women, are people of Vraja (vrajajanärti-han yoyitäm = yoyitärh madhye ye vraja-janäs tesäm ärti-
han). But He does not eliminate that pain felt by the goddesses of heaven. That will be stated later on:
"When Mukunda plays the flute, the goddesses traveling in the sky with their husbands become
amazed: Their minds yield to the ways of lust, and they themselves become nervous when they realize
that the belts on their clothes are loose" (10.35.2-3).
 "O You who have the habit of defeating the attacks of invincible Cupid! (vira = durvära-mära-
samprahära-mahä-ji$no)." Moreover, "Your smiling destroys the huffiness (smaya-dhvamsana =
mänanaSaka) of those who are Yours." What they mean to express is this: "You tolerate neither our
false pride arisen from our good fortune nor our huffiness, characterized by väma-bhäva (the mood of
contrariness), arisen from our false pride. "191

Krsna might say: "Choose your boon."

Gopis: "Attend to us, Your maidservants." (bhaja = paricara)
Krspa•. "But if you're My servants, why do You ask Me to attend to

In that regard they say sakhe (O friend).

Knpa: "Then tell Me the type of attendance that you want." Gopis: "Show us Your lotus face."

Näräyapa Bhatta
"O hero," that is, "O You who are liberal in giving the mood of relishing the romance" (as a däna-vira)
(vira = madhura-rasa-däne vadänya).

10.31.7

pranata-dehinärh päpa-karSanarh 192 tma,caränugam Sri-niketanam I

phapi-phanärpitam te padämbujath krmgu kucesu nah krndhi hrc-chayam Il

191 In like manner, in their commentaries on the next chapter, the äcäryas point out the gopis' two main natures: vämya
(crooked) and däk$inya (straightforward and soft). The gopis in the mood of vämya are those in Rädhä's group and Her
allies, whereas the gopis in the mood of däk$inya include Candrävali and others. In the light of this, a particular äcärya of
modern times has said that the verses of Gopi-gitam can be interpreted both ways. Thus almost each verse of Gopi-gitam
has a dual sense.
192 päpa-karsanam (BBT edition) (Vallabhäcärya's edition). The Gopäla-täpani Upanisad describes Krsna as päpa-
karsanah (He drags, or removes, sin) (1.5).
pranata—who are bowed (surrendered); dehinäm—of embodied souls; päpa—the sins (sinful
reactions); karSanam—which thin out (alleviate); tma-cara—the cattle ("they go on grass"); anugam—
which follow; Sri—of Laksmi (or of beauty); niketanam—the abode; phani—of the serpent; phanä—
on the hoods; arpitam—were placed; te—Your; pada-ambujam—lotus feet; krnu—strike (i.e. do, put);
kuceyu—on the breasts; nah—our; krndhi—surround (i.e. cut); hrt'ayam—Cupid ("he rests in the
heart").

(tvath) pranata-dehinäh1 päpa-karSanam tnga-caränugam Sriniketanam phani-phapärpitam nah kucesu

te padämbujam kmu. (tvam nah) hrc-chaymh krndhi.

"Your feet alleviate the sinful reactions of humble persons, follow the cattle in the pastures, are the
abode of Sri and were cast on the hoods of a serpent. Put those lotus feet of Yours on our breasts.
Crush the lust in our hearts.
 Sridhara Svämi
In terms of nonspecificity, His feet kill the sins (päpa-karSanam = päpa-hantr) of surrendered souls
and even follow the animals, those which go on grass; in terms of good fortune His feet are the abode
of Sri; and in terms of intense heroism they were placed on the hoods of a snake. The verb krou means
kuru (do, i.e. put). "Put Your lotus feet on our breasts." For what purpose? "Cut (krndhi = chindhi) the
lust (hrc-chayam = kämam). 121

Vallabhäcärya
A räjasi gopi, who is more elevated than the previous one, asks for the same thing in another way.
"Place (kmu = sthäpaya) Your lotus feet on our breasts." The word kucesu (on the breasts) is in the
plural instead of the dual in consideration of the multitude of girls.
By putting the hand on the heads, His coming near them was stated. By reciprocating, a
relationship was stated. And with this, viparita-rasa (the mood of reverseness) is stated, or else what is
meant is a particular binding in the horizontal position.
He might say, "Why would I place My soft feet on your hard breasts?" In that regard they say
phani-phanärpitam. The sense is: "Our breasts are not harder than Käliya's hoods. The fault in Käliya
was removed by placing Your feet on Him, so do the same to us." The term 'lotus feet' denotes the
quality of dispelling heat in a directly perceptible manner.
He might rejoin: "Still, putting My feet on the chest of women is wrong." Therefore they say Sri-
niketanam. "Your feet are the place of Laksmi (she massages Vi$nu's feet), hence she deserves to
touch You there. So what is the problem of putting Your feet on other women?"
"But you gals are simple-minded. How would this benefit you?" They respond: trna-caränugam.
"Your lotus feet go behind the cows, for their sake. The cows give up grass and consume the nectar of
looking at You. Their grass turns out as their nectar, and our lust turns out as our nectar."
"But you women have not conquered your senses. You have some päpa. Once the päpa will have
gone away, I'll put My feet on your breasts." They reply with pranata-dehinärh päpa-kananam. "We are
eminently humble. Our impurity cannot be dissipated in any other way: The impurity of humble
persons goes away only by the grace of Your feet."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Place (kmu = nidhehi) Your lotus feet on our breasts." Why? hrc-chayam kmdhi (cut the lust in us).
"This is our only purpose in asking You to do that." Like the aforesaid metaphor of His lotus hand, here
the metaphor with a lotus suggests that His lotus feet are the best sädhana, the means to accomplish
everything, and the highest sädhya (attainment).
In this context, the term päpa means either samsära-duhkha (the unhappiness of material life) or
paramotka(a-vyasana (the direst predicament). The adjective tma-caränugam points to His quality of

121
The verb krnu is made from the root kr[i] hithsäyäm (to hurt, kill) (5U). Here only the meaning of the
root karane (to do), which is inherent in every verbal root, is taken into account. For the details, consult
Bhävärtha-dipikä 1.1.4 or my Annotation on verse 10.23.3. According to Äéutosa Sarmä, however, krnu is
seen in the Vedas in the meaning Of kuru, and this archaic form is deliberately used in the verse. (Sarma
Bisvas, Ashutosh (1968) Bhägavata Puräna: A Linguistic Study, Dibrugarh (Assam) (self-published), p. 239).
Regarding kmdhi, the verbal root is krt[i] vestane (to surround) (7P), but the gloss as chindhi means the
root should be krt[i] chedane (to cut) (6P), and the form as such should be krnta. The anomaly is
explained by Vedic usage.
being compassionate as the protector of all the animals of the village. The rest was explained by
Sridhara Svämi.
There is another rendering. "I'm afraid of committing sin." They counter that with prapata and so
on: "Your feet dispel the sinful reactions of those who surrender to You somehow or other, so why at
all would You be concerned about sin?" Or the sense is the girls have become humble: They no longer
perpetrate the sin of mada and the like. The sin came to nil by this maxim:

sakrd eva prapanno yas taväsmiti ca yäcate I

abhayam sarvadä tasmai dadämy etad vratam mama I l

"I bestow constant fearlessness to a person who, even just once, surrenders, and beseeches Me by
saying 'I am Yours.' This is My pledge." (Rämäyana, yuddha-kända 12.20)

"Still, I can't do that because I think I'll be uncomfortable: My feet are soft and your breasts are very
hard." They respond with trna-caränugam. The drift is it won't be more uncomfortable than walking
here and there in the woodland in the company of cows.
"But why would it make sense to put My feet on your breasts, which are utterly resplendent?" In
this matter they say Sri-niketanam. The gist is His feet will become the principal embellishment on
their breasts because His feet have the most sublime splendor.
"Nonetheless, I am timid by nature, so I am scared of your husbands." They reply: phani-
phanärpitam. "You already put Your feet on Käliya's hoods." Or the idea is that by doing this He
nullified the imperfection, Käliya's poison, and so now the gopis ask Him to cut the poison-like lust in
their hearts by placing His feet on their hearts.
The word Girasi (on the heads) (verse 5) was stated in the singular because at first all the girls
were united. There was no feeling of rivalry. But here the plural is used in stanesu (on the breasts) with
the intent to express that He should grab their breasts with His hand, because in this matter there was
some rivalry.

Jiva Gosvämi
(The commentary is essentially the same. Moreover:) It will be established in verse 19 that the gopis'
lust involves affection for Him.
The word Sirasi was stated in the singular at first due to meekness: Each girl would have felt
accepted by Him even if He were to place His hand on just one of their heads. But here the plural is
used in stanesu (on the breasts) because their meekness faded, inasmuch as each girl was keenly
desirous of receiving the touch of His body on their breasts, since some sort of relationship would
come out of that.194

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The gopis have the highest love, since they have samartha-rati (affection capable of bringing Krsna
under their control). They do not know about getting happiness to drive away their unhappiness. The
only purpose of their bodily, vocal and mental functions is to make Sri Krsna happy. The gopis are the
most clever women: Here they are expounding upon their beauty, their youthfulness and the affliction
of their lust to inflame His rapture of intimate amorous pleasure.
For the most part the gopis are not diminishing love in spoken language, rather they are only
making light of lust in spoken language. For example, when a man sees that a certain gluttonous friend
of his wants to eat, out of affection the former wants to make his friend enjoy good food, and so he
will busy himself in obtaining the best food of all four kinds. But when his friend will ask him about
his endeavor, he will say "I'm doing all this for me, not for you." That love is great. But if he were to
answer, "I'm doing this for you, not for me, because I am desireless," then the love is a trifle. That was
stated in Prema-sampu(a (68):

194 The point of asking Him to extinguish the lust is that the torment Of Cupid in separation from Him should come to an
end. But after He touches them, Cupid will be reactivated, this time in the mode of sambhoga. The word käma-dam in verse
5 expressed the same idea. The reactivation is further implied with the adjectives tma-caränugam Sri-niketanam, as a second
meaning: "His foot which approaches what had been only grass for a long time is a thing of beauty," by the rule: bhüta-
pürve carat (Astädhyäyi 5 •3 .53); bhüta-pürve keSava-carah (HNV 1256). The girls will lower His foot once He places it on
their breasts.
premä dvayo rasikayor api dipa eva hrd-veSma bhäsayati nifcalam eva bhäti I
dväräd ayam vadanatas tu bahi$krtaS cen nirväti Sighram athavä laghutäm upaiti
Il

"The love between two Rasikas is like a ghee lamp. Unnickering, it illuminates the home, the heart.
But if the light of the lamp is let out through the doorway of the mouth, the lamp Nickers and quickly
dwindles, if it doesn't blow out." (by Viévanätha Cakravarti)

The Lord's statement na päraye 'ham, "I am unable to compensate you" (10.32.22) suggests that He is
controlled by the gopis. From this statement, it is conclusively ascertained that these girls do not care
about their own happiness. In all the scriptures, it is seen that He is controlled only by love, not by lust.

10.31.8

madhurayä girä valgu-väkyayä budha-manojiayä puykareksapa I

vidhi-karir imä vira muhyatir adhara-sidhunäpyäyayasva nah Il

madhurayä—sweet•, girä—by Your words; valgu-väkyayä—in which the sentences are charming;
budha—even to intelligent persons; manojiayä—which are delightful; puskara-iksana—O You whose
eyes are [like] lotuses; vidhi-karih—maidservants; imäh—these (we); vira—O hero; muhyatih—who
are being bewildered; adhara— of Your lips; sidhunä—with the nectar; äpyäyayasva—cause to fill up
122
(i.e. revive); nah—us.
puskareksana! vira! (tvmh tava) madhurayä valgu-väkyayä budhamanojiayä girä muhyatih imäh nah
vidhi-karih (tava) adharasidhunä äpyäyayasva.

{athavä: puskareksana! vira! (tvarh tava) madhurayä valgu-väkyayä budha-manojiayä girä imäh nah
muhyatih vidhi-karih (tava) adharasidhunä api äyayasva.}

"O You of lotus eyes, we, Your maidservants, are bewitched by Your sweet talk. Your lovely words
even charm scholars. O hero, revive us with the nectar of Your lips.

122
This is a causative form of the verbal root vrddhau (to swell, increase) (IA). For instance, the verbal root
pür[i] (4A or IOP), from
Alternatively: "O hero of lotus-like eyes, these maidservants, us, are bewildered. Make us move with
Your sweet talk that has a lovely wording and is fascinating to intellectuals and with the nectar of Your
lips.

Sridhara Svämi
In His sweet talk are lovely sentences (valgu-väkyayä = valgüni väkyäni yasyärh tayä) which appeal to
scholars. This means His talk is profound (budha-manojfiayä = budhänähi manojiayä hrdyayä
gambhirayä). "Revive (äpyäyayasva = sahijivaya) us maidservants (vidhikarih = kihkarih)."

Vallabhäcärya hastena ca svarüpeqa padä copakrtir matä I mukhena copakäro hi

kartavya iti tä jaguh I l pürvoktam api sarvam hi yävat spastam na bhäsate I tävat
sarasatäm yäti na kadäcid iti sthitih I l

"An act of kindness with the hand (verse 5), another with the whole self (verse 6) and yet another with
the foot were thought of, and here the gopis sang: 'An act of kindness should be done with the mouth
too,' in light of this precept: Although all that was expressed, none of it will ever be relishable if He
doesn't speak up."

w
hich the word pürna (filled, complete) is made, has the sense of äpyäyanam (to fill, fulfill). It doesn't get more erotic than
this.
In this verse, a gopi of the highest category, gunätita (beyond the Gunas), requests the same thing in a
different way. The gopis were being bewildered (muhyatih) by His sweet talk. Moha (bewilderment) is
the stage before death. The reason He should revive them is: vidhi-karih, which means either äjiä-
kärinih (us who follow orders) or sevä-kärinih (us who perform service). The pronoun imäh (the, or
these girls) signifies that they will die if He delays even just a little. "It's not that You are unable to
revive us." They imply this with the vocative vira (O hero). His eyes are like two lotuses, meaning
they dispel the excessive heat in other persons.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Revive us with the nectar of Your lips, otherwise we'll die at once." Why? "We are being bewildered
by words—which You had said and which we are remembering now, such as: 'Nothing and no one is
dearer to Me than you ladies."'
"We deserve that nectar." This is just what they say with vidhikarih, which means tvad-äjiä-kärinih
(us who follow Your orders). Next they show how His words are the cause of their bewilderment:
They were as sweet as nectar (madhurayä = amrta-van mi$(hayä). Or else they gave honey
(madhurayä = madhu räti dadätiti tayä): The sense is the words as if directly provided liquor. The
quality of being completely bewitching is thus stated. How were His words bewitching? valgu-
väkyayä. "In the words were lovely clauses and sentences." They were lovely in terms of meaning, by
being pleasant and so forth, and in terms of sound, by a nice arrangement of eminent syllables and so
on. And therefore: budha-manojfiayä, His words attract the minds of clever persons. The quality of
being pleasant to the ear and to the mind is stated thus.
By their usage of the pronoun imäh (these girls), there is no doubt that their bewilderment could be
directly perceived and that it was happening right then and there.
But how could they be bewildered merely by vocal expression? The answer is in the vocative vira
(O hero). The sense is "O You who have immense capability, because even Your words are like that."
Alternatively, this vocative signifies that He is a dayä-vira (hero of compassion), or a däna-vira (hero
in giving).
The vocative puskareksana (O lotus-eyed) means He is incredibly beautiful. What is meant is that His
words are more bewildering by looking at His beauty when He talks. For instance, in Karnämrta:

paryäcitämrta-rasäni padärtha-bhahgivalgüni valgita-viSäla-vilocanäni I

bälyädhikäni mada-vallava-bhävinibhir bhäve lu!hanti sukrtähi tava jalpitäni
Il

"Your light conversations with the excited and emotional milkmaids are replete with the relish of
nectar, are lovely because of wordplay, bring out more boyishness in You, and Nash in the sentimental
minds of those who do good. At that time the eyes widen and seem to bounce." (Krypa-karpämrta 33)

The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. Or the girls became His servants because of His words, and
are bewildered due to the pain of separation. And His words are also pleasant to jiänis, to say nothing
of devotees. Or "His words charm the pandits, not to mention us uneducated girls."
There is another rendering: "Do not invigorate these gopis— that is, let them die (näpyäyaya = na
äpyäyaya = na svasthaya = märaya)—who are maidservants just because Your words are sweet,
meaning they are only sweet to the ears, and hence are bewildered about the nectar of Your lips
(adhara-sidhu = tvad-adhara-sidhuhi prati tvad-artham). Your talk has no lovely sentences (girä
valguväkyayä = girä avalgu-väkyayä) and only fascinates idiots (väkyayä budha-manojiayä = väkyayä
abudha-manojfiayä).

196 Jiva Gosvämi left out that paragraph. Sanätana Gosvämi's explanation is incomplete since he does not explain sva nah.
First of all, the verb äpyäyayasva is a causative form, and so äpyäyaya is an optional form of äpyäyayasva, because a
causative verb can be either parasmaipadi or ätmanepadi, according to Jiva Gosvämi: ner ubhayapadam (HNV 566). The
Päninians say a causative verb in the ätmanepada means the result of the action goes to the doer (the subject of the verb):
nicaS ca (A$(ädhyäyi 1 •3 .74). The noncausative verbal form in the imperative is äpyäyasva. Thus, making an interpretation
out of äpyäyaya makes sense. Secondly, the word sidhu can be either masculine or neuter: pum-napumsakayor däru-
jivätuSthänu-sidhavah (Trikända-Sesa 3.5.8). And thirdly, the word svana means

Jiva Gosvämi
"Revive us with the nectar of Your lips, otherwise we 'Il die at once. " Why? "We are bewildered by
Your words." This means the girls had reached moha (muhyatih = mohahi präptavatih), the attendant
of the final stage. His words were being remembered. The words were either of this nature: svägatahl
vo mahä-bhägäh, "Welcome to you all. Highly fortunate women, what can I do to please you? Is
everything fine in the village? Tell Me the reason you came here" (10.29.18) or of that nature:

ka(horä bhava mrdvi vä pränäs tvam asi rädhike I asti nänyä cakorasya candralekhärh
vinä gatih Il

"Rädhikä, whether You are harsh or gentle to Me, You are My life. The cakora bird has no destination
but the moon." (Vidagdhamädhava 5.31) (Ujjvala-nilamani 11.82)

What were the words like? They were madhurä, pleasant to everyone in general and lovingly soft due
to special sounds and due to special arrangements of syllables. The words were valguväkyä, that is, in
them were lovely sentences, each of which consists of one or more declined nouns and a verb and has
a superb blend of äkähksä (mutual requirement), yogyatä (congruity) and äsatti (proximity: the words
are uttered without making a pause). In addition the words were budha-manojiä: To educated people,
that is, to those who understand the sense, the words provide great pleasure because of the depth of the
meanings of vastu (idea), rasa (a relished sthäyi-bhäva), bhäva (sthäyi-bhäva or vyabhicäri-bhäva), and
alahkära (literary ornament), which are brought about by the

'sound', a masculine word. Therefore the second interpretation goes like this: "Do not revive these other maidservants who
are bewildered by Your sweet talk in which the wording is not too lovely and which does not charm intellectuals. The
nectar of the lips (adhara-sidhu) is some sound [that comes out of our other set of lips]." This means the nectar of the lips is
the cause of the sound, as in the famous example of figurative usage äyur ghrtam, "Ghee is longevity" (ghee is the cause of
longevity). Another example of this usage is in the next verse: Sravana-mahgalam, "The topic is auspiciousness, by means
of hearing" (the topic is a cause of auspiciousness, by means of hearing).
literary functions, called abhidhä (Denotation), laksanä (Indication: figurative usage) and vyafijanä
(Suggestiveness).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The gopis were bewildered: They had reached the stage of the bewilderment of bliss because of highly
relishing the sweetness of His words. "Revive us again with the nectar of Your lips."
Alternatively: "Make us move with the nectar of the lips too" (adhara-sidhunäpyäyayasva —
adhara-sidhunäpy äyayasva) (äyayasva = präpayasva). 123 The sense is: "Make us bewildered even
more. "

Näräyaqa Bhatta
"We are bewitched by the nectar of Your lips, which we had experienced and are remembering now.
Revive us with Your sweet talk." Here the gopis are called vidhi-karis because they carried out His
order when He stole their clothes:

bhavatyo yadi me däsyo mayoktarii vä karisyatha I aträgatya sva-väsämsi praticchata Suci-

smitäh I

"If you are My maidservants and if you do what I say, then come here, get your clothes and put a
bright smile on your faces." (10.22.16)

Gangä Sahäya
The participle muhyatih is poetic license, because of the absence of n[um]. 124

Brhat Krama-sandarbha
"Revive us with the nectar of Your lips, which is characterized by Your sweet talk." The third case
ending in girä is used by the rule viSesane trtiyä, "A third case ending is applied after a modifier"
[Kätantra grammar] (ittham-bhüta-laksane, A$(ädhyäyi 2.3.21) (vi'esa-laksanät trtiyä, HNV 678).

123
In this interpretation, the verbal root is ay gatau (to go) (IA). Additional notes: Baladeva
Vidyäbhüsana cites the verse as an example of Praväsa vipralambha where the hero is not very far away
(Sähitya-kaumudi 4.22).
124
This is due to the meter. The proper form is muhyantih, because the verbal root muh is in the group of
fourth class roots. The rule is: Sap-Syanor nityam (A$(ädhyäyi 7.1.81 Sap-Syäbhyäm Satur num i-pratyaye, Sesä-dvayät tu vä
(HNV 742). No other commentator caught this.
 10.31.9

tava kathämrtarh kavibhir iditarh kalma$äpaham I

Sravana-mahgalarii Grimad ätatarh bhuvi grnanti te 125 bhüri-dä janäh Il

tava—Your; kathä-amrtam—a topic which is nectar; tapta-jivanam— the life of the afflicted; kavibhih
—by erudite poets; iditam—praised; kalmasa-apaham—removes sin; 'ravana-mahgalam—because of
which there is auspiciousness by hearing; Grimat—has resplendence; ätatam—[in such a way that it is]
spread; bhuvi—on Earth; gmanti— speak; te—they; bhüri-däh—are munificent ("they give much");
janäh—persons.

(ye) janäh tava kathämrtarii tapta-jivanam kavibhih iditam kalmasäpahahi Grimad

bhuvi ätatarh (yathä syät tathä) groanti, te bhüri-däh (santi).

"The nectar of a topic about You is the life of the afflicted, is extolled by erudite poets, eradicates
mental impurities, conveys auspiciousness by listening and has resplendence. Those who discourse on
this nectar by spreading it on Earth are munificent.

Sridhara Svämi
Here they intend to say: "We are on the verge of dying in separation from You, but those virtuous souls
who make others drink the nectar of a topic about You cheat death."
A topic about Him is just nectar (kathämrtam = kathä eva amrtam). The reason for that is: tapta-
jivanam (the nectar is the life of the afflicted). Next they say this nectar is superior to the well-known
nectar: It is praised even by the kavis, those who know Brahman (kavibhih iditam = brahmavidbhir api
stutam). This means they make the nectar of the gods seem insignificant. Moreover: kalmasäpaham, it
drives away lust and bad karma. The other nectar cannot do that. In addition, it bestows auspiciousness
merely by listening ('ravanamahgalam = Sravana-mätrena mahgala-pradam), whereas the other nectar
requires an undertaking. Plus, this nectar has serenity (Grimat = suSäntam) whereas that nectar is
maddening. "Those persons who describe (gmanti = nirüpayanti) that nectar of a topic about You in
such a way that it is spread (ätatam = ätatarh yathä bhavati tathä) on Earth are givers of much (bhüri-
däh = bahu-dätärah)." This means they give life. Or the sense is: "Those persons on Earth who speak
about the nectar of a topic about You are virtuous, given that they were givers of much in their
previous lives."
This is what is being said here: "Those who merely speak about a nectar topic are very fortunate,
so what can be said of those who see You? Therefore we request You: tvayä drSyatäm (You should
show up). "

125
ye (BBT edition) (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
Vallabhäcärya
Having thus entreated Him to do these four things, they suspect that the reason He might not oblige is
themselves, and so here they repudiate that idea. Someone might argue, "What you ask for should be
given to devotees. There is proof that you are not devotees, because you are still alive in separation
from Him. The Lord does not need anything nor anyone. He is not obligated to do something to keep
you alive, and so your statement "Our life force rests in You" (verse l) means nothing, hence your
entreaty is useless." They refute this. "We are not making strenuous efforts to stay alive. A kathä (topic
or talk) about You prevents our life force from leaving our bodies. A kathä about You has the same
capability that You have: A kathä too has the six qualities, grants liberation and is the form of the
highest bliss."
"A kathä about You is like nectar (kathämrtam = kathä amrtam iva)." The term amrta means two
things: It counters death and has the nature of the Rasa of the Lord. Thus, it is established that the
nectar grants liberation and is the form of the highest bliss.
Next, they describe the six qualities, with the six modifiers beginning from tapta-jivanam. That
nectar is the reason those who are afflicted by material life keep living (tapta-jivanam = taptä ye
samsäre tesärii jivanahi yasmät). Being something that dispels affliction indicates the Lord's quality of
either vairägya (renunciation) or jiäna (spiritual wisdom): If the affliction can be remedied by means of
a samskära (sacred rite, or modification of a subconscious tendency), the affliction can be terminated
by means of spiritual wisdom, otherwise one should completely detach oneself from the cause of the
affliction.
Further, that nectar is praised by the kavis, i.e. jiänis (those who have spiritual wisdom) who are
Rasikas in point of sound and meaning. Again the quality of either jiäna or vairägya is implied.
Someone might think: "Women are like that too. They can soothe a man's affliction and are praised
by great poets." Therefore they say the nectar removes sinful reactions (kalmasa = päpa). This hints at
His quality of virya (heroism), in terms of being an otherworldly means. Sometimes the reading in
Vispu Puräpa is aiSvaryasya samagrasya dharmasya instead of aiSvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. This
means He has the quality of dharmya (being righteous). In that case, here the sense is virya is a form of
dharma. Being dharmika drives away sin.
But other means of atonement of sin are like that too, so to counter that they say Sravam-
mahgalam. It is inauspicious to hear what those other means are like, since they are ghastly, whereas
the nectar-like kathä generates bliss by hearing. This points to the quality of kirti (renown).
Hearing that the wife gave birth to a boy is auspicious too, so to counter that they say Grimat. That
involves a loss of wealth, whereas this produces wealth, because Laksmi is needed (or else some form
of goddess Laksmi is always involved in the stories, or the kathä has extraordinary beauty). This is the
quality of Sri (beauty, wealth). Thus, the hearers and the speakers become accomplished in their
respective roles.
Obtaining a kingdom is like that too, hence to repudiate that they say ätatam. The nectar-like kathä
is spread everywhere. A kingdom is delimited, but God's aiSvarya (opulence, godly might) is not so. It
pervades all, inside and outside. The difference between the Lord and a kathä about Him is that the
latter can always be found.
"Those who speak the nectar-like topics on Earth are bhüridäjanäh, " meaning they provide many
meanings (bhüri-da = bahvartha-dätr) and are not ordinary people (ajana). The pronoun ye (which)
means prasiddhäh (the well-known ones): This refers to Vyäsa and to other forms of the Lord. Or ajana
means the speaker does not engage in copulation and other improprieties (ajanäh = jananädi-dosa-
rahitäh). Yet this kind of nectar is rarely found. To say the least, when death is at hand this nectar
wards it off. Here the speaker was a sättviki gopi.
Srinätha Pandita
The kathä is nectar. By figurative usage of the opposite meaning (viparita-laksapä), as in the example
upakrtarh bahu tatra kim ucyate prakrtir eva hareh sukha-däyini, "A great help was done. What can be
said about it? Such is Hari's nature, which gives joy" (Sähityadarpapa 2.7) (Bhakti-rasämrta-'esa 2.13),
here the word amrta (nectar) signifies visa (poison). The explanation is this:
"The nectar of a topic about You is the reason life is an affliction (tapta-jivanam = taptarh jivanarh
yasmät), and is praised only by the kavis, the writers of books, not by those who are conversant with
love. Therefore that nectar drives away sin, but does not take away the heat of the fire of separation.
The nectar is auspicious only in hearing (Sravana-mahgalam = Sravana eva mahgalam), not by
realization. And it is spread due to the madness for money (Grimadätatam = Sri-madena ätatam) (Sri-
madena = aiivarya-janitasväcchandyena). Hence, those who speak it ruin the lives of others." The verbal
root in bhüri-däh is do 'vakhandane (to destroy, tear to pieces). The other meaning of the verse is clear.

Sanätana Gosvämi
T
he nectar enlivens people who are afflicted (tapta-jivanam = taptän janän jivayatiti tathä tat) by the
pain of separation. It is praised by poets, the old ones and the new ones, and so there is no need to take
great pains to hear or read about it. Or the sense is the nectar dispels the sorrow of the afflicted by
enlivening them insofar as the nectar is praised by the kavis as something that makes one get all sorts
of meanings. In addition, the nectar ends material life, since samsära (material life) is the root cause of
kalmasa (sin). Moreover: Sravanamahgalam. All in all, it is said that the nectar is the means to attain
all goals. Next, with Srimat (it has resplendence) they say it is the prize. Of these modifiers, each
successive one is superior.
Therefore the kathä is nectar. This means the kathä is like nectar in terms of being the sädhana (the
means of accomplishing the goal) because it takes away hunger, thirst and the awareness of having
personal problems and because it provides strength and nourishment, and in terms of being the sädhya
(goal) because it consists of madhura-rasa (sweetness, or the mood of romance).
The word ätatam is an adverb and means vistärepa (expansively). Or the idea is the nectar is
everywhere: In that way a difference from the nectar of the gods is implied. The rest was explained by
Sridhara Svämi.
Alternatively, the sense is: "Now, given that there is no such person here, and given that we're
unable to continue because we're under the spell of the pain of separation, we're as good as dead. "
There is another rendering. He might say: "Hey zealous girls, spend your time in discussing topics
about Me for a moment until I show up and revive you." They respond with dread: "A kathä about You
is death (kathä-mrtam = kathä eva mrtam) (mrtam = mrtih = maranam)." This type of figurative usage
takes place with the intent to express that the effect is not different from its cause (i.e. the kathä is a
cause of death). How is it death? The kathä is the reason life is an affliction (tapta-jivanam = taptahl
jivanam yasmät), therefore those who speak it (groanti = uccärayanti) ruin the lives of others"
(bhüridäh = mahä-präna-ghätakäh). The verbal root is do avakhandane. "Consequently, of what use is
that to us who want to live at least until the time that You show up?"

Jiva Gosvämi
"How do you manage to stay alive?" Expecting Him to say that, here they mention the reason they stay
alive by describing the glory of His kathä, a glory which they ascertained from their own realizations
imbued with love. (In the previous verse the gopis asked Him to revive them, and here they say the
kathä enlivens them.)
 The kathä is nectar, meaning it is like nectar in point of being the goody and being the means to get
other goodies. Next they illustrate those two. The nectar kathä (the nectar which is the anecdotes about
Him) enlivens those who are exhausted due to the heat of the fire of separation, let alone those who are
tired of material life. Thus the kathä saves one from a bad condition, including death. The kathä
(anecdotes) was the life of previous beings too, because it was shown that way in vandyamäna-carapah
pathi vrddhaih, "He whose feet are praised in song by the gods as He returns from the pastures"
(10.35.22) and in Sakra-iarva-parame$(hi-purogäh, "Upon hearing the music of His flute, abounding
in fluctuations of tempo, Indra, Siva, Brahmä and other gods are mesmerized" (10.35.15).126
The suffix kta in iditam is in the present tense. "The nectar kathä is praised by the kavis, the
ätmärämas such as Brahmä, Siva and the four Kumäras," and by other greats too. The sense is: "It is
praised by reiterating what was described by the residents of our village, because it cannot be
described of one's own accord, due to ignorance about the mystery." The nectar kathä has resplendence
(Sri-mat), meaning it is more eminent than everything else.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Who can say how great the sweetness of a kathä that You do is? Even a kathä about You done by
someone else is sublime and is more relishable than the two other types of nectar."
"A kathä about Him is nectar." What are the attributes in common? The nectar enlivens those who
are afflicted by a great disease and those who are pained by material life. The kathä is praised by kavis
such as Dhruva and Prahläda, for example in the first half of the verse below, and both the nectar of
Svarga and the amrta which is moksa (liberation) are rendered unappealing, for instance in the second
half of this verse:
yä nirvrtis tanu-bhrtäm tava päda-padmadhyänäd bhavaj-jana-kathä-sravanena vä
syät I sä brahmani sva-mahimany api nätha mä bhüt kith tv antakäsi-lulität patatäm
vimänät Il

"[Dhruva said:] O Lord, the joy felt by embodied souls while meditating on Your lotus feet, or else the
joy derived from listening to the stories (kathä) of one of Your representatives, does not exist in
Brahman, even though Brahman is Your own glory. How, then, could it be enjoyed by the gods, who
are hurled from their aerial cars by the sword of Death?" (4.9.10)

The nectar drives away sinful reactions up to prärabdha-päpa (sinful reactions that have begun to
manifest) inclusively, but the nectar of heaven does not do so, because it increases lust and the like,
thus on the contrary it only gives rise to them. The nectar of liberation too does not dispel prärabdha-
päpa. The nectar is auspicious simply by hearing, because it is relishable and because it brings about
the obtainment of one's desires. But the two other nectars are not like that.127 In addition: Grimat, the
nectar bestows excellences including pure love, and ätatam, it is expanded at every moment by various
speakers, not so the two others.
"Only those who relate (groanti = kirtayanti) that nectar are givers of very much (bhüri-däh =
bahutaram dadati)." The drift is the listeners are unable to repay them even by giving everything they
have to them.
There is another interpretation. "A talk (kathä = gih) about You is sweet if it involves seeing You,
otherwise it creates a big problem." "A kathä about You is death," meaning it is the cause of death.
126
Moreover, the thirty-fifth chapter of the tenth canto, Yugala-gitam, illUStrates how krsna-kathä enlivened the
gopis: They talked about Him during the entire day until He came back from the pastures.
127
Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana: The well-known nectar is inauspicious when heard about, because then people
want to die to achieve it.
Why? "The kathä is the reason life is an affliction (taptajivanam = taptarh jivanarh yatah)." As a pun:
The kathä is like water in hot oil (tapta-jivanam = tapta-tailädau jalam iva) (this is from Jiva Gosvämi).
Then why are the topics (kathä) extolled in the Puränas and so forth? They respond: "The topics are
praised by Vyäsa and other kavis, " in the sense that the kavis narrate them simply by their habit of
narrating. The sense of kalmasäpaham is that the old sinful reactions perish by experiencing sorrow.128
It is auspicious for ordinary people to listen to these topics. 129If the people concerned are
intelligent, however, they realize that hearing about Him brings suffering and so they refuse to listen.
Then the kathä will cease. The topics are disseminated by people who are blinded by the madness for
wealth (Sri-madätatam = Sri-madair ätatam = dhana-madändhair janair vistäritam). Therefore, those
on Earth who mention these topics cause the death of many people, the listeners (bhüri-däh = bhürin
Srotr-lokän dyanti khandayanti märayanti). For this reason, intelligent persons avoid these topics. That
point is made later:

yad-anucarita-lilä-kama-piyüsa-vipru!sakrd-adana-vidhüta-dvandva-dharmä
vinastäh I sapadi grha-ku(umbatii dinam utsrjya dinä bahava iha vihahgä bhiksu-
caryähl caranti Il

"For those who relish even just a single drop of the nectar of Knpa's daily pastimes, their dedication to
material duality is ruined. Many such persons have suddenly given up their wretched homes and
families and, themselves becoming wretched, traveled here to Vrindavan to wander about like birds,
begging for their living." (10.47.18)

In truth, this interpretation is a form of vyäja-stuti (praise under the pretext of condemnation) which
implies the supereminence of the kathä and of the speaker.130

Näräyana Bhatta
Thinking that the four requests that they made were hard to secure, they resort to the kathämrta alone.
"In separation, staying alive is not our objective, rather our goal is only Your kathämrta. It has as much
power as You have." What is the kathämrta like? It enlivens those who are scorched by lust and so on.
This means the kathämrta makes seekers of sense gratification devoid of material subconscious
tendencies such as lust and takes those persons under its wing. This is the very nature of the kathämrta.
Further, the kathämrta is praised by the kavis, those who have true knowledge. The sense is the
kathämrta is praised by liberated souls as something that they should serve. Moreover, it takes away
the evil (kalmasa = päpa) which is transmigration. This means the evil is the form of avidyä (ignorance
of spiritual wisdom).
Having thus stated that the kathämrta should be served by visayis, muktas and mumuksus, the
gopis say it should also be served by devotees, who are completely different than those three:
Sravapamahgalam (it brings joy by hearing). The drift is they have nothing else to accomplish in life.
128
Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana copied Jiva Gosvämi: The kathä is praised by biased poets as just a dispeller of sinful reactions
(kalmasäpaham kalmasäpaham yathä syät tathä = tan-näiakatayä).

129
Jiva Gosvämi: The kathä is auspicious only in the sense that it is heard that it is auspicious.
130
Thus, according to Viévanätha Cakravarti the interpretation on the side of the condemnation (the kathä
is death) is expressed and the praise is implied. Another explanation is that the praise is expressed (the kathä is
nectar) and the condemnation is implied, because usually the ace meaning of the verse, what is deemed the
SUrf

literal sense, is based

on the context. This ambiguity (if Viévanätha Cakravarti's explanation is deemed reasonable) constitutes the aniScaya-
sahkara ornament (a doubt about which ornament is taking place: Is this ornament occurring or is that ornament occurring?)
(Alahkära-kaustubha 8.303) (Sähityakaumudi 10.252). The vyäja-stuti ornament has two subdivisions, which amount to
two separate ornaments. Kavi Karnapüra, however, says that when vyäja-stuti is based on a double meaning, the vyäja-stuti
is classed as a 'abdärthälahkära (an ornament of both sound meaning): iti yadyapi vyäja-stutis tathäpi Sabdälahkära eväsau,
tenäyam ubhayatraiva (Almikärakaustubha 8.185). But Nägeéa Bhatta and others disagree with this by saying that the
second meaning in such a vyäja-stuti is implied, and so the second meaning is classed as a dhvani (implied sense, i.e.
second-rate implied sense), not as a Slesa (literal double meaning, classed as an ornament Of sound): ata eva näsyä (vyäja-
stutyäh) dhvanitvam (güdhärtha-pratititvam). tatra hi nirbädhena väcyena vyaijanayärthäntarävagatih. na caivam prakrt e,
bädhena laksanä-prasarät, "upakrtmii bahu näma " ity-ädi-vad iti bodhyam (Uddyota 10.112). The deciding factor is this: If
the paronomastic vyäja-stuti involves irony, only the meaning which is ironic is literally expressed, an d so the other meaning
is implied because it is derived by viparita-laksanä (reverse figurative usage). Srinätha Pandita's explanation on the side Of
condemnation involves irony because He says kathämrtam ironically means "The kathä is nectar."
Next they say it automatically is the topmost puru$ärtha (goal of human life): It has Laksmi,
meaning it brings about the wealth of bhakti (Sri-mat = bhakti-lakymi-sampädakam). In addition, the
kathämrta is spread everywhere, up to the transcendental world.
Thus, because it is heard, even in Vaikuntha, that only the kathämrta should be served, the term
bhuvi (on Earth) is expressive of obtaining what is hard to obtain. "Whoever speaks (ve grnanti = ye
ye kathayanti) the kathämrta is a giver of the all in all (bhüri-däh = bhüri-dätärah = sarvasvahl
dadati)."
Alternatively: "For us, the kathä is source of affliction, hence the kathä is death, because when we
hear it, we know death is at hand. The kathä is praised by poets: They're adding qualities to it. Plus, it
drives away sinful reactions, which is a roundabout way of saying that it causes sorrow, by the logic
that sin is expiated by experiencing unhappiness.131 The kathä is pleasant to hear (Sravmgamahgalam =
Sravanena sukha-janakam) because the pandits recite it, but the meanings are not understood. It is
spread by wealthy people ("rimad-ätatam = Srimadbhir ätatam = lakyni-sampannair vistrtam), not by
ni$kificana devotees. Those who speak this kathä are giving to the masses: They are not considerate of
worthy recipients." Or the speakers are actually not giving much and cannot engender anything
substantial (ye bhüri-dä janäh = ye 'bhüri-däjanäh = alpa-dä utpattirahitäS ca bhavanti).132

10.31.10

prahasitarh priya prema-viksanam 133viharanam ca te dhyäna-mahgalam I

rahasi samvido yä hrdi-sprfah kuhaka no manah k$0bhayanti hi I l

prahasitam—laughter; priya—O lover; prema—with love; vikmnam—glancing; viharargam—

sporting; ca—and; te—Your; dhyäna—by meditating; mahgalam—auspicious; rahasi—in a solitary
131
Moreover, in Radha-kund, a kathä cleans up the dirt (kalmasa): The terrain is cleaned before the
pavilion for the kathä is set up.
132
Additional notes: This verse of Gopi-gitam was recited by King Pratäparudra to Caitanya Mahäprabhu
and was highly relished by the latter (Caitanya-caritämrta 2.14.4-22). Moreover, the paradoxical
interpretations f this verse are as if an image of Vedänta, the philosophy of paradox (acintya-bhedäbheda-
O

tattvam).
prema-vik$itam (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
133
place; samvidah—conversations; yäh—which; hrdi—the heart ("in the heart"); spriah—touches (or
which touch); kuhaka—O trickster; nah—our; manah—minds; k$0bhayanti—agitate; hi—only (a
synonym of eva) (or because).

priya! kuhaka! teprahasitam prema-vik$anahl viharanahi ca dhyänamahgalam, yäh (ca) rahasi

samvidah (bhavanti yäh ca) hrdi sprSah (bhavanti, täh ca) nah manah k$0bhayanti hi.

{athavä: hi kuhaka! te prahasitarh priya-prema-viksanarh viharaparii ca adhyäna-mahgalahl, yäh (ca)

rahasi samvidah hrdi-sprSalg (abhavan, täh ca) manah no k$0bha_yanti.}

"O lover, trickster, Your laughter, Your glancing with love and Your sporting, all of which provide joy
by being meditated upon, already agitate our minds, as do the conversations in private and the touches
on the chest.

Alternatively: "[For us, a talk about You is death] because, O deceiver, Your laughter, Your glancing
with love at the things that You like and Your sporting, all of which are not auspicious in meditation,
no longer agitate our minds, and neither do the private conversations which touched our hearts.

Sridhara Svämi
He might respond: "Be happy simply by listening to a kathä about Me. Why do you need to see Me 9 "
"Don't say that. Our minds are agitated by Your sporting. On top of that, we still cannot find peace."
Priya is a vocative. Kuhaka means kapa(a (O deceiver). The conversations were humorous exchanges
in a meeting place.

Vallabhäcärya
He smiles in an eminent way (prahasitam = prakarsena hasitam), naturally. The vocative priya signifies
that they are remembering their relationship with Him, and this causes the agitation of their minds.
They are also remembering His glancing with love (premavik$itam = premnä vik$itam), and so on.
His sporting signifies His motion by playing the flute, etc. "Meditating on You is auspicious, meaning
it bestows a good result, You" (dhyäna-mahgalam dhyäna eva mahgalam) (mahgalam = tval-
lak$atgmh Subha-phalarh prayacchati). Alternatively, the gopis were remembering what caused them
to be swept off their feet (viharanam — viSesena haranarh yasmät): His threefold bending pose and
the like. These four, which relate to His body, agitate their minds.
The two other items relate to His vocal expressions: The conversations in a solitary place (rahasi =
ekänte) and the words that go to the heart (yä hrdi-sprSah = väco hrdaya-gäminyo bhavanti). "What He
said to us makes us happy, but if Bhagavän deceives us, then those words of His agitate us." The sense
of hi is: "This is understood by anyone who had a similar experience."

Srinätha Pandita
"These already agitate (kyobhayanti hi = k$0bhayanty eva) our minds. "
 Sanätana Gosvämi
Krsna might respond: "Then all of you should engage one another in a kathä about Me." They reply
here. Or the implied preliminary is: "By hoping against hope like this, we won't be able to live much
longer. "
The suffix kta in prahasitam is in the passive impersonal voice: "Your eminent smiling, with a pure
mindset (prahasitam = prakr$(ahasitam = juddha-bhävena smitam), Your glancing with love, and Your
sporting (viharanam = kridä) convey happiness merely by being meditated upon (dhyäna-mahgalam =
dhyäna-mätrena mahgalarh sukha-karam)." Or they convey auspiciousness (mahgalam Subhävaham),
which means they easily bring about a meditation on love. At any rate, the term dhyäna-mahgalam is a
modifier of those three. In like manner, Sri Kapiladeva said: dhyänäyanam prahasitam, "[The yogi
should meditate] on Visnu's laughter, which is conducive to meditation" (3.28.33) 134 The conversations
in private go to the heart (hrdi-sprSah = hrdayahgamäh).135 Of those terms, each successive one is
superior in point of causing agitation. Hi means niScitam (indeed). "They agitate our minds, that is, by
remembering them they take away our steadfastness."
The reason the gopis' minds are agitated is: priya (O beloved). In this connection, they say the
vocative kuhaka with this intention: "You're the only one who is dear to us. We feel unhappy because
our minds are agitated, but alas You just deceive us. You used to say things like "I'll do what you want
Me to do," but You always change Your mind. And now, by ignoring us, You're outright dishonest."

Jiva Gosvämi
As regards the first meaning of the previous verse, Krsna might respond, "I am hard to get. Why do
you project so much love on Me? If you truly feel that way, be happy simply by listening to a kathä
about Me." Suspecting this, and not deriving happiness from that, in three verses they reply by finding
fault with His act involving His previous expressions of love. As regards the second meaning, here
they say "By hoping against hope like this, we won't be able to live much longer."
The suffix kta in prahasitam is in the passive impersonal voice. Sometimes the reading is viksanam
instead of viksitam. Thus, at first there was some extraordinary chuckle, arisen from His natural
smiling because of the joyous mood of seeing the girls. The word prema-vik$itam is an adjective of
prahasitam and means "In his eminent chuckle, there was glancing with love." And afterward:
viharanam, which denotes a particular kind of fun with the sakhis. The word dhyäna-mahgalam is an
adjective of viharanam: It is auspicious in meditation. The sense is the viharanam creates a bond of
hope in a contemplation on it, because it consists of subtly revealing one's feelings.
Next: "the conversations in private which (yäh) touched the heart" (hrdi-sprSah = hrdayahgamäh).
Here the pronoun yat (the pronominal base of yäh) has the sense of a special camatkära
and is syntactically connected to each other term too by modifying the gender and the
number (that eminent chuckle which touched the heart, etc.). Each successive term is better than the
previous one. The drift of the vocative kuhaka is that He had said things and did not live up to the
expectations.
134
Sridhara Svämi comments: manda-häsa-dhyänam uktvä sphu(ahäsa-dhyänam äha—vi$noh prahasitam
uccair hasitam dhyäyet. kidrSam. dhyänäyanam ati-sundaratayä prayatnam vinaiva dhvänasya visaya-bhütam.
(Bhävärtha-dipikä 3.28.33)
135
Like Vallabhäcärya's gloss, this gloss shows that the words hrdi and sprS are compounded. The locative
case ending, in hrdi, was not deleted in the formation of the compound. Compounding such a word is
optional when the second member of the compound is formed with a krt suffix (i.e. a krt suffix which is not in
the passive impersonal voice). The rule is: tatpuruse krti bahulam (A$!ädhyäyi 6.3.14); samäse her na
mahäharah krti bahulam (HNV 863).
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here they mean to say, "When we do not see You, anything connected with You gives a lot of pain."
Viharapam means samprayogah (sex). Regarding "and (yäh = yäS ca) the humorous exchanges that
touched our hearts," the gist is: "Although we want to forget them because they give pain, we cannot
forget them. " The term dhyäna-mahgalam modifies all four phrases: They give the highest joy
(mahgalam parama-sukha-dam) even by being meditated upon.
"They confound our minds (k$0bhayanti — vyäkulayanti): They enter our minds and instantly give
pleasure, but the very next moment they make us gloomy." Therefore: kuhaka (O deceiver). The idea
is: Sweet cakes fried in ghee are tasty at first even when they are given by a deceitful person, but after
a while they burn like hell and drain the vitality.

Brhat Krama-sandarbha
Here they say the kathä is not the only thing like that. "O kuhaka. " The sense is: "You are clever at
deceiving us." Hence it was fitting to say tava kathämrtarh tapta-jivanam.

2
10 The idea here is that yat is always the correlative of tat, which can have the sense of anirvacaniya (being inexpressible):
those conversations in private which touched the heart.

Gangä Sahäya
"Because (hi = yasmät) they agitate our minds," we cannot find peace simply by the kathä.

10.31.11

11

calasi yad vrajäc cärayan paiün nalina-sundarath nätha te padam I

Sila-trnähkuraih sidatiti nah kalilatäm manah känta gacchati Il

calasi—You go; yat—because (or when); vrajät—from the cowherd village (or from the pastures);
cärayan—while herding; pajün— the animals; nalina-sundaram—beautiful like lotuses; nätha—O
hubby; te—Your; padam—foot (feet); Gila—by shoots of grains; tma-ahkuraih—and by sprouts of
grass; sidati—are hurt; iti—in this way; nah—our; kalilatäm—disarray ("the state of being mixed");
manah—minds; känta—O lover; gacchati—get.

nätha! känta! yat (tvam) paSün cärayan vrajät (vipinath) calasi, nah manah "nalina-sundaratil te padarh
Gila-tmähkuraih sidati" iti kalilatärh gacchati.

"Because You, our hubby, go from the village while grazing the cattle, Your feet, beautiful like two
lotuses, are hurt by hard shoots of grains and by sprouts of grass. Thus our minds, dear lover, reach a
state of disarray.
 Sridhara Svämi
In this verse and in the next they intend to say this: "Our hearts melt out of love for You. What might
be the reason You do Your act of deceiving us?" Nätha and känta are vocatives. "When (yat — yadä)
You go from the village to graze the animals, our minds get uncomfortable (kalilatähl gacchati =
asvästhyahl präpnoti): 'Your soft feet (nalina-sundaram = komalam) might be hurt (sidati kliSyet) by
sharp stubs of wild grasses (Sila = Silaih = kaniSaih), by grasses and by sprouts. "'211 "We greatly
worry about You in that condition."

Vallabhäcärya
They express the reverse of their logical reasoning: "We feel pain that You might be in pain, even
though You have no pain, but You are not pained by our pain." They worry about Him all day long
because He departs from the village in the morning. "If Your feet are more beautiful than a lotus
(nalina-sundaram = nalinäd api sundaram), they should be put on Laksmi, or else on us. "

Srinätha Pandita
"You're just a keeper of animals, because You don't understand that our minds are in disarray."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The word padam is in the singular, but the dual comes to mind. This reasoning was written earlier.
Still, here this idea is to be understood: The gopis feel pain if even just one of His feet gets hurt, let
alone both feet.
Given that for the most part the land for grazing the cows consists of much soft grass, the rocks,
crags and other such things normally found on the ground are not mentioned here simply because there
were none. The Hari-vamja states: ajhilli-kamakavanam, "The forest was filled with thorns" (2.9.23),
but since thorns were not everywhere, there is no mention of them in Bhägavatam. The pebbles and
other stones of Giriräja Govardhana, which is the best of Hari's servants, and of neighbor hills are not
mentioned either, because under His lotus feet they felt like butter.
The vocative nätha means vrajejvara (O prince of Vraja). The sense is: "It's improper for You to
neglect us." The vocative känta

2
11 This interpretation of the verb in the potential tense sheds light on the asahgati ornament (the location of the effect
differs from the location of the cause).
suggests this: "Only our lotus hands should touch Your feet." Those two vocatives are the special
reason their minds are in disarray; it's implied that their minds are in disarray even more because of
that.
Or the reason their minds reached a state of disarray is the vocative nätha in the sense of
pränesvara (O controller of our life force). Moreover, some objector might argue, "It's better to give up
being affectionate altogether, because it causes problems, in view of statements such as this: yävatah
kurute jantuh sambandhän manasah priyän, tävanto 'sya nikhanyante hrdaye Soka-iahkavah, "A man's
acquaintances made dear to him because of a connection with the mind are so many thorns of sorrow
implanted in his heart" (Vimu Puräna 1.17.66). The gopis' response to that is: "Hey charming guy"
(känta = manohara). The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. Another import of the verse is: "Stop
wandering in the woods and quickly come here."
 Jiva Gosvämi
The gopis' response to yävatah kurute jantuh is: mano gacchati (the mind goes). The drift is: "Our
minds do not wait for our intelligence to kick in." He might quip, "Well, that's not unheard of for
girls." Suspecting this, they say their minds are not at fault: "Hey beau" (känta = manohara). The
substance is: "Quit strolling in the park and get here pronto."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Alternatively, "Our minds pick a fight," by the derivation of kalilatä as the state where there is taking a
quarrel (kalilatäm = kali"i kalaharh läti grhnätiti kali-lam tad-bhävah kalilatä täm). This means "Our
minds quarrel with us."

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
"O You because of whom our happiness has come to an end" (känta — känäm sukhänäm anto vinäSo
yasmät he). The sense is: "O giver Of sorrow." Although there is no hard shoot and the like in
Vrindavan, the gopis' statement is made by the maxim: ani$(a-fahkini bandhuhrdayäni bhavanti, "The
heart of a true friend suspects that some mishap will befall a friend."

Näräyapa Bhatta
The cows deviate from the path to go to greener pastures. In that way Krsna has to stray from the
beaten path.136

10.31.12

dina-pariksaye nila-kuntalair vanaruhänanahl bibhrad ävrtam dhana-

rajasvalarh213 darSayan muhur manasi nah smararh vira yacchasi I l

dina—of the day; pariksaye—at the end; nila—dark blue; kuntalaih—with much curly hair; vana-ruha
—[like a] lotus ("It grows in the woodland"); änanam—the face; bibhrat—while having (holding
high); ävrtam—covered; dhana—[related to] the cows; rajah-valam—it has dust137; dariayan—while

136
Additional notes: The implied sense of the verse is, "Why don't You place Your feet on our breasts?"
This is a look back at verse 7, by the logic called sihihävalokanam (the lion's glance: taking a look back).
Plus, the verse makes use of another type of reverse logic, common in Sanskrit, and referred to in the classic
expression anvaya-vyatireka (one way and the opposite way): They valued one thing, and now they prove
the same by depreciating the opposite scenario. There is also a look back at the pun on the word trna-
caränugam there. Their grass is soft, and Krsna can tolerate placing His feet on harsh grass too. All in all, the
idea expressed in verse 7 and the idea expressed in verse 8 are reiterated in verses 13 and 14 respectively,
and verses 10 and 12 expound the new argument they add to their twofold plea: "You made us want to
have an intimate encounter with You, and so You have no reason to not show up." 213 ghana-rajasvalahi
(BBT edition).
showing; muhuh— repeatedly; manasi—in the mind; nah—our; smaram—Cupid; vira—O hero;
yacchasi—You impart.
vira! (tvarh) dina-parik$aye nila-kuntalaih ävrtam dhana-rajasvalam (tava) vanaruhänanahl bibhrat
(tad asmän) muhuh darsayan nah manasi smaram yacchasi.

"At the end of the day, O hero, You hold high Your lotus-like face, curtained by Your curly bluish hair
and clouded by the dust risen because of the cows. By repeatedly showing it off that way, You impart
Cupid to our minds.

Sridhara Svämi
"At dusk, You have a lotus face covered over by the dust of cows (dhana-rajasvalam = go-rajaS-
churitam)." This means His face looks like a lotus that has a film of pollen for the bees. "While time
and time again showing Your lotus face, You impart (yacchasi = arpayasi) Cupid only to our minds,...
but You don't give us Your association, hence You're a deceiver."

Vallabhäcärya
At dusk, when You return from the pastures, the girls in the village see Him, and Cupid is in the girls'
minds. The request for a binding and the request for the nectar of the lips will take place by rajas and
by sattva respectively. This is the time of rajo-guna (passion, or the attribute of dust) and the time of
Cupid too.
His strands of wavy, dark blue hair are like bees: They make one aware of the Rasa (juice, relish).
They imbibe the nectar of the lotus face, and so it is said: His face was veiled by His hair.
Either His face has dust because of the cows (dhana = dhanena gobhih) or the dust is related to
the cows (dhana = dhanasambandhi).

Srinätha Pandita
"After You leave the village, we burn during the whole day, but when You return to the village, at long
last You take away our affliction. Not! Rather You make us burn even more in another way. You impart
Cupid to Our minds." In truth, the gopis have no lust without pure love. The tenor is: "You are Cupid.
Only You mount our minds, by force, and make us lose our wits."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"At long last, at the very end of the day" (dina-pariksaye = dinasya paritah kyaye atyantänte sati): This
hints at the magnitude of their torment of love.
The sense of bibhrat is praka(ayan (while revealing): He brings to light the fact that His face being
covered by His hair, and other qualities, are only the assistants of His natural beauty. "You show Your
face to us (nah = asmän) and agitate our minds (nah is used again). If You went back home without
showing Your face, it couldn't be said that You repeatedly impart Cupid to us."
In point of muhuh (repeatedly), the sense is there were many consecutive instances of imparting
Cupid by glancing here and there in many ways under the pretext of calling the cows and so on. Or the
idea is Cupid rose in their minds time and time again as the girls were reflecting on the situation.

137
The word rajasvala is formed by adding the suffix vala[c], which has the sense of mat[up], to rajas by the
rule: rajah-krsy-äsuti-pari$ado valac (A$tädhyäyi 5.2.112).
 Here the term smara is used to denote Cupid because he•agitates the mind just by a remembrance
(smarapa). It is only fitting that He who is Cupid in person because He causes an internal agitation
simply by being remembered should completely stir their minds upon being seen. The vocative vira is
used to illustrate His capability in that matter.
There are other interpretations: "His face had dust because of the cows and was superbly adorned"
(dhana-rajasvalmii bibhrat = dhana-rajo bibhrat sv-alam) (sv-alam = suMhv alahkrtam). Or else,
sus(hv alam means sus(hv atiSayena (in a superbly eminent way) and modifies either bibhrat or
darjayan. Or perhaps the word vepum (the flute) needs to be added to bibhrat: They were unable to say
it because they were under the sway of love. "In separation, Cupid has increased by remembering You.
Don't delay."

Jiva Gosvämi
The word dhana-rajasvalam means go-rajas-churitam, since dhana denotes the wealth of cattle,
according to Vijva-prakäja: dhanarh godhana-vittayoh, "Dhana means the wealth which is cattle, or
riches. "
In the previous verse and in this one, the following is implied: "You went without fulfilling our
long-cherished desire, yet our minds still have affection for You. It's not that we lost all affection and
became indifferent to You. Plus, You intend to convey Cupid: You do this on purpose, with affection,
not with harshness, because affection is inherent in Your nature. But when we girls get together with
the intent to be with You, You only confer Cupid, not what is appropriate: a rendezvous. Therefore
everything about us is filled with affection, whereas You are full of deceit."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
His face was curtained by curly strands of hair waving in the breeze and resembled a lotus abounding
in pollen touched by fickle bees.
He was repeatedly showing His face: "By turning sideways here and there under the pretexts of
calling the cows and hollering at the boys, He makes Himself visible to our eyes and, knowing that by
nature the sight of Him delights everyone, thinks 'I will immerse these girls in an ocean of hardship'
and imparts Cupid to us." The marrow is this: "He is the same one who made us experience that the
path of morality is like burning poison, who made us mad for Him, who led us to the woods and who
is now making us cry." The significance of the vocative vira (O hero) is that He shoots Cupid's arrows
just to create holes in the moral principles of the young women of Vraja.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
Other girls who were similar to the previous ones speak. The dust raised by the cows' trampling was
abundant, and so His face could not be seen properly. The purport of muhuh is that there was no
complete satisfaction in seeing Him because of the interruptions. The gist of the verse is: "By
imparting Cupid to us, You try to make us miserable. "

10.31.13
 Il
pranata-käma-darh padmajärcitam dharani-mandanarh dhyeyam äpadi I carana-
pahkajam Santamam ca te ramana nah stanesv arpayädhi-han Il

pranata—of those who bow; käma—the desires (or the lust); dam— which give (fulfill); padma-ja—
by Brahmä; arcitam—worshiped; dharani—of the Earth; mandanam—the ornament; dhyeyam—
worthy of being meditated upon; äpadi—when there is misfortune; carana-pahkajam—the lotus feet;
Sam-tamam—most auspicious; ca—and (used to fill the meter); te—Your; ramana—O lover; nah—
our; stanesu-—on the breasts; arpaya—put; ädhi-han—O killer of mental pain.

ramapa! ädhi-han! (tvath) pranata-käma-darh padmajärcitarh dharam-mandanam äpadi dhyeyam

Santamam ca te caranapatikajarh nah stanesu arpaya.

"Your lotus feet fulfill the desires of the humble, were revered by Brahmä, are the ornament of the
Earth, should be meditated upon in times of distress, and are most auspicious. O lover, dispeller of our
anguish, place Your feet on our breasts.

Sridhara Svämi
Now in two verses they make this request: "Give up Your deceit and do like this." His feet are the most
happy thing even at the time of serving (Santamam = sevä-samaye 'pi sukhatamam). "Place Your feet
on our breasts to assuage the heat of our lust."

Vallabhäcärya
They asked for this before (verse 7), but there is no fault of repetition because they are piling up the
qualities of His feet to glorify Him even more, whereas previously, for the most part they wanted the
removal of some flaw. They mention the purpose of their request: ädhi-han (O dispeller of our
anguish). His feet are most auspicious (Santamam = kalyäna-tamam).
"You imparted Cupid to us, and now You shatter that lust in us who are eminently humble
(pranata-käma-dam = prakarsena namresu kämarh dyati khandayati). " His feet are revered by Brahmä,
or by Laksmi (padmajärcitam = padmajena padmajayä vä arcitam). A woman is not enjoyed if she is
not decorated: The Earth is female, and He is her ornament; "You place Your feet on her. Do the same
to us."

Srinätha Pandita
Krsna might say, "Whatever happened, happened. What should I do now? Tell Me." They speak with
that in mind. "Put Your lotus feet on our breasts. Your feet should be meditated upon in times of
distress, that is, when there is separation. They fulfill the desires of the humble. Are we not humble?
They were revered by Brahmä. Did we not revere them? They are the ornament of the Earth: They
should be the ornament of our chests too." This is a statement expressive of a reproach.
 Sanätana Gosvämi
In this verse and in the next, due to their fervor they ask for what they had already requested, but this
time they add more details because the stirring of Cupid was enhanced by the Song.
His feet grant all desires to those who bow. The quality of being a bestower of all goals is thus
stated. Therefore they are revered by Brahmä. This refers to His quality of being God. His feet are the
ornament of the Earth, by leaving the beautiful marks of His footprints and by implementing prema-
bhakti. Being beautiful and being merciful are thus pointed out. And His feet should be meditated
when in trouble: This is the quality of removing all troubles, including obstacles in bhakti. Having thus
implied as before, by the metaphor with a lotus, that His feet are the means to achieve all good things,
with Santamam the gopis say His feet are the highest goal in terms of both dispelling sorrow and
providing happiness. The two vocatives are reiterations of those two lines of thought. The sense of
ädhi-han is "Put an end to our pain of separation," and the gist of ramana is "Bring about pleasure by
means of various types of fun." The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
Alternatively, "His feet fulfill the desires of Brahmä and of other devotees, and are revered by
Laksmi (padmajärcitam = padmajayä laksmyä arcitam).138 The ornaments of the feet are from the Earth
(dharani-mandanam = dharanyä mandanam alahkäro yasya)." Those ornaments include the saffron
from the ladylove's breasts as well as mineral pigments. The gist of dhyeyam äpadi is that His feet
cause the deliverance from the sorrow of separation. And His feet bestow the greatest happiness
(Santamam = parama-sukha-pradam). The vocative ramana is said because He has a liking for
romance.
The difference between this verse and verse 7 is that here they say His feet fulfill desires and so on
whereas there they said His feet end sinful reactions and the like. Moreover, there they clearly stated
their purpose: hrc-chayarh krndhi (Crush the lust in our hearts), whereas here they use the vocative
ädhi-han to signify the same thing, hence this raises the eminence of the purpose because it is
indirectly stated, in light of the Lord's words: paroksa-vädä .rsayah paroksarh mama ca priyam, "The
Vedic mantras are esoteric and the Vedic seers speak in esoteric terms. I too prefer an indirect mode of
expression" (11.21.35). Plus, the mental pains (ädhi = mänasa-pidä) are manifold, whereas previously
only lust was mentioned.

Jiva Gosvämi
In verse 10, by means of the girls' statement of love, Sri Krsna's pürva-räga toward them was made
clear by the king of sages because great Rasa was conveyed simply by a description of the girls'
realization that He loves them. Now, while resuming in two verses their two requests by finding fault
with Him for inciting them to desire an ahga-sahga (intimate encounter) with Him, the gopis, whom
Cupid had stirred even more because of the Song, make their plea.
His lotus feet bestow desires to Nalaküvara, to Käliya and his wives, and to others. Therefore His
feet were revered by Brahmä when he found out what happened after abducting the boys and the
calves. Or this is said in conformity with the aforesaid request: vikhanasärthitah (verse 4). His feet
should be meditated upon in times of calamity, such as the deluge created by Indra.
The sense of the two vocatives should be discerned in conformity with what has thus been stated:
the quality of being a dispeller of

born from a lotus. Laksmi is called Padmä, not Padmajä. Brahmä is called Padmaja because he originates from the lotus
that stemmed from the navel of Garbhodaka-éäyi Visou.

138
Jiva Gosvämi edited this out. There is no evidence that Laksmi was
 sorrow (ref. pranata-dehinäm päpa-karSanam in verse 7, and verse 9) and the quality of being the
cause of the obtainment of joy (verses
8. 9 (kathämrtam), 10, and 12, and pranata-käma-dam in this verse): "Put an end to our pain of
separation, and bring about pleasure by means of various types of fun."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Feeling guilty of finding fault with Krsna, to please Him the gopis praise Him as the one who provides
all types of joy. While implying that their goal is to be with Him, in two verses they pray for the
mitigation of their woe.
His lotus feet gave a desire to (or fulfilled the desire of) Käliya and his wives, who were humble
after his offense had been forgiven, and were revered by Brahmä to clean up his offense. The gist is:
"Therefore forgive our offense" (the offense of being overly proud, 10.29.48).
His feet are the ornament of the Earth. The import is: "Adorn our breasts too by placing Your feet
on them." The vocative ramana strengthens that idea, "You won't be tired by doing that. Rather, You'll
only derive pleasure from it. Only that way will Your desire for intercourse be satisfied."

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
His lotus feet fulfilled the desire (käma-dam = abhi$(a-pürakam) of Käliya and his wives, who had
bowed after his offense had been forgiven.216

Näräyapa Bhatta
The same meaning of placing the lotus feet on the breasts was stated in verse 7, but the repetition is
not faulty because there were many speakers. An example of äpadi dhyeyam is Gajendra.

216 Krsna gave Käliya the boon that Garuda will no longer try to eat him (10.16.63). In Sanskrit culture, to show much
respect the custom is to address a highly respectable person with a word that means 'foot'. Thus, rather than directly
addressing such a person, a speaker might address their feet. To emphasize this, Krsna's feet are called lotus feet, and the
term 'foot' or 'feet' is used instead of 'hand'.

10.31.14

surata-vardhanahl Soka-näjanam svarita-venunä susthu cumbitam I

itara-räga-vismäranam nrnärh vitara vira nas te 'dharämrtam Il 139

surata—erotic enjoyment; vardhanam—which increases; Soka— grief; näjanam—which destroys;

svarita-venunä—by the flute made to sound; cumbitam—kissed; itara-räga—of

139
The verse is surprising from the viewpoint of alliteration too. There is a cheka anupräsa (consecutive
alliteration of consonants) of the letters s-r-t-v at the beginning of the first two lines. And there is a yamaka
(word rhyme) of "itara" at the beginning of the last two lines.
attachment to other things (or of other melodies); vismäranam— causing the forgetfulness; nrnäm—of
people; vitara—You should spread (give); vira—O hero; nah—to us; te—Your; adhara—which is the
lips; amrtam—the nectar.

vira! (tvahl) surata-vardhanam Soka-näjanam svarita-venunä sus(hu cumbitam nrnäm itara-räga-

vismäranam nah te adharämrtam vitara.

"Your lips are a nectar that heightens amorous pleasure, ends sorrow and is nicely kissed by the mute,
which is made to sound in such a way that it makes people forget about other rägas. Give us the nectar
of Your lips, hero.

Alternatively: "Your nectar lips heighten amorous pleasure, end sorrow, are nicely kissed by the flute
and make us forget our attachment to others. O hero among men, spread the nectar of Your lips.

Sridhara Svämi
"O hero, give us (vitara = dehi) the nectar of Your lips." That nectar is nicely kissed by the flute which
is made to sound (svaritena = näditena): The sense is the nectar of His lips has imbibed the nectar of
sound. The nectar of His lips makes people forget about desires (räga = icchä) for material happiness
such as rulership over the world.

Vallabhäcärya
"Spread the nectar of the lips." The verb vitara is used with this in mind: "Although this nectar cannot
be given to us ordinary people (nmäm = asmäkam), it can be given by the quality of spreading." The
essence of the vocative vira is this: Now it's time to be a hero in another way.

Srinätha Pandita
The sense of the vocative vira is "You impel us in a special way" (vira = vijesepa irayasiti tathä). The
nectar of His lips terminates sorrow. Not only that, it increases the bliss of love (surata = premänanda).
There are two kinds of tonics (rasäyanam): svasthasyaujas-karahl kiicit kiicid ärtasya roga-nut, "Some
medicines increase the vitality of the healthy, and some medicines cure the disease of the afflicted"
(Caraka-samhitä 1.1.4). The nectar of His lips is of both kinds.

Sanätana Gosvämi
A relation of cause and effect between one modifier and the next is to be inferred: It increases the
pleasure of love (surata = suSobhanam ratam ratih prema), or of union (surata = sambhogasukha),
therefore it dispels sorrow. And it is kissed by the flute, and in that way it makes one forget desires for
everything else. Alternatively, the nectar of the lips is the reason the sound of His flute maddens the
whole world. "It is kissed by the flute" implies the highest sweetness.
With the vocative vira, they suggest that He is a hero in giving. Or the sense is He is a hero in the
battle of love, hence it's only fitting that He should give that nectar. That vocative can also be
connected with nmäm: "O hero among men" (nrnäth vira = madhye vira). The sense is the same.
 Jiva Gosvämi
The lips are nectar (adharämrtam = adharah eva amrtam). In regard to Sridhara Svämi's commentary,
the idea is this: The music of the flute creates a craving to hear more of it, and the nectar of His lips
gives the greed to get more of it.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"O Krsqa, replica of Dhanvantari! O foremost doctor, give us some medicine. We are about to faint
because of the ailment of lust." With surata-vardhanam it is said that the nectar of His lips gives a
boost. With Soka-näSanam it is said that the nectar removes pain. Next they mean to express this:
"You, as a däna-vira, are able to freely give to enliven those who are without life: Your nectar lips are
fully (susthu = samyaktayä) relished (cumbitam = sväditam) by Your flute, a hollow piece of bamboo."
"Plus, that nectar makes one forget about attachment (räga = äsakti) to other things. Give (vitara =
dehi) that nectar to us women, who are humans (nmäm = manusya-jäti-strinäm)." The vocative vira
refers to either a dänavira or a dayä-vira.

Näräyapa Bhatta
"The nectar of Your lips kissed by the flute causes the forgetfulness of rägas (melodies), such as
Mälava, of other persons." When the nectar of His lips goes out, it takes the form of the sound of the
flute.

10.31.15

a(ati yad bhavän ahni känanam tru(ir 140 yugäyate tväm apajyatäm I
kutila-kuntalarh Sri-mukharh ca te jada udik$atäm pak$ma-krd drSäm Il
a(ati—go; yat—when; bhavän—You; ahni—during the day; känanam—to
the forest; trutih—a millisecond; yugäyate—acts like a Yuga (a
millenium) (Kali yuga lasts 432,000 years); tväm—You; apajyatäm—of
those who do not see; kurila—wavy; kuntalam—[the face, on which] the
head hair; Sri—which has splendor; mukham— face; ca—and: te—Your;
jadah—is foolish; udik$atäm—of those who look at; pak$ma—of the
eyelids; krt—the creator; the eyes.

yad ahni bhavän känanam a(ati, (tatra ahni) tväm apajyatäm (gopijanänäm) tru(ir yugäyate. (kim)ca te
ku(ila-kuntalam Sri-mukham udik$atätii (gopi-janänäm) drSärh pak$tna-krt jadah (asti).

"When You go to the forest during the day, those who do not see You feel that a fraction of a second is
like a Yuga. And when You return, those who gaze at Your beautiful face and at Your wavy hair think
that the creator of their eyelids is a fool.

tru(i (BBT edition) (Vallabhäcärya's edition): This reading conforms to the meter.
140
 Sridhara Svämi
"Moreover, upon noticing that, even in one second, there is unhappiness in not seeing You and
happiness in seeing You, by relinquishing everything we have become like renunciants." "Even a half-
second (tru(ih = kyanärdham api) is like a Yuga." Unhappiness in not seeing Him is thus shown.
"Brahmä, the maker of the eyelids of the eyes of those who intensely look (udiksamänänäm =
uccair ik$amänänäril tesäm) at Your splendorous face (te Sri-mukham = tava Griman-mukham) at the
end of the day, somehow or other, is just a simpleton (jadah = manda eva)." Blinking is intolerable.
Happiness in seeing Him is thus shown.

Vallabhäcärya
"When we see Him, then Brahmä, the creator of our eyelids, is a fool. He didn't make the gods' eyelids
like that." Truti stands for trutih.

Srinätha Pandita
"Can I delay a little?" They reply here. The word apaSyatäm is in the masculine as a generality, and so
it refers to any living being. The same applies to udiksatäm.

Sanätana Gosvämi
The term ahni (during the day) implies the idea that the gopis are unable to go to the forest at that time.
"A truti is like a Yuga," meaning they are stuck in a moment they can't get out of. The participle
apaSyatäm (of those who are not seeing) signifies "of everyone in the village who is not seeing, not to
mention ourselves." The compound ku(ila-kuntalam is a bahuvrihi and modifies the face: "above
which is curly hair." Therefore His face has beauty (Srimukham = Sri-yuktam mukham). Or His face
has beauty because He is holding the flute to His lips, and so on. Udik$atäm stands for
udiksamänänäm. The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation: "Whether we see You or we don't see You, there is only
unhappiness." In the first half of the verse, that meaning is clear. The drift is: "As we speak, the gloom
of not seeing You has been going on for a long time and is intolerable, so quickly give Your dariana.
"219 In the second half, they say there is unhappiness even in seeing Him. The creator is not
knowledgeable (jadah = anabhijiah) because he didn't make eyes that had no eyelid. The substance is:
"Gosh, such is our bad luck."
As a pun, paksma-krt is made from the verbal root krt[i] chedane (to cut) instead of
karane (to make): "He who cuts the eyelids of those who are gazing at Your beautiful face is not a fool,
meaning he is knowledgeable of Rasa (te jadah = te 'jadah) (ajadah = rasa-jiah)."
Alternatively: "Only a clever person (ajadah = vidvän eva), one who cuts his eyelids, would see
Your face well (udiksatäm = uccair iksatäm = uccaih pajyatu)."

219 That implied idea constitutes an arthäpatti alahkära-dhvani (implied arthäpatti ornament (presumption)) (Sähitya-
kaumudi 11.35): "If it appears to us that a trun is like a Yuga when He is in the forest and we cannot go there, then how
much more disappointed are we now that He is in the forest and that we are waiting for Him therein?"

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here they intend to say: "Only our bad fate is giving us gloom. What do You have to do with it?"
"When (yat = yadä) You have gone to the forest of Vrindavan, then for us gopis (apaSyatäm =
apajyatäm asmäkarii gopi-janänäm), who are not seeing You, a tru(i seems like a Yuga. The pain of
separation makes the eight hours when You are away in the forest seem like three months for the other
inhabitants of Vraja, but for us those eight hours seem like a billion Yugas. There is no cause for this
except that Providence is not on our side." "The creator of the eyelids of us gopis who are eagerly
looking (udik$itäm = utkan(hayä iksamänänärh tesäm eva gopi-janänäm) at Your beautiful face at the
end of the day is a dullard. He makes us unhappy. Even in seeing You, we are thrown in an
insurmountable ocean of suffering."
The term trun is defined in verse 3.11.6. The neuter gender in tru(i here is poetic license (to fit the
meter). "The fraction of a second that an eyelid blinks is an interruption of our sight of You. Although
it only takes nine hundred tru(is for the eye to blink (nimesa), to us it seems like nine hundred Yugas.
Thus, whether or not we see You, we are so unfortunate that we suffer."

Näräyapa Bhatta
Here the term truti is not used in its technical sense. Rather, by indirect usage it means a very short
period of time.141 His hair is curly: The crookedness of His mind is thus revealed, because He makes
Himself seen only for a brief moment each time. They speak out of slight indignation, due to love.

10.31.16

pati-sutän vaya-bhrätr-bändhavän ativilahghya te 'nty acyutägatäh I

gati-vidas tavodgita-mohitäh kitava yo$itah kas tyajen niSi Il

pati—husbands; suta—sons; anvaya—in-laws; bhrätr—brothers; bändhavän—and relatives;

ativilarighya—completely neglecting; te anti—near You (anti is a Vedic word and is the origin of
antika); acyuta—O Acyuta; ägatäh—we came; gati—our whereabouts (or the way); vidah—who
know; tava—Your; udgita—by the eminent song (of the flute); mohitäh—we, bewildered; kitava—O
deceiver; yositah—women; kah—who?; tyajet—would abandon; nifi—at night.

acyuta! kitava! (vayarh) gati-vidah tava udgita-mohitäh patisutänvaya-bhrätr-bändhavän ativilahghya

te anti ägatäh. kah (pumän) nifi (evam-bhütäh) yositah tyajet.

"Mesmerized by Your eminent music, we completely neglected our husbands, sons, in-laws, brothers
and other relatives and met You. Acyuta, You know the way. Hey trickster, what kind of man would
abandon women at night?

Sridhara Svämi
The term anvaya denotes the husband's relatives. Gati-vidah (know the way) modifies tava, in the
sense of either asmad-ägamanahl jänatah (You know that we have come) or gita-gatir jänatah (You

141
The clause "A tru(i is like a thousand years" is a hyperbole (atyukti ornament), but is classed as the
utprek$ä ornament (fanciful assumption) because the verb yugäyate is made with the affix kyah, which has the
sense of iva (like).
know our situation: the Song). Alternatively, vayam (we) is the implied antecedent of gati-vidah (who
know the way... of Rasa). "We were mesmerized by Your loud song (udgita-mohitäh = uccair gitena
mohitäh)." Hey cheat (kitava = Satha)! At night, who, meaning who other than You, would abandon
women who are like that?" The sense is: nobody.

Vallabhäcärya
"We completely disregarded our family line (anvaya = vath'a) and so on." Krsna is gati-vit in the sense
that He knows the ways of all beings, that is, He bestows a destination to everyone. Or else the gopis
are gati-vit, meaning they know the nuances in serving the Lord.
Women should not be rejected in any circumstance, especially not in a forest, much less at
nighttime. "You did not facilitate the fulfillment of the reason for which You called us." With this in
mind, they address Him: kitava (deceiver).

Srinätha Pandita
"If you cannot tolerate a delay, go back home." Suspecting this, the gopis who had transcendental
bodies and had relinquished their material bodies speak. "We came to You by completely rejecting, in
unique ways (ativilahghya = atiSayena viSesena lahghitvä tyaktvä), our husbands and so forth. That is,
we gave up the material body and whomever had a connection with it."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The relatives include their mothers and their fathers. Of those in the enumeration, by the aforesaid
logical reasoning each later one is more significant in point of rejection.142 The gopis went beyond
them all (lahghayitvä = atikramya) both in an eminent way (ati atijayena), by transgressing their
orders and by relinquishing affection for them, and in a unique way (vi = viSesena), to the root, by
disregarding dharma and the rest.
The reason they came is: acyuta, because He cannot possibly fall from the glory of appreciating
those who surrender to Him. He is gati-vit in the sense that He knows both His nature (gati =
svabhäva)143 and their own. Or else they are gati-vit, meaning either they know that He is
knowledgeable (gati-vidah = tava jiänam abhijiatvam vidantiti) or they know that He knows that He is
their sole gati (destination).
The gopis call Him a deceiver (kitava = kapa(in) because He has made His nature in a different
way. "Which man, even a cheater, would do such a thing?" The gist is that even a cheater would not
abandon women at night. The pith of the matter is this: "You're not just a cheat. It turns out that You're
utterly ungrateful." Or the substance is: "You're a cheat, because You abandoned beautiful young gopis
who arrived after You attracted them by playing music in a secluded place at night with the desire for
amorous pleasure. Thus, it has become obvious that You're a cheat, so now give Your dariana. " The
rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.

142
Jiva Gosvämi edited this out. Above, Sanätana Gosvämi refers to his commentary on verse 10.29.20.
143
Jiva Gosvämi accepted this explanation of gati, but the sense of svabhäva is not sourced in the classical dictionaries: gatih
stri märgadasayor jiäne yäträbhyupäyayoh, nädi-vrana-saranyähi ca, "Gati means path, condition (stage), knowledge,
journey, means (expedient), and open wound" (Medini-koSa); gatir yäträ-daSopäyäh (Tri-kända-'esa 3.3.155). It seems that
all these meanings fit here. Viévanätha Cakravarti takes gati in the meaning of daSä. This interpretation is substantiated in
the next verse
(17). And verse 18 expounds the meaning of upäya (the means).
 Alternatively, "We women belong to You (tava yositah), a cheat, hence we too are cheats. We know
everything about Your being a cheat, so stop being a cheat toward us." This is to be understood as a
clever way of asking Him to show up.144

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here the speakers are the gopis who had been confined to their homes by their husbands when Krsna
was playing the flute. They speak with resentment. "We, who have known our final stage (gatividah =
gatim antimärh sväsäm daSamim dajäril vidantiti täh), came in Your presence (te 'nti = tvad-antikam)."
"Hey Acyuta!" By figurative usage of the opposite sense (viparita-laksanä), the idea is: "You are
Acyuta in name only. You have fallen (cyuta)." In case He were to ask: "Then why did you come?"
they say: "We were mesmerized by Your loud song." The gist is He made them lose their sense of good
judgment. Krsqa might respond: "Well then, can you not tolerate the situation?" In that regard they
say: "Hey cheat (kitava = Sa(ha). which young man other than a cruel guy like You would abandon
such young women who came in the middle of the night and are afraid?"
There is another interpretation: "Hey crazy guy (kitava = matta), which young man would abandon
women who have come at night?" The drift is: "You, a cheat, has been cheated." The definition in
Medini is: kitavas tu pumän matte vaicake kanakähvaye, "Kitava is a masculine word and means either
a crazy guy, a cheat, or the thorn apple (a poisonous plant)."

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
'The sons' are the sons of co-wives (suta = sapatni-putra). The term anvaya denotes the relatives
ofthose sons, and the husband 's relatives. "We are Your women, whom You accepted by the
Gandharva style of marriage." The sense of the vocative acyuta is that He does not fall from dharma,
whereas a deceiver falls from dharma. "Now that You are rejecting us, the cheat has been cheated."

10.31.17

rahasi samvidarh hrc-chayodayam prahasitänanariz prema-vikyanam I

brhad-urah Sriyo viksya dhäma te muhur atisprhä 145 muhyate manah I l

rahasi—in a secluded place; sarhvidam—convesation•, hrt-Saya—of Cupid ("he rests in the heart");
udayam—because of which there is the rise; prahasita—smiling; änanam—face; prema—with love;
vik$anam—glancing; brhat-urah—broad chest; Sriyah—of Laksmi; viksya—upon seeing; dhäma—the
place; te—Your; muhuh— repeatedly; ati—intense; sprhä—due to hankering; muhyate—is
bewildered; manah—the mind.

144
In that line of thought, another implied meaning is: "You are twofaced (ref. acyuta and kitava), and so
are we. Hence You and we are a good match. "
145
atisprharh (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
te rahasi sarhvidam hrc-chayodayath prahasitänanam premavik$anam Sriyah dhäma brhad-urah (ca)
viksya (asmäkarh) manah atisprhä (hetunä) muhuh muhyate.
"Seeing the intimate conversations that we had with You in secret, Your smiling face, Your loving
glance, and Your broad chest, the abode of Laksmi, all of which kindle lust in our hearts, our minds
are continuously bewildered due to an intense longing for You.

Sridhara Svämi
In two verses, they speak with the intent to express this: "You abandoned us, yet the root cause of our
heartache is that we saw You previously. Apply the medicine for that, simply by Your being with
us."225
"And after looking at Your broad chest, the abode of Sri, an intense desire has come about
(atisprhä — atisprhä bhavati). In addition, the mind gets repeatedly (muhuh = muhur muhuh)
bewildered." Muhyate should read muhyati.

Vallabhäcärya
A high-minded gopi chides herself. "Our minds (manah = nah manah), having an intense desire
(atisprham = atisprhä-yuktmh sat), are bewildered—because the desire is not fulfilled—, and
repeatedly to boot: 'Swoon is coming.' Fie on life, because there is neither life, death, nor anything
other than those two."226

Srinätha Pandita
"After the seeing of those, the bewildering experienced by a person who is continuously smitten
(atisprhä = atisprhä janena) (atisprhä — atisprhayatiti atispr( tena) in such a way that the mind is gone
(muhyate manah = muhyate 'manah) (amanah = manah-Sünyam yathä syät tathä) takes place. "

Sanätana Gosvämi
The word hrc-chayodayam is a bahuvrihi compound: "that because

225 Gangä Sahäya: '"The only cure for the disease of the heart is
Your presence,' by the maxim 'Poison is the medicine for the poison."' (Anvitartha-prakäSikä)
226 Another interpretation of atisprham is as a tatpurusa compound: "The mind has gone beyond desire" (sprhäm
atikräntam ity ati-sprham). The rule is: aty-ädayah kräntädy-arthe dvitiyayä (Värttika 2.2.18); aty-ädayo dvitiyayä (HNV
959).
of which there is the rise of lust, which was dormant in the heart," and modifies prahasitänanam,
prema-viksanam and dhäma.
Or the pronoun te (Your) is connected with hrc-chayodayam: "Upon seeing the rise of Your lust—
that is, upon seeing in You the bodily changes induced by Cupid the conversations in private, Your
face, in which the smile, or the laughter, is eminent (prahasitänanam = prakn(am hasitam yasminn
änane tat, prakrsrahäsa-yuktam änanam iti vä), Your glancing with love, and Your broad chest, the
abode of Sri, the mind is bewildered because of an intense desire."
It's implied that the desire is at the highest stage. The chest is described as broad: The great beauty
of it is thus stated, with the intent to signify that He should be embraced. The phrase Sriyo dhäma (the
abode of Laksmi) is the special reason for having that intense desire, due to the rivalry with her and
due to a unique resplendence. That intense desire and the bewilderment of the mind occur because now
the gopis are remembering those ones, which were seen some time ago: The mind is seeing, meaning it
is contemplating (viksya = älocya = cintayitvä). Citsukha's reading is atisprham.

Jiva Gosvämi
Rahasi-samvidam is a compound where there is no deletion of the internal case ending. This word, as
well as prahasitänanam and prema-viksapam, modifies hrc-chayodayam as follows: "After seeing the
rise of Your lust, during which there were conversations in private; during which Your face had
eminent smiling; and during which Your glancing was done with love, and after seeing Your broad
chest, the abode of Sri, our intense desire. has arisen (atisprhä = asmäkam atisprhä udbhavati), and the
mind is bewildered."
The suffix ktvä is used in viksya because the action of seeing precedes the other and because it is
the action of the desire to see, whose doer is expressed with the word asmat (in the form of the implied
pronoun asmäkam). Or else there is figurative usage (upacära): The intense desire is the doer of the
action of seeing, with the intent to express that the desire is acting independently, because death is
approaching.
In point of brhat (broad): A unique beauty which creates the yearning to embrace His chest is
stated. His chest is the abode of Sri, who is a treasure of all types of excellence and is the form of a
yellow line. The word atisprhä is in the nominative case.
Alternatively, atisprhä is in the instrumental case, and is made with the suffix kvip, just like the
word sampad and so on: "The mind is bewildered because of an intense desire."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"What can be done? Your five factors of bewilderment act like Cupid's five arrows: They have entered
through our eyes and scorch our hearts. First of all, there were Your talks in private, which hinted at
Your romantic ambitions. Secondly, there was the rise of Cupid, caused by our glances. Thirdly, there
was Your face in which the smiling was eminent. Fourthly, there was Your glancing with love. And
fifthly, there was Your broad chest, an abode of splendor. By repeteadly (muhuh = punah punah)
seeing those in special ways (viksya = viSesato dr$(vä), the mind is bewildered because of an intense
hankering." This means the mind faints because of the flame of great longing. The word atisprhä is
made with the suffix kvip in the passive impersonal voice.

10.31.18

vraja-vanaukasäm vyaktir ahga te vrjina-hantry alam viSva-mahgalam I

tyaja manäk ca nas tvat-sprhätmanäm sva-jana-hrd-rujärh yan ni$üdanam
Il
v
raja-vana-okasäm—of those whose abode is the village and of those whose abode is the woods;
vyaktih—manifestation; ahga—O sweetheart; te—Your; vrjina—of the hardhips146 (or in the form of an
146
The word vrjina, seen in the famous jayati jana-niväsah verse (Bhägavatam 10.90.48), is defined as follows:
vrjinarh kalmaæ klibarh kese nä kurile trisu, "In the neuter, vrjinam means sin, in the masculine it means
affliction); hantri—the killer; alam—extremely; vifva-mahgalam— all-auspicious; tyaja—give away;
manäk—a little; ca—moreover; nah—our; tvat-sprhä-ätmanäm—[of us] whose minds have a desire
for you; sva-jana—own people; hrt-rujäm—of the great heartache ("of the diseases of the heart"); yat
—which; nifzdanam—destroys.

ahga! te vyaktih vraja-vanaukasäm (janänäth) vrjina-hantri alam vi'va-mahgalarh (ca bhavati. kim)ca
yat sva-jana-hrd-rujähi ni$üdanarh (bhavati, tvam) tvat-sprhätmanäm nah manäg (api tat) tyaja.

{athavä: ahga! vraja-vanaukasäm (janänärh madhye) te vyaktih vrjina-hantri (bhavati). viSvarh (te)
ahga-larh (bhavati iti yat, tena) alam. (kim)ca yat tvat-sprhätmanärh nah sva-jana-hrd-rujähl
nisüdanam (bhavati, tvarh tat) manäk tyaja.)

"Sweetheart, Your manifestation ends the hardships of those who reside in Vraja and of sages, who
dwell in the woods, and is extremely auspicious for the whole world. Give us whose minds long for
You a little something which expunges the diseases of the heart.

"Sweetheart, Your presence amidst the dwellers of the forest of

Vrindavan is a killer affliction. Everything there has got hold of Your body. Enough of this. Discharge
a little something that will hammer our great heartache. We belong to You, and our bodies hanker for
You.

Sridhara Svämi
"Your manifestation (vyaktih abhivyaktih) dispels the downheartedness (vrjina-hantri = duhkha-
nirasani) of everyone regardless (vraja-vanaukasäm — sarvesäm avife$ena). And its form is all-
auspiciousness (vijva-mahgalam = sarva-mahgala-rüpä ca). Therefore release a little something
(manäk = isat kim api) to us, whose minds are overcome by a hankering for You (wat-

hair, and in any gender it means crooked" (Medini-kosa)•, kleSe 'pi vrjinah' "In the masculine, vrjina also means affliction,
hardhip" (Amara-kosa
3.3.108).
sprhätmanäm = tvat-sprhärüdha-manasäm147)." The sense is "Give without being stingy" (tyaja =
murica = kärpanyam akurvan dehi).148What is that little something? "The secret medicine (yat = yad
atigopyarh ausadham) that drives away the diseases of the hearts of Your people (sva-jana-hrd-rujäm =
sva-jana-hrd-rogänäm)." "You know what it is." This is the subtle intention.

Vallabhäcärya
"This manifestation of Yours extremely is (alam = atyartham) the form of the auspiciousness of the
world too (alam vijva-mahgalam = viSvasya api atyartham mangala-rüpam). That is, it makes faults in
one's character fade away."
"Give that because of which there will be the continuous thwarting (ni$üdanam = nitaräm
südanaril yasmät) of the diseases of the heart, the forms of lust."

147
This means tvat-sambandha-sprhärüdha-manasäm (AnvitärthaprakäSikä).
148
The verbal root tyaj can literally have the sense of 'to give', in accordance with this list of synonyms:
tyägo vihäpitmii dänam utsarjanaVisarjane I viSränanarii vitaranahl sparSanahi pratipädanam Il prädejanahi
ni
rvapanam apavarjanam ahihatih I (Amara-kosa 2.7.29).
Srinätha Pandita
"At this time, we are both vrajaukas (residents of the village) and vanaukas (dwellers of a forest), and
so Your manifestation would be fitting."

Sanätana Gosvämi
"Therefore do like this." Thus, at the end of all, they speak after ascertaining what had come out of all
that.
The word anga is a vocative expressive of love. "Your descent— or Your manifestation (vyaktih =
avatärah präka(yarh vä)—kills the troubles of those who reside in the village and even of those who
reside in the woods." This means: "Therefore Your disappearance is improper."
Not only that, "It has the form of utter auspiciousness (viSvamahgalam = asesa-mahgala-rüpä ca)."
The word alam means atiSayena (intensely) and is connected to both clauses. The import of
'auspicious' is that there should be joyful exchanges between them and Him.
"Give what needs to be given to us (nah = asmäkam = asmän prati) whose minds have the desire to
attain You," or else "us whose minds are only in Your desire, the desire for romance"
(tvatsprhätmanäm = tava yä sprhä riramsä tasyäm evätmä mano yäsärh täsäm). The request "Give a
little something" is said because this is the custom in begging for what is hard to obtain. The word ruk
(disease, heartache) is used as a result of the profuse pain of love. What needs to be administered is the
thing that will continuously dispel (nisüdanam = nitaräm südanam) the great lust of those who belong
to Him (sva-jana-hrd-rujäm = sva-janänärh yä hrd-rujah kämäs täsäm). Alternatively, sva-jana is taken
separately as a vocative of Krsna.
In truth, however, what is meant by the plural in hrd-rujäm and by the prefix ni in ni$üdanam is
that the romance of love continuously takes place in various ways by always increasing as if every
occurrence were new, since their lust directed at Him can never be stopped.

Jiva Gosvämi
"Your manifestation is a killer of hardhips which has the form of the auspiciousness of all (vijva-
mahgalam = aSesasyäpi mahgala-rüpä). Give something that will appease our gloom." He might say,
"Don't worry. Since you're inhabitants of Vraja, you will not suffer from calamities. Do you request
something else?" In that regard they say: tvat-sprhätmanäm, "Our minds are only in the desire to
obtain You." He might retort, "But the inhabitants of the village too want to have Me. What is special
about Your request?" In this matter they say: "Give what continuously dispels the diseases of the hearts
of Your own people of our kind." This means they are a specific class of individuals among His own
people (sva-jana-hrd-rujäm = tesv api sva-jana-vijeso yo 'smad-vidhas tasya hrd-rujäm).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Your purpose in mesmerizing us young women who abide by moral codes and who never committed
a wrong and in luring us into the woods at night was not to only burn our life force with the fire Of great
longing, rather Your purpose also included the safeguarding of our life by giving us an ahga-sahga
with You." In this verse the gopis mention the reason for all of the above:
"Your manifestation dispels the downheartedness (vrjina-hantri duhkha-nirasani) of the
inhabitants of Vraja and of the dwellers of the woods, i.e. of everyone without discrimination
(vrajavanaukasäm = sarvesäm avijesena), in such a way that everything is auspicious (vi'va-mahgalam
= sarväm• mahgaläni yatra tad yathä syät tathä). Therefore release a little something (manäk = isat kim
api) to us, whose minds are in Your desire which arose by seeing us." In other words, their minds are
able to fulfill His desire. The sense is "Give without being stingy." What is that thing? "The medicine
which alleviates (ni$üdanam = upaSamakam ausadham) the disorders of the breasts of persons who
belong to You (sva-janahrd-rujäm = yusmaj-jana-kuca-rogäpäm)."
That medicine is His lotus hand: "If we manage to get You to place it on our breasts, then Your life
will be saved by the fulfillment of Your desire in that way."

Garigä Sahäya
"Your descent conveys auspiciousness to all (vi'va-mahgalam vi'vasya mahgalävahä). Give a little
something to us, who are Your own and have diseases of the heart such as lust" (nah sva-jana-hrdrujäm
= asmäkam sva-janänärh hrd-rujäm).

Näräyapa Bhatta
"In our minds is Your desire" (tvat-sprhätmanäm = tvayi yä sprhä "sukharh cirarh ti$(hatu " iti väichä
kämaneti yävat sä ätmani manasi yäsäm täsäm). The intention is this: "When the heart is burning, You
might burn too since You are there. Hence give us some medicine to dispel the affliction for Your
sake. We don't ask You to dispel our affliction." (The next verse too only states that they care for
Him.) The purport is that the girls whom He abandoned will not die. The request "Give a little
something" is said because this is the custom in begging for something very valuable. But 'a little' is
not what is really meant (otherwise His presence in the heart might be jeopardized). That idea was
expressed in Gita-govinda:
roam the woods with such feet."
"You are our longevity (bhavad-äyusäm = bhavän äyur yäsäm) (i.e. the cause of our longevity)."
Thus, their bodies do not fall even while undergoing so much misery.

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions to Brhad-vaispava-toyam- are underlined.) What are those diseases of the heart (or the
heartaches)? Or. what is that thing which is nisüdanam? With this in mind, they refer to the above
while as if crying. The fact that He has soft feet is already obtained by the metaphor with a lotus, and
so the modifier sujäta is said with the intent to express that His feet are extremely soft.
The reason for 'gently' placing His feet on their breasts is that the girls are apprehensive. And the
reason for that is the breasts are hard. In point of priya (O beloved): A beloved is in the heart, hence it
is fitting that His feet should be on the breasts.
The sense of "You roam the woods with such feet" is: "Now You are wandering in the woods at
night." Only that is the reason for repeatedly telling the desire to hold those very feet, and is stated
because of the intensity of the girls' affection, which had increased by suspecting that some mishap
might befall Him.
Previously, the sharp stubs of wild grasses, etc. were mentioned (verse 11) in terms of being
abundant, because He was only roaming in a place that had soft grass, to graze the cattle. But now it is
said kürpädibhih because of roaming on the shore of the Yamunä, which is being looked at as a place
abounding in harsh stones. Although in those days there was no reason to be concerned about such
stones there, also because of the nature of Sri Vrndävana, those girls had such a concern by the maxim:
ani$ta-sahkini bandhu-hrdayäni bhavanti, "The heart of a true friend suspects that some mishap will
befall a friend. "
"The mind is bewildered" (bhramati = muhyati). The cause Of that is: bhavad-äyusäm. The same
idea was expressed at the outset: tvayi dhrtäsavah (verse 1) and repeated in the middle: calasi yad
vrajäc cärayan paSün (verse 11). Therefore the drift is: "The pain that He feels because of those things
arises only in our life, and so now we are unable to keep our life force in any way." Thus, Qnly such
feelings of anxiety are the diseases of the heart. And the
421149

'nisüdanam' (the cure "which fully destroys the diseases") is simply that He should willingly stay for
some time on the body or on a body part of a girlfriend and joyfully caress her. The gist is: "Ouickly
arrive here."231
In the reading nayasi, the sense is gacchasi, because the verbal root is nay pay gatau. 150
Thus, given that all the emotions of those girls are based on love, it should be understood that the
same applies to the Lord. On account of thoughts such as: "Wow, these girls have only pure love for
Me," it is fitting that He should give Himself in the most agreeable way. And by considering like this
and like that in terms of suitability, a desire for various things consisting of such a liveliness of love
takes place. Yet other ideas can be inferred this way by the connoisseurs who are Rasikas solely
devoted to Him.

Sanätana Gosvämi
The plural in nah (our) refers to the speaker's sakhis. Or else all the girls who have the same mood are
included.
All in all, suspecting that His divine lotus feet might be hurt by roaming the woods, since His feet
are very soft, there is a double mention by pointing that out. Therefore their request to hold His feet on
their breasts was made twice,151 because of their emotional attachment to Him by bhakti, due to
meekness right then, by the logical reasoning in särahgänäm padämbujam, "His lotus feet are for the
bees, the devotees who sing about the essence" (1.11.26). Further, the nectar of the divine lips was
requested twice because that nectar is the reason the gopis keep living. And there was a repeated
description of His face because it bewilders them in unique ways. Yet other ideas can be inferred this
way by the connoisseurs who are Rasikas solely devoted to Him.152

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Krsna: "Hey Rasika girls, those lotus feet for which you have prayed are now immersed in the pleasure
of wandering in the woods, and so there is no opportunity to place them on your breasts. " The gopis
speak with tears in their eyes: "We're anxious about Your very soft (sujäta = atisukumära) lotus feet,
which we ought to place on our breasts. You roam the woodland with such feet?" This is said with a
modulation in the tone of voice. The drift is: "Alas, alas, what an improper and unprecendently rash
thing to do!"

Krspa: "Why are you girls anxious'? "

Gopis: "Our breasts are hard."
Knna: "So why would you hold My feet?"

149
According to Sanätana Gosvämi, the diseases of the heart are simply that He roams the woods with such
feet; the nisüdanam is the cessation of His roaming, and this culminates in getting a sight of Him.
150
This means the verbal root nay has the sense of gati (to go), and so does the root pay. But in fact the
root nay (nay) is ätmanepadi.
By counting this verse, that request was made three times (verses 7, 13, and 19).
151
152
The verse has an implied arthäpatti ornament (presumption): "If You
Gopis: "O beloved (priya)! You like to put Your feet on them. In other words, we will place Your feet
on our breasts upon seeing that You would derive pleasure from that."

Next, with Sanaih dadhimahi they mean to say this: "Although on such an occasion it would be clearly
visible that You derive pleasure from pressing on our breasts with Your feet, just by looking at Your
very soft feet it is inevitable that pain would occur. We feel aggrieved only due to being anxious that
way. Therefore, we will hold them very carefully." This type of affliction is a characteristic of
mahäbhäva: tat-saukhye 'py ärti-Sahkayä, "In that stage, a woman is afflicted by suspecting that her
lover is in pain although he is happy" (Ujjvala-nilamani 14.161). The meaning implied from that is:
"Our gloom, even in being with You, was already written on our foreheads by the creator. "235 The
subsequent implied sense is: "What is to be done now? If we perform severe austerities while praying
to the creator to make our breasts softer, that will cancel Your happiness. But since our breasts are
hard, Your feet have pain. That is a dilemma."
" All right, let us suffer this way both in meeting and in separation. Although You are independent,
how do You tolerate this suffering

can tolerate putting Your feet on hard pebbles, You can put Your feet on our hard nipples."
235 In Vedic culture, fate is said to be written on one's forehead.
423

of ours? Are such lotus feet suited for wandering in the woodland?" This is an implied rebuke.
Knpa: "I do whatever crosses My mind. Why do you girls care?" Gopis: "Your feet (tat = caranam) do
not feel hurt? Of course there is pain, but You are merciless toward Your body parts just like You are
merciless toward us. Or perhaps You tolerate that pain because You think, 'These girls are unhappy
because I am unhappy, and so I should create My unhappiness, to make them unhappy, and tolerate it.'

"Or do You regard Your pain as joy since You are joyful by seeing us suffer? Or, according to the
maxim: smhsarga-jä dosa-gupä bhavanti, "Qualities and faults are acquired by associating with the
corresponding type of people," originally Your heart was soft as a flower, but by contacting our hard
breasts it has become hard. In the same way Your tender feet have become hard by associating with
our breasts, and so they do not feel any pain by trampling on sharp stones. Or maybe the stones and
other such things become soft by the greatness of the touch of Your feet?
"Or is Mother Earth, either out of compassion or out of greed to relish Your sweetness, holding her
tongue out as a resting place wherever Your feet fall? Or perhaps You are a greater ocean of love than
we are, and, afflicted by separation from us by fate, upon reaching the stage of unmäda, while
wandering here and there You cannot feel the pain in Your feet."
"By pondering over many such causes, our minds reel. We cannot conclude anything." In case
Krsna were to quip: "The unhappiness you are revealing in you is not much. I do not consider that
unhappiness by which the life force remains real unhappiness," they say: "Our longevities rest only in
You" (bhavad-äyusäm = tvayy eväyü"ii$i yäsä'il täsäm): "As long as You are well, our longevity will
not be affected, even by so much hardship."
The gist is this: "The creator, like You, is engaged in trying to make us miserable. He reasons as
follows: 'If I leave the life spans of those girls in them, their life spans will be burnt by the intene
affliction given by me, and the girls will die at once. After that, who might I give suffering to?
Therefore I will put their life spans in the care of my like-minded friend Krsna so that the girls remain
alive.
That way I will be free to make them undergo unsurmountable sorrow.' Because of this arrangement
we are not dying."
There is another interpretation of bhramati dhir bhavad-äyu$äm nah. "The mind reels because it
cannot come to a conclusion, but our life force is conclusively going out of our bodies. Now You
should see this." Krsqa might retort, "How can you die if your life span is intact?" In that regard they
say "Our longevities are offered to You" (bhavad-äyu$äm = tvat-samarpitäyu$äm). The idea is: "Now
we are giving our life-spans to You so that You can use them to have fun in Vraja for as long as You
like."

Näräyapa Bhatta
For all this time, they had informed Him of their gloom, but now they give it up and imagine that His
lotus feet are in pain by going in the woodland. The sense is: "Your pain is our pain. " The purport is:
"We are happy if You are happy." Krsna was hiding in the shadow of nearby trees.

•apter Thirty-two

10.32.1

Sri-Suka uväca iti gopyah pragäyantyah pralapantyaS ca citradhä I ruruduh su-

svarahi räjan kryna-darjana-lälasäh Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Suka said; iti—in that way; gopyah—the gopis; pragäyantyah—while eminently
singing; pralapantyah—while raving (or prattling); ca—and; citradhä—in diverse ways; ruruduh—
they wept; su-svaram—in such a way that the sound was superb; räjan—O king; krsna-darSana—for
the sight of Krsna; lälasäh—who had the desire.

Sri-Sukah uväca—räjan! krypa-dar'ana-lälasäh gopyah iti pragäyantyah citradhä pralapantyah ca su-

svaratii ruruduh.

Sri Suka continued: Having eminently sung in that fashion, O king, the gopis, who eagerly desired to
see Knoa, prattled in various ways, and wept in a sweet pitch.

425
Sridhara Svämi dvätrimée virahäläpa-viklinna-hrdayo harih I
taträvirbhüya gopis täh säntvayämäsa mänayan I l sva-premämrta-kallola-vihvali-krta-
cetasah I sa-dayam nandayan gopir udgato nanda-nandanah I l
"In the thirty-second chapter, Hari, His heart softened by the gopis' sorrowful outpourings in
separation, appeared before them, consoled them and honored them. While compassionately delighting
the gopis, whose hearts had been afflicted by the waves of the nectar of love for Him, Nanda's son rose
up to the occasion."

The word iti means evahl prabhrti (like this and so on). Citradhä means anekadhä (in many ways).
"The gopis, who had an intense desire to see Krsna (krsna-darjana-lälasäh = kryga-darSane atisprhä
yäsähl täh), wept loudly (susvaram = uccaih)."

Vallabhäcärya ekonatriméake 'dhyäye prasädam bhagavat-krtam I

rodanät präpya tustäs tä nirqaya-jfiä itiryate I l nahi sädhana-sampattyä haris tusyati
kasyacit I bhaktänäm dainyam evaikam hari-tosana-sädhanam I l santustah sarva-
duhkhäni näéayaty eva sarvatah I ato nirnaya-väkyäni bhajanärtharh nyarüpayat I l

"In the twenty-ninth chapter (thirty-second), it is said that the gopis became satisfied upon attaining
the mercy shown by the Lord because of their weeping and that they understood the logic of it all. Hari
is not pleased with someone simply because of that person's wealth of spiritual practice. The meekness
of devotees is the sole cause of achieving Hari's satisfaction. And once He is satisfied, He ends all
difficulties everywhere. Therefore, to improve one's spiritual discipline He made statements to
expound the logical reasoning."

Their praise was mentioned at the end of the previous chapter, and their prattle was stated in the
chapter before that. Now, while summarizing both he says neither turned out as a satisfactory means to
accomplish what they wanted, and so they wept. "The gopis sang and prattled in the aforesaid ways (iti
= pürvokta-prakärena) (pragäyantyah pralapantyaS ca = pragäyantyah pralapantya' ca jätäh)."
Afterward, they wept. The reason they wept is stated: They were eager to see Krsna. The reason was
not that they wanted to save their bodies.

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions to Brhad-vaisnava-toyani are underlined.) The word iti is expressive of prakära (the manner
in which the action occurred). The sense is: evani prabhrti. They wept while singing eminently, that is,
loudly, because of an upsurge of love, and while eminently chattering or wailing (pralapantyah =
prakarsena lapantyaS ca) at some point in time. Or else pralapantyah means they softly spoke some
meaningless words, due to being overwhelmed by the pang of separation.153 The term citradhä is
connected to both pragäyantyah and pralapantyah.

153
That is the technical explanation of pralapantyah, in conformity with the definition: vyarthäläpah
praläpah syät, "Praläpa is saying words that have no meaning" (Ujjvala-nilamapi 11.87). Praläpa is one of
the twelve väcika anubhävas, but this technical meaning does not apply here because there was no
conversation of that sort. In this context, the implied meaning of pralapantyah is that love of God feels
like poison, inasmuch as it is a mix of nectar-like bliss and poison-like pain: vi$ämrte ekatra milana
(Caitanyacaritämrta 2.2.51). Such is the nature of krsna-prema-rasa, as experienced by a spiritual
practitioner. The tenth and final stage of separation is not death per se: It is almost like death, meaning
the will to live is almost gone. It is the same as the vyabhicäri-bhäva called mrti, which is characterized by
uttering unclear syllables, according to Rüpa Gosvämi: präna-tyägo mrtis tasyäm avyaktäksara-bhäsanam
(Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 2.4.99).
 Sanätana Gosvämi
The word iti means ukta-prakärena (in the way that was said). That was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
Or iti is connected with citradhä. The sense is: ukta-bahu-prakärena (in the aforesaid many ways).

Viévanätha Cakravarti dvätrirhée harir äyätah sväfiga-bhäväri1154 gukoktibhih I püjitah

pratipüjyaitäh premoktyä rnitäm adhät I l

"In the thirty-second chapter, Hari comes in person and is revered by Suka's statements. He reveres the
gopis in return and acknowledges that He is indebted to them because of their words of love."

"While eminently singing in an amazing manner, that is, with regard to tone, tempo, and so on
(citradhä = äfcarya-täna-tälädi-prakärena), and while prattling, because of the upsurge of being out of
control, they wept (ruruduh)." Su-svaram is an adverb of ruruduh.

Brhat Krama-sandarbha
Here he says: After singing they prattled, and after prattling they wept. The sense of "They prattled" is
they wailed as though they were mad. The adverb su-svaram connotes the idea that the sound of their
weeping was natural: It was not impelled by volition.

Näräyapa Bhatta
They had reached the tenth and final stage that way. Then they prattled, meaning they uttered
meaningless words, and cried.

Gangä Sahäya
The usage of the suffix dhä in citradhä is poetic license. 238

10.32.2

täsäm ävirabhüc chaurih smayamäna-mukhämbujah I pitämbara-dharah sragvi säk$än

manmatha-manmathah Il

täsäm—to them; ävirabhüt—appeared; Saurih—Sauri ("the de-

prabhur ävahet, "In the thirty-second chapter, Krsna arrives and is worshiped by the gopis' love. The Lord honors them in
return and conveys that He is indebted to them because of their feelings for Him" (Vai$navänandini).
238 The rule is: kriyä-prakära-vrtteh sahkhyäyä dhä, "Dhä is applied after a numeral that is functioning as an adverb"
(Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 1253); samkhyäyä vidhärthe dhä (As(ädhyäyi 5.3.42).
scendant of Süra who was Vasudeva's father"); smayamäna-mukhaambujah—He whose smiling face is
the form of a lotus (or is like a lotus); pita-ambara—a yellow garment; dharah—He wears; srakvi—He

Another reading is svähga-bhäväh. Perhaps the original reading was svähga-bhävo. Baladeva
154

Vidyäbhüsana's paraphrase is: dvätrihiSe tv äyätah krsnas täbhih premnä samarcitah, pratyarcya täh sa tad-
bhävair rnitäm
has a garland; säk$ät-manmatha—of Cupid in person ("he bewilders the mind") (irregular derivation);
manmathah—the Cupid (or säk$ät manmatha-manmathah—the personified Cupid of Cupid).

Saurih smayamäna-mukhämbujah pitämbara-dharah sragvi säk$än manmatha-manmathah täsäm

ävirabhüt.

Sauri appeared to those girls. His lotus face was smiling. He was wearing yellowish clothing and had a
garland. He was the Cupid of Cupid in person.

Sridhara Svämi
Manmatha is Cupid, who enchants the world. Krsna was Cupid arisen in the mind of that Cupid. This
means Krsna enchants him even though he is Cupid in person.

Vallabhäcärya
The Lord appeared in the midst of the gopis (täsäm = täsäm madhye eva). The name Sauri means
Krsna is the grandson of Süra. Heroism had be manifested in this context; He descended in Yadu's
dynasty only to dispel everyone's difficulties. He was holding His yellow garment in His hand. The
term säk$än-manmatha means Cupid in person, the god: Krsna is the Cupid of Cupid too.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The term Sauri is Sri Sukadeva's expression of indignation at Krsna and hints at this: Because He was
born in a line of Ksatriyas, who have minds of steel, Krsna manifested His heroism (Saurya) by
causing so much sadness in the girls, but that would never have happened if He had taken birth in a
family of cowherds, whose minds are soft. Therefore His face was in bloom even though the gopis
were sad. In truth, however, His lotus face was smiling, meaning it was in bloom, only to delight the
gopis, whereas the lotus of His heart was in pain.
He was holding His yellow garment with both hands by making it hang down in front of His
shoulders to beg for forgiveness. He had a garland to show that His ladylove had made Him wear it.
He is Manmatha-manmatha, meaning He churns the mind of the generic Cupid: To mesmerize the
Cupid who mesmerizes the world and who had come to mesmerize all, He mesmerized him so much
that He made him attain the mood of a woman: he too was mesmerized and felt the pain of Cupid's
arrows by seeing Krsna's beauty. The following is to be understood by that: Krsna and His ladyloves
engage in dalliance and are pained by the arrows of the Cupid who is the very nature of Krsna, not by
the material Cupid, the one who bewilders the world, because the latter has no authority in that matter.
On this occasion, He manifested His own greatly bewildering sweetness as säk$än-manmatha-
manmatha to make the girls forget about their gloom of the pang of separation.

Sanätana Gosvämi
He became visible to 'those' girls, meaning the gopis had so much pain. It is thus shown that He is
obtained by the highest pain. Or the reason He appeared is that their life force was on the verge of
leaving their bodies because they were crying in such a miserable state.
The term Manmatha-manmatha was explained by Sridhara Svämi. Another interpretation is:
manmathäd api manmathah (He is even more Cupid than Cupid in person). This means He is the great
Cupid, that is, the real Cupid. For this reason, in the mahämantra of the käma-bija, one of His names is
Sri Madana-gopäla (the cowherder who is Cupid).

Jiva Gosvämi
He became visible to 'those' girls, meaning He thought that because they were weeping and were
feeling miserable their life force was on the verge of leaving. It is thus shown that He is obtained by a
particular kind of meekness only in terms of having regard for no other but Him. Thus it is said:
gopyas tapah kim acaran yad amu.sya rüpam, and so on, "What austerities did the gopis do, because
with their eyes they drink His form, the essence of loveliness?" (10.44.14).
He is described as Sauri even though He is well know by that name as a descendant in the line of Süra.
Here the sense is He is Sauri because he never appeared like that to anyone before.239 It is fitting that
He was like that in the gopis' presence, because the love of those girls is the highest of all, in
accordance by Uddhava's statement: etäh param tanu-bhrto bhuvi gopa-vadhvo govinda eva
nikhilätmani rüdha-bhäväh, "These cowherd women who have an elevated love for Govinda, the Soul
of all, are the foremost embodied beings on Earth" (10.47.58).
The word säk$än-manmatha denotes the Cupids in person (säk$än-manmathäh = svayam käma-
deväh), such as Väsudeva and other members of the catur-vyüha. They are the real Cupids, whereas
the famous Cupid is a material expansion of theirs (of Pradyumna). Krsna is the Cupid of the real
Cupids too, as in the expression: caksusaS caksuh, "He is the eye of the eye" (Brhadärapyaka
Upanisad 4.4.18) (Kena Upanisad 1.2).240 In short, that kind of form is the topmost male älambana in
Srhgära-rasa and cannot be realized by another type of bhakti.
Having thus described that the manifestation of His nature was unprecedented, with three
modifiers he describes Krsna's attire and playful manneurisms. He was smiling: The usage of the
present tense means this was happening right then and there, hence that smile was not like His usual
smile. The idea that He was wearing yellow garments would have been achieved simply by using the
term pitämbara (He whose clothes are yellow), and so the addition of the action of 'wearing' in
pitämbara-dhara implies that He was wearing those clothes in a way different than normal. The
adjective sragvin is used because the affix mat[u] therein has the sense of prasamsä (praise).
His smiling implies that He was pleased and that His act of abandoning them in the first place was
done in jest. The action of 'wearing' the yellow garments suggests that He was covering Himself

239 The gist is Krsna is the hero the gopis wanted Him to be. In the previous chapter, they addressed Him four times as
vira (O hero). The term säk$än manmatha-manmatha specifies that He is the topmost hero in madhura-rasa.
240 The expression cak$waS caksuh works for Viévanätha Cakravarti's explanation of säk$än manmatha-manmatha,
because the idea is He is the transcendental essence of the material thing.
up to His head because He felt bad about having abandoned the girls. He was wearing the garland to
show that He did not want to be with others. The description of His resplendence at that time is meant
to make Him enter into the readers' hearts.

Krama-sandarbha: Krsna is the Cupid of the Pradyumnas in the diverse catur-vyühas.

Näräyapa Bhatta
Here he confirms that crying is the means to attain Krsna. The girls had come close to the tenth stage,
and so He made His appearance. He was smiling to dissipate their sorrow and to cover up that He was
at fault. His entire body was covered by His yellowish clothing to hide His goosebumps. There is a
similarity of color between His clothing and the gopis' complexion. The point of the epithet säk$än
manmatha-manmatha is that the material Cupid has no scope in Krsna's games of Räsa. The gopis are
not affected by the material Cupid. In this context the Cupid is the transcendental one, who is in
Krsna's nature.

10.32.3

tam vilokyägatanz pres(ham prity-utphulla-drSo 'baläh I uttasthur yugapat sarväs tanvah

pränam ivägatam Il

tam—Him; vilokya—seeing; ägatam—who had arrived; prey(ham— the lover; priti—because of

affection; utphulla—were in bloom; drSah—whose eyes; abaläh—the girls; uttasthuh—stood up;
yugapat—simultaneously; sarväh—all; tanvah—the bodies; präpam—the life force; iva—like; ägatam
—which has returned.

sarväh abaläh tam pres(ham ägatahi vilokya prity-utphulla-drSah (satyah), tanvah iva pränam ägatam
(präpya yugapad utti$(hanti), yugapad uttasthuh.

While the women were gazing at Him, the lover who had returned, their eyes bloomed out of love.
Then all the women stood up at the same time, as though they were bodies in which the life force had
returned.

Sridhara Svämi
They stood up simultaneously, like the hands, the feet, and other body parts (tanvah = kara-
caranädayah)155 come to life upon coming in contact with life force.

Vallabhäcärya
Someone might think, "They rose when the Lord arrived. What is amazing about that?" Therefore he
gives an example to show that they had almost breathed their last.
The word utphulla (bloomed) denotes a quality of a flower, and so the implication is that their eyes
were lotuses [and Krsna clad in yellow garments was their sun].

Sanätana Gosvämi
They looked at Him in a special way (vilokya = viSesena lokayitvä dr$(vä). The term abaläh (women)
is used in the etymological sense too (weak): The drift is, "Although they were unable to stand up," all
of them stood up at the same time. The reason for that is: pres(ham. At first their eyes bloomed, then
they rose, just like bodies make small movements upon getting life force and then start functioning.
The word ägatam is a repetition of the meaning of the previous verse to point out that the only reason
they stood up is His arrival.

Vallabhäcärya explains kara-caranädayah as kara-caranädyavayaväh (Subodhini). This is the

155

avayavävayavi variety of figurative usage (mentioning the whole instead of the parts) (Sähitya-kaumudi
2.15).
 Jiva Gosvämi
When He showed up He was far away. Then He came closer. Therefore they looked at Him in a special
way.

Priti-sandarbha 393: The verse illustrates meeting after separation.

10.32.4

käcit karämbujam 'aurer jagrhe 'fijalinä mudä I käcid dadhära tad-bähum amse candana-
bhüsitam 156 Il

käcit—some girl; kara-ambujam—the lotus hand; 'aureh—of Sauri; jagrhe—took; afijalinä—by means
of cupped hands; mudä—with joy; käcit—some girl; dadhära—put; tat-bähum—His arm; amse—on
the shoulder; candana—with sandalwood paste; bhü$itam—adorned.

käcit (gopi) mudä (hetunä) afijalinä Saureh karämbujahi jagrhe. käcid candana-bhü$itarh tad-bähum
(ätmanah) arhse dadhära.

Some girl took Sauri's lotus hand by joyfully cupping her hands around it. Some other girl placed His
arm, adorned with sandalwood paste, on her shoulder.

Vallabhäcärya
At first the girls nearest Him are described. The name Sauri lets one know that He is a hero (vira). The
Lord had one free hand: With the other He was holding His [upper] yellow garment. Cupping her
hands around His hand was expressive of much respect. The word mudä (with joy) signifies that their
sorrow of separation had dissipated.

Sanätana Gosvämi
To describe, in six verses, that all the girls experienced both the cessation of the burning affliction of
the pang of separation and a great festivity of sorts, at first in five verses he talks about the loving
gestures of the eight principal gopis, one by one.
Some gopi took one of His lotus hands, since with the other He was holding His yellow garment,
because in that way there was a resplendence of the style. The metaphor with a lotus hints at both a
natural redness and other types of beauty and the quality of dispelling heat. The word mudä is used
because their sorrow of separation had dissipated: This should also be connected to every clause
ahead.
The term tad-bähum means "His arm". Or the sense is "that indescribable arm," and the word
'aureh (of Sauri) is carried forward and connected with this too. His arm was anointed with sandal
paste, meaning there was a Vaisnava marking on His arm.

156
candana-rüsitam (Vallabhäcärya's edition) (Sanätana Gosvämi's and Jiva Gosvämi's reading).
Jiva Gosvämi
Some girl took His right hand. She could only take that hand because the other girl was on His left side
and had placed His arm on her shoulder. That other girl was positioned like the lover (side by side, not
face to face). The same arrangement is to be understood for the upcoming verses.
On account of the word afijalinä (with cupped hands), this gopi is soft, has däsya mostly consisting
of sakhya, is submissive to her lover and is dak$ir.zä (right-wing, compliant). His arm was anointed
with sandal paste, meaning there was a Vaisnava marking on His arm. That gopi is bold, because she
grabbed His arm and held it, has visible sakhya, has a lover who is somewhat controlled by another,
and is daksinä.

Priti-sandarbha 367: The first gopi is Candrävali. The other one is similar to her and is known as
Syämalä (or Syämä).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The gopi took His right hand, because this is made clear in the second half of the verse. This girl has
ghrta-sneha (ghee-like affection), which means she thinks she belongs to Him; is submissive to her
lover and is daksinä. And since she is mentioned first, she is the most senior.
The other gopi took His left arm, which had a Vaisnava marking (candana-bhü$itam = candanena
rü$itam = bhakti-cchedena liptam). It is fitting that this gopi was on His left side (väma). Since she is
bringing about an embrace which has a whiff of reverence, that gopi has madhu-sneha (honey-like
sweetness) mixed with some ghrta-sneha, has visible sakhya, somewhat controls the lover, and is
daksinä.

10.32.5

käcid ahjalinägrhnät tanvi tämbüla-carvitam I ekä tad-mighri-kamalam santaptä

stanayor adhät I l

käcit—some girl; ahjalinä—with cupped hands; agrhnät—took; tanvi—who was slender; tämbüla—[in
the form of] betel nut; carvitam—the chewed thing; ekä—one girl; tat-ahghri-kamalam— His lotus
foot; santaptä—who was afflicted (hot); stanayoh—on her breasts; adhät—put.

käcid tanvi ('aureh) tämbüla-carvitam (vastu) aijalinä agrhnät. ekä santaptä (gopi) tad-ahghri-kamalahl
stanayoh adhät.

Some slender girl took His chewed betel in her cupped hands. One gopi, burning with desire, placed
His lotus foot on her breasts.

Sridhara Svämi
Afijalinä means samhata-hasta-dvayena (with cupped hands).
 Srinätha Pandita
"She placed His lotus foot on her breasts..." after making Him sit down. The sitting will be mentioned
ahead (verse 14).

Sanätana Gosvämi
The girl was slender, that is, she had become even more thin due to the pang of separation. Krsqa had
brought the betel, or else Vrndä had made it available. The other girl put one lotus foot on her breasts.
For this purpose she was sitting. The sitting of the Lord will be described later: tatropavi$(ah (verse
14). The reason she placed it there is: santaptä. Otherwise, neither the affliction of separation nor the
burning of Cupid would have gone away.

Jiva Gosvämi
She took the betel nut so she could get the nectar of His lips. She is soft, has sakhya mostly consisting
of däsya, is controlled by the lover and is dak$inä.
The other girl was sitting, and He was standing. She placed His right foot on her breasts while He
took hold of her with His left hand. She is bold, has sakhya mostly consisting of däsya, is submissive
to the lover and is dak$inä.

Priti-sandarbha 367: The gopis whose temperaments are like Candrävali's are described here. These
two girls are Padmä and Saibyä.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The second gopi has däsya mostly consisting of sakhya, is submissive to the lover and is dak$inä.
These two gopis were the friends of the first one.

10.32.6

ekä bhruku(im äbadhya prema-samrambha-vihvalä I ghnantivaiksat ka(äksepaih sandas(a-

daSana-cchadä Il

ekä—one gopi; bhru-kutim—her eyebrows; äbadhya—constricting; prema-samrambha—due to loving

anger; vihvalä—overcome; ghnanti—to
crooked glances ); äksepaih—with the
157
she by whom the lips ("the covering of
hurt; iva—as if; aiksat—she looked; (of
insults; bitten (or clasped); dasana-chadä—
the teeth").

ekä (gopi) prema-samrambha-vih valä bhru-ku(im äbadhya sandas(adaiana-cchadä (sati) ka(äkyepaih

(Saurim) ghnanti iva (tam) aiksat.
Overcome by loving anger, one girl frowned, bit her lips, and looked at Him by casting crooked
glances as if to hurt Him.

The word ka(äk$epaih is a literary ornament of sorts. It is similar to gupti (concealment) (Sähitya-
157

kaumudi 11.11-16). The sense is either katäksa-k$epaih or ka(äksäksepaih.

Sridhara Svämi
"Upon curving (äbadhya = kuåli-krtya) her eyebrows (bhruku(im = bhruvam), she got out of control
because of her absorption in loving anger (prema-samrambha-vihvalä = pranayakopävefena viva'ä), bit
her lips (sanda$(a-dasana-cchadä = daMädharoMhä), and looked at Him while as if chastising Him
(ghnanti iva = tädayanti iva) with insults by means of crooked glances (ka(äksepaih = karäh ka(äk$äs
tair ye äksepäh paribhaväs taih)."

Vallabhäcärya
The word ka(äk$epaih involves a deletion of a similar-sounding phoneme and stands for ka(äksa-
kyepaih. Alternatively, "She looked at Him with crooked glances that were forms of abuse"
(ka(äkyepaih = ka(äk$ä eva äksepa-rüpäh taih).

Jiva Gosvämi
Ghnanti should read ghnati, aikyat should read aiksata, and ka(äksepaih should be ka!äkya-vik$epaih
(by casting crooked glances). The syntactical connection is: prema-samrambha-vihvalä sati bhru-ku(im
äbadhya nirda$!a-dajana-cchadä bhütvä ka(äksepair ghnativaiksata. Sometimes the reading is sanda$(a
instead of nirdas(a. The word Sauri in the accusative case is understood according to the context.
In point of ghnativa (as if to hurt): By implying that He was agitated, it is suggested that He was
standing there just by being dak$ina (compliant), in terms of being grabbed by those girls. Thus, she,
who was at a distance with vämya-bhäva (the tendency to be in a huff), had loving anger. This shows
that she had great pleasure in looking at Him. For example, in Sri Vistgu Puma:
käcid bhrü-bhahgurarii krtvä lalä!a-phalakam harim I vilokya netra-bhmgäbhyärh papau tan-
mukha-pahkajam Il

"Some girl endowed her forehead with the curvatures of her brows, gazed at Hari, and with the bees of
her eyes imbibed the nectar of His lotus face." (Visnu Puräna 5.13.45)

This gopi is bold, is a good friend of her lover, completely brings Him under her control, and is vämä
(left-wing, moody, controlling).

Priti-sandarbha 367: The gopi here is Rädhä.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"The gopi frowned. This means she drew the bow of her eyebrows with the shaft of her glance. Losing
her self-control because of her absorption in loving anger, She looked at Krsna as if to hurt Him by
firing the arrows which are her crooked glances (ka(äksepaih = katäh ka(äk$äh Saräs tesärh k;epair
niksepaih)." She wanted Him to understand this: "Hey expert deceiver, You gave me the poison of
Your love. It had its full effect: My life force almost left my body. Are You approaching me to finish
me off? You have acquired quite a reputation."244
She bit her lips: This is an anubhäva of anger. This gopi has a crooked pique arisen by her madhu-
sneha (honey-like affection) which consists of thinking that her lover belongs to her.
10.32.7

aparänimisad-drgbhyäriz jusäpä tan-mukhämbujam I äpitam api nätrpyat santas tac-

caraparh yathä Il

aparä—another girl; animisat—which were not blinking; drgbhyäm— with both eyes; jusäpä—while
serving (relishing); tat-mukhaambujam—His lotus face; ä-pitam—fully imbibed; api—although; na
atrpyat—she was not satisfied; santah—saints; tat-caranam—His feet; yathä—like.

244 Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana concurs. Another explanation is that Rädhä was angry because He liked what Her rivals were
doing to Him. Verses four to eight describe one continuous scene.
aparä (gopi) animisad-drgbhyäm tan-mukhämbujam jusänä äpitam api, yathä santah tac-caranam
(sevamänäh na trpyanti, tathä) na atrpyat.

Another gopi was fully imbibing His lotus face by "serving" it without blinking, but could not be
satiated, much like saints cannot find the limit of their satisfaction by serving His feet.

Vallabhäcärya
Because it is said that His lotus face is being drunk, the gopi's eyes are cupped hands, since that flower
nectar, the Rasa, is fluid. (Her mind is the mouth.)

Sanätana Gosvämi
She was "serving" His face means she was affectionately looking at Him.245 The phrase äpitam api
(although His lotus face was being fully drunk, i.e. imbibed) implies that her eyes are cups. The sense
of äpitam api is "although fully seen with great love."
The saints are individuals fixed in priti-bhakti (däsya). The example is valid only in terms of not
being satiated. The saints have bhakti for His lotus feet, in the light of texts such as: särahgär.iäm
padämbujam, "His lotus feet are for the bees, the devotees who sing about the essence" (1.11.26), but
these ones are ladyloves who, for the most part, are greedy for the nectar of His lips, and so on: They
have priti (affection) for His face. That is the difference between the two. Therefore the metaphor
"lotus feet" is not used here because the saints have no direct realization that His lotus feet are very
soft, and so on.

Jiva Gosvämi
She was relishing (jusänä = äsvädayanti) His lotus face. The sense of äpitam api is "although the
sweetness was being fully relished." A metaphor arises by the metaphor that His face is a lotus: The

245 Like the verbal root bhaj (to serve), the root jus (to serve) is often used loosely to denote any contextual meaning. Here
the main purpose of the usage is that a corresponding verb is implied in connection with taccaranam ('serving' His feet) in
the clause expressive of the comparison.
beauty of His face is nectar. Moreover, her eyes are a tongue: Her attachment to its sweetness is thus
shown.
 The saints are fixed in däsya-bhakti. The example is only in point of not being satiated even by
directly seeing. The feature of the clause about her is that His face is an älambana and hints at the
sweetness of the feelings of those girls.
Because she was directly looking at His face, this gopi is bold. And because she stayed where she
was, thinking "He will come to me of His own accord," her friendship for Him is superb, she controls
the lover and is vämä (left-wing).

Priti-sandarbha 367: The gopi here is Lalitä, a friend of Rädhä.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
She could not find satisfaction even though the sweetness was being fully relished (äpitam api =
samyag-äsvädita-mädhuryam api) while repeatedly relishing (jusänä = punah punar ju$änä =
äsvädayanti) His lotus face with her bee-like eyes which were not blinking because she was dazed by
the bliss." Or the sense of tan-mukhämbujam is: "while repeatedly relishing that lotus face, which was
being attacked by the arrows of the previous girl's crooked glances. "
By nature, the sweetness of His lotus face is like no other. In addition, because of the strikes,
agreeable to her, of the arrows of the crooked glances of the leader of her faction, at that time the
sweetness was enhanced in various ways: It became a mix of the sahcäri-bhävas called sahkoca
(shyness) (the male form of lajjä), trapä (sudden fear), visäda (despondency), dainya (meekness), and
so on. Hence the girl could not find satisfaction, because her thirst for that sweetness kept increasing.
For lack of a complete analogy, an example in part is given: santas tac-caranahl yathä.
At that time, Krsna's eyes were only looking at the girl who was firing arrows of crooked glances
at Him, therefore the girl mentioned here uninterruptedly gazed at Him, inasmuch as she realized that
He was not focusing on her. Thus, it's understood that the most fortunate girl of all is the one who was
raining arrows of crooked glances.

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
Even while continuously imbibing His lotus face, she could not get satisfaction because there was no
opportunity for Hari to look at her, given that His eyes and mind were focused on the girl who was
raining arrows of crooked glances.

Gangä Sahäya
Jusäpä stands for jusamänä. The absence of the affix m[um] is poetic license.

10.32.8

tam käcin netra-randhrena hrdi-krtya 158 nimilya ca I pulakähgy upaguhyäste yogivänanda-

samplutä Il

tam—Him; käcit—some girl; netra—of her eyes; randhrena— through the hole; hrdi-krtya—after
placing in her heart; nimilya— after closing [the eyes]; ca—and; pulaka-ahgi—she whose body has

158
hrdi krtvä (BBT edition) (Gaudiya Matha edition): This reading is not listed anywhere else.
goosebumps; upaguhya—by embracing; äste—she remained; yogi—a yogi; iva—like; änanda—in
bliss; samplutä—immersed.

käcit (gopi) tam (Saurirh) netra-randhrena (dvärena) hrdi-krtya (netre) nimilya ca pulakähgi (sati)
upaguhya, yogi iva (änandasamplutah bhavati) änanda-samplutä (sati), äste (sma).

Some gopi placed Him in her heart through the hole of the eyes and closed her eyes. Her limbs erupted
in goosebumps. She kept embracing Him, and like a yogi became immersed in bliss.

Sridhara Svämi
The phrase hrdi-krtya means hrdayarh nitvä (after leading to the heart).

Vallabhäcärya
At first, the gopi who was ordinary was mentioned. Afterward, the gopi who was following the path of
Bhakti was described. But this one is following the path of Yoga, and so she is looking at all His limbs.
She is the one who said: na khalu gopikä-nandano bhavän, "You are not the darling son of a gopi"
(10.31.4).
The words hrdi krtya stand for hrdi krtvä. The suffix Iyap is used even though there is no
compound. Or else hrdi-krtya is a compound in which the internal case ending was not deleted.159
The singular is used in netra-randhrena (by the hole of the eyes) to facilitate His entrance. (Or
netra-randhrena means "by the hole of the third eye." ) Then she closed her eyes, thinking "Now You
will not leave my heart." The conjunction ca in nimilya ca signifies that all her other limbs too stopped
working. Subsequently, when the inner bliss became complete, her limbs erupted in goosebumps. She
rept embracing Him within (upaguhya = antar upaguhya = antar älihgya) (äste = täm eva sthititii
dhäritavati) so that nothing would disturb her. The sättvika-bhäva called romaica (hairs on end) was
still taking effect.
Moreover, like a yogi, she was immersed in bliss (änandasamplutä = änande nimagnä). Therefore
she lost awareness of the external world. When there is external awareness, one takes interest in what
has to be done, but when the bliss is complete, there is no käma (material desire; lust) whatsoever.

Sanätana Gosvämi
This gopi felt that she would be unable to look at Him for a long time due to her great bashfulness,
therefore: she placed Him in her heart through the hole of both eyes (netra-randhrena = netrayo
randhrena dvärena). She placed him in her heart as if to realize the full-fledged beauty of each of His
limbs by having a vision of them in her mind. Then she closed both eyes (nimilya = netre nimilya),
otherwise she would not have a good vision in her mind. Or she did this as if out of fear that He would
escape through the hole of her eyes. In truth, however, she did this only by the nature of being
immersed in love for each of His limbs. Hence she hugged Him in her heart (upaguhya = hrdi tam
älihgya). Because of the word ca (and), she said "Krsna, Krsna." For example, in Visou Puräna:

159
Gangä Sahäya says the usage of Iyap in hrdi krtya is poetic license. But the truth of the matter is that once
again the
Bhägavatam takes liberties with grammtical rules by bending them. Here the word hrd in hrdi-
krtya functions like an ury-ädi, like the word manas. Hence hrdi-krtya almost has the same sense as the
customary manasi-krtya. Ashutosh Sharma comments on this as follows: "hrdi seems to used as a 'Gati' on the
analogy of 'manasi'." (Sarma Bisvas, Ashutosh (1968) Bhägavata Puräna: A Linguistic Study, p. 240).
 käcid äyäntam älokya govindam atihar$itä I krsna kryneti krsneti präha nänyad
udirayat I l

"Some gopi became overjoyed upon seeing Govinda arriving and uttered nothing but 'Knpa, Knpa,
Knpa'." (Visnu Puräna 5.13.44)

If only one gopi is described in the verse that begins käcit bhrukutim (verse 6), then it's understood
that the gopi mentioned in the above verse uttered by Paräéara is the eighth.
For a moment, she remained completely immersed in the Rasa which is a form of transcendental
bliss (änanda-samplutä äste änanda-rase 'tyanta-nimagnä sati äste) (äste = ksanam äsit). A yogi
achieves full concentration on the Lord by dhyäna-yoga. For example, in Visnu Puräna:

käcid älokya govindam nimilita-vilocanä I tasyaiva rüparh dhyäyanti yogärüdheva sä

babhau Il

"Noticing Govinda, some other girl closed her eyes and, contemplating on that very form, became
resplendent as if she were advanced in agäiga-yoga. " (Visnu Puräna 5.13.46)
The example is only in point of having no external awareness, because the bliss of seeing Him in
person exceeds the bliss of seeing Him in meditation. Moreover, the female gender in käcit signifies
that she had a distinct mindset while meditating on Him, and so it is said that she embraced Him. The
eight gopis are as follows:

naumi candrävalirh bhadrärh padmärh Saivyäm anukramät I

Syämärh vi'äkhärh lalitärh rädhäm ity as(au tat-priyäh Il

"I bow to Candrävali, Bhadrä, Padmä, Saibyä, Syämä, Viéäkhä, Lalitä, and Rädhä, by this order. These
eight are very dear to Knpa."

Although in terms of prema there is not a huge gradation among these girls, because each one is at the
highest level in this matter, and therefore they were taking His hand, His foot, etc., either in
conformity with their respective natures or simply because they felt free to do so at this time,
nevertheless, as in the case of the topmost associates in Vaikuntha, who are worthy of being revered by
liberated souls, a hierarchy is established between these gopis somehow or other. Thus, these eight are
famous and are the main ones. And of these, Sri Rädhä-devi is the best because She is the most well-
known, since She is more special than the others.

Jiva Gosvämi
"She placed Him in the heart through the hole of the eyes." Her great attachment to a high-definition
image of Him in her heart is thus intimated. Afterward, by forgoing her bashfulness due to obtaining
Him thus, she closed her eyes; her body erupted in goosebumps, as a result of love; she embraced Him
in virtual mode, and remained in that condition for a long time (äste = ciram tathä eva äsit).
The clause with a yogi is an example of having an inner vision. Or else yogiva is separated as yogi
iva, where yogi is an adverb: yoge yathä syät tad iva (She remained in that condition as if in the
manner of being in yoga).
This gopi is soft due to bashfulness, has a superb friendship because of the previous reason (she
stayed where she was), controls the lover and is vämä (left-wing). She is the seventh gopi. The eighth
is mentioned in Vi$tgu Puma: käcid äyäntam älokya... (see above) (5.13.44). This gopi is both bold
and simple.
In this matter, the proper discernment is as follows. There are two kinds of the bhäva known as rati
(the sthäyi-bhäva which is the quality of having an amorous inclination): One consists of thinking of
Krsna as "I belong to Him" (tadiyatä) and involves being under His control, being dak'itgä (right-wing:
straightforward, honest and simple), and so on, The other consists of thinking of Krsna as "He belongs
to Me" (madiyatä) and involves controlling Him, being vämä (left-wing: crooked, bold), and so forth.
248
Other categories are made by mixing the two in various degrees and by establishing a gradation.
Among the women with bhäva, there is either sakhya (close friendship), pratipakyatä (rivalry).
sauhrdya (goodheartedness) or tä(asthya (neutrality). Between the two main bhävas, the one consisting
of madiyatä is superior because the feeling of possessing Krspa is greater, and so the love is deeper.
Because of that possessiveness, there is a semblance of crookedness, which is a synonym of vämya, a
modified state of that feeling of possessiveness. This is in accordance with the logical reasoning
expressed by Bharata Muni: aher iva gatih premnah svabhäva-ku(ilä bhavet, "By nature, the course of
love is crooked like the course of a snake. "249 For this reason the lover is controlled by that love. In
that regard, Rudra stated:

vämatä durlabhatvam ca strinähl yä ca niväranä I tad eva paica-bäpasya manye

paramam äyudham Il

"I consider contrariness, being hard to get, and rejection women's topmost weapons related to Cupid."
(Snigära-tilaka 2.30) (Pritisandarbha 279)

The first gopi mentioned in verse 4 is Candrävali. She is the leader of the dakyitgä gopis, is the eldest
of all, and is Rädhä's main rival. The second gopi in verse 4 is Syämalä: Her nature has a mix of
vämya and däkyipya, and so she does not belong to Candrävali's group. Rather, Syämalä thinks that
Krsna belongs to her. She is Rädhä's ally (suhrt). The two gopis described in verse 5 are friends of
Candrävali. They are Saibyä and Padmä. These two, along with Bhadrä, are described in Visnu Puräna
as tatasthä gopis insofar as their bhäva is not too clear. The gopi in verse 6 is Rädhä: She is the one
whom Krsna took with Him upon abandoning the other girls.

248 The dak$inä gopis have ghrta-sneha (ghee-like sweetness). For more details about ghrta-sneha and madhu-sneha,
consult Viévanätha Cakravarti's commentary on Ujjvala-nilanaani 9.46.
249 The citation originates from King Bhoja (Sarasvati-kan(häbharana
5.48) and is also seen in Ujjvala-nilamani (15.102).
She is the best gopi because Her bhäva is the most special. The gopi in verse 7 is Lalitä. She is also
called Anurädhä, meaning she follows Rädhä, that is, they are best friends: They are the two principle
gopis of the vämya faction. The gopi in this verse is Viéäkhä: She is both vämä (crooked) and soft. The
gopi described in the Visnu Puräna (5.13.44) is Bhadrä: She belongs to the neutral party.
Names of gopis are enumerated in the Bhavisyottara Puräna, in the conversation between Sri
Krsna and Yudhi$thira:

gopi-nämäni räjendra prädhänyena nibodha me I gopäli pälikä dhanyä vijäkhä dhyäna-

ni$dlikä I rädhänurädhä somäbhä tärakä dasami tathä Il

"O king, hear from Me the names of the main gopis: Gopäli, Pälikä,
Dhanyä, Viéäkhä, Dhyäna-ni$thikä, Rädhä, Anurädhä, Somäbhä (Candrävali), Tärakä, and Daéami."
Sometimes the reading is vi'äkhänyä dhani$thikä. Daéami is the name of a gopi. Or else the word
modifies Tärakä: She is the tenth. Gopäli is mentioned in the Gäyatri which is stated in Padma Puräna.
Moreover, eight names of gopis are listed in the Dvärakä-mähätmya of the Prahläda-sahlhitä in Skanda
Puräna, 160 but the context is not the Räsa dance: Uddhava arrives to Vraja. Some scholars include
Candrävali instead of Dhanyä among the eight principal gopis since Candrävali is more famous in the
world. In that regard, the opinion that there are ten principal gopis is not in agreement with this section
of Bhägavatam, because the count is different. Of the two opinions which list eight gopis,161 Dhanyä
cannot be reckoned here because there are already five gopis, such as Lalitä, who are mostly vämä.
The gopis' natures are ascertained from the words attributed to them when they met Uddhava, who had
arrived from Dvärakä (Skanda Puräna, Prahläda-sarhhitä):

tac chrutvä vacanam tasya lalitä krodha-mürcchitä I uddhavam säSru-nayanä soväca rudati
tadä Il

After listening to Uddhava, Lalitä almost fainted due to anger. With tears in her eyes, she cried while
addressing Uddhava:

Sri-lalitoväca asatyo bhinna-maryädah Sa(hah krura-jana-priyah I mä

krthäh purato 'smäkam kathäs tasyäkrtätmanah I l dhik dhik päpa-samäcäro dhig asau
ni$thuräSayah I hitvä yah stri-janän müdho gato prati Il

Sri Lalitä said: You're not honest, you broke the code of ethics, you're a hypocrite, and you like the
company of cruel people. Do not speak about him in front of us. He cannot make up his mind. Fie on
him, who commits sin. Fie on that hard-hearted man, the fool who abandoned women and went to
Dvärakä.

Sri-Syämaloväca kith tasya manda-bhägyasya svalpa-punyasya duhkha-däh I mä kurudhvarii

kathäh sakhyah kathäh kathayatäparäh Il

Sri Syämalä said: Girls, don't talk about Him. He is out of luck and his merit is low. Hearing news of
him spoils the day. Talk about other things.

Sri-dhanyoväca kenäyarh hi samänito düto dus(a-janasya ca I yätu tene pathä

päpo yena näyäti vai punah Il

include Rädhä, Candrävali, Viéäkhä, Lalitä, Syämä, Padmä, Saibyä, Bhadrä, Tärä, Viciträ, Gopäli, Dhanisthä, and Pälikä"
(Ujjvala-nilamani 3.56).
Sri Dhanyä said: Who summoned this man? This messenger belongs to a wicked individual. Let the
sinner return by a path by which he will never come back here.
160
They are Lalitä, Syämalä, Dhanyä, ViSäkhä, Rädhä, Saibyä, Padmä and Bhadrä (Krsna-sandarbha
190.2).
161
Perhaps the list beginning from gopäli pälikä can make a count of eight. Yet Jiva Gosvämi does not
mention this possibility in his commentary on Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 1.1.1. In that verse, Rüpa Gosvämi
indicates that Tärakä and Pälikä are minor gopis compared to Syämalä, Lalitä and Rädhä. Rüpa Gosvämi
only says there are eight principal gopis, without naming them. He says they are among the thirteen and
so on mentioned in the scriptures (Ujjvala-nilamani 3.61): tatra Sistra-siddhäs tu rädhä candrävali tathä,
viSäkhä lalitä Syämä padmä Saibyä ca bhadrikä, tärä viciträ gopäli dhani$(hä pälikädayah, "The eternal ladyloves
proven by the scriptures
 Sri-viSäkhoväca na Silahl na kulam yasya jiäyate janma karma ca I hinasya
purusärthesu tena sahgo nirarthakah I l

Sri Viéäkhä said: Being with a person whose temperament, family background, cause of birth, and
deeds are unknown and who lacks insight about the goals of life is useless.

Sri-rädhoväca pütanäghätane yasya nästi papa-krtam bhayam I tasya stri-hanane

sädhvyah Sahkä käpi na vidyate I l

Sri Rädhä said: Hey virtuous girls, the man who had no fear of committing sin by killing Pütanä thinks
nothing of murdering women.

Sri-Saibyovaca satyarh bruhi mahä-bhäga kilh karoti yadüttamah I samvrto nägara-

stribhih kathäsmäkahl karoti kim Il

Sri Saibyä said: Be honest, you lucky man. What is the foremost Yadu doing? Tell us: What does he do
when he is surrounded by city women?

Sri-padmoväca kadoddhava mahä-bähur nägari-jana-vallabhah I samesyatiha

däSärhah padma-paträyateksanah Il

Sri Padmä said: Hey Uddhava, when will the mighty-armed lover of city women come here? He
belongs to the Daéärha dynasty, and his eyes are as expansive as lotus petals.

Sri-bhadroväca hä krsna gopa-pravara hä gopijana-vallabha I samuddhara mahä-

bäho gopih samsära-sägarät Il

Sri Bhadrä said: Ah Knpa, foremost cow boy! Ah lover of the gopis, O you of mighty arms, deliver the
gopis from the ocean of material life.

The first faction was described in verses four and five of this chapter. Sri Rädhä, the foremost gopi in
the other faction, was described in the words beginning ekä bhruku!im (verse 6) because She has
achieved a stage above the good fortune which is the highest bhäva, for it is said in Padma Puräna:

yathä rädhä priyä visnos tasyäh kundam priyam tathä I sarva-gopisu saivaikä visnor
atyanta-vallabhä I l

"Rädhä's pond is just as dear to Vispu as She is. Of all the gopis, She alone is Visnu's favorite."

The Matsya Puräna and the Skanda Puräna state: rädhä vrndävane vane, "Radhä is in the forest of
Vrindavan." She is also mentioned in Brhad Gautamiya Tantra:

devi krmamayi proktä rädhikä para-devatä I sarva-lakymi-mayi sarva-käntih

sammohini parä Il

"Rädhikä, the highest deity, is said to be a goddess of Kryya's nature. She has the nature of all the
Lakynis. She has all splendor. She is the topmost enchantress."
 and in the Rk-pari'is(a (supplement to the Rg-Veda): rädhayä mädhavo devo mädhavenaiva rädhikä,
vibhräjante janeyv ä, "To the people everywhere, Mädhava shines with Rädhä, and Rädhikä only
shines with Mädhava."252

252 rk-pariSi$!a-SrutiS ca tathaiväha rädhayä mädhavo devo mädhavenaiva rädhikä I vibhräjante janesv ä I vibhräjante
vibhräjate I ä sarvata iti 'ruti-padärthah I l (Krsna-sandarbha 189). The plurality in the verb vibhräjante is used out of high
regard, by the rule: dvi-varja-tad-ädimäträc ca (Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 621).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"She brought Him to her heart (hrdi-krtya = hrda_yam nitvä)," thinking "He is hard to get. Now I
won't let Him leave my heart." By looking at Sri Vaiynava-toyani, the seven gopis are Candrävali,
Syämalä, Saibyä, Padmä, Sri Rädhä, Lalitä, and Viéäkhä. The eighth, Bhadrä, is mentioned in Visnu
Puräna: käcid äyäntam älokya...

10.32.9

sarväs täh kefaväloka-paramotsava-nirvrtäh I jahur viraha-jarh täpahl präjfiahl präpya

yathä janäh Il

sarväh täh—all those girls; kefava-äloka—which is the seeing of Krsna; parama-utsava—by the great
festival; nirvrtäh—made blissful; jahuh—they gave up; viraha-jam—caused by separation; täpam—the
affliction; präjfiam—a wise man; präpya—upon obtaining; yathä—like; janäh—people.

täh sarväh (gopyah) kefaväloka-paramotsava-nirvrtäh (satyah), yathä janäh präjiarh präpya (täparh
jahati, tathä keSavarh präpya) viraha-jahi täpam jahuh.

All the gopis, delighted by the great festivity of looking at Keéava, let go of the pang of separation,
just like people let go of their downheartedness upon meeting a wise man.

Sridhara Svämi like the seekers of liberation (janäh = mumukyavo janäh) do

upon attaining the Lord (präjiam = iSvaram)," or "like materialists do upon meeting a knower of
Brahman," or "like the souls give up the states of Viéva (waking state) and Taijasa (dreamy state) upon
attaining the state of deep sleep (präjfiam = sausuptam)."

Sanätana Gosvämi
Here he says: Not only those girls, all the other ones too lost their despondency and became elated.
Krsna is called Kesava because He has beautiful hair: keSäh sundarä vartante 'syeti kesavah. The
suffix va is used in the sense of asti (existence, i.e. possession). The drift is He was beautiful to look at
also because of His hair. The gopis became delighted by a great festivity, the joy of the mind. That
festivity was the sight of Him. Or else they were delighted by fully gazing at Keéava and by a great
festivity, the humor of love.
A conformable example is given. Ultimately, a präjia is Krsqa, He who eminently, fully
understands: prakarsena ä samyak jänätiti präjiah. In the example, a präjia is a superexalted devotee of
the Lord, one who is familiar with the truth about the greatness of kryna-bhakti. Just as the gopis gave
up their suffering, arisen by the separation, after eminently attaining Him (präpya prakarsena
labdhvä), again, after He had gone somewhere, that is, the gopis met Him and showed affection in
many ways, so the Vaisnavas (yathäjanäh = yathä ajanäh) (a-janäh = asya visnor janäh = vaisnaväh)
give up their suffering upon meeting a superexalted devotee. The example is pertinent because this is
well known and because it applies to something of the same kind, by the logical reasoning in räma-
rävanayor yuddham and so on:

gaganam gaganäkäram sägarah sägaropamah I räma-rävanayor yuddham räma-

rävanayor iva Il

"The sky has the dimension of the sky. An ocean is compared an ocean. The war between Räma and
Rävana was like the war between Räma and Rävapa." (Rämäymga)

Jiva Gosvämi
"What happened to the other gopis?" He answers that here. As in the text: täsäm tat-saubhaga-madam
vikyya mänam ca keSavah (10.29.48), the word KeSava in this context has the sense of "the one who
has the topmost tejas (radiance)." The key point is this: Just as the gopis' radiance evanesced when He
disappeared, so their radiance reoccurred when He reappeared. The gopis became delighted by a great
festivity, the sight of Him. This means their merriment dispelled their sorrow.
A conformable example is given. Präjfia is the state of deep sleep. Or präjia is an exalted devotee of the
Lord. The connection is: präjfiam präpya janä yathä.

ViSvanätha Cakravarti like people afflicted by material life do upon meeting an

exalted devotee of the Lord," because of the text in the narration of the rainy season: grheyu tapta-
nirvimgä yathäcyuta-janägame, "like householders who are afflicted and morose at home become
happy when Acyuta's devotees arrive" (10.20.20).

Näräyapa Bhatta
The term keSaväloka (the seeing of Keéava) means either the gopis see Keéava or Keéava is doing the
act of seeing. The venerable äcärya explained präjnam as either i'varam, brahma-jfiam, or sauyuptam.
Another interpretation is rasa-jham, "just like persons who are inquisitive about Rasa let go of their
afflictions upon attaining someone who is conversant with Rasa."

10.32.10

täbhir vidhüta-Sokäbhir bhagavän acyuto vrtah I vyarocatädhikam täta purusah Saktibhir

yathä I l

täbhih—by those girls; vidhüta-sokäbhih—by whom sorrow had been shaken off; bhagavän—Lord;
acyutah—Acyuta; vrtah— surrounded; vyarocata—was splendid; adhikam—more; täta—my dear boy
(King Pariksit); purusah—the Purusa (Visnu); Saktibhih— by His potencies; yathä—like.
täta! bhagavän acyutah, yathä purusah Saktibhih (vrtah san adhikam virocate, tathä) täbhih vidhüta-
sokäbhih vrtah (san) adhikam vyarocata.

Surrounded by those girls, who had shaken off their sorrow, Lord Acyuta was resplendent to a higher
degree, my dear, like the Purusa surrounded by His potencies.

Vallabhäcärya
Having thus detailed what the gopis did upon meeting Him, he describes what the Lord did in their
company. The above is similar to the text of Sruti: tasmäd ekäki na ramate. 162
With vidhüta-Sokäbhih, he says the gopis no longer had affliction. Had this not been the case, the
situation would not have been ideal, in light of the line: pumsah striyäf ca ratayoh sukha-duhkhinor na:

tvam vai samasta-purusärtha-mayah phalätmä yad-väichayä su-matayo visrjanti

krtsnam I tesäm vibho samucito bhavatah samäjah pumsah striyäS ca ratayoh sukha-
duhkhinor na Il

Queen Rukmipi said: "You imbibe the nature of all the goals of life. You are the core of the prize.
Desiring to attain You, intelligent persons abandon everything else. O Vibhu, it is they who are worthy
of Your association, not men and women absorbed in the pleasure and grief resulting from their mutual
lust." (Bhägavatam 10.60.38)

The term Bhagavän means He has the opulence of the six qualities. The name Acyuta is used to
indicate that the Lord is pürna-käma (His desires are automatically fulfilled): His love is boundless,
whereas a man is lusty and hence limited.
Sukadeva addresses the king with the vocative täta (my dear) out of affection for a junior.
Sukadeva thus takes the role of a father. This means the speaker thinks the hearer is fit for receiving
confidential instructions on the topic. This discourse takes place just ahead.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Now he says the Lord's splendor increased by the manifestation of the essence of His godhood.
He was encircled by the gopis, by whom the inner affliction caused by the separation had been
dispelled (vidhüta-Sokäbhih vidhüto näSitah Soko virahajo 'ntas-täpo yäbhis täbhih)." The details are
mentioned by Sri Paräéara:

tatah käficit priyäläpaih käicid bhrü-bhahga-vik$itaih I ninye 'nunayam anyäm ca kara-

sparsena mädhavah Il

162
The context is this: sa vai naiva reme. tasmäd ekäki na ramate. sa dvitiyam aicchat. sa haitävän äsa yathä
stripumämsau samparisvaktau, sa imam evätmänam dvedhäpätayat. tatah patis ca patni cäbhavatäm.
t

tasmäd idam ardha-brgalam iva sva iti ha smäha yäjiavalkyas tasmäd ayam äköah striyä püryata eva. täm
samabhavat, tato manusyä ajäyanta, "The Purusa was not happy all alone. Therefore a man who lives by
himself is not happy. The Purusa desired a mate. He became as big as man and wife embracing each other,
and separated Himself in two. From that originated a husband and his wife. Therefore, said Yajöavalkya,
one's body is one-half of oneself (before the man marries his wife), like one of the two halves of a pea. Hence
the empty space is filled by a wife. He united with her. Then mankind was born." (Brhad-äranyaka Upanisad
1.4.3)
"Afterward (after a gopi had contemplated on His form as if she were advanced in agäiga-yoga),
Mädhava conciliated some girl by cajoling her with sweet talk, some other girl by glancing with
curved brows, and yet another by making contact with the hand." (Viynu Puräna 5.13.47)

Jiva Gosvämi
The next two verses are syntactically connected with this one. The Purusa denotes iévara (the personal
form of God only present in the universe): "Just as Kvara, in the form of Bhagavän, is more
resplendent when surrounded by His potencies, that is, His transcendental potencies of ai'varya
(especially kriyä-Sakti, jfiänaSakti, and bala-Sakti), so He too is more resplendent when encircled by
those girls, who are His transcendental potencies of love. "
The vocative täta has the sense of the highest endearment, by the definition in Nänärtha-varga: täto
'nukampye pitari, "Täta denotes either someone who is worthy of endearment or a father. "254 In other
words, "Because you are worthy of the highest endearment, I will reveal the esoteric precepts to you."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The comparison implies that the gopis and Krsna have the same transcendental nature. For example,
this is in the Prabhäsa-khanda of Skanda Puräna:

254 tätah pitr-anukampayoh (Trikända-se$a 3.3.158).

$0daSaiva s•ahasräni gopyas tatra samägatäh I hamsa eva matah krynah paramätmä
janärdanah Il tasyaitäh Saktayo devi $0daSaiva prakirtitäh I candra-rüpi matah krsnah
kalä-rüpäs tu täh smrtäh Il sampürna-mandalä täsäm mälini soda'i kalä I sodaSaiva kalä
yäs tu gopi-rüpä varänanäh I ekaika'as täh sambhinnäh sahasrena prthak prthak Il

"O Parvati, there were sixteen thousand gopis in the Räsa dance. Knna is like a swan. He is Paramätmä
and Janärdana. These gopis are His potencies and sixteen of them are glorified. Knpa is like the moon
and they embody its phases. Of these, the sixteenth is Mälini. She makes the circle complete. These
sixteen phases are the form of pretty gopis. Each phase is subdivided in one thousand parts." (cited in
Kryna-sandarbha 183)

The Ägama states: pramadä-'ata-ko!ibhir äkulite, "[on the Yamunä's shore,] which was crowded by
hundreds of millions of sexy women" (Närada Paicarätra 3.12.5) (Krama-dipikä 5.53) (Priti-sandarbha
285). From this, let's say there were three hundred million gopis: Of these, sixteen thousand are
principal. Of these, three thousand gopis are prominent. Of these, eight are all-important. Of these,
Rädhä and Candrävali are topmost. And of the two, Sri Rädhä is more exalted. This is the conclusion
of the scriptures on bhakti.

Brhat Krama-sandarbha
He was especially resplendent (vyarocata) with them to a higher degree (adhikam = adhikarh yathä
bhavati tathä). This means He was especially resplendent previously, when He was alone, and so the
example with the Purusa, iévara, is fitting.
 Näräyapa Bhatta
"Lord Acyuta was surrounded by them," who had given up their mada and their mäna (10.29.48). He
was especially resplendent, even more than before, because He lived up to His promise: mayemä
ramsyatha k$apäh, "You will enjoy these nights with Me" (10.22.27). Hence He is Acyuta: He has no
letdown in loving them.
Or the sense is He was even more resplendent at this time
than when they met on the shore in the first place, as described in bähu-prasära etc. (10.29.46) and in
reme tat-taralänanda and so on (10.29.45). Thus, it's implied that the resplendence is immense because
the sthäyi-bhäva was enhanced by the vipralambha.

10.32.11-12

täh samädäya kälindyä nirviSya pulinam vibhuh I vikasat-kunda-mandära-surabhy-anila-

$atpadam Il
Sarac-candräm'u-sandoha-dhvasta-dosä-tamah Sivam I krynäyä hasta-taraläcita-komala-
välukam Il

täh—those girls; samädäya—after taking; kälindyäh—of the Kälindi (Yamunä); nirviSya—after

entering; pulinam—the shore; vibhuh— the all-pervasive one; vikasat-kunda-mandära-surabhi-anila
shore,] on which there were bees because of the breeze which had aromas from the jasmines
and mandära flowers in bloom; Sarat-candra-amsu-sandoha-dhvasta-dosä-tamah—where the darkness
of the night was dispelled by the multitude of rays of the moon of autumn; Sivam—auspicious;
krmäyäh—of the Krsnä river (Yamunä); hasta-tarala-äcita-komala-välukam—on which the sand was
soft and had been fully spread by the waves which were hands.

vibhuh täh (gopih) samädäya kälindyäh vikasat-kunda-mandärasurabhy-anila-satpadahi Sarac-

candrärh'u-sandoha-dhvasta-dosätamah Sivam krsnäyäh hasta-taraläcita-komala-välukam pulinahl
nirviSya (ca vyarocata).

Vibhu took the girls and entered upon the Kälindi's shore. Bees were there because the breeze carried
the aromas of jasmines and mandära mowers in bloom. The darkness of the night had been dispelled
by the abundance of the rays of the autumnal moon. The shore was auspicious. And the sand there was
soft and had been spread out by the hand-like waves of the Knpä river.

Sridhara Svämi
On the shore, the darkness of night had been dispelled by the multitude (sandoha = samüha) of rays of
the moon of autumn. Therefore the shore was auspicious, meaning it afforded pleasure. On the shore,
the sand was soft and had been spread out by the waves, which were hands, of the Krsnä river (hasta-
taraläcitakomala-välukam = hasta-rüpais taralais tarahgair äcitä ästrtä komalä bälukä yasmin).
 "Vibhu, encircled by the girls upon taking them and entering the shore, was especially resplendent
to a higher degree." The syntactical connection thus takes place with the words täbhir vrto 'dhikarh
vyarocata in the previous verse.

Sanätana Gosvämi
In two verses he illustrates yet other factors which substantiate the specialty, pointed out with the word
vi in vyarocata, in the resplendence. He properly took (samädäya = samyag ädäya) the girls: 'properly'
means He took each one by the hand, and so on; He took (ädäya = grhitvä) the girls from the previous
location on the shore to go to another place on the shore which was fit for the Räsa. He entered
(nirviSya = praviSya) upon the shore, meaning He established Himself in the middle of the place. The
epithet vibhu means vyäpaka (the pervader): Thus, He was able to do all that.
Next he gives details about the shore to illustrate that it was fit for the fun of Räsa, since it had the
complete set of uddipanas of sensuality. The breeze was cool, because it was connected with the shore,
slow, because the bees were in it, and fragrant. The term sandoha ('multitude' of moonrays) signifies
that the moon was full. The area abounded in light: It was as bright as daytime.
The Yamunä is called Krsnä: She achieved friendship with Him inasmuch as she has the same
name and the same color. Therefore it is said: hasta... Or she is so called because she attracts His heart
too, by having such an amazing splendor, and therefore: hasta. The sand was spread out by her hand-
like waves. It's implied that the ground became even and devoid of hard objects. The rest was
explained by Sridhara Svämi.
Alternatively, He properly took the girls and went with them to the middle of the same part of the
shore. He existed in a special way (vibhuh = vibhur babhüva) (vibhuh = viSeyena bhavati), meaning
He revealed His might.

10.32.13

tad-darianähläda-vidhüta-hrd-rujo manorathäntam 'rutayo yathä yayuh I

svair uttariyaih kuca-kuhkumähkitair aciklpann äsanam ätma-bandhave I l
(upajäti 12)

tat-darSana—of seeing Him; ähläda—by the great joy; vidhüta— was shaken off; hrt- rujah—whose
heartache ("pain in the heart"); manoratha—of their desires; antam—the end; 'rutayah—the Sruti
scriptures; yathä—like; yayuh—they reached; svaih—own; uttariyaih—with the upper garments
(shawls); kuca—on their breasts; kuhkuma—with the saffron paste; ahkitaih—which were smeared;
aciklpan—they fashioned (aorist tense in the causative); äsanam—a seat; ätma-bandhave—for their
friend.

(täh gopyah) tad-darianähläda-vidhüta-hrd-rujah, yathä Srutayah (karma-kända-visayän vihäya jiäna-

kände iSvara-bhaktim pratipädya pürpa-manorathäh bhavanti, tathä) manorathäntmh yayuh. (täh
gopyah svaih) svaih uttariyaih kuca-kuhkumähkitaih äsanam ätma-bandhave aciklpan.
Viévanätha Cakravarti— tad-dar'anähläda-vidhüta-hrd-rujah (vraja-sundaryah) svaih uttariyaih kuca-
kuhkumähkitaih ätma-bandhave (tasmai) äsanam (tathä) acik(pan, yathä 'rutayah manorathäntam
yayuh.
The gopis, whose heartache was shaken off by the great delight of seeing Him, reached the end of
desires, like the Sruti scriptures do, and fashioned a seat for their friend with their shawls which were
smeared by the saffron paste on their breasts.

Sridhara Svämi
"They reached the end of desires" means they became pürna-kämä (their desires were fulfilled). The
sense of the example of the Srutis is this: In the karma-kända section of the Vedas, the Sruti scriptures
do not see Parameévara and are as if incomplete because of so many recommendations to implement
material desires, whereas in the jiäna-kända (Upanisads) the Srutis see Parameévara, are filled with
delight about Him and give up recommendations to implement material desires.
Next he says: Although the gopis were äpta-kämä (their material desires had been fulfilled a long
time ago), they served Him with love: "With their shawls, they fashioned (acik(pan = racayämäsuh) a
seat for the friend of the soul, that is, for the inner Soul (ätmabandhave = antaryämine)."

Sanätana Gosvämi
He describes the loving service the overjoyed girls performed afterward. "The gopis, all of whose
mental pains came to nil especially due to the great joy derived by seeing Him (tad-
darjanählädavidhüta-hrd-rujah = tasya darSanenählädas tena vijesato dhütä näjitä hrd-rujah sarvädhayo
yäsäm), Vibhu, who was intent on having a special type of fun—this means their mental pain came to
nil because by arriving there with Him they concluded that the fun of Räsa was going to take place—,
reached the end of desires." In other words, by desiring the fun of the Räsa, they had reached a state
than which there is no higher desire. Or the sense is "They as if reached the end of desires," insofar as
the Räsa-kridä was about to occur.
Upon seeing Kvara, the Srutis too desire to perform bhakti to Him. Therefore the gopis fashioned a
seat for Him. Either they piled up their shawls in one place to make a high seat or they made separate
seats in consideration of their respective groups. They did this for Him, the one who is dearer to them
than they are to themselves (ätma-bandhave = ätmabhyo 'pi bandhuh preyän tasmai). The girls did it
because of the special love of friendship for Krsna.

Jiva Gosvämi
Their mental pain came to nil: By arriving there with Him they concluded that the situation involving
the fun of Räsa, etc., was going to last a long time, because their previous concern that He would again
disappear was gone.
Then he says the gopis not only ceased to be greatly unhappy, they obtained the highest joy: "They
reached the end of desire," meaning they reached the highest stage of desire. The Srutis too became
successful in this matter. The glory of this pastime is thus shown. Such is the Räsa-lilä, which involves
the greatest love.
The gopis fashioned a seat with their uttariyas, which they had taken off. An uttariya is either an
inner garment which covers all their limbs or the bodice on their breasts. The uttariyas turned out to be
smeared (ahkitaih = aijitaih) by the kuhkuma on their breasts, on account of the fall of a flow of tears
because the girls cried in separation. Why did their bashfulness slacken'? In that regard he says: They
did this for their friend (ätma-bandhave = ätmano bandhave), that is, because of their mood of thinking
of Him both as their own and as a friend. It's understood that the gopis arranged seats separately in
consideration of the various groups and that each seat was wide.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
He describes the girls' loving service which was fitting for friendship: "The beautiful women of Vraja,
whose mental distress was entirely dissipated by the bliss of seeing Krsna, respectfully offered
(acik(pan = upajahruh) a seat to Him, their friend, with their uttariyas, the fine garments which they
had worn above the bodice on their breasts, so that the Srutis, even though they are great Upanisads,
reached the end of desires," meaning they reached the highest stage of desires. No other desire is
higher than that. The gist is this: Upon watching the scene, they became ambitious: "We too should
take birth as gopis in Vraja. When will we, as gopis, have a good time with Sri Krsna that way, by
offering shawls that are still moist because the saffron paste from our breasts adheres to them, and all
the rest?" For this reason, in the Brhad-vämana Puräna it is said that the Srutis underwent severe
austerities to obtain the status of gopis.163This is the statement of the Srutis:

striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-danda-vi$akta-dhiyo vayam api te samäh sama-drSo 'hghri-

saroja-sudhäh Il

"Those women, whose minds are attracted to Your pole-like arms, which resemble the round bodies of
two kings of snakes, and we, who see with sameness and have the nectar of Your lotus feet, are similar
in Your eyes." (Bhägavatam 10.87.23)

Thus the Srutis who had seen Krsna during His descent in the previous day of Brahmä and had been
desirous for a long time of being with Him got their wish and became gopis in this eon (kalpa).
Because there is an infinite number of Srutis, it's understood that the Srutis in this kalpa who have that
desire will become gopis in the next kalpa.

10.32.14

tatropavi$!o bhagavän sa iSvaro yoge'varäntar-hrdi-kalpitäsanah I cakäsa

gopi-parisad-gato 'rcitas trailokya-laksmy-eka-padahl vapur dadhat I l tatra—
there; upavistah—seated; bhagavän—the Lord ("He has the six kinds of
opulence") (or He who has no upädhi); sah—He; i'varah—the Lord ("the
controller") (or He who has Mäyä as an upädhi although she does not influence
Him); yoga-ifvara—of the masters of Yoga; antah—inner; hrdi—in the heart;
kalpita-äsanah— He for whom a seat is made; cakäsa—He shone (was

163
In Laghu-vaisnava-tosani (10.87.23), Jiva Gosvämi relates a story from Brhad-vämana Puräna where
the Lord asked the personified Vedas to choose a benediction because He was pleased with their praise.
He cites their answer: yathä tal-loka-väsinyah käma-tattvena gopikäh, bhajanti ramanam matvä cikir$äjani nas
tathä, "We want to do like the gopis who reside in Your abode do: They think You are a lover and serve
You by the nature of sensuality."
 resplendent); gopi-pari$ad-gatah—He had gone in the assembly of cowherd
girls; arcitah—honored; trai-lokya—in the three worlds; lak$mi—of the
splendor; eka—the only (or the foremost); padam—which is the place; vapuh—a
body; dadhat—having.

sah bhagavän iSvarah tatra upavi$(ah yogejvaräntar-hrdikalpitäsanah trailokya-lak$my-eka-padarh

vapuh dadhat gopiparisad-gatah (tabhih) arcitah (ca san) cakäsa.

While sitting there, the Lord, iévara, for whom the grandmasters of mystic yoga fashion a seat in their
heart of hearts, looked splendid. He was in the group of gopis and was being honored. He had the
body, the foremost concentration of resplendence in the three worlds.

Sridhara Svämi
"Having gone to the assembly of gopis (gopi-parisad-gatah = gopisabhä-gatah), the Lord, highly
respected by them (arcitah = täbhih sammänitah san), was resplendent (cakäsa = Susubhe) while
showing off (dadhat = darSayan) the body, the unique locus of the splendor in the three worlds
(trailokya-lak$my-eka-padam = trailokye yä laksmih Sobhä tasyä ekam eva padam sthänam)."

Srinätha Pandita
Although the grandmasters of Yoga make a seat for Him in their hearts, He shone while sitting only on
shawls tinged with the saffron on the breasts of gopis. The drift is He doesn't shine as much by sitting
in the hearts of the grandmasters of Yoga. The sense of arcitah (honored) is that He as if received a
formal worship by the flowers of their vocal expressions of love filled with good humor.

Sanätana Gosvämi
"While sitting on that seat (tatropavi$(ah = tasminn äsane upavi$!ah san), He, who is Bhagavän,
meaning He is intent on revealing the essence of His godhood, and iévara, that is, He has all types of
power, shone," insofar as the girls had made separate seats for Him and He was on each one although
each girl thought He was only on her seat.
Krsna is the one whose seat is fashioned in the one-pointed mind by Sanaka and others who have
achieved samädhi. The implied sense is: He does not accept their seat in person.
Then he illustrates another reason He shone: gopi-pari$adgato 'rcitah. He had gone to the assembly
of gopis, meaning He was in the middle of the girls, who were sitting in many circles. By this too, the
aijvarya is inferred as before. Moreover, He had been highly respected by them (arcitah = täbhih
sammänitah) simply by their fashioning a seat for Him. Or the idea is He was shown much respect by
their offering of betel, etc., by cracking jokes and by casting sidelong glances. Yet another reason is
mentioned, with trailokya and so on. Although the Lord's body is always the abode of splendor in the
three worlds, now it was the sole abode. He was that resplendent.

Jiva Gosvämi
While sitting on that seat, He (sah) (the well-known one), the Krsna moon which swells the ocean of
prema-rasa, who is Bhagavän Himself, meaning 'He was sitting there although He is replete with the
six qualities beginning from aijvarya,' and jévara, that is, 'although He is always able to manifest those
qualities in ways never seen before,' shone (cakäSa).164 This means He experienced the rise of a
resplendence which is impossible for mere bhagavattattva and for mere i'vara-tattva. In any other
circumstance, He is hard to get. With this intention he says the words yogeSvaräntarhrdi-kalpitäsanah,
which form an aluk compound (one internal case ending was not deleted). The sense is: 'although His
seat is established by mere imagination in the one-pointed mind (antar-hrdi = ekägra-citte) by Lord
Siva and others who are in samädhi. ' This shows how great the relationship with the gopis is.
Alternatively, the idea is Lord Siva and other masters of mystic yoga fashion a seat for Him in their
minds by thinking of Him as being in the midst of the gopis that way.
He was thus honored (arcitah = sammänitah) with a seat, betel, humorous words, smiling glances,
and so forth. While being resplendent, He was showing off the body (vapur dadhat = prakäSah1
bibhrat = täsäm agre dhärayan prakatayan), a manifestation which was the substratum (padam =
äjraya-bhütam) of the affluence of various types of splendor in the three worlds, as far as
MahäVaikuntha. It will be described like that later on: gopyas tapah kim acaran yad amusya rüpam...
(10.44.14).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Krsna sat on seats, each of which consisted of many garments that had been stacked and which were
placed separately in each group of gopis. How did He sit on so many seats at the same time? With this
in mind he says He is iévara: He manifested Himself in a way unnoticed to others. The reason for that
is: bhagavän, which means kämavän (He has a desire), by Amara's definition: bhagahl Srikäma-
mähätmya... 257 The drift is: As soon as Krsna's aijvarya-jakti

cäyam prayogatah (Äkhyäta-candrikä 3.3.87). There are two problems with the verbal form cakäsa: (1) It should have been
conjugated in the ätmanepada, and (2) In the perfect tense, the affix äm must be added, by the rule: käs-pratyayäd äm
amantre liti (A$(ädhyäyi 3.1.35); aneka-sarvejvarakäsibhyäm äm adhoksaje (HNV 395), and so the form should be
käsäficakre. 257 bhagam Sri-käma-mähätmya-virya-yatnärka-kirtisu, "In the neuter, bhagam is used in the senses of
splendor, desire, greatness, power, endeavor, the sun, and fame" (Amara-kosa 3.3.26). Here the word käma means desire
(icchä), not lust, in light of the definition in Medini-koSa: bhagam Sri-yoniviryecchä-jfiäna-vairägya-kirt(su,
mähätmyaiSvarya-yatnesu dharme mokse ca nä ravau.
perceived His desire to sit on so many seats, so many forms of His were manifested through
Yogamäyä. He shone (cakäSa = didipe) while sitting on those seats.
He who is Bhagavän Himself and whom even such personal associates as Brahmä and Siva must
approach with prayers at the shore of the Milk Ocean, whereupon He obliquely appears within their
minds for a single moment, went to the assembly of gopis of His own accord. What did He want to do
by going in their midst? "to enhance (dadhat = means of the splendor of the limbs, the
smiling glances, etc., of the gopis—the body, which is the unparalleled (eka = ananya) storehouse
(padam = äSraya-bhütam) of the affluence of various types of splendor in the lower, middle and upper
regions of the material and spiritual worlds."
There is another rendering: "He who was sitting there, who had gone in the groups of gopis to
enhance the body, etc., who was honored by those girls and who looked splendid is yogeSvaräntarhrdi-
kalpitäsana (the one for whom a seat is made in the heart of hearts of grandmasters of Yoga)." In other
164
It seems that Jiva Gosvämi does not accept the reading cakäsa, but there is no other reading of the
verse. Viévanätha Cakravarti too makes no mention of cakäsa. Similarly, Gahgä Sahäya says the usage
of the verb cakäsa in the sense of "Susubhe" (he shone) is poetic license because the verbal root kas only
has the sense of gati (to go) (Anvitärtha-prakä'ikä). However, in Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana, which is one of
his later works, Jiva Gosvämi accepts that the root käs[r] käsa-roga-sabde (IA) can have the sense of
käS[r] diptau (IA). He substantiates this by citing Bhäsä-vrtti: käsäicakre puri saudhaih, "The city was
resplendent with mansions" (HNV 455). That is also supported by Bhatta Malla: käsate kapha-je Sabde diptau
words, from that moment, Krsna, who had gone in the midst of the groups of gopis (gopi-pariyad-
gatah gopi-parisan-madhya-gatah) and had the distinct characteristics of sitting that way, having such
splendor and engaging in humorous talks and so on has been brought by the grandmasters of Yoga to
their hearts by meditation.

10.32.15

sabhäjayitvä tam anahga-dipanmh sahäsa-lileksana-vibhrama-bhruvä I

samsparjanenähka-krtähghri-hastayoh sathstutya isat kupitä babhä$ire Il
sabhäjayitvä—after serving (of showing affection165); tam—Him; anahga-
dipanam—who inflames lust; sa-häsa—with a smile; lilä—playful; iksana—
with glances; vibhrama—which had flurry; bhruvä—with eyebrows;
sarhsparjanena—by the touching; ahka— on the lap; krta—which had been
put; ahghri-hastayoh—of the feet and of the hands; samstutya—after
praising; isat—a little; kupitäh— who were angry; babhä$ire—they spoke.

(täh gopyah) tam anahga-dipanarh sahäsa-lileksana-vibhramabhruvä ahka-krtähghri-hastayoh

samsparjanena (ca) sabhäjayitvä (tam) sarhstutya (ca) isat-kupitäh (satyah tahl) babhä$ire.

Viévanätha Cakravarti—
(täh gopyah) sahäsa-lileksana-vibhrama-bhruvä tam anahgadipanarh sabhäjayitvä ahka-krtähghri-
hastayoh sarhsparjanena samstutya isat-kupitäh babhäsire.

They showed affection to Him, the innamer of their lust, by Nickering the brows while casting playful
glances and smiling and by pressing His hands and feet, which were put on their laps. Being slightly
angry, the gopis spoke.

Alternatively: They honored Him, who was shedding light on His lust by Nickering the brows while
casting playful glances and smiling, and praised Him by pressing their hands and feet, which had been
placed on His lap. Being angry, the gopis slightly spoke as follows.

Sridhara Svämi
The girls were characterized by brows in which there was flirting by the playful glances with smiles
(sahäsa-lileksana-vibhrama-bhruvä = sa-häsa-lilek$anena vibhramo viläso yasyäti2 tayä
bhruvopalak$itäh). Samspar'anena means sammardanena (by rubbing, pressing).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here he describes the gestures of the gopis, who did not want to give amorous pleasure to Him,
although He wanted to get busy. He was hinting at His lust (anahga-dipanam = sviyarh kämam
165
The verbal root in sabhäjayitvä is sabhäja priti-sevanayoh (IOP) (to please, serve, honor).
dyotayantam), or else He was inciting the girls' lust, by means of eyebrows in which there was
coquetry because of playfully glancing while smiling (sahäsa-lilek$ana-vibhrama-bhruvä = sa-häsa-
lileksanena vibhramo viläso yasyärh tayä bhruvä).
After suitably showing respect to Him by means of diverse moods (sabhäjayitvä = tad-ucitair
bhävaih sammänya) to conceal their loving anger, worded like this: "Previously, He abandoned us, and
now He is acting this way," the gopis were slightly angry by praising Him by touching their hands and
feet which He had placed on His lap, or else by touching His hands and feet which they had placed on
their laps: "Ah, Your hands and feet have such an unprecedented coolness that our affliction is
dispelled by touching them. Hence You truly are a happy moon, who knows neither distress nor
sorrow." They thus praised Him by the style of a vyäjastuti (false praise) (samstutya vyäja-stutyä
stutvä). They were slightly angry, meaning they had the last trace of anger, which had automatically
disappeared due to the bliss of seeing Him.

Jiva Gosvämi
Here he talks about the subtle origination of the girls' anger by the nature of intimate love. "Upon
treating Him nicely in the aforesaid manner (sabhäjayitvä = pürvokta-prakärena sammänya), they
asked Him a question (babhä$ire= täs tam babhä$ire = täs tam pry(avatyah). " The gopis were slightly
angry. Why? anahga-dipanam. This means He was flirting to inflame Cupid. Perceiving this, they
thought, "Previously, He abandoned us, and now He is acting this way."
Someone might wonder, "They had already incited lust in Him by making Him sit on their shawls
which were tinged with the saffron on their breasts, so how could they justifiably materialize their
anger, even though it had come into being by noticing that He was inciting lust?" In that regard he
says: ahka-krtähghri-hastayoh samsparSanena samstutya. The dual case in ahka-krtähghri-hastayoh is
because ahghri and hasta are each in the singular, in consideration of the jäti (category). The drift is the
gopis pleased Him by touching His hands and feet while praising the qualities of those two and being
slightly angry. This means their anger was fittingly concealed that way.
"If so, they were indeed angry. How might that be known?" In that regard he says: sahäsa-
lilekyana-vibhrama-bhruvä. The third case ending in bhruvä is used in the sense of upalaksanam
(partial characterization). The anger would have been an obvious fault if it had been vocally expressed.
By the liveliness of flickering the eyebrows that way, a liveliness which hints at the crookedness in
their minds, that crookedness became apparent. And it will become obvious in the manner of asking
the question.
This is the saicäri-bhäva called avahitthä (concealment). The definition is: anubhäva-pidhänärtho
'vahittharh bhäva ucyate, "The mood for the sake of concealing a physical reaction is called
avahittham" (Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 2.4.120). The word can also be in the feminine: avahitthä.
Moreover: hetuh kaScid bhavet kaScid gopyah kaScana gopanah, iti bhäva-trayasyätra viniyogah
samiksyate, "On this topic, three feelings are seen to operate: one is the cause, one is concealed and
one is the means of concealment" (ibid. 2.4.127). Here the cause is kau!ilya (crookedness). What is to
be concealed is amarya (indignation) consisting of asüyä (resentment): This is clear by the mention of
isat-kupitäh (slightly angry). And the means of concealment is a fake joy, a joy made to be perceived
by their touching His hands and feet and praising them. The smiling, the glancing and the flickering of
their eyebrows were fake too, and were caused by crookedness.259
 Sanätana Gosvämi
"The gopis, who were slightly angry, spoke." Alternatively: "The gopis, who were angry, slightly
spoke." This means they spoke concisely (isat babhäyire = sahksepepa babhä$ire), since they are
highly eloquent.

10.32.16

259 Rüpa Gosvämi cites this Bhägavatam verse as an example of avahitthä caused by crookedness (jaihmya = kautilya)
(Bhakti-rasämrtasindhu 2.4.121). Jiva Gosvämi adds to the above in his commentary on text
2.4.127 therein.

Il

gopya ücuh 166bhajato 'nu bhajanty eka eka etad-viparyayam I nobhayämst ca bhajanty eka
etan no brühi sädhu bhoh Il

gopyah ücuh—the gopis said; bhajatah—to those who are serving; anu—afterward; bhajanti—they
serve (reciprocate); eke—some people; eke—some people; etat-viparyayam—the opposite of this; na
—not; ubhayän—to both (those who showed goodwill and those who did not show goodwill); ca—
moreover; bhajanti—they serve (reciprocate); eke—some people; etat—this; nah—to us; brühi—tell;
sädhu—properly; bhoh—(a term expressive of the vocative).

gopyah ücuh—bhoh (krspa)! eke (janäh) bhajatah (anya-janän) anu bhajanti. eke (janäh) etad-
viparyayahl (kurvanti). eke ca (janäh) ubhayän (janän) na bhajanti. (tvahl) etat (sarvahl) nah sädhu
brühi (iti).

The gopis said: "Some are kind to those who show kindness to them. Some are kind even to those who
do not show kindness. And yet others are not considerate in either case. O Knpa, explain this to us."

Sridhara Svämi
Desirous of proving with His own words that He is ungrateful, the gopis, hiding their real intention,
inquire about what seems to be a common matter among people in general. Eke means kecit (some
people). Anu means anantaram (afterward).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Each gopi pondered as follows: "Krsna put us, the jewels of all loving persons, into such a bad
situation. We should ask Him why He did that. 'O Krsna, do You have affection, indifference, or ill will
towards us? Although these three possibilities can be posited, neither one can withstand a logical
explanation. Firstly, if You have affection for us, is it conditional or unconditional? It cannot be
conditional, because any man whose affection is conditional gratifies, not despises, those who help
him fulfill his desires. You, however, tried to kill us by burning us in the fire of separation from You. It
Sri-gopya ücuh (BBT edition) (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
166
cannot be unconditional either, since You abandoned us in a dreadful forest in the middle of the night
and since You did not feel weary by seeing our hardship (and so Your affection is conditional on the
benefit You derive from it). Secondly, You are not indifferent to us, because we see that You tried to
make us happy and tried to make us sad.
"Thirdly, if You have ill will toward us, is it permanent or retributive? It cannot be permanent,
because we don't see that happening. It cannot be retributive either, because we didn't do anything
wrong to You. However, You are becoming an example of some uncommon, malevolent person who
desires to inflict harm on his trusting entourage.' We should not verbally communicate anything of this
sort, rather we should ask a little something with a turn of expression, as a riddle, so that Krsna
Himself, by giving the appropriate answer, will have some insight on the way we feel."
Because the girls are sensible, each one pondered in the same way. They said: "O Krsna, great wise
man, answer this riddle."
"Some people are kind only toward (anu = lak$i-krtya eva) those who are kind to them (bhajato 'nu
bhajanti = bhajato janän anu bhajanti)." This means they want something by being kind. When they get
what they want, they are not kind anymore. This amounts to conditional affection.
"Some are kind in the opposite way: They are kind even to those who are not kind (eka etad-
viparyayam = eka etad-viparyayarii yathä syät tathä bhajanti = eke 'bhajato 'pi bhajanti)." This means
they are kind without wanting something in return. They do not require the other person to always
show kindness, and do not aim at some other benefit for themselves. This amounts to unconditional
affection.
"Others are not considerate towards either type of person." Whether or not they want something in
return, they do not show kindness. This amounts to indifference. Whether the person is hateful or
malevolent, there is no kindness: Either way, there is ill will. Those two types of people too are
included in this category.
In expounding this exactly in that way, the Lord will bring to light a few more details.
"Tell this to us" (etan no brühi). The sense is: "Tell us about these persons and about this." The
word etat is an eka-Sesa compound: ete ca etac ca etad iti. The rule is: napurhsakam anapumsakenaika-
vac cäsyänyatarasyäm, "In the construction of a dvandva compound, when a neuter word is mentioned
along with a non-neuter word which has the same general meaning, only the neuter word remains, and
the neuter word is optionally singular" (A$tädhyäyi 1.2.69).167"Tell us correctly (sädhu = yathärtham
eva), without deviating from the topic. "

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) In this verse which begins gopya ücuh, he speaks to make one understand
the following: This is the ruse the girls employed to prevent Him from abandoning them again. There
are three questions. Ubhayän stands for bhajataj cäbhajataj ca.
They say to Him: "Tell us properly" (sädhu = sädhu yathä syät tathä): "Who are those considerate
persons and nonconsiderate persons?" Or "What result will they get?" "Analyze all that and tell us."
The vocative bhoh is used to make Him pay attention, because He was pretending to feel guilty.

167
Baladeva Vidyabhüsana concurs. But Jiva Gosvämi would frown upon this kind of usage of pronouns
(sarvanäma) because he says it is not mentioned by previous authorities: dvau ca dvau ca ity-ädau na,
anabhidhänät (HNV 997).
 10.32.17

Sri-bhagavän uväca mitho bhajanti ye sakhyah svärthaikäntodyamä hi te I na

tatra sauhrdarh dharmah svärthärtham tad dhi nänyathä I l Sri-bhagavän uväca—the Lord said;
mithah—with one another (or in private168); bhajanti—they serve; ye—who; sakhyah—O lady
friends; sva-artha—for their own purpose; eka-anta—exclusively; udyamäh—whose endeavor;
hi—only (or because); te—they; na— not; tatra—in that (the service); sauhrdam—
goodheartedness: dharmah—morality; sva-artha—of their own purpose; artham—for the sake;
tat—that [service]; hi—only; na—not; anyathä—otherwise.

Sri-bhagavän uväca—sakhyah! ye (janäh) mithah bhajanti, te (janäh) svärthaikäntodyamäh hi

(bhavanti. tesäm) tad (bhajanam) svärthärthahl hi (bhavati), anyathä na (bhavati. atah) tatra (bhajane)
sauhrdarh dharmah (vä) na (utpadyate).

{kirhvä: Sri-bhagavän uväca—sakhyah! ye svärthaikäntodyamäh hi (bhavanti), te mithah bhajanti. (te)

svätmänarh hi (bhajanti). tad (mitho bhajanam) anyathä na (syät). tatra sauhrdahi na (bhavati, na ca)
dharmah. )

{athavä: Sri-bhagavän uväca—ye svärthaikäntodyamäh mithah bhajanti, te sakhyah hi (bhavanti.

yatra) tad (bhajanarh) svärthärthahl hi (bhavati), tatra sauhrdam dharmah (vä) na (utpadyate). anyathä
na (bhavati).}

Jiva Gosvämi (Krama-sandarbha)— sakhyah! ye svärthaikäntodyamäh mithah bhajanti, te svätmänam

hi (= eva) bhajanti, hi (= yasmäd) (bhajanam) na anyathä (bhavati, atah) tatra na sauhrdam, na ca
dharmah.

The Lord said: "My friends, those who serve one another are only trying to fulfill their own purpose,
otherwise the service would not occur in the first place. There is neither goodheartedness nor morality
involved in that, because that kind of service is only for the sake of one's benefit.

Optionally: "Men who reciprocate with others by only endeavoring to fulfill their own purpose are
lady friends of one another. There is neither heartfelt friendship nor morality involved in that, because
that reciprocation is only for the sake of one's benefit. Otherwise it could not be said that there is no
real friendship, and so on.

Alternatively: "My friends, those whose endeavors are fixed only on their own purpose are kind to one
another in private. They only serve themselves. Because they are not kind to each other in another
way, there is neither goodheartedness nor dharma in them.

168
The definition is: mitho 'nyonyam rahasy api (Amara-kosa 3.3.255).
 Sridhara Svämi
Understanding their intention, He gives the answer. "Hey sakhis, those who are kind to one another by
doing each other a favor are kind only to themselves, not to another." Why? "Because (hi — yasmät)
their endeavor is in every respect only for their purpose (svärthaikäntodyamäh = svärtha evaikänta
udyamo yesäril te). There is no goodheartedness in that, hence there is no real happiness. There is no
dharma in that either, because it is done by aiming at a tangible result, just like one is kind to cows and
buffalos to get milk in return.

Jiva Gosvämi
"Their endeavor is in every respect only for their purpose (svärthaikäntodyamäh = svärthe ekäntas tan-
mätra-ni$tha udyamo yesähl te)." In this context, the own purpose denotes both a foreseeable result
and some gain in the next life, by the logical reasoning in: bhajanti ye yathä devän devä api tathaiva
tän, "The gods reciprocate with those who serve them" (11.2.6). Thus, when the gods are satisfied by
means of a fire sacrifice, and so on, they bestow a place in heaven, and so on, just like milk is given by
a cow, or by a buffalo, etc.
By the manner of expression in the next verse, the sense of na tatra sauhrdarh dharmah is: "If there
is friendship and dharma in that, I think they are reproachable, because the friendship involves deceit,
and because the dharma is swapped for artha (financial gain) and käma (sense gratification), although
dharma should be a goal of life in its own right."
(Additions to Brhad-vaisnava-tosani are underlined.) "That is
for sure (hi = niScitam). The reciprocal kindness would not occur in a way other than what was said
(nänyathä tad = uktäd anya-prakarena mitho bhajanahl na syät)." Or the sense of nänyathä is: "What I
say is no lie, because we speak as friends." The reason this is implied is the vocative: sakhyah (My
friends). Alternatively, He uses this vocative to repudiate the idea, obtained by the allusion of cheap
friendship, that His reciprocation toward the girls is of that sort.
The reading svärthärtham is seen in many editions, including Citsukha's. In that reading, the drift
is: "Although the reciprocation (tad = tad bhajanam) appears to be for the sake of another (appears to
be in another way), it is only for one's own purpose."

Krama-sandarbha: In this context, the own purpose denotes only a foreseeable result. "Those whose
endeavor is in every respect only for their purpose only serve themselves (svätmänahi hi = svätmänam
eva bhajanti). Because the service does not occur in another way, in it is neither friendship nor
dharma."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Understanding their intention, He gives the answer. "Hey sakhis, those who are kind to one another by
expecting a favor in return for a favor have an endeavor which is in every respect only for their goal, a
foreseeable result and some gain in the next life (svärthaikäntodyamäh svärthe
eva ekänta udyamo yesäril te). Indeed (hi = nijcitam), they are kind only to themselves, not to another
person (svätmänahl hi = svätmänam eva bhajanti, nänyam), otherwise that mutual kindness would not
occur (tad nänyathä = mitho-bhajanam anyathä na syät)." The gist is: "Therefore their affection is
conditional." This means they have material desires. In the reading svätmärtham instead of
svätmänam, the word is a modifier of tad. 169 "There is no love in them (na tatra sauhrdam = tesu prema

The reading in every available edition of Bhägavatam is only svärthärtham, but Viévanätha Cakravarti,
169

Sanätana Gosvämi and Jiva Gosvami prefer svätmänam.

nästi), nor is there irreproachable dharma." By looking at the answer in the next verse, here dharmah
means nirapavädo dharmah.

Sanätana Gosvämi
In this context, the own purpose denotes only a foreseeable result. "Those whose endeavors have fixity
only on their own purpose (svärthaikäntodyamäh = svärthe eva ekasminn anto ni$(hä yasya tathä-
bhüta udyamo yesärh te) are kind to one another." This excludes service to a guru, the reciprocations
of love between Vai$navas, and so on. The subtle idea in the verse is this: When a good deed is done
without expecting anything in return, that is dharma.
There is another rendering: ye hi svärthaikäntodyamäh, te mitho bhajanti. "Those whose endeavors
are in every respect only for their own purpose assist one another," like servants of a king do.

10.32.18

bhajanty abhajato ye vai karunäh pitarau yathä I dharmo nirapavädo 'tra sauhrdarh ca su-
madhyamäh I l

bhajanti—they serve; abhajatah—those who are not serving; ye— who; vai—only; karunäh—
compassionate; pitarau—the parents; yathä—like; dharmah—morality (code of ethics); nirapavädah—
irreproachable; atra—in this; sauhrdam—goodheartedness; ca— and; su-madhyamäh—O you whose
waists are superb.

su-madhyamäh! ye vai (janäh) abhajatah (janän api) bhajanti, (te janäh) karunäh pitarau yathä
(bhavanti). atra (nirapeksa-bhajane) dharmah nirapavädah (bhavati), sauhrdahl ca (nirapavädaril
bhavati).

"Slender girls, they who are kind even to those who do not show kindness are compassionate like one's
mother and father. The dharma in that is irreproachable, and so is the goodheartedness.

Alternatively: "Hey girls whose middle one was nice, they who are kind even to those who do not
show kindness are like compassionate persons and like one's parents. In both instances, the dharma is
irreproachable, and so is the love.

Sridhara Svämi
But those who Oe vai = ye tu) are kind to persons who are not kind to them are of two kinds: karuna
(compassionate) and snigdha (affectionate). In that type of reciprocation, dharma (morality) and käma
(sense gratification) take place respectively.

Sanätana Gosvämi
In point of abhajatah (to those who do not show kindness): People are not kind because they are
miserable and childish. Vai has the sense of prasiddhi (this is well-known). By the example in the
yathä clause, a natural, unconditional compassion is meant. Those ones are only the devotees of the
Lord, because the venerable one has explained it that way in regard to: sutaräm mat-krtätmanäm, "[By
seeing sädhus, who are even-minded and] whose hearts are very much fixed on Me, [the bondage of a
person does not occur, just like darkness related to the eyes ceases by seeing the sun]" (10.10.41).
Two types are understood here, because the word ca (and) needs to be added: karunäh pitarau
yathä stands for karupäh pitarau ca yathä. The dharma is irreproachable in the sense that it is complete,
because the devotees provide assistance only in terms of being infinitely merciful, without expecting a
reward. The goodheartedness too is irreproachable, because parents are naturally affectionate. In their
case there is only goodheartedness because parents are unable to perform dharma by taking care of
children. Or, somehow or other, by goodheartedness, dharma is to be seen in them too, and so both the
devotees of the Lord and one's parents have goodheartedness and dharma.
The vocative su-madhyamäh has the sense of "Hey beautiful girls." The idea is: "That is beautiful."
Or the gist is: "That shines in you ladies." This is a clever way of inciting them to show kindness to
Him.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
He gives the answer to the second question. People who are kind even to those who do not show
kindness are kind without expecting anything in return. Such people are of two types: Those who have
no family relationship in that and those who do. The words karunäh pitarau yathä stand for karunä
yathäpitarau yathä. Of the two, karupä yathä (like those who are compassionate) is representative of
the first type: They are the pure devotees, because in them, such as Prahläda, the rise of unconditional
compassion is seen. Since there are two kinds of examples, it's understood that both types of persons
do not expect anything in return, are unhappy upon perceiving another's unhappiness, are happy upon
perceiving another's happiness, and do not give up serving even when the life force has reached the
end of its time. The former type is the best, the latter inferior.
"In those two types (atra = esu ubhayesv eva), the dharma is irreproachable—because there is no
expectation of a reward—and so is the love (sauhrdarh ca = prema ca nirapavädam)."
The vocative sumadhyamäh (slender girls) literally means: Sobhanam madhyamarh yäsäm, "O
girls whose middle is nice." As a pun, the sense is: "O girls whose middle question was nice." This
means the first and third questions are rejectable because the examples of those are rejectable.
Alternatively, the pun is: jobhanam madhyamam uttararh yäsv eva, "O girls in whom the middle
answer is superb." The drift is: "You ladies are the perfect example of the answer to the middle
question."

Jiva Gosvämi
Previously, He said the goodheartedness and the dharma of those who are considerate with a motive
are reproachable, and now He says the goodheartedness and the dharma of those who are
unconditionally considerate are irreproachable. In addition, He states a nondistinction between
compassionate persons described in the example and parents: bhajanty abhajatah, because the
goodheartedness too in compassionate persons is clear, and because parents obtain dharma too, in a
general way, by the assistance of the Grhastha dharma of raising their kids, and so on.

10.32.19
 bhajato 'pi na vai kecid bhajanty abhajatah kutah I ätmärämä hy äpta-kämä akrta-jiä guru-
druhah Il bhajatah—to those who serve (are kind); api—even; na vai— never; kecit—some;
bhajanti—reciprocate (are considerate); abhajatah—toward those who are not serving them;
kutah—why?; ätma-ärämäh—those who delight in the soul; hi—of course; äptakämäh—those
whose desires have been fulfilled ("They by whom the desires were achieved"); akrta-jiäh—
those who are ignorant of what was done (or the ungrateful, "those who don't know what was
done); guru-druhah—the ungrateful ("those who are inimical to superiors").

kecid bhajatah (janän) api na vai bhajanti. (te) abhajatah kutah (bhajeyuh. te) ätmärämäh hi äpta-
kämäh akrta-jfiäh guru-druhah (ca bhavanti).

"Some persons, however, are inconsiderate toward those who are kind to them. Hence why would they
be considerate of those who are not kind to them? Such persons are of four kinds: The ätmärämas, of
course, the äpta-kämas, the ignorant, and the ungrateful.

Sridhara Svämi
This is the answer to the third question. The sense is this: Those ones are of four kinds. Some are
ätmärämas (they delight in the soul): Thev do not direct their attention on the external world. Some are
äpta-käma (their material desires were fulfilled a long time ago): They have no desire to gratify their
senses even when the objects of sense are directly available. Others are akrtajfia (ungrateful or
ignorant): They are dullards. The others are guru-druh, meaning they are very hard-hearted: They seek
to harm a benefactor, who has the status of a superior (guru-druhah = upakartä guru-tulyas tasmai
druhyantiti tathä te) by the logical reasoning in calling a father someone who is a caregiver.

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) "Some are never (vai = eva) (na vai = naiva) considerate." Hi has the sense
of prasiddhi (renown): "The ätmärämas, of course, are like this." What is meant by the
nonreciprocation of the akrta-jias is that they do not know. There is no purport in the term guru-
druhah, but by gauni vrtti (qualitative figurative usage) the sense is käthinya eva (those who are only
hard-
264

Sanätana Gosvämi
Hi has the sense of niScaya (indeed). The akrtajfias are so called by the derivation: na krtam tad
bhajanam jänanti anusandadhatity akrta-jfiäh, "They do not know, i.e. take interest in, the service that
was done." They are dullards because although they are able to return the favor, they do not know, and
so they don't do it. What is meant by the non-reciprocation of the akrta-jfias is that they do not know.
But those who do know that a service was rendered to them and are able to return the favor yet do
not reciprocate are wicked. That is just what he says with guru-druhah.
Thus, the answers to the three questions posited in three lines were given in three verses. In the
gopis' opinion, on account of the amazing fun the Lord is neither an ätmäräma nor an äpta-käma,
especially because the absence of reciprocation occurred by being a giver of pain in separation. By the
usage of the word guru, He is not a guru-druh either. Therefore, what remains is that He is akrtajna
(ungrateful). It will be said in that way later on: akrta-cetäh (10.47.16), and in Sri Visnu Puräna, in the
section on Balaräma's return trip to Vraja: akrtajfia-dhvajo hi sah, "Krsna is the epitome of ingratitude
('He has the banner of an ungrateful person')" (5.24.16). Or, guru-druhah simply means ka(hinäh (hard-
hearted).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
He gives the answer to the third question. There are four types, mentioned in decreasing order of
importance. The ätmäräma delights in the self and only looks within. The äpta-käma sees externally,
but naturally does not seek enjoyment from others

264 One who is guru-druh is ungrateful: The purport is that the absence of his reciprocation hurts the feelings of his
superior. The explanation is in conformity with the essence of Jiva Gosvämi's above interpretation and with Sridhara
Svämi's commentarv on this verse and on the next. In other contexts, the term for 'ungrateful' is akrtajia. The ambiguity is
apparent in Sanätana Gosvämi's commentary. Thus here guru-druh can literally mean 'heavy hater'.
because he is pürna-käma (his desires have been fulfilled). The akrtajfia seeks enjoyment from others,
but does not know that a service was done by others. The guru-druh does not think much of the service
rendered by others; rather, he hates them even more (guru-druhah = tebhyo guru druhyanti) (guru =
adhikam): These ones are haters who don't need a reason to hate. Included in this category are those
who hate if they have a reason to. Yet others are heavy haters, who break the bond of confidence
(guravaS ca te druhas< ceti guru-druhah = vi'vasta-ghätinah). Thus there are nine examples altogether:
The three varieties of guru-druh, the above three, the one in the answer to the first question, and the
two in the answer to the second question.

Gangä Sahäya
A person who is akrta-jia does not know that a service was done to him by someone. A guru-druh
knows that a service was done to him by someone, but out of wickedness hates that person, who
virtually has the status of a guru (superior, benefactor). Thus, a guru-druh is krta-ghna (ungrateful).

10.3220

näham tu sakhyo bhajato 'pi jantün bhajämy ami$äm anuvrtti-vrttaye I

vathädhano labdha-dhane vinaste tac-cintayänyan nibhrto na veda Il
(irregular upajäti 11)

na—not; aham—l; tu—but; sakhyah—O lady friends; bhajatah— who serve; api—even though; jantün
—toward people; bhajämi— am considerate; ami$äm—their; anuvrtti—of the compliance170 vrttaye—
for the functioning (the continuation) (or the state, the nature) (or a commentary made by the author of
a work); yathä— like; adhanah—a man who has no wealth; labdha-dhane vinaste— when the acquired
wealth is lost; tat-cintayä—with the thought of it (the wealth); anyat—anything else; nibhrtah—fixed
(filled); na veda—does not know (does not take interest in).

170
The definition is: anurodho 'nuvartanam, "Anuvartana (anuvrtti)
sakhyah! aham tu (mäm) bhajatah api jantün (mäm bhajatäm) ami$ärh, yathä labdha-dhane vinaste
(sati) adhanah (janah) taccintayä nibhrtah (san) anyat na Veda, anuvrtti-vrttaye na bhajämi.

"But I, My dear friends, do not even reciprocate with people who are kind to Me, because My intent is
to see what they are really made of. Their engrossment becomes like that of a man who has lost his
wealth and is so absorbed in thought of it that he is not interested in anything else.

Alternatively: "But I, My dear friends, did not reciprocate even with those who were kind to Me so
that a personal commentary about their compliance may be done: I was like a man who has lost his
wealth and is so absorbed in thought of it that he knows nothing else.

Sridhara Svämi
The girls, thinking that He belonged to the fourth category, looked obliquely at one another with faint
smiles on their faces. Upon seeing this, He said näham tu (but not I). "Hey sakhis, I am not one of
them. Rather, I am very compassionate and the best wellwisher." How so? "I do not reciprocate with
them to ensure that they continuously engage in meditation (ami$äm anuvrtti-vrttaye ami$äm
bhajatäm nirantara-dhyäna-pravrtty-artham)." There is an example, beginning from yathä: "like a man,
filled (nibhrtah — pürnah = vyäptah) by the thought of that lost wealth (tac-cintayä =

and anurodha are synonymous" (Amara-kosa 2.8.12). But in Bhägavatam 10.29.32, the term anuvrtti was used in the sense
of SuSrü$ana (bhajana, serving).
tasya dhanasyaiva cintayä), does not know hunger, thirst or anything else (anyat = anyat kyut-pipäsädy
api)."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The word tu (but) has the sense of bhinnopakrama (a new beginning): "Even though I am not in one of
the four kinds beginning from ätmäräma, I do not reciprocate with those who serve Me." The negatory
word, na[i/, uttered at the beginning of all is emphatic. The vocative sakhyah (O lady friends) confirms
that He is not acting as an ätmäräma, otherwise there would be no opportunity for friendship.

Jiva Gosvämi
With the term jantün (toward people), He means to say this: behave like this toward everyone
without discrimination. not just toward you ladies. Don't worry. I am not indifferent to you." "Why do
You not reciprocate?" In that regard He says: "for the sake of the eminence of continuous love, an
eminence because of which there is the occurrence of continuous meditations" (anuvrtti-vrttaye =
anuvrttinähl nirantara-dhyänänätii vrttir yasmät tasmai santataprema-prakar,'äya).

ViSvanätha Cakravarti
"I, however, do not reciprocate even with anybody (jantün = jivamäträni) who is kind to Me—How is
that different from the previous category? In that regard He says—for the sake of the sustenance of
their serving Me (ami$äm anuvrtti-vrttaye = ami$ärh bhajatärh anuvrttir mad-bhajanahl tasyä vrttaye
jivikäyai).171 A devotee thinks, 'Alas, my endeavor is useless. There is not even a trace of Krsna's grace

The word vrtti means jivikä (means of subsistence) by the definition: äjivo jivikä värtä vrttir vartana-jivane
171

(Amara-kosa 2.9.1).
in me. I am an offender. Fie on me.' Because lust, anger and so on disappear by such an increase of
constant despondency, meekness, and so on, the bhakti of those who have not achieved prema
becomes very resplendent.
"In the case of those who have achieved prema, however, I do not reciprocate with them in order to
sustain their attachment to Me (anuvrtti-vrttaye = anuvrttir mad-äsaktis tasyä jivikärtham): After
giving My darSana, I disappear. Right after that, the anuvrtti, meaning the äsakti (a stage of bhajana),
escalates." The example, stated in the sentence with yathä, only relates to those who have prema, "like
a man, filled by the thought of that lost wealth, does not know hunger, thirst or anything else."
"Therefore, in the case of those who serve Me, only the anuvrtti (bhajana) to Me is desired (not
necessarily the dariana), because after the anuvrtti has taken place to a high degree, I, though not
reciprocating in person, reciprocate indirectly yet even more. Thus I too, like you ladies, am an
example of the answer to the second question, for I am truly compassionate. Hence it cannot be said
that if I show Myself I am reciprocating and that if I do not show Myself I am not reciprocating,
otherwise that would compromise My promise: ye yathä mähl prapadyante täh1S tathaiva bhajämy
aham, "I serve them as much as they surrender unto Me" (Gitä 4.11).

Näräyapa Bhatta
He is not inimical to His benefactors because although the vyabhicäri-bhävas experienced in
separation feel like so many instances of sorrow, there is no real sorrow because in the end the Rasa is
enhanced. That was said: na vinä vipralambhena sambhogah pus(im aSnute, "Without separation, the
meeting of lovers is not enhanced." Thus He is not at fault in any way. (The Rasa itself is the
reciprocation.)

10.32.21

evath mad-arthojjhita-loka-vedasvänärh hi vo mayy anuvrttaye 'baläh I mayä

parok$am bhajatä tirohitam mäsüyitum märhatha tat priyahl priyäh Il
(irregular upajäti 12)

evam—thus; mat-artha—for My sake; ujjhita-loka-veda-svänäm—of you by whom the world, the

Vedas and the family were given up; hi— indeed (or because); vah—your; mayi—toward Me;
anuvrttaye— for the continuation; abaläh—O girls; mayä—[was done] by Me; paroksam—in an
indirect manner (invisibly); bhajatä—[by Me,] who was reciprocating; tirohitam—the disappearing;
mä—at Me; asüyitum—to be irritated; mä arhatha—you do not deserve; tat—therefore; priyam—
[Me,] your beloved; priyäh—[you,] the ladyloves.

abaläh! evarh hi mad-arthojjhita-loka-veda-svänäm vah mayi anuvrttaye parok$arh bhajatä mayä

tirohitam. tat (yüyam) priyäh priyam mä (prati) asüyituhl mä arhatha.

{athavä: abaläh! mad-arthojjhita-loka-veda-svänähl hi vah mayi evam anuvrttaye paroksam bhajatä

mayä tirohitam. (yüyath) priyäh tat-priyahl (mäm) asüyituth mä arhatha (iti yat, tad) mä (bhavatu).}
"Thus, dear girls, I disappeared to reciprocate in an indirect way so that you, who gave up the world,
the Vedas and your family for My sake, would keep focusing your thoughts on Me. Therefore, you
beloveds should not bear any grudge against Me, your beloved.

Alternatively: "Girls, I disappeared to reciprocate in an indirect way so that you, who gave up the
world, the Vedas and your family for My sake, would keep focusing your thoughts on Me like people
who have lost their wealth are so absorbed in thought of it that they are not interested in anything else.
O beloveds, it is not that you should not bear a grudge against one who is fond of that kind of
reciprocation, Me.

Sridhara Svämi
"For My sake, you renounced the world, by not paying attention to what is proper and what is
improper, the Vedas, by disregarding dharma and adharma, and your relatives (sva = jiäti = jfiätayah),
by ceasing to be affectionate to them. Disappearing was done by Me to reciprocate invisibly
(paroksam = adarSanah2 yathä bhavati tathä), that is, just to hear your prattle of love. Therefore (tat =
tasmät), O girls, O beloveds (priyäh = he priyäh), you should not find fault with Me" (mä asüyitum =
mäm asüyitum = mäm dosäropena drastum) (mä arhatha = yüyam na yogyäh stha).

Vallabhäcärya
With the vocative abaläh (O girls), He means to say this: "Unlike the case of sädhus, your bhajana will
not be accomplished by the parok$a method of interacting with Me."

Srinätha Pandita
He continues to speak because He saw that their faces still did not show signs of satisfaction. "I
disappeared to reciprocate with you in the mind (paroksahl bhajatä = manasä bhavatibhir eva bhajatä).
Hence forgive My offense." Why? "If the boyfriend makes a mistake, his girlfriend forgives him."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The word evam is connected with anuvrttaye. The gist of the correlation between the words priyam
and priyäh is this: "Since we are dear to one another, you should not consider too seriously My offense
of causing our separation." The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation. Evam is connected with mayä. The drift is: tädrja-cintä-nibhrtena
mayä (I, who had disappeared, was filled by thoughts of you like a poor man who has lost his wealth
only thinks of it) (i.e. the word evam is the correlative of yathä in the previous verse). The reason He
was thinking that way is: mad-artha (for My sake). Thus, "I disappeared simply to reciprocate, even
though the manner was indirect (paroksath bhajatä = paroksam api bhajataiva). That is, I did this to
hear your love-filled lamentations, or in other words, to make you sing a song about qualities and to
make you remember your special moods." The suffix Satr in bhajatä has the sense of tum (infinitive).
"I was indirectly reciprocating with you. I disappeared, but I did not go anywhere." In that way their
previous statement is repudiated: kitava yoyitah kas tyajen nifi, "Hey trickster, what kind of man
would abandon women at night?" (10.31.16).
Alternatively, the words tat priyam form one word: tat-priyam. "I like to reciprocate indirectly (tat-
priyam = tat parokya-bhajanam priymii yasya tam mä) (mä = mäm), because My affinity for playing
games is natural.'
 Or, both words mä have the sense of negation and offset each other. Why should they bear a
grudge against Him? A beloved should not behave that way toward his beloveds. This is a clever way
of seeking conciliation.

Jiva Gosvämi
The word evam (in this way) refers to duhyantyo 'bhiyayuh kä'cit and so on, "Some very eager gopis
who were milking gave up the milking and departed" etc. (10.29.5) and is connected with
madarthojjhita-loka-veda-svänäm (of you by whom the world, the Vedas and the family were given
up). With the vocative abaläh, He recognizes that renouncing all of those was hard for them to do. Or
evam is connected with yathädhanah in the previous verse and with anuvrttaye here. Anuvrttaye means
the same as anuvrtti-vrttaye there.
The words bhajatä tirohitam can also be taken as bhajatätirohitam. "I did not quite disappear
(atirohitam). I was near you, but you couldn 't see Me. You yourselves said it: padäni vyaktam etäni
nandasünor mahätmanah, "Clearly, these footprints are those of the great Soul, the son of Nanda"
(10.30.25).

10.3222

na päraye 'ham niravadya-sarhyujärh sva-sädhu-krtyaril vibudhäyusäpi vah

I yä mäbhajan durjara-geha-fmkhaläh 172sarhvrjcya tad vah pratiyätu sädhunä
Il (upajäti 12)
na—not; päraye—am able; aham—l; niravadya—is irreproachable; samyujäm—[unto you,] whose
perfect yoga; sva—own; sädhukrtyam—compensation (or good deed); vibudha-äyusä—within the life
span of a demigod; api—even; vah—unto you; yäh—who; mä— Me; abhajan—served (were kind to);
durjara—hard to wear out (difficult to overcome); geha-+hkhaläh—the chains of household life;
samvrfcya—after fully cutting; tat—that; vah—unto you; pratiyätu—let it return; sädhunä—as
goodness.

aharh niravadya-samyujäril vah sva-sädhukrtyarh (kartum) vibudhäyusä api na päraye. yäh (striyah
yüyarh) durjara-gehaSmkhaläh samvrScya mä (prati) abhajan, tat (bhajanahl täsäth) vah sädhunä
pratiyätu (iti).

{kithvä: yäh (striyah yüymh) durjara-geha-'mkhaläh samvrScya (bhavanti), ahahl (täh) mä bhajan
niravadya-smhyujärh (täsärh) vah sva-sädhu-krtyam vibudhäyusä api na päraye. (atah) tat
(sädhukrtyahi) vah sädhunä pratiyätu (iti). }

"Even if I had the life span of a celestial being, I am unable to do a compensatory deed of My own for
you ladies, whose union with Me in spirit is irreproachable: You cut off the chains of family life,
which are hard to break, and devoted yourselves to Me. Let that devotion itself be your compensation
by the goodness of it."

172
Smkhaläm (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
Alternatively: "I cannot requite you for your good deed, even if I had the life span of a celestial being.
Your union with Me in spirit is irreproachable, whereas I am not reciprocating with you, who cut off
the chains of family ties, which are hard to break. Let that good deed itself (the Song of Separation) be
your compensation by the goodness of it."

Sridhara Svämi
"That said, now listen to the most important thing. I am unable to do (na päraye = karturii na päraye)
(na päraye = na Saknomi) a compensatory deed of My own (sva-sädhu-krtyam = sviyath sädhu krtyam
= pratyupakäram), even within the life span of heavenly beings, that is, even in a long time
(vibudhäyu$ä api = vibudhänäm äyu$ä api = cira-käle 'pi), to you, whose union with Me in spirit is
irreproachable (niravadya-samyujäm = niravadyä samyuk samyogo yäsärh täsäm)."
The pronoun yäh modifies vah. "You (yäh bhavatyah) completely cut (samvrscya = nihSesah1
chittvä) the chains of family life, which never become worn-out (durjara-geha-'rhkhaläh durjarä ajarä
yä geha-Srhkhaläs täh), and devoted yourselves to Me (mäbhajan = mäm abhajan)." "My heart,
however, is not fixed on one thing, because it has love for many others, therefore: vah sädhunä tad
pratiyätu, 'Let that good deed of yours (tat = yusmatsädhu-krtyam) be the compensation (pratiyätu
pratikrtahi bhavatu) by being your very own good deed (vah = yusmäkam eva) (vah sädhunä =
yuynäkam eva sädhu-krtyena).' I can become debtfree only by the fact that you have a good
temperament, not by any compensation on My part."

Vallabhäcärya
Having thus cleaned the mirror of their minds, He praises those gopis to refute any contradiction on
the path of bhakti. "I am unable to do a compensatory deed of My own (sva-sädhu-krtyahl na päraye =
svapratyupakära-karanarii na päraye) to you ladies, whose bhajana is faultless (niravadya-samyujäm =
nirdu$(a-bhajana-yuktänäm). I am unable to repay you because any compensation would be no match
for your bhajana. Your bhajana (devotion) is guileless, whereas My bhajana (reciprocation) is crooked.
The water in a mirage can never compare to even a little water. Brahman cannot do straightforward
service. That is the dharma of a jiva. "
Then He adds a detail: "You (yäh = bhavatyah prasiddhäh) severed the chain of family life, a chain
that does not become wornout even when it is old, and performed bhajana unto Me. You are out of this
world. Let the devotion itself (tat = bhajanam) of you gopis who are so extraordinary be your
compensation (pratiyätu = pratikrtahl bhavatu) by its goodness (sädhunä = sädhutvena)." Here the state
of being sädhu is the main thing expressed by the word sädhu.
Indeed, sädhus who perform a great deed are inherently satisfied. They do not require anything in
return.

Srinätha Pandita
"Hence I am indebted to you." This is the substance of the verse. Vibudhäyusäpi means deväyur-mäna-
kälenäpi (even within the time whose measure is the lifetime of a god).268

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) "I am unable to do (na päraye = kartum na Saknomi)269 a compensatory
deed of My own (sva-sädhu-krtyam = sviya-pratyupakära-krtyam) for you." The genitive case in vah
(for you) merely has the sense of sambandha (relation) (this is a loose sasthi): The drift is yutymän
prati (to you).
Alternatively: "I cannot requite you for your own good deed. "270 The gist of 'your own good
deed' is 'your extraordinarily good deed'. This means: tat-sadr'a-pratyupakäre na samartho 'smi, "I am
unable to do a compensatory act of that sort."
He illustrates what their good deed was, with niravadya-

268 The third case ending takes placeby the rule: apavarge trtiyä, "When apavarga is understood (completion of the
activity by attainment of the result), the word expressing the time or distance takes a third-case ending" (A$(ädhyäyi 2.3.6);
apavarge tu trtiyä (Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 674).
269 The verbal root in päraye is pära karma-samäptau (IOP) (to complete an action). It can also mean 'to be able', by
Rüpa Gosvämi's definition: paryäpnoti tu Saknoti ksamate prabhavaty api, kalpate pärayati ca sämarthye 'tra padäni sag,
"The six verbs paryäpnoti, Saknoti, ksamate, prabhavati, kalpate, and pärayati mean "to be able, fit for'"' (Prayuktäkhyäta-
maijari 2.3.53-54). The ätmanepada in päraye is not accounted for. It is a peculiarity of Bhägavatam. Still, the point is this:
The infinitive may or may not be included in this root. Thus, Sridhara Svämi adds kartum to the verb päraye, but Sanätana
Gosvämi and Jiva Gosvami say it is included: They explain päraye as kartum Saknomi, because the root pära already has
the sense of karma (action) built into it. In addition, it seems that any infinitive derived from kartum can be used: Jiva
Gosvämi uses anukartum (Priti-sandarbha 130) and Viévanätha Cakravarti uses pratikartum. In verse 10.30.38, however,
the infinitive is already there: na päraye 'ham calitum.
270 The word sva (own) in sva-sädhu-krtyam is a reflexive pronoun. By rule, it modifies the subject of the verb. Any
other usage of sva constitutes the literary fault called naiyan-mata-yoga (the presumed syntactical connection is non-
existent), according to Kavi Karnapüra (Alahkärakaustubha 10.90). But here the usage is not faulty because the speaker is
talking to someone, hence sva can refer to vah (your), and because there is no ambiguity inasmuch as a dual sense is meant.
samyujäm and yä mäbhajan durjara-geha-'rhkhaläh samvrScya. Firstly, "Your full concentration on Me
(samyuk = samyoga — samyag-mad-visayaka-cittaikägratä) is faultless, or else (and) your family
connection (samyuk = sarhgama) is faultless," because they did not touch their respective husbands.
And secondly, "You cut off family ties (geha-snikhaläh = gehasambandhinyah), the codes of
following worldly dharma. which provides happiness in this life and in the next, and devoted
yourselves to Me (mäbhajan = mäm abhajan), that is, with the greatest love you performed ätma-
nivedana (revealing one's true feelings to the Lord) unto Me. Cutting those ties was nearly impossible
for you to do, since you are kula-vadhüs (women brought up in good families).
"Therefore... " Then He gives His answer. The gist of 'therefore' (in Sridhara Svämi's commentary)
is: "I have love for others too hence I cannot repay you." In the answer, the word yäh does not require
vah at first but is connected with it afterward. This explains the prathama-purusa (third person in
English) in yäh. The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another rendering. Vibudhäyusäpi means: vigato budho gananäbhijfio yasmät
tenänantenäyusäpi, "[I cannot repay you] even within an infinite life span, 'that from which an
intelligent person, one who is adept at counting. has stopped [counting]."
"After cutting family ties, including My obligations to herd the cows, I did not serve you (yäh =
bhavatih) (mäbhajan = na sevitavän asmi)." "I cannot repay you because I cannot perform ätma-
nivedana like you do and because My bhajana of you does not involve a complete disregard of
everything else." In some readings, Smkhalärh is seen instead of 'mkhaläh. (The rest is only from the
pen of Jiva Gosvämi.)

nija-éesa-rasäéesa-pradänena sadänugam I mäm pustam päti yas tustah sväminam

yämi tam gatim I l

"He always maintains me, his follower, by providing the Works about Rasa, what he left us. Hence I
feel nourished. Being satisfied thus, my heart goes to him, the Svämi. He is my refuge." Krama-
sandarbha: Na päraye means aharh na Saknomi.
Priti-sandarbha 84: The word niravadya (irreproachable) implies that their priti (love) is pure. The term
sva-sädhu-krtyam suggests that their priti is the most eminent thing of all. The verbal expression na
päraye (I am unable) signifies that their priti has brought Him under control. For this reason, Uddhava
stated that these gopis had the highest level of prema: väfichanti yad bhava-bhiyo munayo vayarh ca,
"Sages, we devotees and those who fear material life want that type of love" (10.47.58). Therefore it is
established that the priti which is känta-bhäva (the mood of a lover or of a ladylove) is the highest of
all the five types of priti: jfiäna-bhakti (Sänta), bhakti (däsya), vätsalyam (parental affection; affection
for a junior), maitri (sakhya) (friendship), and känta-bhäva. Sometimes the categories are mixed.

Priti-sandarbha 130-131: This verse shows that Krsna is controlled by käntä-bhäva. "I cannot repay
your pure service, which gives Me the highest pleasure (sva-sädhu-krtyam na päraye = tad-
anurüpamadiya-parama-sukhada-seväm na päraye). That is, I am unable to imitate that as a
compensation (na päraye = na pratyupakärepa anukartum Saknomi). I am unable by any means,
because your love (käntä-bhäva = anuräga) transcends worldly dharma." That is just what He says with
the clause 'You cut off the chains of family ties.' "Therefore: vah sädhunä sauSilyenaiva tat pratiyätu
pratyupakrtam bhavatu, 'Let that compensation take place only as your good temperament (sädhunä =
sauSilyena eva). Yet I remain indebted to you. "'
Having thus established that He does melt by love, because this gives great pleasure in Him and in
the topmost sädhus He sometimes acts contrary to His innate qualities, including truthfulness. Such
contrariness is a resplendence which is the jewel of the highest quality. Of those, this is an example of
contradicting truthfulness: sva-nigamam apahäya mat-pratijfiäm rtam adhikartum avapluto
ratha-sthah, "[Bhisma speaks:] To make my oath come true, He forsook His vow, got down from the
chariot and attacked me" (1.9.37).

Sanätana Gosvämi
The reason He is unable to repay them is twofold: niravadyasamyujäm and yä mäbhajan durjara-geha-
Srhkhaläh samvrScya. Firstly, their full concentration on Him is irreproachable because they
disregarded everyone else; because they are not deceitful; and because their love for Him is pure. And
secondly, they cut the chains, which were twofold: the homes and the deeds for the sake of the
husband, the children, and others who are connected with the homes. They are chains inasmuch as they
bind anybody, even accomplished persons, to samsära, which is hard to cut. "Upon cutting those
chains, you devoted yourselves to Me... with loving reverence. I am unable to repay you because I am
not like that."
The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. Alternatively: "Now I am unable to do a superbly
crooked deed to you (sva-sädhu-krtyam = sv-asädhu-krtyam) (su = sus(hu)," much less a plainly bland
deed (sädhu-krtyam).
The purport is: "Since I cannot keep My word, 'ye yathä märh prapadyante täms tathaiva bhajämy
aham' (Gitä 4.11) 173 | remain a debtor to you."

nijocchi$ta-pradänena svasmäd api sadänugam I pustam vidhatte yas tasmai Sridhara-

svämine namah Il

"He always makes his follower feel nourished by the gift of what he left. I offer my respects to him,
Sridhara Svämi."

173
This type of anachronism is often seen in the commentaries on Bhägavatam.
Viévanätha Cakravarti
"Now let Me tell you what is always on My mind. Your connection with Me is irreproachable,
meaning it is unconditional, given that it is not contingent on material desire (käma), fruitive work
(karma), worldly morality (loka-dharma), or scriptural injunctions (sästra). The deed of yours which is
good in and of itself (sva-sädhu-krtyarh vah = vah svenaiva sädhu yat krtyam tat), I am unable to
requite it (na päraye = pratikartum na Saknomi), even if I were to have the life span of the gods
(vibudhäyu$äpi = devänäm äyuh präpya api)." That deed is good in and of itself, not that it somehow
turned out to be good or that it became good by virtue of its relation with
494

something. The singular in krtyam (deed) signifies this: "even one short deed of yours. "
"You devoted yourselves to Me (mäbhajan = mä abhajan) (mä = mäm) upon completely cutting
(samvrscya = nihiesam chittvaiva) the hard-to-cut chains of the household: the affectionate relatives
including the husband, the mother-in-law, the parents and the brothers." As a pun: "After cutting those
chains, you did not devote yourselves (mä abhajan = na abhajan) to them again, whereas immature
yogis reconnect with one of those chains, even though they had cut them."
"I devote time to being with you, but am also affectionate to My parents, My brother and My
extended family members. Due to My inability to reciprocate with you in the same way you
reciprocate with Me, I have fallen from My oath: ye yathä mäm prapadyante täms tathaiva bhajämy
aham (Gitä 4.11)." The following meaning, though implied, is also obtained as a flesa (literal double
meaning), by considering that mäbhajan durjara is an optional form of mäbhajarh durjara, because of
the phonetic combination of n and d. "It is not that I severed those ties and devoted Myself (samvrjcya
mäbhajam = sahwrScya aharii mä abhajam) to You (yäh = yu,smän)."
The words tad vah pratiyätu sädhunä signify: tat tasmäd vall sädhutvenaiva tad yusmat-sädhu-
krtyarh pratiyätu pratikrtyarh bhavatu, "Therefore, let a good deed of yours return to you simply as
your goodness. That is, let that be your compensation." The gist is: "I become free of My debt to you
only because you have a good temperament. But really, I remain indebted to you."
Thereafter the gopis pondered as follows: "Even though Krsna, as Parameévara, is replete with all
good qualities, is devoid of any trace of a fault and knows about our prema-rasa, to establish the
superiority of our love for Him, to lower Himself and to make Himself indebted to us, He performed
this act of abandoning us. He thus wants to be vanquished, and we want to defeat Him. Only we are
unfortunate! We could never be that way. Thus in effect we have become conquered by love."

Näräyapa Bhatta
"Chains made of iron can be cut, but the chains of affection cannot be cut by anyone. You and I are not
equal because I cannot cease to be affectionate to My parents and My friends. Let the devotion itself
(tat = bhajanam) be your compensation (pratiyätu = pratikrtam bhavatu) by its goodness (sädhunä =
sädhutvena)." The state of being sädhu is the main thing expressed by the word sädhu here. "From now
on, you are svädhina-patikäs (women who control their lover). Give Me orders as you like."

•apter Thirty-three
10.33.1

Sri-Suka uväca ittham bhagavato gopyah Srutvä väcah supeSaläh I jahur viraha-jam
täpam tad-ahgopacitäfisah Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Suka said; ittham—in this way; bhagavatah— of the Lord; gopyah—the gopis;
Srutvä—after hearing; väcah—the words; su-peSaläh—which were very pleasant; jahuh—they gave
up; viraha-jam—born of separation; täpam—the affliction; tat-ahga—by [the touch of] His limbs;
upacita—were increased; ä'i$ah—whose hopes.

Sri-Sukah uväca—ittham bhagavatah supejaläh väcah Srutvä gopyah tad-ahgopacitäfisah (satyah)

viraha-jahi täparh jahuh.

Sri Suka continued: Upon listening to these very charming words of the Lord, the cowherd girls gave
up their amiction caused by the separation. Their hopes had been revived by His limbs.

497
Sridhara Svämi trayastrimée tato gopi-mandali-madhya-go harih I
priyäs tä ramayämäsa hradini-vana-kelibhih I l

"This is in the thirty-third chapter: Hari then went in the midst of the circles of gopis and made those
ladyloves enjoy romantic pleasure by having fun in the woodland near the river."

The term tad-ahgopacitä'isah means: tasya bhagavato 'hgena vapu$ä kara-caranädy-avayavair

vopacitäh samrddhä äSi$0 yäsärh täh, "The girls, whose hopes swelled 'because of the Lord's body,' or
else 'because of His hands, feet and other body parts."' Alternatively tad ahgopacitä'isah is separated
as: "Then (tat = tadä), O king (ahga = he räjan)..."

Viévanätha Cakravarti trayastrimée räsa-läsya-vihära-jala-kelayah I

praénottaräny apy uktäni pariksic-chukadevayoh I l

"In the thirty-third chapter, the Räsa dance, various amusements, and the fun in the Yamunä are
described. This is followed by Parik$it's questions and Sukadeva's answers."

The Lord's words were very charming (supeSaläh = atimanoharäh). The term tad-ahgopacitäSisah
means: tasyähga-sparjädinä upacitä äjisah kämä yäsärh täh, "they whose desires were enhanced by the
touch of His body." Or else that compound modifies bhagavatah. The sense is He derived pleasure by
touching the gopis' bodies. It is thus implied that after listening to the Lord's answers to their
questions, the girls let go of their pique, and then they and the Lord took pleasure by embracing one
another, by kissing one another, and so forth.
 Sanätana Gosvämi jayati Sri-räsa-lilä jagad-eka-manoharä I yayä Sri-gopa-närinärfi
laksmito mahimädhikah I l

"Supereminent is the divine Räsa-lilä, the most charming occurrence in the universe. Because of it, the
glory of the cowherd girls is greater than Laksmi's."

They gave up the burning pain of separation, that is, the separation in the past and the separation in the
future, because He had not completely rejected them and especially because, by declaring that He was
indebted to them, they thought that they would never again become separated. Thus, although it was
said in verse 10.32.9 that they gave up the pain of separation, it is repeated here to specify that at this
time they completely gave it up, because: gopyah. They are cowherd girls, meaning their minds are
naturally immersed in premarasa. Another reason is that their desires had been fulfilled by giving Him
a hug, by taking His hand, and so on (tad-ahgopacitä'i$ah — älihgana-kara-grahanädinä sampanna-
manorathäh satyah). Or else that compound modifies bhagavatah.

Jiva Gosvämi räsa-lilä jayaty esä jagad-eka-manoharä I yasyäm Sri-vraja-devinäm 'rito

'pi mahimä sphutah I l

"The Räsa-lilä is glorious. It charms everyone the most. In this pastime, the superiority of the
goddesses of Vraja over Lakyni becomes obvious."

They gave up the burning pain of separation in the past and of separation in the future, because they
heard from Him that He had not completely rejected them and especially because, by declaring that He
was indebted to them, their concern that He might completely reject them even if the separation were
to occur by chance dissipated. Therefore, although it was said in verse 10.32.9...

Näräyapa Bhatta
His words were very charming because He belittled Himself and exalted the gopis by revealing that
He is indebted to them.

10.33.2

taträrabhata govindo räsa-kridäm anuvrataih I stri-ratnair anvitah pritair

anyonyäbaddha-bähubhih Il

tatra—there (on the Yamunä 's shore); ärabhata—began; govindah— Govinda; räsa-kridam—the fun
called Räsa; anuvrataih—who were obedient; stri—[in the form] of women; ratnaih—by jewels;
anvitah—accompanied; pritaih—who were pleased; anyonyaäbaddha-bähubhih—by whom the arms
are mutually bound.

tatra anuvrataih pritaih anyonyäbaddha-bähubhih stri-ratnaih (saha) anvitah govindah räsa-kridäm

ärabhata.

In that place, Govinda began the Play of the Räsa. He was accompanied by jewels of women: They
were obedient to Him and fond of Him. Those girls linked their arms together.
 Sridhara Svämi
He began the amusement called Räsa (räsa-kridäm = räsa-nämä täm kridäm), which is a particular type
of dance involving many female dancers.

Vallabhäcärya
The term Räsa is derived as rasasyäbhivyaktir yasmät (that from which there is the manifestation of
Rasa). Kridä means lilä (fun, pastime).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"He began the amusement consisting of the Räsa, so called because it is a multitude of rasas such as
dancing, singing, kissing, and embracing" (räsa-kridäm nrtva-gita-cumbanädinärh rasänärh samüho
räsas174 tan-mayi yä kridä täm). (This meaning of the word rasa was explained in the Introduction.) The
girls were obedient to Him (anuvrataih = svänukülaih): At that time, everyone was thinking in the
same way.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Here the name Govinda means He is intent on manifesting the specialty of His own infinite aiSvarya
as the Lord of Gokula. The expression 'jewels of women' means they are the best of all types of
women. It is thus shown that the Räsa has the highest possible requisites. The term anuvrataih means
they were compliant: They were ready to follow His wishes. Why? They were overjoyed (pritaih =
prahrs(aih) by His speech and the rest. Or else the sense is they were overwhelmed by profuse love.
The gopis linked their arms, rather their hands, together, but not with Him, because His arms were
around the necks of each girl at His side. That is the characteristic of the Play of the Räsa. It is said:

natair grhita-kanthänäm anyonyätta-kara-iriyäm I nartakinäm bhaved räso mapdali-bhüya

nartanam I l

"When women dance in a circle by holding one another's hands and when their necks are grasped by
male dancers, that is the Räsa."

to the two Sanskrit lexicons, although the word räsa has many meanings, in every instance the word räsa is derived by
applying the suffix ghai either after the verbal root ras Sabde or after the root räs[r] 'abde. Thus, the straightforward
derivation of the meaning of räsa here is: rasyate 'sminn iti räsah, "Sounding is done in this, thus it is called Räsa." After all,
the term halliSaka was originally used to denote a particular kind of musical style (ref. Introduction). The verbal root ras[a]
äsvädana-snehanayoh (to taste, relish; to love) (IOP) does not fit here, because the vrddhi ordained by ghai is blocked by
the fact that the root ras[a] is a kathädi (tenth class root), lest the derivation be irregular. But that would not be uncommon.
The definitions of räsa are: räsah, pum. ras-ghai räs ghai vä. 1. 'abde, 2. dhvanau... , 3 kridä-bhede, 4. kolähale ca, Medi.
(Väcaspatyam); räsah, pum, (räsanam iti räsate 'treti vä. räs 'abde + bhäve adhikarane vä ghai.) kolähalah. dhvänah.
bhäsä-'rhkhalakah. gopänäm kridä-bhedah. iti medini (Sabda-kalpa-druma); räsah kolähale dhväne bhäsä-Srhkhalake 'pi ca,
kridä-bhede ca gopänäm (Medini-ko'a).
The girls completely (ä) bound their arms together (anyonyäbaddhabähubhih): The subtle intention in
using the prefix ä in äbaddha is this: Krsna should remain in the middle of the circle and not come out.
174
In the derivation of räsa in the sense of tasya samühah (a multitude of that), the word should be neuter
(räsam), by the rule: tasya samüho brahmani (HNV 1125); tasya samühah (A$(ädhyäyi 4.2.37), yet Jiva Gosvämi
gives a similar interpretation: räsah parama-rasa-kadamba-maya iti yaugikärthah (Laghu-vai$nava-tosani
10.33.3). In Sanskrit literature, the word räsa in the meaning of a particular dance is first seen here. According
Jiva Gosvämi
The sense of tatra is: "Given that He and the girls were thinking the same." He began the Räsa-kridä,
the type of entertainment which is a great festivity and which He wanted to do previously by obtaining
those girls, whom He intensely desired.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü9apa
The Räsa is defined as follows: na(air grhita-kamhänäm... (see above). But the etymological derivation
of the word Räsa is this: The suffix an in the sense of tasya samühah (a multitude of that) is applied
after the word rasa: nrta-gitäjlesädinärh rasänärh samüho räsah.

10.33.3

räsotsavah sampravrtto gopi-mandala-manditah I yogeSvarena krsnena täsä'ii madhye

dvayor dvayoh I pravi$(ena grhitänärh kan(he sva-nikatarh striyah Il

räsa-utsavah—the festivity which is the Räsa; sampravrttah— commenced; gopi-mandala—by the

circle of gopis; manditah— adorned; yoga-ifvarepa—who is the grandmaster of mystic Yoga; krynena
—by Krsna; täsäm—of those girls; madhye—in the middle; dvayoh dvayoh—between each pair;
Krsna,] who had entered; grhi(änäm—[of gopis,] who were held; kanthe—on the neck;
sva-nika(am—next to themselves; striyah—the women.

täsärh (mandala-rüpepa avasthitänärh) dvayoh dvayoh madhye pravi$tena yogeSvarena krsnena

kan(he grhitänärh gopi-mapdalamanditah räsotsavah sampravrttah. (yam krsnam sarväh) striyah sva-
nika(am (manyeran).

the grandmaster of mystic yoga, took His place between each girl in the circle of gopis and held
them by the neck. The Räsa festival, adorned by this circle, was underway. Each girl thought that
Krspa was only at her side.

Sridhara Svämi
The speaker graphically illustrates the way they were together. The words beginning from räsotsavah
constitute one verse of six lines, which also includes the first four syllables of the next verse (yam
manyeran). The girls had formed a circle. Then they were hugged on both sides by Him, but each girl
thought: "He is hugging only me." He took His place between each girl for this purpose. How can it be
explained that the gopis thought that way? In that regard it is said: yogeSvarepa. Krsna is Yogeévara:
He has acintya-Sakti (inconceivable potency).

Srinätha Pandita
As Yogeévara, He is able to make replicas of Himself (käya-vyüha): He is able to stay in one form
while pervading the whole place. But the upcoming text krtvä tävantam ätmänarh yävatir gopa-yositah
(verse 20) says Krsna expanded Himself as many times as there were gopis.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
He describes the way in which they were together. The words beginning from räsotsavah constitute
one verse of six lines, but the last six syllables (sva-nikatarh striyah) are not included.
The Räsa is a festival (räsotsavah = räsa eva utsavah), for it bestows the nectar of bliss to the
cätaka birds of the devotees' eyes and minds. That festival had thus properly begun (sampravrttah =
samyag eva pravrttah). By whom? By Krsna, who entered in the middle of each two gopis, who were
positioned in the form of a circle (täsäm = täsärh mandala-rüpenävasthitänärh gopinärh). Since it is not
said sampravartitah (inaugurated) (instead of sampravrttah, the non-causative form), this is implied:
The eminence of the Räsa over Himself, over all His powers and over all His other pastimes was
bestowed by Sri Krsna Himself by granting the Räsa independent doership (complete control of the
situation) and by only being instrumental. This explains why Laksmi and others are unable to achieve
the Räsa event though they hanker for it.
The gopis were grabbed on the neck. This means they were hugged on both sides by Him. In this
regard, in the text: madhye maninärh haimänärh mahä-marakato yathä, "Krsna was like an emerald in
the midst of golden gems" (verse 7), since the word madhye (midst) is used, since the word marakata
(emerald) is in the singular, and since in this verse it is said pravi$(ena (He entered) and not satä
mithas (while existing mutually), it's understood that Krsoa was only in the center of the circle of
gopis, and thus manifested an incredible expertise of movement: In the flash of a second, Krsna left
the middle where He was standing, and danced with and embraced the three billion gopis who were
standing in the circle of the Räsa, and then again returned to the middle. Krsna's movement was
quicker than a firebrand, because at that time everyone could see Krsna standing in the center. Thus,
Bilvamangala Thäkura said:

ahganäm ahganäm antare mädhavo

mädhavahl mädhavahl cäntarenähganä I ittham äkalpite mapdale madhya-gah
saijagau venunä devaki-nandanah I l

"Mädhava was between each pair of gopis, and each gopi was between two Mädhavas. While the
circle was thus made, Devakinandana went to the middle and played the mute." (Krma-karnämrta
2.35)

The speaker uses a specific term which contains the reason for the above: yogejvarena. The sense is
Krsna knows the means (yoga = upäya) to achieve this. Amara's definition is: yogah
sannahanopäyadhyäna-sahgati-yuktisu, "The word yoga is used in the meanings of sannahana (a
binding, such as a rope or a yoke), upäya (means, stratagem), dhyäna (meditation), sahgati (union),
and yukti (suitability; contrivance)" (Amara-kosa 3.3.22).
Or yoga refers to Yogamäyä, and so Yogeévara is the controller of the great potency which is very
clever in accomplishing what is hard to do: Knowing that Krsna was eager to simultaneously embrace
all the gopis, Yogamäyä resolved the complexity by manifesting a Krsna for each gopi.
There are two ways of understanding the words madhye dvayor dvayoh pravi$(ena (by Him who
entered in the middle of two by two): The distributive sense (vipsä) signifies either ekaika-gopimadhye
(in the middle of each and every single gopi) or dvi-dvigopi-madhye (in the middle of each group of
two gopis). In the first explanation, each gopi would have a manifestation of Krsna on each shoulder.
But this incongruity is no reason for concern because Yogamäyä made each gopi think that only one
Krsna was touching her. There is, however, no incongruity in the second explanation.
 The words sva-nika(arh striyah here and the words yam manyeran in the next verse go together:
yam Sri-krsnarh striyah svanikatmh manyeran (perhaps the women thought that Sri Krsna was at her
side). That is, they thought "He is only being embraced by me. That He is seen everywhere is just
some expertise in His art of dancing. "
Authorities say Devakinandana was in the middle of the circle and was accompanied by Sri
Vrndävaneévari, because only She is the best of all, by looking at the hymn of one hundred names of
Hers: räsa-kridädi-käranam (She is the cause of the Play of the Räsa, etc.).

Sanätana Gosvämi
As a pun, the term Räsa means parama-rasa-kadamba-mayah (what consists of a multiplicity of the
highest Rasa). The Räsa is a festival, that is, a special type of amusement. "The Räsa festival properly
began (sampravrttah = samyak pravrttah) because of Krsna (krsnena = knnena hetunä)." By stating that
the Räsa is the most important thing in the commencement, by pointing out that the Räsa is the doer of
the action denoted by the verb, what is meant is that in terms of eternality and so on the Räsa is more
special than all other pastimes of the Lord.
Next he illustrates the manner of the propriety: gopi-mandalamanditah, which means gopinärh
mandalena manditah (the Räsa festival was adorned by the circle of gopis). The details were
mentioned by Sri Paräéara:

räsa-mandala-bandho 'pi krsna-pärivam anujjhatä I gopi-janena naiväbhüd eka-sthäna-

sthirätmanä Il hastena grhya caikaikäm gopikäm räsa-mandale I cakära tat-kara-
sparSa-nimilita-drSam harih Il tatah pravavrte räsaS calad-valaya-nihsvanah I anuyäta-
sarat-kävya-geya-gitir anukramät Il

"But the gopis did not form the circle of the Räsa: Each one was near Knpa and did not give up being
at His side. They stubbornly stayed in the same place. Hari took each gopi by the hand so that their
eyes closed by the touch of His hand. He thus made the circle of the Räsa. Then the Räsa eminently
began with the sounds of colliding bracelets followed by an uninterrupted series of songs of the
eulogies of autumn in poetry." (Vimu Puräna 5.13.49-51)

Moreover, Sri Bilvamahgala has written: ahganäm ahganäm antare. (see above). In conformity with
this, it's understood that Krsna was in the middle of them all. With this in mind, later it is said: madhye
maninärh and so on (verse 7). Everything is reconciled by the mention of the term Yogeévara: Krsna is
in control of yoga, a specific power which is inconceivable and amazing.

Jiva Gosvämi
The etymological derivation of the term Räsa is räsah paramarasa-kadamba-mayah (what consists of a
multiplicity of the highest Rasa). "The Räsa festival properly began (sampravrttah = samyak pravrttah)
by means of Krsna, the instrumental cause (krsnena = knnena nimittena)." Next he illustrates the
manner of the propriety: gopi-mandala-manditah, which means gopinärh mandalena manditah (the
Räsa festival was adorned by the circle of gopis). Yet another reason the gopis were splendid is thus
shown. The details about the commencement were mentioned by Sri Paräéara... (The rest of the
commentary is virtually the same as the above.) The term _yoga in yogeSvaretga denotes Yogamäyä, a
specific power which is inconceivable and amazing.
Baladeva Vidyäbhü>ana
The Räsa is the doer of the action of beginning, whereas Krsna is only the instrumental cause. This
explains why the Räsa amazes even Him, the Lord and the guru all qualities and skills, because it is
said that way in the Brhad-vämana:

santi yadyapi me präjyä liläs täs tä manoharäh I na hi jäne smrte räse mano me
kidrjahi bhavet Il

"Although many pastimes of Mine are monumental and charming, when I think of the Räsa I don't
know what will happen to My mind." (Brhad-vämana Puräna)

The Räsa festival was adorned by three circles of gopis (gopimandala-manditah = gopinähl mandalais
tribhir manditah Sobhitah).

Näräyapa Bhatta
The Räsa is a kind of festival because it is a dance. The term is derived as rasasyäbhivyaktir yasmät
(that from which there is the manifestation of Rasa) (Subodhini 10.33.2). Thus, the Räsa is a dance
which gives rise to Rasa.
The term Yogeévara means Krsna is in control (i'vara = niyantr) of yoga, a specific power which is
inconceivable and amazing. The gist is Krsna was everywhere in His selfsame body. In this line of
thought, Närada will say:

citram bataitad ekena vapu$ä yugapat prthak I grhesu dvy-a$(a-sähasram striya eka
udävahat I l

"Wow! This is amazing: With one body, He simultaneously married sixteen thousand women in
separate mansions." (10.69.1)

And therefore it is said: yarh manyeran (Each girl thought that Krsna was only at her side.) (verse 4).
This text is similar:

jagad dhana-mayam lubdhäh kämukäh kämini-mayam I näräyana-mayarh dhiräh paSyanti

paramärthinah I l "Those who are greedy for money see the world as filled with wealth.
Lusty men see the world as filled with beautiful women. And intelligent persons who want
the highest benefit see the world as filled by Näräyapa." (Puranic verse)

Thus, it is not so amazing that each girl thought that way, because Krsna is Yogeévara: He has the
acintya-Sakti. For this reason, it will also be said: manyamänäh sva-pärjva-sthän svän svän därän
vrajaukasah, "The cowherd men thought that their respective wives were at their side." (10.33.38)

Brhat Krama-sandarbha
Manyeran (verse 4) stands for menire (they thought), and sampravrttah has the sense of sampravartitah
(was inaugurated).
10.33.4

yam manyeran nabhas tävad vimäna-'ata-sahkulam I divaukasäm sa-däränäm

autsukyäpahrtätmanäm Il

yam—whom; manyeran—they might have thought (i.e. they thought); nabhah—the sky; tävat—at that
time; vimäna—of aerial vehicles; Sata—by hundreds; sahkulam—filled; diva-okasäm—of those
whose residence is the heavens; sa-däränäm—who were with their wives; autsukya—by eagerness;
apahrta—were carried away; ätmanäm—whose minds.

(yadä räsotsavah sampravrttah,) tävat nabhah sa-däränäm autsukyäpahrtätmanäm divaukasäh1

(devänärh) vimäna-Satasahkulam (abhüt).

Right then, the tramc in the sky became congested because the aerial vehicles of the gods numbered in
the hundreds: Their minds were transported by eagerness. The gods' wives too had come.

Jiva Gosvämi
The denizens of heaven are Brahmä, Siva and others. They happened to see the Räsa while flying in
the sky. It is implied that there is no such festival in heaven. They became eager to see the dance
aspect of the Räsa, not to see the way the confidential dealings would take place, because that desire is
unsuitable for them, who are in däsya (the mood of servitude). It's understood that the confidential
pastimes were hidden from them by Yogamäyä.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Yogamäyä concealed the sight of gopis from the men in the sky: They were eager to see Krsna dance,
and that is just what they saw.

10.33.5

tato dundubhayo nedur nipetuh puspa-vt$tayah I jagur gandharva-patayah sa-strikäs tad-

yaso 'malam Il

tatah—after that; dundubhayah—kettledrums; neduh—resounded; nipetuh—fell down; puspa-vrstayah

—rains of flowers; jaguh—sang; gandharva-patayah—the chiefs of the Gandharvas; sa-strikäh—
accompanied by their women; tat-yasah—His glory; amalam— spotless (or spotlessly).

tatah dundubhayah neduh. puspa-vn(ayah nipetuh. gandharvapatayah sa-strikäh tad-yasah amalatii

jaguh.

Then kettledrums resounded, showers of mowers rained from the sky, and the chief Gandharvas, along
with their wives, spotlessly sang the glory of the Lord.
 Sanätana Gosvämi
The Gandharvas sang with their wives and the Apsaräs. They were all dedicated to Krsna. They sang
about His spotless fame (amalam na tis(hati malo yasmäd ity amalam). Thus, they too became
spotless, that is, free of mental impurities.

10.33.6

valayänätii nüpuränäm kihkitlinäm ca yo$itänl I sa-priyänäm abhüc chabdas tumulo räsa-

mmgdale Il

valayänäm—of bangles (or armlets); nüpuränäm—of ankle bells; kihkininäm—of bells on the girdle;
ca—and; yo$itäm—of the women; sa-priyänäm—who were with their beloved; abhüt—became;
Sabdah—the sound; tumulah—tumultuous175, räsa-mandale—in the circle related to the Räsa (or in the
circle for the Räsa).

räsa-mandale sa-priyänärh yo$itäm valayänähi nüpuränärh kihkininärh ca tumulah Sabdah abhüt.

In the circle of the Räsa, the sounds of the bracelets, ankle bells and waist bells of those women, who
were with their beloved, became tumultuous.

Sridhara Svämi
Sa-priyänäm means krma-sahitänäm (of the women, who were with Krsna). Tumulah means sahkirnah
(mixed, tumultuous).

Sanätana Gosvämi
The word yoyit (women) suggests that it was natural for them to have these ornaments. They had not
put them on for the Räsa. The term räsa-mandale is construed either as räsena yan mandalam
mandalibandhas tasmin (in the circular arrangement made by the Räsa), rasasyedam räsam yan
mandalam tasmin (in the circle which relates to Rasa) or rasa-samüho yan mandalam tasmin (in the
circle which is a mass of Rasa). (Jiva Gosvämi accepts the first interpretation.)

Näräyapa Bhatta
Räsa-mandale means either rasasyäbhivyaktir yasmäd iti räsa etädr'e mandale gopi-mandale (in the
gopis' circle, from which there is the manifestation of Rasa), rasasyodayo yasmän m•tya-viiesät sa
räsas tasya mandale mandaläkärena bandhena (in the circular array related to the type of dance from
175
According to the lexicons, the word tumula is made from the sautra root tu (Sabda-kalpa-druma)
(Väcaspatyam). A sautra root is a verbal root which is listed in a sütra, but is not mentioned in any list of
verbal roots. This means the root is only used by grammarians to form a noun; the root is never used as a
verb. In other words, this explanation is sometimes given to avoid admitting that a word is a loanword.
Thus, tumula could be an ancient loanword in Sanskrit. Moreover, there seems to be a correlation with the
English word tumultuous, which is derived from the Latin word tumultuosus.
which there is the rise of Rasa) or rasänäth samüho räsas tasya mandale pradeie (in the place of a
multitude of Rasas).

10.33.7

taträtiSuSubhe täbhir bhagavän devaki-sutah I madhye maninäm haimänäm mahä-

marakat0176 yathä Il

tatra—there; ati'usubhe—was very splendid; täbhih—with those girls; bhagavän—the Lord; devaki-
sutah—Devaki's son; madhye— in the middle; maninäm—of gems; haimänäm—golden ("made of
gold"); mahä-marakatah—a big emerald; yathä—like (or as though).

tatra (räsa-mapdale) bhagavän devaki-sutah täbhih (saha), maninäm haimänärh madhye mahä-
marakatah yathä, atiSuSubhe.

Like a big emerald in the midst of golden gems, Devaki's son, the Lord, was highly resplendent there
with those girls.

Sridhara Svämi
"Like a sapphire (mahä-marakato yathä = nila-manir iva) between
(madhye = madhye madhye) golden gems, He was resplendent (atijusubhe = SuSubhe) with those
girls, who are golden in complexion and were embraced by Him. "275
Or else, by considering that the gopis only saw one Krsna, the word madhye is not repeated in the
syntactical connection. (Thus, "He was like a sapphire in the middle of golden gems." )

Vallabhäcärya
"Krsna was intensely resplendent (atiSuSubhe = atiSayena SuSubhe) with those girls." This means: By
Himself, as the Lord, He is resplendent, but with them He shone even more: The gopis are His powers.
Much like He became the son of Devaki because of her bhakti, He made His manifestation to enhance
women. Therefore, having entrusted His capacity in those girls, He achieved resplendence. It might be
suspected that an original thing might not be splendid with artificial things. With this in mind he gives
the example. The word mahä-märakata means the gem which came out of Garuda (an emerald).276 That
is an original jewel, and golden gems are made up. Still, when arranged all around, they add splendor
to the original jewel.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Even though as Devaki's son He is a Ksatriya, and even though as the Lord He is replete with the six
types of aiSvarya, in the middle of the cowherd women there He shone immensely.
Although Krsna's luster is like that of a sapphire, by mingling with the golden radiance of those
girls His luster turned out as the color of an emerald. Some commentators say the word mahat in
mahä-marakata is used in view of the fact that His splendor defies description. Others say the word
marakata means sapphire. Another reading is mahä-märakatah.
176
mahä-märakato (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
275 The analogy is this: A gopi embraced by Krsna looked like an oval piece of gold studded with a sapphire (or with
an emerald).
276 This is the proper explanation. Moreover, the word märakata means the same as marakata. The definition is:
gärutmatam marakatam aSmagarbho harin-manih, "The words gärutmatam, marakatam, aima-garbha and harin-mani are
synonymous [and mean emerald]" (Amara-kosa 2.9.92).

Sanätana Gosvämi
Here •Devaki' means Yagodä. This was explained previously. 177 In truth, the word mahä-marakata is in
the singular because the Lord had only one form. Or the sense is He had only one form as the player of
the flute, in the middle of the circle.

Jiva Gosvämi
"Although the Lord, who is well known to Your Highness as the son of Devaki, has the entire splendor
of full-fledged godly might, right there in the Räsa-mandala He greatly shone with those women. " Or
the sense is: "As Bhagavän He is very splendid, as Yaéodä's son He is more splendid, and with them
He was even more splendid."
He substantiates His high resplendence with them with an example. The singular in madhye is said
with the intent to express a generality. The drift is sarvesu madhyesu (everywhere in between). Hence
it should be understood that one manifestation was in the middle of the circle. He was with Sri
Rädhikä and was playing the flute.
The gopis are compared to jewels made of gold (haimänäm — hema-vikäränäm). This means gold
was made to look like jewels. Again, the singular in mahä-märakatah signifies a generality. In Sridhara
Svämi's commentary, it should be understood that the word marakata preceded by the word mahat
means indranila-mani (sapphire). There is another explanation (this is from Sanätana Gosvämi): In
connection with the mass of radiance of the gopis, whose fair complexion is like gold, His body
obtained the color of an emerald. Hence it is said: mahä-märakatah. This is expressive of a special
ability in dancing, not of some extraordinary characteristic of the Lord.

10.33.8

päda-nyäsair bhuja-vidhutibhih sa-smitair bhrü-viläsair bhajyan-madhyaiS cala-kuca-pa(aih

kundalair ganda-lolaih I svidyan-mukhyah kavara-rasanägranthayah krsna-vadhvo gäyantyas
tam tadita iva tä megha-cakre virejuh Il (mandäkräntä)

päda—of the feet; nyäsaih—with the placements; bhuja—of the arms; vidhutibhih—with the multiple
shaking; sa-smitaih— accompanied with smiles; bhrü—of the brows; viläsaih—with the playful
movements; bhajyat—bending; madhyaih—with the waists; cala—moving; kuca—for the breasts;
dve nämni nanda-bhäryäyä ya'odä devakiti ca, atah sakhyam abhüt tasyä devakyä Sauri-jäyayä, "Nanda' wife
177

had two names: Yagodä and Devaki, therefore she developed friendship with Devaki, Vasudeva's wife. "
(Ädi Puräna, i.e. Brahma Puräna)
pa(aih—with the garments; kundalaih—with earrings; ganda-lolaih—which are fickle on the cheeks;
svidyat—are perspiring; mukhyah—whose faces; kavara— on the braids; rasanä—nor on the girdle
(cord on the waist); agranthayah—who have no knot; knna-vadhvah—Krsna's wives; gäyantyah—
while singing; tam—about Him; taditah—lightning bolts; iva—like; täh—those women; megha-cakre
—in a mass of clouds; virejuh—shone.

päda-nyäsaih bhuja-vidhutibhih sa-smitaih bhrü-viläsaih bhajyanmadhyaih cala-kuca-pa(aih kundalaih

ganda-lolaih (ca upalak$itäh) svidyan-mukhyah kavara-rasanägranthayah täh krma-vadhvah tam
(krynam) gäyantyah, megha-cakre taditah iva (viräjanti), virejuh.

With the placements of the feet, with the shaking of the arms, with the flickering of the brows while
smiling, with their waists curving, with their shawls moving, and with their earrings swinging on their
cheeks, Knpa's wives, whose faces were perspiring and whose braids and belt-like cords had loosened,
shone like lightning bolts in a mass of clouds while singing about Him.

Sridhara Svämi
In this verse, he means to say: "They shone with Him just like He was resplendent with them." They
were making gestures with the hands (bhuja-vidhutibhih = kara-cälanaih). The waists were curving
(bhajyan-madhyaih = bhajyamänair178 madhyaih). The shawls were moving, and so were their breasts
(cala-kuca-pa(aih = caladbhih kucaiS ca pa(aiS ca). The earrings were fickle on the cheeks
(gandaIolaih = gandeyu caicalaih). The gopis' faces were exuding sweat (svidyan-mukhyah = svidyanti
svedam udgiranti mukhäni yäsäm täh). The girls' knots in the braids and in the girdles were tight
(kavara-rasanä-granthayah = kabaresu rajanäsu ca granthayo drdhä yäsäm). Or else the braids and the
girdles were loose (kavararasanägranthayah = tesu täsu cägranthayah Sithila-granthayah).
There, Krsna had many forms, hence He is compared to a mass of clouds, but the gopis were many,
and so they are compared to lightning bolts. Their sweat was like the dew. The singing was like a
rumbling of clouds with thunder. Other ideas may be suitably inferred.

Vallabhäcärya
Why did the gopis exert themselves so much? In that regard he says: kryna-vadhvah. This means the
gopis fell in love with Him, the prize and the form of eternal bliss (krma-vadhvah = sadänandasya
phalasya tä upabhoktryah).

Srinätha Pandita
They are Krsna's wives, not the gopas' wives, hence they danced without inhibition. Sri Krsna is
compared to a megha-cakra. The idea is this: He was in the middle of the circle; by the skill of the
moves of His particular style of dancing, the mass of His effulgence had the form of a wheel (cakra).179
The gopis were like lightning bolts: He was between the gopis, and they shone inasmuch as their
effulgence is greater than His.
The third-case ending case in päda-nyäsaih and so on takes place by the rule: viSesane trtiyä, "A
third case ending is applied after a modifier" [Kätantra grammar] (ittham-bhüta-laksane, As(ädhyäyi
178
The verbal root is bhanj[o] ämardane (to press, break) (7P). As indicated by Sridhara Svämi, Gangä
Sahäya remarks that the usage of the parasmaipada in bhajyat is poetic license.
179
In the other meaning, cakra means multitude (mass). This is a common meaning and is a figurative
usage of the sense of cakra as senä (army, troop) (Amara-kosa 2.8.78).
2.3.21) (viSesa-laksanät trtiyä, HNV 678).280

Viévanätha Cakravarti
They shone with Him just like He was resplendent with them. The moves the gopis made with their
feet while dancing matched the song, the mood and the rhythm. They amazingly shook their arms
(bhuja-vidhutibhih = bhujänäm vicitraih kampanaih), although the gopis were holding each other's
arms. But sometimes they would let go of the other gopis' arms and move their hands by making
different gestures with great subtlety to act out the meaning of the songs. They smiled and curved their
brows in various ways. They did all this to act out the Rasa and to draw each other's attention to their
expertise.
Their shawls used for covering the breasts were moving (calakuca-pa$aih = calaih kuca-pa(aih
kaücukoparita-vastraih): The gopis had picked them up after the Lord rose from His seat.
The term krsna-vadhvah means "the women fit for Krsna's enjoyment" (kryna-vadhvah = krsnasya
vadhvah bhogyäh striyah), by the definition in Nänärtha-varga: vadhür jäyä snu$ä stri ca, "Vadhü
means wife, daughter-in-law, and woman." If the word vadhü here were explained as wife, it would
contradict Bhisma's words: prakrtim agan kila yasya gopa-vadhvah, "The cowherds' wives attained
Krsna's nature" (1.9.40). Therefore it should not be explained that way.
This is the interpretation in the genuine Vaiypava-tosani: knnasya Syämala-sundarasya tad-ekäSli$
(ä gaurähgyas tadekäSrayatayä tad-eka-bhogyatayä ca vadhva iva vadhvah, "The golden-limbed gopis
are as if the wives of beautiful dark-blue Krsqa in the sense that they are embraced only by Him,
sheltered only by Him and enjoyed only by Him. "281

280 In this regard, here Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana comments that the word upalak$itäh (the girls were characterized by)
needs to be added to the verse in connection with the words in a third-case ending.
281 The text of Brhad-vaisnava-tosani reads: knnasya Syäma-sundarasya vadhvas tad-äSli$(ä gaurängyas tad-ekä'rayä
ity arthah I tac ca dr"äntenäpi dhvanitam eva I kim vä krsnasya vadhvah priyä iti tat-sadr'a-tat-tadvaidagdhyädikam tat-
prema-mohitatvam ca muktam eveti bhävah I (BVT

Sanätana Gosvämi
Not only did He become more beautiful with the gopis, they became more beautiful with Him. They
are the wives of Syämasundara, meaning they are golden-limbed girls embraced by Him. The sense is
He is their sole shelter. That was already implied by the example. Or else they are krspa-vadhüs in the
sense that they are dear to Him: The drift is both their cleverness in those things which is equal to His
and their being bewildered by His love were let loose.
"The gopis shone in a special way" (virejuh = viSesena rejur afobhanta). The example shows that
Krsna and the gopis enhanced each other's splendor.
The word cakra is used because He as if became manifold, either by the skill of the moves of His
dance or just by His special power. Or else the intent is to express a mass of clouds.
The description of the girls' profuse resplendence after the mention of His intense splendor
suggests that the gopis had reached the highest level of magnificence.

Jiva Gosvämi
In the compound kavara-rasanä-granthayah, The last word is granthayah. The meaning with the
breakup as agranthayah is unsuitable.
The words beginning with krsna-vadhvah should be explained as follows. "While singing about
Krsna (tam = krmam), the gopis looked splendid in the multiple manifestations of Krsna (virejuh —
krynasya tat-tat-prakäSa-cakre virejuh)." This takes place by the force of what is given as an example.
Like which things in what? "Like lightning bolts in a mass of clouds." An objector might think: "The
previous example, an emerald between golden gems, makes sense because the connection is incidental,
and this matches the fact that Krsna and the gopis are not married. But the example here does not make
sense because there is a natural connection." Suspecting such a two-sided objection, with the term
kryna-vadhvah (Krsna's wives) he hints at the esoteric mystery: Here too, because the connection
(between a cloud and lightning) is only natural, there

10.33.8). Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana does not voice his opinion on the topic.
is a marital relationship. 180 Hence the gopis did not need to rehearse: The qualities of their movements
and so on were at the highest level of eminence.

10.33.9

uccair jagur nrtyamänä rakta-kanthyo rati-priyäh I krmäbhimarSa-muditä yad-gitenedam

ävrtam Il

uccaih—loudly; jaguh—they sang; nrtyamänäh—while dancing; rakta-kanthyah—whose throats are

colored; rati-priyäh—who are fond of romance; krma-abhimarfa—by Krsna's touch; muditäh—
delighted; yat—of whom; gitena—by the singing; idam—this [world]; ävrtam—is covered (filled).

yad-gitena idam (viSvam) ävrtam, (täh gopyah) nrtyamänäh raktakan(hyah rati-priyäh krynäbhimarSa-
muditäh uccaih jaguh.

Fond of romance and delighted by Knpa's touch, the gopis, whose throats were reddened by the rägas,
loudly sang while dancing the night away. The world was filled by their songs.

Sridhara Svämi
The participle nrtyamänäh stands for nrtyantyah. 181 Their throats were rendered emotional by various
melodies (rakta-kan(hyah = nänärägair anuranjita-kan(hyah). The girls were gladdened by Krsna's
physical contact (krynäbhimarSa-muditäh — krsnasyäbhimarSena samsparSena muditäh). Idam (this)
means vijvam (the world).

180
The gopis are 'married' to Krsna from an ontological perspective (tattva-vicära) (Krsna is God and
they are His powers), whereas from the viewpoint of Rasa (rasa-vicära) (Krsna has human pastimes), He
is their paramour.
181
The verbal root is parasmaipadi: nrt[i] gätra-viksepe (to dance) (4P). But Gangä Sahäya remarks that
there is no poetic license here because the suffix cänaS is used in the sense of täcchilya (habit)and adds that
nrtyamänäh means nrtya-Siläh (they have the habit of dancing) (Anvitärtha-prakäiikä). The rule is: täcchilya-
vayo-vacana-faktisu cänaS (A$(ädhyäyi 3.2.129); parapadina' ca Sänas täcchilya-vayah-iakti$u (HNV Brhat 1199)
 Srinätha Pandita
The gopis were honored by Sri Krsna in the dance (nrtya-mänäh = nrtye Sri-krma-krtath mänam püjä
yäsäm täh). The sense of yadgitenedam ävrtam is this: Various compositions were made by the writers
of musical treatises in conformity with what those girls sung. The universe was filled by those
compositions. It was not like that previously.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Here he expounds upon the gopis' great increase of dancing and singing due to an upsurge of joy. Or,
having mentioned the predominance of the dancing, now he describes the predominance of the
singing. They sang while dancing: A distinct expertise in dancing because of that type of singing is
implied. He states their purpose in singing and dancing: rati-priyäh. They were fond of romance, or of
love (rati-priyäh = ratih suratam prema Sri-krma-prema vä saiva priyä yäsäm). One should not even
think that the girls exerted themselves in the least by singing loudly and so on: That is just what he
says with krynäbhimarSa-muditäh. They were delighted by His touch. Next he illustrates the loudness
of the singing: The world was filled (ävrtam = vyäptam) by the singing of those girls, or else by His
singing (yad-gitena = yäsäm yena vä gitena). The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
Alternatively, the gopis had respect because of the dancing. That is, they were shown respect by
Krsna (nrtya-mänäh = nrtyena mänah krynena sammänah yäsäm täh). Or their pride (mäna — garva)
in dancing was greater than Krsna's.
Their throats were moist with love (rakta-kanthyah = premasnigdha-kamhyah). It is thus said that
the singing was the sweetest thing, in terms of being imbued with prema-rasa (the mojo of love). The
reason they sang loudly is rati-priyäh and krsnäbhimarSamuditäh. Or the sense is they sang louder than
Krsna. It was expressed that way by Sri Paräéara:
räsa-geyam jagau kryno yävat täratara-dhvanih I sädhu kryneti kryneti tävat tä dvi-
gunam jaguh Il

"So long as Knoa, whose sounds were forte, vocalized songs for the
Räsa, the gopis sang twice: "Nice, Knpa. Krsna!"" (Visnu Puräna
5.13.56)

The reason for doing this is stated with three modifiers: raktakanthyah, rati-priyäh and knnäbhimarsa-
muditäh. Of these, a causal relationship between one and the other in sequence is to be inferred.

Jiva Gosvämi
He states their purpose in singing and dancing: rati-priyäh, "they for whom only Sri Krsna's pleasure is
dear" (rati-priyäh = ratih Sri-krsna-kartrkä pritih saiva priyä yäsäm). Next he illustrates the loudness of
the singing: The world was filled by the singing of those girls. Or, the world became filled by the
melodies fancied by those girls. This means the ultimate thing in the world turned out to be songs
which follow theirs. For instance, it is said in Sahgita-sära:

tävanta eva rägäh syur yävatyo jiva-jätayah I tesu sodaSa-sähasri purä gopi-krtä varä
Il

"There are as many melodies as there are species of life. Of those melodies, sixteen thousand are the
best and were performed by the gopis in days of yore."
As Krsna was more splendid with the gopis and the gopis were more splendid with Him, so the
qualities of their singing and of their dancing reached a higher degree of eminence due to Krsna's
singing and dancing. This will become clear just ahead.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The world became filled by their singing (yad-gitena = yat-kartrkepa gitena). Or the world became
filled by singing about whom (yadgitena = yat-kannakena gitena): Even nowadays those girls are
celebrated in song by people in the world.

10.33.10

I
käcit samahl mukundena svara-jätir amiSritäh I unninye püjitä tena priyatä sädhu sädhv iti
I tad eva dhruvam unninye tasyai mänam ca bahv adät Il
-JR-a
käcit—some gopi; samam—together; mukundena—with Mukunda; svara-jätih—the jätis which are
notes; ami'ritäh—not mixed; unninye—she raised; püjitä—honored; tena—by Him; priyatä—who was
pleased; sädhu sädhu—good, good; iti—(end of citation); tat eva—that same one; dhruvam—called
Dhruva; unninye—she raised; tasyai—to her; mänam—respect; ca—and; bahu—much; adät—He
gave.

käcit (gopi) mukundena samam (gäyanti) amiSritäh svara-jätih unninye. (tadä sä) priyatä tena
(mukundena) sädhu sädhu iti (vacanena) püjitä. (tadä anyä käcid gopi) tad (gitam) eva dhruvam (krtvä)
unninye. (mukundah) tasyai ca (gopyai) mänam bahu adät.

Singing with Mukunda, some gopi raised the pitch of the notes. They were unmixed. Pleased by this,
He horored her by saying: "Bravo, bravo!" Another girl raised the same, but in the Dhruva rhythm. He
gave her much respect.

Sridhara Svämi
Some girl did modulations of the seven notes of the scale (svara-jätih = sadjädi-svaräläpa-gatih) along
with Mukunda (mukundena samam
= mukundena saha). They were unmixed with those raised by Krsna (amiSritäh = krsnonnitäbhir
asahkirnäh). She was honored (püjitä = sammänitä) by Him who was pleased (priyatä = priyamänena).
She raised (unninye = unnitavati) the same (tad eva = jätyunnayanam eva) by making the special
rhythm called Dhruva (dhruvam = dhruvarh krtvä) (dhruvam = dhruväkhyarh täla-vi'esam).

Sanätana Gosvämi
Now, as before, he individually describes the loving gestures of the principal gopis among them, in
five and one-half verses. She was honored by Him (tena) who said: sädhu, sädhu (good, good). The
repetition (vipsä) occurred either due to joy or to emphasize the goodness. The word vadatä (who said)
needs to be added to this clause. The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation: The musical notes were pure (amiSritäh = viSuddhäh). The
explanation is in Sahgita-sägara:

jätayo '$(ädaSa proktäs täsäm laksanam ucyate I

Suddhäh syur jätayah sapta täh sadjädi-svaräbhidhäh I tä eva vikrtäh satyo jätä vikrta-
samjiitäh Il

"There are eighteenjätis. The definition of those is this. The pure jätis are seven in number. They are
the notes beginning from sadja.
The semitones are called vikrta (variant)."

$ädjarsabhi ca gändhäri madhyamä paicami tathä I dhaivati cätha nai$ädi Suddhä etäs tu
jätayah Il

"The pure jätis are: sadja, nabha, gändhära, madhyama, paicama, dhaivata, and nisäda (also known as
sa, r, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni)."

The word käcit (some girl) is carried forward into the last sentence. Bahu (much) is an adverb: She
received more respect than the previous girl did. This suggests that her expertise in singing was
greater.

Jiva Gosvämi
The phrase mukundena samam (with Mukunda) signifies that He was following her. This is because a
word connected with samam, a synonym of saha (with), is not the main thing, by the rule: saha-yukte
'pradhäne (Astädhyäyi 2.3.19). She eminently fashioned (unninye = utkn$arh kalpayämäsa) the notes,
which were unmixed, that is, she hit the notes so well that they could be distinctly perceived.
The words beginning from tad eva constitute one half verse. She
sang (unninye = jagau) the same thing (tad eva), i.e. the same song, which either had no täla (rhythm)
and only had a räga (melody) or, because it was obtained as the first thing, only consisted of an ädi-
täla, but by making it in the Dhruva style (dhruvam = dhruvarh racayitvä). The Dhruva is a specific
song in only two parts called bhoga and involves either yati-täla or nihsära-täla. Mukunda gave respect
to that same girl too (tasyai ca = tasyai eva ca), but more so than before. The rest was explained by
Sridhara Svämi.
There is another interpretation of svara-jätir ami'ritäh. The svaras are the seven notes of the scale,
which are sounds that resemble those of a maddened peacock and so on. It is said:

raijakäh 'rotr-cittänäm svaräh sapta-vidhä matäh I sadjarsabhau ca gändhäro madhyamah

paicamas tathä Il daivatäS ca ni$ädaS ca sarve syuh 'ruti-sambhaväh I mayüra-cätaka-
cchäga-kraufica-kokila-darduräh I mätahgaS ca kramenähuh svarän etän sudurgamän Il

"There are seven kinds of musical notes attractive to the minds of the hearers: sadja, nabha, gändhara,
madhyama, paicama, daivata, and nisäda. All of them originate from the Sruti (Veda). Authorities say
these notes are hard to fathom and correspond to the cries of the peacock, cätaka, goat, curlew, cuckoo,
frog, and elephant respectively."

The jätis in this matter are the causes of the origination of the rägas. For instance:
 rägas tu jäyate yasyäh sä jätir abhidhiyate I
Suddhä ca vikrtä ceti sä dvidhä parikirtitä I l suddhä sapta-vidhä jieyä taj-jfiaih
$ädjyädi-bhedatah I sadja-kai'ikyädi-bhedäd ekädasa-vidhäparä Il

"That from which a räga is produced is called ajäti. There are two kinds: Pure and variant. The
purejätis are of seven types, the seven notes of scale. The variant jätis are eleven in number. the
musical kaiSiki and so on."
Each svara and jäti was unmixed with another svara or jäti (amiSritäh = svara-jäty-antaräspntäh): Each
tone could be distinctly recognized due to her excellent skill. She eminently hit those notes, meaning
she eminently sang (unninye = utkn(ahl ninye grhitavati jagau).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The learned say the first gopi was Viéäkhä and the second one, who was more qualified than her, was
Lalitä. It's understood that this happened afterward: Upon seeing that no one among the girls was
going to raise the singing to the next level, Sri Rädhä Herself sang and let everyone know that She is
much more qualified than that gopi, Her sakhi.

10.33.11

käcid räsa-pariSräntä päriva-sthasya gadä-bhrtah I jagräha bähunä skandharh Slathad-

valaya-mallikä Il

käcit—some girl; räsa-pariSräntä—very fatigued because of the Räsa; pärSva—at her side; sthasya—
who was; gadä-bhrtah—of Krsna ("the holder of the mace"); jagräha—grabbed; bähunä—with her
arm; skandham—the shoulder; Slathat—were loosening; valayamallikä—whose bracelets and
jasmines.

käcid (gopi) räsa-parijräntä Slathad-valaya-mallikä (sva-)pärSvasthasya gadä-bhrtah skandhahl

(sva-)bähunä jagräha.

Some gopi, very fatigued because of the Räsa, took hold of the shoulder of Knpa, the holder of the
mace, who was standing next to her, with her arm. Her armlets were loosening, and so were the
jasmines in her hair.

Sanätana Gosvämi
It's implied that this gopi is more emotional than the ones previously described. Her fatigue was
actually a sham used as a pretext to grab His shoulder. Krsna was standing by her side. This shows that
taking hold of Him could be done quickly and easily. Here Krsna is called Gadä-bhrt because at some
point in time He playfully held a stick like one holds a mace. Or the word gadä denotes the vanzSi
(flute), which speaks (gada = gadati = vadati) a song. A sign of the fatigue is mentioned: Slathad-
valaya-mallikä. It was said that way by Paräéara:
 parivarta-Sramenaikä calad-valaya-läpini I dadau bähu-latärh skandhe gopi
madhunighätinah Il

"Due to the fatigue occasioned by the whirls of the dance, one gopi placed her creeper-like arm,
boisterous because of the clashing bangles, on Knpa's shoulder." (Visnu Puräna 5.13.53)

It's understood that the jasmine flowers were loosening from her braid.

Jiva Gosvämi
Having described the love, whose anubhävas were the singing and the dancing, of some girls by
emphasizing the excellence of their qualities, and moreover as a gradation, he begins to describe the
love of some girls by emphasizing the sambhoga aspect (interaction with Krsna). Here, in addition to
that he emphasizes the good fortune of some gopi.
He was holding a stick which had the form of a mace and was suitable for the coordination of the
dancers. Or He was holding the flute (gadä = nigadati = varhji), which emits sound of the nature of
syllables. Hence this was the manifestation of Krsna who, as the master of ceremonies, is situated in
the middle of the dance.
Her bracelets had separated from one another and were colliding. Jasmines in her braids were
loosening and falling.
Of the conditions such as Sobhä, this is the anubhäva called mädhurya, by the definition:
mädhuryam näma cestänärh sarvävasthäsu cärutä, "Elegance means beauty of gestures in every
circumstance" (Ujjvala-nilamani 11.19). Thus, it is shown that this gopi is a svädhina-bhartrkä (she
controls her lover) and is in the middle. Therefore she is Sri Rädhikä. Consequently, the two gopis
described in the previous verse who gave pleasure to Rädhä and Krsna by their singing are Her two
friends, Lalitä and Viéäkhä. The above description of Rädhä's behavior suggests that She is an
independent näyikä (ladylove). And the description of the two others in terms of being very qualified
singers imply that they are assistants.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Krsna is called Gadä-bhrt because He held a discussion (gadä — gadana = kathä) about the relative
merit of those two sakhis. 182

10.33.12

tatraikäthsa-gatarh bähum knnasyotpala-saurabham I candanäliptam äghräya hrs!a-romä

cucumba ha Il

tatra—there; ekä—one girl; amsa-gatam—which had gone to the shoulder; bähum—the arm; krynasya
—of Krsna; utpala—[was like the fragrance] of a lotus; saurabham—whose fragrance; candana— with

182
In the straightforward meaning, Krsna is called Gadä-bhrt to signify that He is God. In that line of
thought, sometimes Krsna is called Bhagavän (verses 1 and 7), sometimes the lover of Laksmi (verses 15
and 17), sometimes Visnu (verse 40), and so on.
sandalwood paste; äliptam—smeared; äghräya—after smelling; hrs/a—are overjoyed (standing on
end); romä—whose hair (on the body); cucumba—she kissed; ha—(a verse filler).

tatra ekä (gopisvasyäh) amsa-gatam utpala-saurabhahi candanäliptarii krynasya bähum äghräya hrs(a-
romä (sati tam bähurh) cucumba.

Knpa placed His arm, fragrant like a lotus and anointed with sandalwood paste, on the shoulder of one
girl there. Upon sniMng His arm, she got goosebumps and kissed it.

Sanätana Gosvämi
As a pun, her bodily hairs were overjoyed, so what need be said about her joy?

Jiva Gosvämi
Here he describes the play of Syämalä, who did a similar action previously (10.32.4). This was a
reaction arisen from prägalbhya (boldness). For example, it is said: nihiahkatvam prayogesu budhair
uktä pragalbhatä, "Fearlessness in amourous gestures is called boldness by the learned" (Ujjvala-
nilamam• 11.21).

10.33.13

kasyäfcin nä(ya-vik$ipta-kupdala-tvi$a-manditam I gandam gande sandadhatyäh prädät

tämbüla-carvitam I l

kasyäScit—to some girl; nätya—by the dancing; vik$ipta—shaken; kupdala—of the two earrings;
tvisa—by the glitter; mapditam— which was adorned; gapdam—her cheek; gande—on His cheek;
sandadhatyäh—who was fully placing; prädät—He eminently gave; tämbüla—which was a betel nut
(with condiments); carvitam—the chewed thing.

(sah) gande nä(ya-vik$ipta-kundala-tvisa-manditarh gandam sandadhatyäh kasyäScit (gopyäh)

tämbüla-carvitam prädät.

To some girl who was placing her cheek, adorned by the radiance of her earrings swinging because of
the dancing, on His cheek, He eminently gave her the betel He was chewing.

Sridhara Svämi Tvisa should read tvis.

Sanätana Gosvämi
She placed her cheek on Krsna's cheek. He eminently gave (prädät = prakarsena adät) the tämbüla by
cleverly inserting it in her mouth. The genitive case in kasyäScit has the sense of the dative.
 Jiva Gosvämi
By the similarity of taking the chewed betel, as before (10.32.5) this is the play of Saibyä. She placed
her cheek on Krsna's on the pretext of being tired from dancing. He eminently gave her the betel by
inserting it in her mouth as He kissed her. The genitive case used when there is giving is poetic license,
or it has a subtle meaning (she gave it back while kissing).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
On the pretext of being tired from dancing, some gopi, Saivyä, placed her cheek on Krsna's cheek, on
which there was the radiance of two earrings swinging because of the dancing and which was,
therefore, adorned (nä(ya-vik$ipta-kundala-tvisa-mandite = nä(yena vik$iptayoS caicalayoh
kupdalayos tvi$ä käntir yatra sa cäsäv ata eva manditaS ca tasmin).183

10.33.14

nrtyati gäyati käcit küjan-nüpura-mekhalä I

pärjva-sthäcyuta-hastäbjahl Sräntädhät stanayoh Sivam I l

nnyati—while dancing; gäyati—while singing; käcit—some girl; küjan—are sounding; nüpura-

mekhalä—whose ankle bells and girdle; pärjva-stha—who was at her side; acyuta—of Acyuta;
hastaabjam—the lotus hand; Sräntä—she was tired; adhät—she placed; stanayoh—on her breasts;
Sivam—auspiciously.

käcit (gopi) nrtyati gäyati küjan-nüpura-mekhalä Sräntä (ca sati) päriva-sthäcyuta-hastäbjam stanayoh
Sivam adhät.
While dancing and singing, a certain gopi, whose ankle bells and sash were resounding, became tired.
She auspiciously placed the lotus hand of Acyuta, who was next to her, on her breasts.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Nrtyati stands for nrtyanti, and gäyati for gäyanti. One girl was dancing, and another was singing.
Thus, two gopis are to be understood. The modifer küjan-nüpura-mekhalä hints at a complete
absorption in dancing and in singing. Being tired, the gopi took Acyuta's hand, which is a lotus by
dissipating heat, to dispel her fatigue. His hand is the form of automatic happiness (Sivam = svatah
sukha-rüpam).
Thus, seven principal gopis have been mentioned. The eighth one too should be understood here
and was described by Paräéara:

käcit pravilasad-bähuhl parirabhya cucumba tam gopi gita-stuti-vyäjän nipunä

madhusüdanam

Viévanätha Cakravarti takes the rare reading mandite instead of manditam. The derivation could be the
183

same in the reading manditam. The point of his explanation is that tvisa is taken as the last word of a
bahuvrihi compound, otherwise the word should be either tvi$ or tvi$ä.
"His arms were in a splendid posture of exultation. Some clever gopi embraced Madhusüdana and
kissed Him under the pretext of complementing Him for His singing." (Visnu Puräna 5.13.54)

Or, the same gopi was dancing and singing. In that way the total is six gopis. Rädhä and Lalitä are not
mentioned because they were in the middle of the circle on either side of Him, given that here for the
most part only details about the circle are given. Alternatively, as stated above the total is seven, and
Rädhä is not mentioned because She was on His left side in the middle of the circle.

Jiva Gosvämi
For sure this is the play of Candrävali, for this conforms to the taking of His hand (10.32.4). (The rest
is the same as the first paragraph above.) Thus, six gopis have been mentioned. The seventh is Padmä.
The eighth gopi, Bhadrä, is simple-minded and, as before, is described in Visnu Puräna: käcit
pravilasad... (see above).
The great Jayadeva hinted at Rädhä's luscious gestures: räsolläsa-bharena vibhrama-bhrtäm äbhira-
väma-bhruväm abhyarnarh parirabhya nirbharam urah premändhayä rädhayä 1 • sädhu tvad-
vadanarh sudhä-mayam iti vyährtya gita-stutivyäjäd udbhata-cumbitah smita-manohäri harih pätu
vah Il

"In the presence of the beautiful-browed cowherd girls who were flirting because of the excitement in
the Räsa, Hari was embraced on His broad chest by Rädhä, who was blinded by love: Under the
pretext of praising His singing, She said "Your exquisite face is made of nectar" and gave Him an
energetic kiss. May Hari, who is charming with His smile, protect you all." (Gita-govinda 1.49)

Viévanätha Cakravarti
"While dancing and singing, some girl took His lotus hand." She is Candrävali, because there is a
similarity with the action of taking His hand (10.32.4). A second gopi, Padmä, who had put His lotus
feet on her breasts previously (10.32.5), now put His lotus hand on her breasts. In both cases the
purpose was to dispel the heat of the breasts. The eighth gopi, Bhadrä, is not mentioned yet is
understood as before.

10.33.15

gopyo labdhväcyutarh käntam Sriya ekänta-vallabham I grhita-kamhyas tad-dorbhyärh gäyantyas

tarh vijahrire I l

gopyah—the cowherd girls; labdhvä—having attained; acyutam— Acyuta; käntam—the lover; Sriyah
—of Laksmi; eka-anta—sole; vallabham—the beloved; grhita-karuhyah—they whose necks were
held; tat-dorbhyäm—by His arms; gäyantyah—while singing; tam— about Him; vijahrire—they had
fun.

gopyah acyutarh käntam 'riyah ekänta-vallabharh labdhvä taddorbhyärh grhita-kanthyah tam

gäyantyah vijahrire.
Having attained Acyuta, the sole beloved of Laksmi, as a lover, the gopis, whose throats were held by
His arms, had fun while singing about Him.
Sanätana Gosvämi
He is called Acyuta either because He never falls (acyutam = cyutirahitam) from any type of glory of
His form, qualities, etc., or because He was steady (acyutam = susthiram). They attained Him as a
lover (käntam = ramanam). Next he says just how hard He is to get: He is a beloved solely devoted to
Laksmi, not to anyone else ('riya ekänta-vallabham = 'riya eva, na tv anya-janasya, ekäntena eka-ni$
(hayä vallabham). Alternatively, He is Laksmi's lover (käntarh Sriyah = Sriyah käntam) and their sole
beloved, that is, their very great lover (ekänta-vallabham = ätmanas< ca ekänta-vallabham) (ekänta-
vallabham = nitänta-pre$tham): What is meant is that the gopis are even greater than Laksmi. That is
just what he illustrates: tad-dorbhyä'h grhita-kapthyah (their necks were held by His arms). Uddhava
rendered it in song:

näyarh 'riyo 'riga u nitänta-rateh prasädah svar-yo$itäth nalina-gandha-rucärh

kuto 'nyäh I räsotsave 'sya bhuja-dapda-grhita-kanthalabdhäji$ähl ya udagäd vraja-
vallabhinäm Il

"While dancing in the Räsa festival, the cowherd girls got their wish when their throats were held by
His pole-like arms. This favor was never bestowed on Laksmi, though she is exceedingly fond of Him,
nor on the women of heaven, whose radiance has the scent of lotuses, so how could it possibly be
bestowed on other women?" (10.47.60)

Jiva Gosvämi
Krsna is much dearer to Laksmi than Näräyana ('riya ekäntavallabham = Sriyo 'pi ekäntarh vaikuntha-
näthädito 'py atiSayän nitäntarh vallabham). This means He is the object of her love, but she did not
attain Him:
yad-väichayä Srir lalanäcarat tapo vihäya kämän sucirarh dhrta-vratä Il

"With a desire for the dust of Your feet, Sri, a lady, relinquished enjoyments and performed austerities
for a long time, maintaining her vow." (10.16.36)

(The rest of the commentary is the same as Brhad-vai$nava-tosani.)

Viévanätha Cakravarti
In this way, other gopis had a good time with Krsna according to their individual rhapsodies.
Käliya's wives said that Laksmi performed severe penances to attain Krsna but could not attain
Him: yad-väichayä Srir lalanäcarat tapah... (10.16.36). Uddhava too stated that Laksmi did not get the
mercy that the cowherd girls achieved: näyam Sriyo 'hga u nitäntarateh prasädah... (10.47.60). In the
Bhägavatämrta, it is said that Laksmi became greedy to attain Krsna upon seeing His beauty, hence she
performed austerities: Srih prek$ya krma-saundaryam tatra lubdhä tatas tapah (Laghu-bhägavatämrta
1.5.351). In consideration of other Puranic passages too, it is impossible that Laksmj, Näräyana's
beloved, became intimate with Krsna. Therefore the explanation is this: Sriyah means 'riya iva (they
are like Laksmis) (nominative plural instead of genitive singular). The drift is: Just as Laksmi was
taken by Näräyana on His chest, so the gopis were taken by Krsna on the neck. Or the sense of Sriyah
is: Given that Krsna is one with Näräyana, Krsqa is Laksmi's beloved.
 10.33.16

karnotpalälaka-vi(ahka-kapola-gharmavaktra-Sriyo valaya-nüpura-ghosa-
vädyaih I gopyah samam bhagavatä nanrtuh sva-kesasrasta-srajo bhramara-gäyaka-
räsa-go$(hyäm Il (vasanta-tilakä)

karna—upon their ears; utpala—because of the lotus flowers; alaka—with curly hair; vitahka—
beautiful; kapola—because of the cheks; gharma—had drops of perspiration; vaktra—because their
faces; 'riyah—they who had splendor; valaya—of armlets; nüpura— and of ankle bells; ghosa—which
was the sound; vädyaih—with the manifold music; gopyah—the cowherd girls; samam—together;
bhagavatä—with the Lord; nanrtuh—they danced; sva-keSa—from the hair; srasta—had fallen (or
loosened); srajah—whose garlands; bhramara—were the bees; gäyaka—in which the singers; räsa—of
the Räsa dance; the assembly.

gopyah karnotpalälaka-vitahka-kapola-gharma-vaktra-jriyah valaya-nüpura-ghosa-vädyaih

(upalak$itäh) sva-kesa-srasta-srajah (ca satyah) bhramara-gäyaka-räsa-go$thyärh bhagavatä samarii
nanrtuh.

The girls looked gorgious: They had lilies on the ears, their cheeks were beautified by the curly hair
falling on them, and their faces had drops of perspiration. The gopis, characterized by the music which
was the sounds of their bracelets and ankle bells, danced with the Lord in the assembly of the Räsa,
where the singers were the bees, and so their wreaths fell from their hair.

Sridhara Svämi
Here he describes the bustle of the Räsa to show yet another excellence of the music and of the
singing, given that the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras and other musicians and singers were mesmerized
due to their absorption in the Räsa.
The gopis had resplendence on their faces because of the lilies on their ears, because their cheeks
were adorned with curly hair (älaka-vitahka = and because of the drops of sweat.

286 The above is an 'idea gloss'. The word vi(ahka has two meanings: (1) beautiful: Sridhara Svämi glossed the word
vi(ahka in Bhägavatam 3.15.27 as sundara, and (2) an aviary (Amara-kosa 2.2.15), and by extension, the pinnacle.
Ghosa means kirikini (small bells or anklebells): The musical instruments were the girls' bracelets,
ankle bells and bells (valayanüpura-ghosa-vädyaih = valaya-nüpura-gh0$air väditraih).
Their garlands had fallen from their hair (sva-keia-srasta-srajah = sva-keSebhyah srastäh srajo
yäsäm täh). That occasions a fanciful assumption: It was as if the girls' hair, pleased by the rhythm and
by the gait, showered flowers at their feet while shaking the head.
They danced with the Lord (samam bhagavatä = bhagavatä saha). Where? In the assembly of the
Räsa, where the singers were the bees (bhramara-gäyaka-räsa-go$!hyäm = bhramarä eva gäyakä
yasyärh räsa-sabhäyäm).
 Vallabhäcärya
The bees were the singers, but the music was the same as before. That is just what he says: valaya-
nüpura-ghosa-vädyaih. The sounds of the bangles and of the ankle bells were the sounds of music. Due
to the intensity of the dancing, the gopis' wreaths fell from their hair.

Vitthalanätha
The bees were the singers. They want the nectar. And that abides only in flowers. The gopis, very
pleased by the singing, which was in conformity with their dancing, gave their wreaths of flowers to
the bees. Otherwise the girls would not have neglected their wreaths, which are a cause of
resplendence on their hair, for the sake of Rasa. By that are implied the notions that the bees were
skilled in singing and that those who are dear to Prabhu know how to sing.184

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) In two verses, he illustrates the gopis' glory. With the compound
karnotpalälaka-vi(ahka-kapola-gharmavaktra-Sriyah, it is shown that even though they became tired
because of dancing, they became most beautiful. They danced with the Lord: This suggests that the
gopis's expertise in dancing and so on was similar to the Lord's. Conversely, He too, like them, had
lilies on the ears and so forth. It's understood that Krsna occasioned the wearing of lilies on the ears.
Regarding bhramara-gäyaka. because the bees were able to sing in a suitable way for them, it's implied
that the bees were extraordinary.
The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. In his commentary, the mention of music mostly refers
to sounds of kettledrums (verse 5): Those sounds assisted the dancing. He too would approve of this.
He includes the Kinnaras inasmuch as they could be alluded to by the mention of divaukasäm (of the
inhabitants of heaven) (verse 4). Thus. at that time the gopis did not require anyone to sing or to play
music, rather the music took place only by their own bliss.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Or, in the previous verse he stated that the gopis are greater than Laksmi, and now in two verses he
illustrates the same. Alternatively, previously it was said that the Gandharva masters played music and
sang, and now he says the gopis did not need any kind of singing, etc., by others.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Having separately described the splendor of the quality of their dancing, singing, and so on, he
expounds upon the resplendence of their faces, etc., which was the result of an increase of intensity in
the dancing. The musical instruments were played by their presiding deities, who had come there to
make their lives successful.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
Here it is shown that when the Gandharvas and others, along with their women, stopped because of
their blissful absorption in singing and in playing music, the Räsa continued without interruption

Source of the root text: Sri Subodhini, commentary on Srimad Bhägavata by Mahäprabhu Shri
184

Vallabhächärya, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, Indian Books Centre, 2003, p. 3325.
because the music and the singing, the requisites for the dance, were carried out by the bangles and so
on and by the bees.185

Näräyapa Bhatta
They danced with the Lord in a similar way (samam = sadrSam yathä syät tathä).

10.33.17

evam parisvariga-karäbhimarsasnigdheksanoddäma-viläsa-häsaih I reme

rameSo vraja-sundaribhir yathärbhakah sva-pratibimba-vibhramah Il
(indra-vajrä)
(fourth line is irregular)

evam—in this manner; parisvahga—by embracing; kara—the hand; abhimarSa—by pressing; snigdha-
ik$ana—with affectionate glances; uddäma—haughty (unrestrained); viläsa—with games; häsaih—
and with humor; reme—He took pleasure; ramä-iiah—the controller of Laksmi; vraja-sundaribhih—
with the beautiful women of the village; yathä—like; arbhakah—a boy; sva-pratibimba—with his
reflection; vibhramah—whose playing.

evaph rameSah parisvahga-karäbhimar'a-snigdhek$anoddämaviläsa-häsaih vraja-sundaribhih, yathä

arbhakah sva-pratibimbavibhramah (ramate, tathä) reme.

Thus, by embracing them, by pressing their hands, by affectionatly glancing at them, by making
unrestrained amorous gestures and by showing His sense of humor, the god of Ramä had fun with the
beautiful girls of Vraja like a boy plays with his renection.

Sridhara Svämi
Here he says: Just as the gopis had fun with the Lord by means of various playful games, so He, even
though He is God, had fun with those girls in His own way.
An example of the amorous delight of one who is not conquered by those games is given: "like a
boy has fun with his reflections" (yathärbhakah sva-pratibimba-vibhramah sva-pratibimbair vibhramah
kridä yasya sa iva). The following is thus illustrated: Having put both His entire set of skills and His
qualities, including sweetness, elegance, ravishing beauty, and being aromatic, in those girls, Krsna
had a good time with those girls like a boy has fun with his reflections.

185
Additional notes: In Visnu Puräna and in Hari-vamSa, there is no mention that the gods played music during
the Räsa. Sanätana Gosvämi cited a verse to that effect: "Then the Räsa eminently began with the sounds
of colliding bracelets followed by an uninterrupted series of songs of the eulogies of autumn in poetry."
(Vi$nu Puräna 5.13.51) (cited in Brhadvaisnava-tosani 10.33.3).
 Vallabhäcärya
The term uddäma-viläsa (acting without restraint) denotes enjoyment which transgresses etiquette.
Someone might wonder: "How could He possibly have fun with material girls?" In that regard he says:
rameSah. He is the controller of Ramä: By the Lord's order, Ramä entered in those girls. "But how can
an ätmäräma possibly have a good time with girls from a cowherd village? Laksmi is expressive of
brahmänanda (the bliss of Brahman), and amorous pleasure is appropriate for Him when there is
brahmänanda, but there is no brahma-bhäva (mode of Brahman) in village girls, and so being
engrossed in them is inappropriate." In this regard he says: yathärbhakah. A little boy looks at his
reflection in a still lake or in a mirror, sees himself and has fun. The boy thus projects himself. The
Lord too projects His identity, or else His capabilities, in them, makes Brahman (the spiritual nature)
and the bliss of Brahman arise in them and has fun in their company. "But that too makes no sense." In
that regard, the gist of yathärbhakah is "Krsna did this just like He performed bäla-lilä. "

Vitthalanätha
With the two words rameSo vraja-sundaribhih, he subtly informs that Laksmi does not have an
experience of Rasa of that sort in any way. He is Rameéa, which amounts to the idea that He is
Laksmi's husband, whereas those girls are the beauties of the village: They have a relation with others,
and so the girls are not married to Him.
Someone might think: "This kind of fun is not suitable for iévara." He responds to that with
yathärbhakah. Or the sense of the example is not only bäla-lilä, for it also refers to His mugdha-lilä:
His pastime of innocence as a little boy, described in the sentence that begins sammusnan navanitam
antika-mapi-stambhe svabimbodgamam dry(vä, is described in another way as the lover of the gopis,
because although He is full of knowledge, such is the nature of His Rasa.

sammusnan navanitam antika-mani-stambhe sva-bimbodgamam drs(vä mugdhatayä kumäram

apararii saicintayan Sahkayä I man-mitram hi bhavän mayätra bhavato bhägah samah kalpito mä
mäm sücaya sücayety anunayan bälo harih pätu vah Il

"While child Hari was stealing fresh butter, He noticed His own reflection in a nearby jewel-studded
column. Thinking this to be another boy, due to bewilderment, He conciliated him out of fear: "You're
My friend, so I made an equal portion of fresh butter for you. Don't tell on Me. Don't tell on Me!" May
He protect you all." (Padyävali 142)

In the same way, everything here has the nature of His svarüpa (identity), which is included in the
concept of Rasa, in light of the statement of Sruti: raso vai sah, "God is Rasa" ( Taittiriya Upanisad
2.7). Thus there is no reason to suspect any incongruity whatsoever in the example.186

Sanätana Gosvämi
Parisvahga means He embraced the gopis. KaräbhimarSa means either He was taking their hands or
He pressed their bodies with His hand: He touched their breasts and so on. Snigdheksana means He
looked at their faces, etc., with great relish. Uddäma-viläsa means He slackened their belt-like cords,
and so forth. Häsa signifies playful smiling due to an upsurge of emotion.
He had fun with the beautiful girls of Vraja although He is the god of Ramä; He did not flirt with
her.

186
Krsna's pastimes take place by the power of Yogamäyä, which gives spiritual illusions.
Jiva Gosvämi
Sridhara Svämi explains the example. The Lord initiated the actions, and moreover He displayed
special gestures, hence his statement "An example of the amorous delight of one who is not conquered
by those games is given" is as if incidental. Krsna puts His qualities in the gopis, hence they become
the manifestations of His qualities. Just as a boy realizes the beauty of his face by means of the
reflection, not by the real face, so does the Lord by means of His beloveds. That is, He realizes His
qualities through them, since those particular qualities do not arise in Him unless the gopis' prema
arises.
Although He is the god of Ramä, He had fun only with the beautiful girls of Vraja. The sense is the
beauty of the quality of the gopis' love is greater than hers. Or the drift of the term Rameéa is this: He
is only the controller of Ramä, not her lover, whereas He had a good time with the gopis as their lover.
Uddäma-viläsa means He touched their breasts, and so on.
An example is given to illustrate their mutual attraction and their mutual similarity in terms of
having qualities that cannot be compared to anyone else's: Some boy, immersed in having fun, by the
nature of his age, takes pleasure in his reflection. In like manner, Krsna, who is immersed in the fun of
love, due to His nature of being controlled by prema, has a good time with the gopis: they are His
reflections and are equal to Him. They are His reflections in the sense that they are His counterparts
(sva-pratibimba = sva-pratimürti), since they are His svarüpa-Sakti. For this reason, previously the
gopis were described as krma-vadhvah (Krsna's wives) (verse 8), not as gopa-vadhvah (the cowherds'
wives). For example, it is said in Brahma-samhitä: änanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhävitäbhih. . . (5.37).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Only by aspects of the dancing of the Räsa, the facets of Krsna's sambhoga reached their culmination.
Uddäma-viläsa indicates that He kissed the gopis under the pretext of giving a reward. Häsa means
Krsna's face bloomed upon receiving a kiss in return.
Here Krsna is called Rameéa in the sense that He is the one who manifests aiSvarya in Laksmi.
The gist is: He enjoyed amorous pleasure with the girls, but not with Laksmi. An example is given.
The drift is: Just as a little boy is innocent, so He displayed innocence, because He is controlled by
their love, yet He did not display aiSvarya like He does toward Laksmi.
Someone might wonder, "How could He enjoy amorous pleasure with thousands upon thousands
of gopis?" In that regard he says: sva-pratibimba-vibhramah, "The replica of Himself was His delight"
(= svasya pratibimbmh pratisvarüpam eva vibhramo viläso yasya sah). Here the word bimba should be
explained as svarüpa (identity), as in this verse:

pradarjyätapta-tapasäm avitrpta-drSähi nmäm I ädäyäntaradhäd yas tu sva-bimbarh loka-

locanam Il

"Having shown His form (bimba = mürti) to people who had not performed austerities, He concealed
it, even though their eyes were not sated. He thus robbed them of their very sight, as it were." (3.2.11)

Thus here the sense is: ekaikayä priyayä saha ekaika-svarüpo reme, "He, who had separate identities
for each one, had fun with each girl," because the gopis are Krsna's svarüpa since they are hlädiniSakti
(the pleasure potency). The other explanation of bimba, as praticchavi (reflected image), is not desired
due to the lack of suitability.
Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
The sense is: ekaikayä preyasyä sahaikaikena svarüpena reme, "He had fun (reme = cikrida) with each
girlfriend by having a separate identity for each one." He made as many forms of Himself as there
were gopis, in consideration of the upcoming text: krtvä tävantam ätmänam (10.33.20).

10.33.18

tad-ariga-sanga-pramud-äkulendriyäh keSän dukülam kuca-pat(ikäm vä I

näfijah prativyodhum alam vraja-striyo visrasta-mäläbharanäh kurüdvaha I l
(upajäti 12)
(second line is irregular)

tat-anga-sanga—by the contact of His limbs; pramud (or pramudä)— by great joy; äkula—are
overwhelmed; indriyäh—whose senses; keSän—their hair; dukülam—linen garment;
garment covering their breasts; vä—or; na—not: amah—correctly (or quickly);
prativyodhum—to arrange; alam—able; vraja-striyah— the women of the village; visrasta—had
fallen; mälä-äbharanäh— whose garments and ornaments; kuru-udvaha—O chief descendant of the
Kuru dynasty.

kurüdvaha! vraja-striyah tad-ariga-sariga-pramud-äkulendriyäh visrasta-mäläbharanäh keSän dukülam

kuca-pat(ikäm vä afijah prativyodhum alam na (jätäh).

Those women of Vraja, whose senses were overwhelmed by great joy due to His intimate touch and
whose garlands and ornaments had fallen, were unable to properly arrange their hair, their skirt or their
blouse, O scion of Kuru.

Sridhara Svämi
Here he says: The gopis, however, became overwhelmed by the Lord's amorous gestures. The girls'
senses were helpless due to the utter joy (pramud-äkulendriyäh = prakr$(äm utpritis tayä äkuläny
avaSänindriyäni yäsäm täh) caused by His ahga-sahga. The girls' hair and so on had loosened: The
girls were unable to quickly fasten them as before (näijah prativyodhum alam = aijasä prativyodhum
yathä-pürvam dhartum nälam na samarthä babhüvuh).

Sanätana Gosvämi
The term tad-anga-sahga means the contact (sanga = milana), by embracing and so on, with His limbs.
The prefix pra (in pramud) (eminent, great) signifies that the intensity of the gopis' bliss was in full
force. The speaker mentions a sign that the girls' senses were overjoyed: Their hair and so on had
loosened. The word dukülam denotes a garment made of silk. With vraja-striyah, he says it was fitting
for the girls to be that way as a result of the profuse love.
Jiva Gosvämi
In this verse he means to say: And after that, on account of the helpless state of the girls' over-the-top
bliss. the Räsa gradually came to an end. The term dukülam denotes a garment made of linen.

Viévanätha Cakravarti Prativyodhum should read prativodhum.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
"The girls were unable to easily (aijas = aijasä = sukhena) fasten them as before." (Baladeva
Vidyäbhüsana reiterates Sridhara Svämi's interpretation.)

10.33.19

krma-vikriditam vikyya mumuhuh khe-cara-striyah I kämärditäh SaSärikaS ca sa-gano vismito

'bhavat Il

kryna-vikriditam—the playing of Krsna; viksya—observing; mumuhuh—were bewildered; khe-cara—

of the gods ("they move in the sky"); striyah—the women; käma—by lust; arditäh—pained; SaSähkah
—the moon ("it has the mark of a rabbit"); ca—and; sagapah—accompanied by his group (the stars);
vismitah—astonished; abhavat—became.

khe-cara-striyah kryna-vikriditam viksya kämärditäh (satyah) mumuhuh. SaSänkah ca sa-ganah

vismitah abhavat.

Looking at Knpa's play, the goddesses in the sky were spellbound.

They were pained by lust. The moon too became astonished, and so did his entourage.

Sridhara Svämi
Not only the gopis, the goddesses too were äkulendriyä (their senses were overwhelmed). The
sentence about the moon hints at this: When the moon, thus astonished, forgot about its course, all the
planets stayed where they were: The nights became very long, and so Krsna and the gopis had fun as
they pleased.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Krsna is the one who is the condensed form of the highest bliss. Or else He is so named because He
attracts the heart. The gods are called khe-cara because they travel in the sky. Their women (khecara-
striyah) denotes all the heavenly women. Thus, the goddesses were pained by lusty feelings for the
Lord (kämärditäh = kämena bhagavad-visayakena piditäh) and became bewildered upon seeing in a
special way, with love, or else by directly rendering service (viksya = viSeyatah ik$itvä) (viSesatah =
prityä säk$ät-sevädi-dvärä vä), Krsna's special amusement (vikriditam = viSesepa kriditam) (kriditam
= kridäm). It was special insofar as it had never been done before. And because the amusement was
Krsna's, it too had His aforesaid qualities.
 The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. In his commentary, the mention of 'very long' nights is
said with this in mind: The amusements involving diverse types of fun took place at will and lasted for
a long time. Otherwise there would not have been enough time to accomplish all those amorous
games. For this reason, ahead it is said brahma-rätra upävrtte (when a night of Brahmä had passed)
(verse 39). Some explain it as follows: "when a night of Brahmä, which measures a thousand catur-
yugas, had passed." This makes sense because the Lord's potencies can reconcile any contradiction.
Moreover, the plural in very long 'nights' is said in conformity with tä rätrih (those nights) (10.29.1)
and niSäh (the nights) (verse 26).
There is another rendering. The moon became astonished. The moon's entourage is the stars, his
wives. Because of the conjunction ca (and), both he and his wives were kämärdita. But when applied
to the moon, the word käma means desire, not lust; the moon only wanted to attain Bhagavän. Or, the
moon really felt that way, by having a distinct mood like that of the sages in the Dandaka Forest. The
word Saiänka (it has the mark of a rabbit) suggests that the moon was not at fault, even by having such
käma for Sri Krsna, who descended in his dynasty: Having a 'stain' (anka = kalanka) simply because
he has a connection with a rabbit is not a real stain; on the contrary it is only a great quality. This is the
general idea. In addition, the term khe-cara-striyah can denote both the devas and the devis (khe-cara-
striyah = khe-caräs tat-striyaS ca).
Thus, the Play of the Räsa is highly fascinating since it enhances extraordinary feelings for Sri
Krsna. It has been shown that the Räsa is by far the greatest of all the amusements for these reasons:
By the very nature of the Räsa, the dancing, the singing and the gestures increase love for the Lord,
and moreover the Lord is doing those actions, plus He is doing those actions with those girls, and on
top of that in the ways that were described. Not only that, Laksmi and other wives of the Lord, not to
mention other women such as the goddesses of heaven, all of whom have bhakti-gaurava (reverence
characterized by bhakti) and so on and are thus unqualified for kissing, let alone hugging, Krsna,
cannot participate. The cowherd girls of Vraja, who have a special mood of romance and whose love
for Him is pure, are the only women who are qualified to take part in the Räsa. Therefore they were
described as 'jewels of women': stri-ratnaih (verse 2).

Jiva Gosvämi
In Sridhara Svämi's commentary, his statement that the planets stopped moving, out of astonishment,
is only a fanciful assumption. Sridhara Svämi does not approve the reading in the singular:
kämärditah, because he says only the goddesses were kämärdita and because he takes the words
beginning from Saiähkah as a completely separate sentence.187

Viévanätha Cakravarti
In the reading kämärditah instead of kämärditäh, the word modifies the moon: He too obtained
feminine feelings upon looking at Krsna. Moreover, Yogamäyä covered the vision of the males
watching the Räsa dance, so they could not see the bodies of the gopis nor their amorous gestures
directed at Krsna. This was explained previously.

187
Jiva Gosvämi respects Sridhara Svämi's opinion, hence he does not reiterate the third paragraph in
Brhad-vai$nava-tosani. I agree with Jiva Gosvämi's approach. In life, a man should learn to man up. This religion
is hurting itself by promulgating the idea that a man should think like a woman. Learn Sanskrit grammar,
learn Sanskrit poetics and English
 10.33.20

krtvä tävantam ätmänam yävatir gopa-Y0$itah I reme sa bhagaväms täbhir ätmärämo 'pi
lilayä Il

krtvä—after making; tävantam—that many; ätmänam—Himself; yävatih—as many; gopa-yositah—

cowherd women; reme—took pleasure; sah—He; bhagavän—the Lord; täbhih—with those women;
ätma-ärämah—He whose delight is in the Self; api— although; lilayä—playfully (easily).

yävatih gopa-yositah (abhavan), ätmänam tävantam lilayä krtvä sah bhagavän ätmärämah api täbhih
reme.

The Lord playfully made as many forms of Himself as there were cowherd women and enjoyed
amorous pleasure with those gopis although He is an ätmäräma.

Sridhara Svämi
Yävatih should read yävatyah. He made that many forms of Himself. The underlying idea is this:

kätyäyani mahä-mäye mahä-yoginy adhiSvari I nanda-gopa-sutam devi patim me kuru

te namah I
"Those virgin girls did a formal worship while uttering this mantra

poetics, and follow the path of Rasa.

at a low voice: 'O Kätyäyani, O Mahä-mäyä, O great yogini, O lady overlord, O Devi, kindly make the
son of the cowherd named Nanda my husband. I offer my respects to you."' (10.22.4)

Because every girl made that request, the Lord made this promise: yätäbalä vrajam siddhä mayemä
ramsyatha ksapäh, "Girls, return to the village. You are successful. You will enjoy these nights with
Me" (10.22.27) 188

Vallabhäcärya
He made that many forms of Himself. He did this by unlocking the power of Mäyä. Thus, a great orgy
took place. He was able to do all that because: sa bhagavän. The pronoun sah (He) means tadartham
evävatimah (He, the one who made His descent for that very reason).

188
In Sridhara Svämi's opinion, the current verse is simply a brief recap of the Räsa. The next verse confirms
that the Räsa came to an end. The intimate pastimes in the pleasure groves are implied in verse 25, not
here. Even so, Sridhara Svämi says Krsna did not make love to the gopis (Bhävärtha-dipikä 10.33.26).
 Srinätha Pandita
The word lilayä modifies His quality of being an ätmäräma. "He derived amorous pleasure (raräma)189
in their company, although He is an ätmäräma, playfully (lilayä = kutukena)."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here he says He went to pleasure groves with every gopi and enjoyed private fun there. '•Krsna made
as many manifestations of Himself (tävantam ätmänahl krtvä = tävat-sahkhyam ätma-prakäSari1
krtvä) as there were married gopis and virgin gopis (gopa-_vositah = gopavadhvo gopa-kanyäS ca)."
The sense of ätmärämo 'pi has already been explained (Särärtha-darSini 10.29.42).

Sanätana Gosvämi
In two verses, he mentions the topmost reward for that. The multiplicity was real. And this realness
was established by a particular Sakti. The expression gopa-yositah is a synonym of gopyah (the gopis):
Some were married and some were not. Those who were unmarried had undergone the Kätyäyani-
vrata. All the details on the topic of the gopis have been described by a great connoisseur in Lalita-
mädhava-nätaka and in his other works.
Krsna took pleasure (raräma = reme) in the manner of rasa, or else by various sexual
gestures (lilayä = Smgära-rasena vicitra-saurata-ceMayä vä). The gist of bhagavän (the Lord) is this:
That very thing is the manifestation of the all in all of the essence of Godhood, because His essential
nature involves a particular style of enjoyment which is the maturity of prema-rasa and because He
automatically diffused a distinct type of love by attracting everyone's hearts. This will become clear
ahead and has already been explained in Sri Bhägavatämrta. The phrase ätmärämo 'pi has the same
sense as before.
He enjoyed amorous pleasure in separate pleasure groves nearby. Thus, the sweetness of godly
opulence (ai'varya-mädhurya) should be looked into.

Jiva Gosvämi
Now, in two verses he says a particular lilä was done after relaxing at the conclusion of the Räsa. He
made that many manifestations of Himself (ätmänam = ätmanah prakäSam), by the logical reasoning
in na cäntar na bahir yasya, "He has neither an interior nor an exterior" (10.9.13), because the Sri-
vigraha of His remained in the middle and because He can manifest forms at will:

citrarh bataitad ekena vapusä yugapat prthak I grhesu dvy-m(a-sähasrarh striya eka
udävahat I l

"Wow! This is amazing: With one body, He simultaneously married sixteen thousand women in
separate mansions." (10.69.1)

The mention of making multiple manifestations of Himself is repeated because He had become one
again at the time of relaxing.
The expression gopa-yositah means gopa-jätiya-yo$itah (cowherd women): It's understood that
some were married and some were not, because the description of their pürvänuräga was done
separately, in chapters twenty-one and twenty-two and because of this text in Hari-vamSa: yuvatir

189
The reading raräma is accepted by Vijayadhvaja Tirtha.
gopa-kanyäS ca rätrau sahkälya käla-vit, "He who knows the time invited both the young women and
the virgin girls of cowherds" (2.20.18). The details are in Ujjvala-nilamani and so on.

Baladeva Vidyäbhüsapa
Having manifested (krtvä = praka(ayya) that many forms of Himself by the Lilä-Sakti (lilayä = lilayä
Saktyä), He had fun with the girls in pleasure groves.

Näräyapa Bhatta
"Disregarding His nature as an ätmäräma (ätmärämo 'pi ätmärämatvam avaganayya), He had fun with
those girls (täbhih — täbhih saha) as a pastime (lilayä)." The word lilä is expressive of an action for
which no great effort is done.

Vira-Räghava
The third-case ending in lilayä has the sense of hetu (because). The meaning of lilayä reme is similar
to adhyayanena vasati (he stays to study). The drift is: "He had fun with those girls for the sake of a
particular pastime (lilayä = lilärtham), although He is an ätmäräma, that is, although He is replete with
the six qualities of Godhead."

10.33.21

täsäm ativihärena 190 Sräntänäm vadanäni sah I prämrjat karupah premnä Santamenähga
päninä Il

täsäm—their; ativihärena—due to the intense play; Sräntänäm— who were fatigued; vadanäni—faces;
sah—He; prämrjat—wiped; karunah—sympathetic; premnä—with love; Santamena—most
comforting; ahga—my dear (King Pariksit); päninä—with His hand. ahga! sah (krynah) karunah
ativihärena Sräntänäm täsäm (gopinäm) vadanäni Santamena päpinä premnä prämrjat.

Sympathetic Knpa lovingly wiped the faces of those girls, who were fatigued due to the intense play,
with His comforting hand, O king.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The reading is either täsäm rati-vihärepa or täsäm ativihärepa. Regarding Sräntänäm, the sense is He
became sympathetic when He noticed their fatigue caused by the rati (amorous activity). This means
He stopped making love.
His hand was comforting (Santamena sukha-mayena). The verb prämrjat (He wiped) is indicative:
He fanned the girls, massaged their bodies with scented oils, arranged their hair, offered them vitikä (a

190
täsäm rati-vihärena (BBT edition). Rüpa Gosvämi cites the verse, in the above reading, as an
example of the vyabhicäri-bhäva called Srama (fatigue) due to rati (amorous enjoyment) (Bhakti-
rasämrta-sindhu 2.4.34).
preparation of the Areca nut with spices and lime rolled up together in a leaf of the betel plant)
(commonly called Pan), and so on.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Rati means intercourse. And that was a form of play (rati-vihärena = ratih suratam saiva vihäras tena).
It's implied that there was no inhibition. Or, the girls were fatigued because of diverse clever gestures
during intercourse (rati-vihärepa = ratau vihäro vividhavaidagdhya-ces$ä tena). The pronoun sah
denotes Krsna, meaning either vidagdha-Siromanih (He is the jewel of witty men) or paramapritah (He
was totally satisfied). With His very comforting hand (Santamena = parama-sukhätmakena), He wiped
their faces, that is, He made the girls look splendid by removing their drops of perspiration, by putting
their hair in place, etc. The word ahga is an affectionate vocative.

Jiva Gosvämi
The gopis were weary because of diverse clever gestures consisting of the mutual affection of a
husband a wife (rati-vihärena = ratir dampatyor mitho 'nurägas tan-mayo vihärah vividha-vidagdha-
ce$(ä tena). In the reading ativihärepa, the sense is the same.

Gangä Sahäya
In the verb prämrjat, the conjugation of the verbal root mrj as a tudädi (sixth-class root) is poetic
license.191

10.33.22

gopyah sphurat-pura(a-kundala-kuntala-tvidganda-'riyä sudhita-häsa-niriksapena I

mänarii dadhatya r;abhasya jaguh krtäni punyäni tat-kararuha-sparsa-pramodäh I
l
(vasanta-tilakä)
(fourth line is irregular)

gopyah—the cowherd girls; sphurat—effulgent; pura(a—golden; kundala—of their earrings; kuntala

—and of their bunches of hair; tvi$—because of the effulgence; ganda—of the cheeks; Sriyä—by the
beauty; sudhita—made into nectar; häsa—accompanied with smiling; nirik$atgena—by their glancing;
mänam—honor; dadhatyah— implementing (doing); ryabhasya—of the best person ("the bull"); jaguh
—they sang; krtäni—the deeds; punyäni—beautiful; tat-kararuha—of His fingernails ("growing from
the hand"); sparSa— because of the touch; pramodäh—who have great pleasure.
191
The verbal root is mrj[üs] Suddhau (2P). This root automatically takes vrddhi in the strong forms, by the rule: mrjer
vrddhih (A'!ädhyäyi 7.2.114); mrjer vrsnindrah (HNV 502). Ashutosh Sharma comments:
"vadanäni sa prämrjat [The verb] prämrjat is archaic for prämär( in lah
I

[simple past tense]. Had it been aorist, the form would have been prämärjit [or prämärk$it]•, adädi
confused with bhv-ädi gana. See prämrjat X.60.26. Simplification due to Präkrita influence." (Sarma Bisvas,
Ashutosh (1968) Bhägavata Puräna: A Linguistic Study, p. 241).
gopyah sphurat-pura!a-kupdala-kuntala-tvid-ganda-friyä sudhitahäsa-niriksanena rsabhasya (krmasya)
mänam dadhatyah tat-kararuha-spar'a-pramodäh (ca satyah tasya) punyäni krtäni jaguh.
The cowherd girls, filled with great joy by the touch of His nails, sang about His beautiful deeds while
paying tribute to Him, the best male, with smileful glances which turned out as nectar because the
splendor on their cheeks was enhanced by the radiance of brilliant golden earrings and of their hair.

Sridhara Svämi
He talks about the behavior of the overjoyed gopis. "The cowherd girls sang about His deeds (krtäni =
tat-karmäni) while honoring (mänam dadhatyah = püjäm kurvatyah) Krsna, the husband (rsabhasya =
patyuh krsnasya), both with the beauty on their cheeks caused by the effulgence of their shining golden
earrings and of their hair (sphurat-pura(a-kundala-kuntala-tvid-ganda-iriyä = sphuratäm svarna-
kundalänäm kuntalänäm ca tvi$ä gandesu yä fris tayä) and with their glances, which were endowed
with smiles and acted like nectar (sudhita-häsa-nirik$anena — sudhitena amrtäyitena häsasahitena
nirik$anena ca)."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here he says: Afterward, those girls, who, as svädhina-käntäs (they control their lover), had made Him
adorn them with jewels and ornaments, came out of the pleasure groves, gathered in a group, and sang
something auspicious to signify the conclusion of the Räsa festival. "While honoring Krsna, the best
male (rsabhasya = purusaGrey(hasya krynasya), they sang about His beautiful (punyäni — cärüpi)
deeds. "

Sanätana Gosvämi
Afterward, with their bodies and so on, the girls evoked joy in Krsna in three ways: by their beauty, in
reference to sphurat-pura(akundala-kuntala-tvid-ganda-jriyä (with the beauty of the cheeks ) by their
emotion, in point of sudhita-häsa-nirik$apena (with smileful glances.. and by vocal expression: jaguh
(they sang).

Jiva Gosvämi
Sridhara Svämi says the word .rsabhasya means patyuh krspasya (of
Krsna, the husband); his intention is as follows: "Since the king of sages himself has made this clear
by using the term krsna-vadhvah (verse 8), why should I conceal this fact? Therefore, although I did
not explain words such as dayita and ramana, who at all would think that those words mean something
other than 'husband'? "
At that time, the gopis honored Him (mänam dadhatyah püjäm kurvatyah), in the ways that are
mentioned, with a glimpse of their marital relationship inasmuch as they had no other feelings for one
another. Or the sense is the girls made Him proud (mänam dadhatyah = garvam arpayantyah): "Oh, I
am so fortunate to have such wives."
"They sang about His deeds, which create virtue and are beautiful (punyäni = punya-karäpi cärüni
ca)." Amara's definition is: punyam tu cärv api, "Punya also means beautiful" (Amara-kosa
3.3.159).
 10.33.23

täbhir yutah Sramam apohitum ahga-sahgaghrMa-srajah sa kuca-kuhkuma-rafijitäyäh 192 |

gandharva-pälibhir anudruta äviSad väh
Sränto gajibhir ibha-räd iva bhinna-setuh Il

täbhih—by them; yutah—accompanied; Sramam—the fatigue; apohitum—to dispel; ahga-sahga—by

the contact with His limbs; (crushed); srajah—[the bees, related to] the garland; sah—He; kuca
—on their breasts; kuhkuma—by the saffron paste; rafijitäyäh—[the garland,] which was colored (or
raijitäh yäh—who were colored); gandharva-pa—[which were like] Gandharva chiefs; alibhih—by
bees; anudrutah—who was swiftly followed; äviSat— He entered; väh—the water; Sräntah—fatigued;
gajibhih—with the female elephants; ibha-rä(—a king of elephants; iva—like; bhinnasetuh—by whom
a dike was broken.

sah täbhih yutah (täsärh) kuca-kuhkuma-rafijitäyäh (täsärh) Wigasahga-ghr$(a-srajah (sambandhibhih)

gandharva-pälibhih anudrutah (san) Sramam apohitum, ibha-rä( iva Sräntah bhinna-setuh gajibhih
(saha Srama-niräsärtham jalam pravisati), väh ävifat.

Sanätana Gosvämi— yäh ahga-sahga-ghr$(a-srajah sva-kuca-kuhkuma-rafijitäh (ca bhavanti, krygah)

Sräntah täbhih yutah gandharva-pälibhih anudrutah (san) framam apohitum, ibha-rä( iva bhinna-setuh
gajibhih, väh (yämunam) äviSat.

To dispel the weariness, K!$pa, accompanied by the girls and pursued by the Gandharva masters in the
form of the bees hovering over His garland that was colored by the saffron paste on the gopis' breasts
and blemished by the physical contact, entered the water like a tired king of elephants which has
broken a dike enters a river with female tuskers.

Alternatively: To dispel the weariness, Krspa, followed by bees which were the best singers and
accompanied by the girls whose garlands had been blemished by the physical contact and who were
tinged all over by the vermilion on their breasts, entered the waters like a king of elephants enters a
river with female tuskers. He had broken the boundaries and was exhausted.

Sridhara Svämi
The bees were singing like Gandharva masters (gandharva-pälibhih = gandharva-pataya iva gäyanto
ye 'layas taih) and were related to the garland (srajah = srajah sambandhibhih). Krsna entered the water
(väh = udakam) like a king of elephants which has broken a dam (bhinna-setuh = vidärita-vaprah).
And He Himself was bhinnasetu, in the sense that He transgressed worldly customs and Vedic
etiquette.

192
ghrs(a-srajah sva-kuca-kuhkuma-raijitäyäh (Vallabhäcärya's edition).
 Viévanätha Cakravarti
In this verse he talks about the water play, which was like the Avabhrta bath of the Räsa festival.193
"He entered the water of the Yamunä with those girls, who were colored by the saffron paste on
their breasts by the force of the motions of love games (sva-kuca-kuhkuma-raijitä yäh = yäh sva-kuca-
kuhkumair eva rammga-vyäpära-vasena rahjitäh) and whose garlands had been crushed by that same
physical contact (ariga-sahga-ghn(a-srajah = ahga-sahgena eva ghr$(äh sammarditäh srajo yäsärii
täh)." Krsqa was followed by bees which were the best singers (gandharva-pa = gäyana-'re$(ha), by
the definition in ViSva-prakäSa: gandharvo mrga-bhede syäd gäyane khecare 'pi ca, "Gandharva
means musk deer, singer, and a particular kind of god." In the reading sa kuca, the pronoun sah refers
to Sri Krsna.
Bhinna-setuh denotes an elephant which has broken a dyke. On the side of Krsqa, the sense of
bhinna-setu is He transgressed worldly etiquette.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Now in three verses he describes the love-filled activities of the overjoyed Lord. He entered the water
to dispel both His fatigue and the gopis'. It's understood that the Lord's garland consisted of jasmines,
because of the text: kunda-srajah kula-pateh (10.30.11). The whiteness of the garland mixed with the
saffron paste on the breasts looked very beautiful. The pronoun sah (He) signifies parama-vinodi (the
topmost entertainer, or the one who has the greatest pleasure).
The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. There is another rendering. All the limbs of the girls
were tinged (rahjitäh = sarvähgesu samprktäh) by the saffron paste on their breasts (sva = nija) by the
force of the amorous enjoyment. (The rest of the commentary was rendered above by Viévanätha
Cakravarti in the second paragraph.)

10.33.24

so 'mbhasy alam yuvatibhih pari$icyamänah premnek$itah prahasatibhir itas tato

'Riga I vaimänikaih kusuma-var$ibhir idyamäno reme svayam sva-ratir atra
gajendra-lilah Il

sah—He; ambhasi—in the water; alam—intensely; yuvatibhih—by the young women; parisicyamänah
—being splashed; premnä— with love; ik$itah—was looked at; prahasatibhih—by them, who were
laughing; itah tatah—here and there; ariga—my dear king; vaimänikaih—by the gods ("they exist in
aerial vehicles"); kusumavarsibhih—who were showering flowers; idyamänah—being praised; reme—
He had fun; svayam—Himself; sva-ratih—one whose delight is the self; atra—here; gaja-indra—[is
like the sport] of a king of elephants; lilah—He whose sport.

193
The Avabhrta-snänais the ceremonial bath which marks the conclusion of a major Vedic sacrifice. More
precisely, it is a rite of desacralization where the performer of the sacrifice bathes, at the termination of the
rite, to remove any sacred potency which had accrued during the sacrifice.
ahga! sah ambhasi (vartamänah) prahasatibhih yuvatibhih itah tatah alam pari$icyamänah
premnek$itah vaimänikaih kusuma-var$ibhih idyamänah svayam sva-ratih atra gajendra-lilah reme.

In the water, He was intensely splashed on all sides by the young women, who were looking at Him
with love and laughing, my dear king. Himself a delighter in the self, in their midst He sported like a
king of elephants. He thus had fun while being praised by the gods in aerial vehicles who were
showering mowers.

Sridhara Svämi
Sva-ratih signifies ätmärämo 'pi (although He revels in His Self). Atra (here) denotes either gopi-
mandale (in the circle of gopis) or ambhasi (in the water).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The reading is either premnek$itah or premnok$itah. Krsna's entertainment is His wealth (sva-ratih =
svam dhanam ratih kridaiva yasya sah).

Sanätana Gosvämi
Sukadeva describes the water games. "He, the one who is a bon vivant (sah = parama-kautuki), had
fun while being intensely (alam atiSayena) splashed all around, that is, on every limb (parisicyamänah
= paritah sicyamänah) (paritah = sarvähgesu), in every direction (itas tatah = sarva-diksu) by the
young women, who were eminently laughing (prahasatibhih prakarsena uccair hasantibhih)."
Prahasatibhih should read prahasantibhih. The expression 'young women' signifies that they had käma-
rasa (the mojo of lust) and were qualified to sprinkle Him in that frame of mind.
He was praised (idyamänah = stüyamänah) by the gods: sädhu sädhu (excellent, excellent). Or,
suspecting that He was losing, they enthused Him: jaya jaya (let's go, fight back). Only the males
showered Him with flowers, because the goddesses were on the gopis' side. The rest was explained by
the venerable one. Or, the sense of sva-ratih is Krsna has affection only for His own (= svesu nija-
janesv eva ratih pritir yasya sah).

Jiva Gosvämi
In the reading premnokyitah, the sense is He was also sprinkled inwardly with love (= premtgä uk$itah
= prenmä antare 'pi siktah). His love is only for those girls (sva-ratih = sväsu täsu eva ratih rägo yasya
sah).

10.33.25

tataS ca krynopavane jala-sthala-

 cacära bhrhga-pramadä-ganävrto yathä mada-cyud dviradah karenubhih I l
(vamsa-stha-bilam)

tatah ca—afterward194; krsnä—of the Yamunä river; upavane—in a grove; jala-sthala-prasüna-

gandhänila-ju$(a-dik-ta(e—where the edges of the directions are served by a breeze in which there is
the aromas of water flowers and of land flowers; cacära—He rambled; bhrhga—of bees; pramadä—
and of women; gana—by groups; ävrtah—encircled; yathä—like; mada-cyut—which exudes rut fluid
(on its temples); dviradah—an elephant ("it has two tusks"); karenubhih—with female elephants.

tatah ca (sah) krynopavane jala-sthala-prasüna-gandhänila-ju$(adik-ta(e bhniga-pramadä-ganävrtah

(san), yathä mada-cyut dviradah karepubhih (saha carati, tathä) cacära.

Afterward, Knna, encircled by bevies of bees and beautiful women like an elephant in rut
accompanied by female tuskers, ambled in a grove of the Yamunä which was served on all sides by a
breeze carrying the aromas of forestial flowers and aquatic blossoms.

Sridhara Svämi
Having illustrated the fun on open land and the fun in water, he illustrates the fun in the forest. In the
grove of the Yamunä, either the edges of the directions were served by a breeze or the directions and
the shore were served by a breeze = jus(äni diSäm ta(äny antä yasmin, yad vä diSas; ca
ta(am sthalath ca yasmin).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Afterward, that is, after the water games (tatah jalavihäränantaram), and after the bodies were
massaged and were adorned with ornaments and forestial clothing brought by the presiding deity of
the woods (ca = ahga-märjana-vana-devatänitatädätmika-vasträlahkära-paridhäpanänantaram ca), for
the pastime of taking rest Krsna rambled in a subforest of the Yamunä where there was enough space
for thousands of pleasure groves.
The term mada-cyut means an elephant which has an exudation of profuse rut fluid (at the temples)
(mada-cyut = madänäm cyut cyotanam ksaranarh yasya sah).

Sanätana Gosvämi
Tatah (afterward) means jala-vihäränantaram (after the water games). The word ca has the sense of tu,
in the meaning of bhinnopakrama (a new beginning). He sauntered in the woods to pick flowers, to
spend time in a nikufija, and so on.
The aquatic flowers include the kumuda (lily). The forestial flowers are the jäti (a type of jasmine),
the kunda (jasmine), and so forth. The breeze had the scents of those. By the word jus!a (was served),
it's understood that the breeze was slow. He was encircled by bees insofar as they came along with the
flowers that He was picking. Or the bees were attracted to the naturally sweet fragrance of His body,
which had become more prominent after the games in the water.
The epithet mada-cyut signifies the best of elephants and the quality of being crazy in lust. It is
also a reason an elephant is surrounded by bees. Because such an elephant is in the company of she-

194
The expression tatah ca is an idiomatic way of meaning 'afterward', as contrasted with the ambiguous tatah
(because of that).
elephants, it's implied that the females too are that way. Thus the example applies in every aspect.
The rest was explained by Sridhara Svämi. Alternatively, "Krsna was encircled by passionate
women who were fickle like bees (bhmga-pramadä-gapävrtah = bhrhga-vad lolä yäh pramadäs täsäm
ganena ävrtah)." In this derivation, it is clear that each woman was crazy in love, and therefore it is
said: pramadä.

10.33.26

evahl SaSähkämSu-viräjitä niSäh sa satya-kämo 'nuratäbalä-ganah I

siseva ätmany avaruddha-sauratah sarväh Sarat-kävya-kathä-rasäjrayäh Il

evam—in this way; Safähka—of the moon; amSu—by the rays; viräjitäh—made resplendent; nifäh—
the nights; sah—He; satyakämah—whose wishes come true; anurata-abalä-ganah—of whom a
multitude of women is enamoured; siseve—He served; ätmani—in Himself (or in the soul, or toward
His own kind 195)• avaruddha—is confined; sauratah—He whose sexuality; sarväh— all; Sarat—of
autumn; kävya—poetry; kathä—of talks (or of topics); rasa—of Rasa (or of the relish); äfrayäh—
which are the shelter (the source).

evam sah (krsnah) satya-kämah anuratäbalä-ganah ätmani avaruddha-sauratah Safähkärhfu-viräjitäh

Sarat-kävya-kathärasäSrayäh sarväh niSäh siseva.

{kirhvä: evam sah satya-kämah anuratäbalä-ganah ätmani avaruddhasauratah SaSähkärhSu-viräjitäh

sarväh niSäh (vyäpya) rasä'rayäh Sarat-kävya-kathäh siseva. }

{athavä: (krynah) sa-satya-kämah anuratäbalä-ganah evamSaSähkämSu-viräjitäh niSäh siseva. (tad-

anantaram, sah) ätmani avaruddha-sauratah (jätah. täh) sarväh (nijäh) Sarat-kävya-kathärasäSrayäh
(abhavan). }

Thus Kßpa, whose wishes come true and whose sexual enjoyment is confined to the soul, was the
object of affection of women and served all the nights which were made resplendent by moonlight and
which, in poetical works that describe autumn, evoke the relish of related topics.

Second Translation: During all those moonlit nights, He whose lust is the nature of the Absolute Truth
and whose amorous feelings are restricted to His own kind of women was the object of affection of
those women and served the talks of autumnal poetry which evoke Rasa.

Third Translation: Krsna, who was with women whose love is true and whom diverse groups of
women were enamored of, took advantage of all those nights made resplendent by the rays of that kind
of moon. Afterward, He confined sexual enjoyment within Himself, and those nights became models
for the relish of topics in great poetical compositions.

In their commentaries on the term ätmärämo 'pi (10.29.42), Jiva Gosvämi, Viévanätha Cakravarti and
195

Baladeva Vidyabhüsana explained the word ätman in direct reference to the gopis.
 Sridhara Svämi
In this verse, which begins with evam (in this way), he sums up the Play of the Räsa. "Krsna (sah =
krynah), whose volition comes true (satya-kämah = satya-sahkalpah) and who was with loving women
(anuratäbalä-gatgah = anurägi-stri-kadamba-sthah), served (siseva = sevitavän) all the nights in this
way." Those nights are the substrata of the rasas which exist in autumn and which are talked about in
poetical works (Sarat-kävya-kathä-rasäjrayäh faradi bhaväh kävyesu kathyamänä ye rasäs tesäm
äSraya-bhütäh).
Or, the second-case ending in niSäh has the sense of atyantasamyoga (continuous pervasion),196
and Sarat-kävya-kathä rasä'rayäh means: Snigära-rasäSrayäh faradi prasiddhäh kävyesu yäh kathäs täh
siseve, "He served those topics in poetical works which involve the mood of romance and are famous
in terms of relating to the fall."
A descriptive term is expressive of triumph over lust: His semen is kept in Himself (ätmany
avaruddha-sauratah = ätmany evävaruddhah saurataj carama-dhätur na tu skhalito yasya).

Vallabhäcärya
In case someone wonders, "Why did He experience amorous pleasure?" he says sa-satya-kämah:
Krsqa was with the gopis, who are called satya-kämä in the sense that their love is true. Or, sah is a
separate word and refers to Him whom they had prayed for.
"His groups of women were fond of Him (anuratäbalä-ganah — anuratä abalä-ganä yasya)." There
is no reason to be concerned that the girls are passionate: They are married to Him insofar as Krsna
and the gopis are eternally related. Just ahead, it is said that the disruption of etiquette occurred for the
purpose of enhancing the Rasa (relish). This has been stated:

Sästränäm visayas tävat yävan manda-rasä naräh I rati-cakre pravrtte tu naiva Sästram na
ca kramah Il

"The precepts in manuals apply so long as men are pathetic in the matter of Rasa. But when a mass of
love is taking place, there is neither a precept nor a procedure to follow." (Käma-sütra 2.2.31)

After that, Krsna confined sexual enjoyment in Himself (ätmany avaruddha-sauratah tad-anantaram
ätmany eva avaruddharii saurataril yasya tathä jätah). He did not place His love in those women,
otherwise He would have become a father.
All the nights of autumn were spent that way. The reason for that is: rasä'rayäh. If the man does not
take a secondary role in Rasa, he is not Rasika. Those nights are the ones which are the source of the
relish of topics in poetical works about a description of autumn (Sarat-kävya-kathä-rasäjrayäh = Sarad-
varnanäyärh yat kävyarh tatra yäh kathäs täsärii rasäSrayäh). Those nights are not the ones in day to
day life, but the ones described in poetry.

Srinätha Pandita
The plural in ni'äh signifies that many nights were turned into one. Hence the word evam refers to the
text where the same word Saiähka was used (verse 19) and suggests that the moon became motionless
since it became astonished, as mentioned there. The mystery is that the time of one night became
extended. The word evam is part of the compound: The nights were made resplendent by the rays of

The rule is: kälädhvanor atyanta-samyoge (A$(ädhyäyi 2.3.5); kälädhvanor atyanta-vyäptau dvitiyä (Hari-
196

nämämrta-vyäkarana 674).
the moon which was that way (evam-jajähkärhju-viräjitäh = evambhüto yah SaSähkas tasyärh'ubhir
viräjitäh). For this reason, the word rätrih (10.29.1) was explained in this manner. Why was it so?
His will comes true (satya-kämah = satya-sahkalpah). He had willed this previously (Caitanya-mata-
maijüsä 10.29.1).
Krsna kept the pleasure of sex within Himself (ätmany avaruddha-sauratarh surata-sukham
grämya-dharmo yena). The sense is He blocked this: Sex is love. Sex between Him, iévara, and those
women, who are iévaris, would be improper. The writer of a master treatise on Rasa stated: anaucityäd
rte nänyad rasa-bhahgasya käranam, "The cause of the disruption of Rasa is no other than
inappropriateness" (Dhvany-äloka 3.14 vrtti). But if iévara and an iévari are married to one another,
then there is nothing wrong in kissing and other aspects of the romance.
What were those nights like? They are the foundation of the relish of poetical topics in a year, such
as a description of the six seasons, the moonrise, the festive occasion of drinking ice wine, etc. (i.e.
those nights became the model which writers of mahä-kävyas since the time of Bhägavatam look up
to) (Sarat-kävya-kathärasä'rayäh = faradi samvatsare197 yä kävya-kathä kavi-sambandhini kathä rtu-
$a(kädi-varnanarh candrodaya-madhu-pänotsavädi ca tasyä yo rasas tad-äSrayäh).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
While summarizing the Play of the Räsa, which occurred on the full moon night of the Sarat season,
he says that type of Play with those girls occurred on other nights too. "In this way, He served the
nights—all of them (sarväh), by the power of Yogamäyä—made resplendent by moon rays." This
means He relished the pleasure of nighttime of Vrindavan by His own amorous deeds. Because the
verbal root in the verb siseve is siv[u] (to serve), this is implied: Those nights were enhancers of the
Play, hence they ought to be enjoyed with utmost respect, not to mention the loving gestures at that
time. The usage of this verb here is like: "A devotee serves (honors) mahä-prasäda, " since it should be
understood that those loving gestures were not material. That is just what he says with satya-kämah,
"He whose loving gestures are the real thing in the highest sense satyä västava-vastu-svarüpäh käma-
viläsä yasya sah). "
Moreover: anuratäbalä-ganah. With this he says He made both Himself and those gopis take the
main role in the act of making love: "He on whom the girls made love after His act of making love (=
anu tad-ramanänantaram ratä ramapa-kartärah abalä-ganä api yatra sah)." The word abalä suggests that
the girls were not very powerful in this matter.
With ätmany avaruddha-sauratah, he says: At that time, the Lord's mind was only focused on those
love games: "He by whom everything related to sex is kept in the mind and put in place therein" (=
ätmani manasi avaruddhäh avaruddhya sthäpitäh sauratäh suratasambandhino yena sah). 'Everything'
includes bhäva (feeling) (first development of rati), häva (allurement) (rati is more apparent), bibboka
(disregard for a desired thing), kila-kificita (hysterical delight), and other alahkäras of Srhgära-rasa,
vämya (contrary mood), autsukya (eagerness), hana (joy) and other emotions, stambha (being
stunned), sveda (perspiration), vaivarnya (change of bodily color) and other sättvika-bhävas, as well as
gazing, touching, embracing and other anubhävas. The word saurata is used in that general sense in
this verse:

evarh saurata-sarhläpair bhagavän jagad-i'varah I sva-rato ramayä reme nara-lokahi

vidambayan Il

197
The gloss of farad as samvatsara (one full year) is sourced in Amarakosa.• samvatsaro vatsaro 'bdo häyano
'stri Sarat-samäh (1.4.20).
"With such conversations related to sexual enjoyment, the Lord, the controller of the universe and a
delighter in the self, had fun with Laksmi (Rukmipi) while imitating the ways of humans." (10.60.58)

In this text, the word samläpa was placed next to saurata with the intent to express a particularity,
whereas in the verse under discussion no particular aspect of saurata is meant, and so everything about
it applies.
"Krsna served all those nights." The word sarväh (all) means the nights for a whole year. What
were the nights like? Sarat-kävyakathä-rasäirayäh. "They are the source of the rasas in poetical topics
which refer to the six seasons and other things in a whole year" (= faradi sarhvatsara-madhya eva rtv-
ädikam adhikrtya ye kävya-kathärasäh sambhavanti tesäm äSrayäh), by the dictionary definition of
Sarat as: häyano 'stri Sarat-samäh (Amara-kosa). The drift is this:
The great poets, both the ancient ones and the recent ones, including Vyäsa, Paräéara, Jayadeva,
LiläSuka, Govardhanäcärya and Sri Rüpa, have referred to these nights of that whole year during
which Krsna's play in Vrindavan took place, but did not reach the end of the subject even after
describing topics and rasas, mostly Smgärarasa, in their works. Hence I have given only a synopsis
here, since I too am unable to completely describe this subject.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Having thus mentioned the Play of the Räsa, while making a summary he implies yet other pastimes
not told in that description. The word SaSähka means 'full moon'. For the sake of the Lord's Play of the
Räsa, on those nights the moon was full like the moon on the full-moon night. It was said thus by Sri
Vaiéampäyana:

evarh sa krsno gopinäm cakravälair alahkrtah I

Säradisu sa-candräsu niSäsu mumude sukhi Il

"In that way, Krspa, adorned by circles of cowherd girls, took pleasure in the moonlit nights of autumn
and became happy." (Hari-vamSa 2.20.35)

"He, the greatly enchanting connoisseur of the Räsa (sah = mahämohano räsa-rasikah) whose desires
come true and whom the girls were continuously enamored of (anuratäbalä-ganah = anu nirantararh
rato 'nuraktah abalänähi gano yasmin), acknowledged within the various aspects of sexual enjoyment
(ätmany avaruddhasauratah = svasminn svikrtarh sauratath surata-samüho lilä-viläsodreko
vä yena sah) and served, that is, affectionately put in place (siseve = tad-arthän prityä anus(hitavän),
those topics in poetical works which relate to anything within a whole year, such as a season, a month
or a day (Sarat-kävya-kathäh = faradi samvatsaramadhye yasmin rtau mäse divase vä, yäh kävyesu
kathä nirüpyante, täh)," on account of Amara's definition: häyano 'stri Sarat-samäh (Amara-kosa). Or,
the word farad is suggestive of both the power of Cupid and the beauty of the shore and so on. The rest
was explained by Sridhara Svämi.

Jiva Gosvämi
Now, while summarizing the Play of the Räsa, which occurred on the full moon night in the Sarat
season (Äévina and Kärtika). by pointing at the way the Räsa took place he implies yet other pastimes.
"He celebrated (siseve = paramädarena paricaritavän) all those nights made resplendent by the rays
of the autumn moon in this manner." The sense of autumn is included because the term Saratkävya is
stated afterward. Or, if another season is meant, He would serve the nights, whether lit or dark, by
going on a tryst, by being on a bed in a kuija, and sometimes by performing the Räsa. Or the sense is
He celebrated the nights which were made resplendent by moon rays, that is, even the nights
connected with spring, and so on, in the manner of the Räsa (evam = räsa-prakärena).
What was He like while celebrating? ätmany avaruddhasauratah, "He by whom everything related
to the girls' sexual gestures, such as bhäva and häva, is kept in the mind and put in place therein" (=
antar manasi avaruddhäh samantatah sthäpitäh sauratäh täsärh surata-sambandhino bhäva-hävädayo
yena tädrfah san). This means He was unable to abandon them anymore. The word saurata is used in
that general sense in this verse: evarh saurata-sarhläpaih... (see above).
The reason He was ätmany avaruddha-saurata is anuratäbalägam. The girls were continuously
enamored of Him (= nirantaram anuraktah abalänärh gano yasmirhs tad-vidhah). The drift is this:
Since the aspects of erotic enjoyment consisted of passion in pure love, the cause of that was only the
passion, not the lust as in the case of lusty people.
The epithet satya-käma means He did not deviate from His desire for the Räsa (= vyabhicära-
rahita-tädrfäbhiläsa&). It was said that way by Sri Vaiéampäyana: evani sa krmo gopinäm... (see
above).
Simply to show that Krsna is not under the sway of Cupid, Sridhara Svämi gave an unusual
explanation of the word saurata. This verse is a recapitulation:

vaméi-safijalpitam anuratam rädhayäntardhi-kelih prädurbhüyäsanam adhi-patam praéna-

kütottaram ca I nrtyolläsah punar api rati-kriditam väri-khelä krsnäranye viharanam iti
érimati räsa-lilä I l
(mandäkräntä)

"The Räsa-lilä is beautiful: There was the undertone of the flute, a love-filled conversation, His
disappearance with Rädhä, His reappearance, His sitting on seats consisting of their shawls, a series of
pointed questions and their answers, the revelry of dancing, the love games, the play in the water, and
the promenade in the woods near the Yamunä."

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
"With high regard, He took advantage (siseve = ädarena upacaritavän) of all those moonlit nights." His
desires and His gestures expressive of lust are transcendental (satya-kämah = satyah svarüpa-vat
päramärthikah kämo väichä smara-viläsa' ca yasya sah). After His lovemaking, the girls made love on
Him (anuratäbalü-gmgah= anu tad-ramanänantaram rato ramana-krd abalä-gano yatra sah). The secret
meaning is not obvious, in conformity with the maxim: dvyarthaih padaih pi'unayec ca rahasya-vastu,
"One should conceal a secret meaning with double-meaning words." The dual sense is the girls were
always enamored of Him. Other occurrences should be looked into that way.

10.33.27-28

räjoväca301 samsthäpanäya dharmasya praiamäyetarasya ca I avatirno hi

bhagavän arilSena jagad-iSvarah I l sa katharh dharma-setünärh vaktä kartäbhiraksitä I
pratipam äcarad brahman para-däräbhimarianam Il
301 Sri-pariksid uväca (BBT edition).
räjä uväca—the king said; samsthäpanäya—for the establishment; dharmasya—of moral standards;
prasamäya—for the diminution; itarasya—of the other (adharma); ca—and; avatirnah—descended; hi
—indeed; bhagavän—the Lord; amsena—with a partial manifestation of Godhead; jagat-ijvarah—the
controller of the universe; sah—He; katham—how?; dharma-setünäm—of the bridges (principles) of
moral standards; vaktä—the enunciator; kartä—the maker (the institutor); abhirak$itä—the protector;
pratipam—in the opposite way; äcarat—he behaved; brahman—O Brähmana; para— of others; dära—
of the wives; abhimarianam—the fondling.

räjä uväca—brahman! bhagavän jagad-iSvarah dharmasya sarhsthäpanäya itarasya prasamäya ca

arhfena avatirpah. sah dharma-setünäm vaktä kartä abhirak$itä (san) pratiparh paradäräbhimarianam
katham äcarat.

The king said: "O Brähmapa, indeed the Lord, the controller of the universe, descended with an amsa
to establish dharma and to diminish adharma. How could He, the enunciator, the institutor and the
protector of the principles of dharma fondle the wives of other men? This is the exact opposite.

Sridhara Svämi
"He did (äcarat = krtavän) an unrighteous thing, the exact opposite (pratipam = pratikülädharmam)."
That was not just of breach of dharma, as in smoking tobacco, rather it was a great deviation. This is
exactly what he says with para-däräbhimarfanam (fondling the wives of others).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Perceiving that the karmis, the jöänis and some others in the assembly who had material concepts of
life had doubts, Parik$it inquires from Sukadeva to dispel them.
The word amia denotes Baladeva. Or the sense is: The controller of the universe, Visnu, exists as
an arhSa.
"How could He do an unrighteous thing, the exact opposite
(pratipam = pratikülam adharmam)? If you say that Krsna can do this because He is God and can act
as He likes, He should also accept the sinful reaction, just like He acknowledged a Brahmana's curse
and sometimes accepts the result." (Bhrgu cursed Visnu to feel separation from His wife.) This is a
rebuke, and is one question.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Under the pretext of having a doubt, the king inquires from Bädaräyani to dispel the confusion of non-
Vaisnavas about the Play of the Räsa. The word amia denotes Baladeva.
Ultimately, dharma means bhakti, for it is said that way in: dharmo mad-bhakti-krt proktah,
"Dharma is what is conducive to devotional service to Me" (11.19.27).

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) Under the pretext of having a doubt, the king inquires to dispel the doubts
of some persons about the Play of the Räsa. The Lord descends on Earth to reestablish the dharma
which had been forgotten and to uphold the dharma currently put in practice. Not only that, He comes
to uproot both adharma and all the subconscious tendencies related to it, otherwise establishing
dharma could not be accomplished. The word hi means prasiddham (this is well known; indeed),
because of statements such as: dharmasarhsthäp_anärthäya sambhämi yuge yuge, "I take birth in every
Yuga to establish moral principles" (Gitä 4.8).
The gist of the vocative brahman (O Brähmana) is this: "O embodied form of the Vedas! Because
He transgressed the codes of the Vedas, by acting contrary to dharma, He has in fact neglected
Brähmanas such as you. That is wrong on His part, since He is brahmanya-deva. "
(The rest is by Jiva Gosvämi.) The pun is this: sa katham pratipam para-däräbhimarfanam äcarat,
"How could He possibly do the opposite, the fondling of the best wives?" He could not possibly do
that, meaning this cannot possibly be contrary to dharma, because those wives are actually His
ladyloves, who are forms of His highest potency (para-däräbhimarianam = pare parama-sva-iakti-rüpä
ye däräh sviya-ramanyas tad-abhimarSanam).

10.33.29

äpta-kämo 198 yadu-patih krtavän vai jugupsitam I kim-abhipräya etan nah SarhSayam
chindhi suvrata Il

äpta-kämah—He whose material desires were achieved; yadupatih—the master of the Yadus; krtavän
—He did; vai—indeed; jugupsitam—a contemptible thing; kim-abhipräyah—He who has a bad
intent199200; etam—this (the doubt) (or etat); nah our; Sam'ayam— doubt; chindhi—please cut; su-vrata
—O you whose vow is superb.

suvrata! (sah) äpta-kämah (api) yadu-patih vai kim-abhipräyah (san) jugupsitam etat (karma) krtavän.
(tvam etarh) nah Sarh'ayarh chindhi (iti).

"He is an äpta-käma and the chief of the Yadus. Having a bad intent, He did a contemptible thing. O
upholder of a good vow, dispel this doubt of ours."

Sridhara Svämi
"If this is not adharma on the part of an äpta-käma, then, if He has no material desire, with what
intention (kim abhipräyah = kena abhipräyena) did He do such a reprehensible act?"

Vallabhäcärya
"He, who had what intention (kim-abhipräyah = kah abhipräyo yasya), did this contemptible thing
(etan = etat)? Dispel this (etan — etam) doubt of ours. "

198
ätmärämo (Vijayadhva Tirtha's reading).
199
The sense of rebuke is ordained by rule: kimah ksepe (A$tädhyäyi
200
.4.70).
Viévanätha Cakravarti
"If this is not adharma on the part of Parameévara, with what intention (kim abhipräyah = kena
abhipräyena) did He do such a reprehensible act? (jugupsitam etat = ninditam idam)." The purport of
the term äpta-käma is this: "Do not give me an answer like: 'He did it to fulfill His material desire."'
In case Sukadeva were to answer: "In this descent, this type of contemptible behavior can be
done," he says: yadu-patih. The sense is: "If He is the chief of the Yadus, who are the most dharmic
persons on Earth, how could it happen?"
The gist of nah (our) is this: "Not only I have this doubt, because it is not quite understood that
although He is an äpta-käma and although He is an ätmäräma, He eagerly has fun with those girls
whose nature is premänananda (the bliss of love)." The significance of the vocative suvrata is this: "By
seeing that even you, who are wholly dedicated to good behavior, were completely absorbed in this
supposedly dubious pastime, some people here have been doubting."

Sanätana Gosvämi
The sense of suvrata is: "0 you who are fixed in brahmacarya, what He did is contrary to the way you
and others like you behave." Or the gist is: "O you who are fixed in sad-äcära, if you cannot reconcile
this, then the good conduct that you and others approve will come to an end."
The pun is this (kim-abhipräyah means kim abhi präyah): He is the master of the Yadus, that is, of
the devotees. This means sometimes He deviates from dharma to show mercy to devotees. "Did He do
a contemptible deed?" (jugupsitam kim krtavän). Not at all. He did something which all the devotees
approve of. How so? He is an äpta-käma, that is, He fulfilled His desire to perform the Räsa, in order
to expand prema-bhakti to Him. "Dispel this doubt of ours for the most part (präyah). Not all of us
here have this doubt. Some are great devotees. Dispel this doubt in such a way that there is no fear
(abhi = abhaymh yathä syät tathä)."

10.33.30

I
Il
Sri-Suka uväca dharma-vyatikramo dr$(a
i'varänäm ca sähasam I tejiyasäm na doyäya vahneh
a-åq-«i
sarva-bhujo yathä Il

Sri-Sukah uväca—Sri Suka said; dharma-vyatikramah—the transgression of moral principles;

seen; iSvaränäm—of powerful controllers; ca—and; sähasam—a rash act (or rashly);
tejiyasäm—of those who have more power (than ordinary souls have); na—is not; d0$äya—conducive
to a fault; vahneh—of fire; sarva-bhujah—which consumes everything; yathä—like.

Sri-Sukah uväca—ifvaränäm ca dharma-vyatikramah dr$tah, sähasam (ca dr$tam, kintu) yathä vahneh
sarva-bhujah (sarvabhuktam apävitryäya na bhavati, tathä sah tat ca tesähl) tejiyasäm d0$äya na
(bhavati).
Sri Suka replied: A violation of dharma by the gods too is seen, and so is a rash act. No fault attaches
to such fiery individuals, just like fire does not become contaminated even by consuming everything.

Sridhara Svämi
To exclude God, by the logical reasoning of kaimutika (much less in His case), he talks in a general
way about what the greats sometimes do. "A rash deed is also seen (ca sähasam = sähasam ca dry(am),
but for them, including Brahmä, Indra, Soma, Viévämitra and others, that is not conducive to a fault."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Even though the iévaras, including Siva, commit adharma, they do not suffer the consequences, so
what need be said about Him, who is Parameévara? Sukadeva answers Parik$it's first question in six
verses. "An unrighteous act (dharma-vyatikramah = adharmah) of the iévaras too (i'varänärh ca =
i'varänäm api) is seen, and is caused by rashness (sähasam = sähasa-hetukah), yet it does not cause an
inconvenience for them, just like everything consumed by a fire does not make the fire impure."

10.33.31

naitat samäcarej jätu manasäpi hy ani'varah I vinaSyaty äcaran maudhyäd yathärudro

'bdhi-jam visam I l

na—not; etat—this; samäcaret—should carry out; jätu—at any time; manasä—mentally; api—even; hi
—because; aniSvarah—one who is not a god; vinaiyati—perishes; äcaran—doing; maudhyät—out of
foolishness; yathä—like; arudrah—one who is not Rudra; abdhijam—produced from the Ocean; visam
—the poison.

aniSvarah (janah) etat manasä api na jätu samäcaret, hi maudhyät (etad) äcaran vinaSyati, yathä
arudrah (janah) abdhi-jam visam (bhak$ayan vinaSyati).

Someone who is not a god should never try to do this, even mentally, otherwise that person, acting out
of foolishness, would perish, just like if someone who is not Siva were to consume the poison
produced from the Milk Ocean, he or she would collapse.

Sridhara Svämi
Then someone might do this, by the logic in yad yad äcarati Sre"hah, "What great men do, others do
too" (Gitä 3.21). Sukadeva responds to that here. The term aniSvara denotes anyone who depends on
the body and so on.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The term aniSvara denotes any lowly jiva. Someone who is not Rudra would at once perish upon
consuming poison, whereas Rudra had a beautiful blueness on his throat as a result.
Sanätana Gosvämi
A god would not perish. On the contrary he would only be resplendent by manifesting a special type of
aiSvarya, much like Mahädeva became splendid by having a blue throat.

10.33.32

ijvaränäm vacah satyam tathaiväcaritam kvacit I tesäm yat sva-vaco-yuktahl

buddhimäms tat samäcaret Il

i'varänäm—of a powerful controller; vacah—the word (the words, the precept); satyam—true; tathä
eva—just like that (true); äcaritam—the conduct; kvacit—sometimes; tesäm—of them (the i'varas);
yat—which; sva-vacah—to their own precept; yuktam— conformable; buddhimän—one who has
intelligence; tat—that; samäcaret—should put in practice.

iSvaräpäm vacah satyam (bhavati. tesäm) äcaritam (tu) kvacit tathä eva (bhavati). tesäm (i'varänähi)
yat (äcaritmh) sva-vaco-yuktmh (bhavati), buddhimän tat samäcaret.

A precept enunciated by a god-like person is true, whereas their conduct is sometimes like that. If the
conduct is consistent with their precept, an intelligent person should put that conduct in practice.

Sridhara Svämi
Then how can the good behavior of the greats be authoritative? He answers here. What the Iévaras say
is true, hence one should do as they say. Their conduct, however, is sometimes true. Therefore one
should do whatever is consistent with the iévara's statement (tesäm yat sva-vaco-yuktam buddhimäms
tat samäcaret = sva-vaco-yuktam tesähi vacasä yad yad yuktam aviruddham, tat tad eväcaret).

Viévanätha Cakravarti
Then how can the good behavior of the greats be authoritative? He answers here. What the iévaras say
is beneficial for good people (satyam = sadbhyo hitam). Their conduct is sometimes like that, as in the
case of Rämacandra. Therefore, this is the rule of thumb: One should put in practice what is non-
contradictory.
In point of buddhimän, the sense: Not only must the conduct to follow not contradict the iévara's
precepts, the person should think before acting. For example, although Krsna told Arjuna to kill
Äévatthämä: tad asau vadhyatäm päpa ätatäyy ätma-bandhu-hä, "He should be killed. He is a sinner, a
murderer and the killer of your relatives" (1.7.39), Arjuna did not follow His order. (Arjuna let
Draupadi decide Äévatthämä's fate. Süta says Krsna was actually testing Arjuna's knowledge of
dharma.)

Jiva Gosvämi
Their precept (vacah = äjiä) should be accepted as authoritative (satyam = prämänyena grähyam). The
conduct to follow should not contradict their precept. The word sva (own) implies this: The precept
becomes stronger because the iévaras do not deviate from it. In point of buddhimän, the sense is the
person should think before acting, otherwise the person is not intelligent.

10.33.33

kuSaläcaritenai$äm iha svärtho na vidyate I viparyayena vänartho nirahahkärinäm prabho

Il

kuSala—good; äcaritena—by conduct; e$äm—in their case; iha—here (in this world); sva-arthah—
selfish benefit; na vidyate—does not exist; viparyayena—by the opposite; vä—or; anarthah—bad
thing; nirahahkärinäm—who are egoless; prabho—O mighty monarch.

prabho! nirahahkärinäm e;äm (i'varänäm) kuialäcaritena iha (loke) svärthah na vidyate, viparyayena vä
anarthah (na bhavati).

God-like persons, who are egoless, have no selfish motive to fulfill in this world by behaving properly
and do not suffer bad repercussions by behaving improperly, O mighty monarch,

Sridhara Svämi
"Then why do they do a rash deed?" He speaks in that regard. That sort of deed is nothing but a
discharge of prärabdha-karma.

Sanätana Gosvämi
They have no gain (arthah = phalam) to fulfill in this life nor in the next (ca = amutra api) (in the
reading cärtho instead of svärtho).201The word vä (or) functions like a conjunction: They do not suffer
bad consequences either (vä anarthah = anartho'pi na asti). Why? They are egoless, that is, they are not
smeared by karma (because the motive is not selfish). (The intelligence is not entangled: yasya
nähahkrto bhävo buddhir yasya na lipyate, Gitä 18.17.)
The vocative prabho (mighty monarch) signifies "O you who are able to understand." The drift is:
"You already understand all of this." Or, he calls him prabhu to imply that Parik$it is an iSvara (god-
like person).

Vijayadhvaja Tirtha
Here he expounds upon the phrase na do,yäya (is not conducive to a fault) in verse 30.

10.33034

kim utäkhila-sattvänähl tiryah-martya-divaukasäm I iSitus: ceiitavyänäm

kuSaläkuSalänvayah Il
201
The reading cärtho is accepted by Vira-Räghava and Vijayadhvaja Tirtha.
kim uta—much less; akhila-sattvänäm—of all beings; tiryak— animals; martya—humans; diva-
okasäm—and of those whose abode is the heavens; i'utuh—of the controller; ca—too; i'itavyänäm—of
those who are to be controlled; kuSala—with piety; akuSala—and impiety; anvayah—a connection.

(yadi) iSitavyänäm (jivänäm nirahahkärbgähl) kuSaläkuSalänvayah (na vidyate, tarhi) tiryah-martya-

divaukasäm akhila-sattvänäm iSituh (krsnasya) ca (kuSaläkuSalänvayah na vidyate, iti) kim uta
(vaktavyam).

God-like persons, who are subject to God's control, have no connection with either a selfish benefit or
a bad repercussion, much less God Himself. He governs all beings: animals, mortals and celestials.

Sridhara Svämi
He talks about the actual subject matter. The phrase na vidyate is carried forward from the previous
verse. The sense of kim uta (= kith punar) fits as follows: kuSaläkuSalänvayo na vidyata iti kim punar
vaktavyam (They neither have a connection with good nor a connection with bad, so what more need
be said about Him?).

Srinätha Pandita
If all that applies to those who are iSvara in a general way, what need be said about Sri Krsqa, who is
the iévara of i'varas? By good conduct or by bad conduct, Sri Krsna has neither a selfish motive nor a
bad feedback (kuSaläkuSalänvayah = kuSaläkuSaläcaranena arthänarthau). This right here is the
philosophical conclusion.

Sanätana Gosvämi
(Additions by Jiva Gosvämi are underlined.) In this verse which begins with kim uta, he strengthens
his point by the logical reasoning of kaimutika (much less in His case). Krsna is the controller of all
living beings. The animals, the mortals and the celestials represent tamo-guna, rajo-guna and sattva-
guna respectively.
Those who are to be governed, by nature, including the liberated souls. and who have no negative
feedback insofar as they are egoless have neither a connection with piety nor a connection with sinful
reactions (ku'aläku'alänvayah = kuSaläkuSale punya-päpe täbhyäm anvayah samparkah), much less He
(kim uta = sutaräm eva) (so 'nvayah kim uta sutaräm eva na vidyate). The words na vidyate are carried
forward from the previous verse. This is because, as the one who governs all beings, no one controls
Him, hence He is completely independent. This indeed is Godhood. Amara's definition of kimuta is:
balavat susthu kimuta sv aty ativa ca nirbhare, "The words balavat, sus(hu, kimuta, su, ati, and ativa
have the sense of nirbhara (very much)" (Amara-kosa 3.4.2).
There is another explanation: iSitavyänärh tad-bhaktänäm ca kim uta (If this is so in the case of the
Lord, it applies to His devotees too).
10.33.35

yat-päda-pahkaja-paräga-niseva-trptä yoga-prabhäva-vidhutäkhila-karma-
bandhäh I svairarh caranti munayo 'pi na nahyamänäs tasyecchayätta-vapusah kuta
eva bandhah Il (vasanta-tilakä)

yat—of whom; päda-pahkaja—of the lotus feet; paräga—of the pollen (the dust); niseva—who have
the service; trptäh—are satisfied; yoga-prabhäva—by means of the power of yoga; vidhuta— was
shaken off; akhila-karma-bandhäh—by whom all bondage of karma; svairam—at will; caranti—they
act; munayah—sages; api— too; na—not; nahyamänäh—getting tied up; tasya—His; icchayä— at
will; ätta-vapusah—by whom a body was taken; kutah—where'?; eva—at all: bandhah—bondage.

yat-päda-pahkaja-paräga-ni$eva-trptäh yoga-prabhävavidhutäkhila-karma-bandhäh munayah api

svairath caranti (tathä) nahyamänäh na (bhavanti), icchayä ätta-vapusah tasya (krsnasya) kutah eva
bandhah (syät).

The sages too, who are satisfied in serving the pollen of His lotus feet and by whom the entire bondage
of karma was shaken off by the power of Yoga, do as they like without getting entangled, so how could
He, who takes a body by His will, possibly be in bondage?

Sridhara Svämi
In this verse he gives a twist on the kaimutika-nyäya. Moreover, the devotees and the jiänis are
mentioned. The devotees are satisfied by serving the pollen of His lotus feet, and the sages, the jiänis,
do not get bondage (na nahyamänäh = bandhanam apräptavantah).
The word niseva stands for nisevana. Or it is the last word in an inner bahuvrihi compound: The
devotees serve the pollen of His lotus feet and are satisfied (yat-päda-pahkaja-paräga-ni$eva-trptäh =
yasya päda-pahkaja-paräge nisevä yesäm te ca te trptäst ceti bhaktäh).

Srinätha Pandita
Here Sukadeva means to say: The Lord did not commit adultery. The words yä gopyah (the cowherd
girls) are added: "Because (yat = yasmät) the gopis had taken a body by His will
(tasyecchayättavapusah Sri-krsnasya icchayä grhita-dehäh), were satisfied by the service of the dust
(paräga = rajah) of the kuhkuma on their breasts which clung to His lotus feet (päda-pahkaja = päda-
pahkajalagna) and had all their bondage of karma dissipated by the power of union (yoga = samyoga)
with Krspa, how could they possibly be in bondage? The sages too do as they like and are not bound."
Or the adjective yoga-prabhäva-vidhütäkhila-karma-bandhäh modifies munayah. Hence these girls are
not the wives of other men. Rather, they are Krsna's potency of änanda.
Viévanätha Cakravarti
Here he says: His devotees too are bound neither by dharma nor by adharma. "The devotees too, by
whom the bondage of karma of everyone who looks at them is nullified by the power of bhakti-yoga,
to say nothing of their own bondage (yoga-prabhäva-vidhutäkhilakarma-bandhäh yogo bhakti-yogas
tat-prabhävena vidhuto 'khilänätiz sva-dras!inäm api karma-bandhah, kim uta svasya, yais te), and who
have the habit of pondering (munayo 'pi = mananaSilä bhaktä api), do not get bondage (na
nahyamänäh = bandham apräpnuvantah). They are satisfied by continuously serving (niseva = nitarärii
sevana) the pollen of the lotus feet of Him by whom the bodies of the women of others were taken by
His own free will (icchayä ätta-vapusah = nirahkuSayä svecchayä eva ättäni svikrtäni vapüm$i para-
stri-Sariräni yena tasya)."

Jiva Gosvämi
He clearly demonstrates the same conclusion with another kaimutya. The word yat, connected with
tasya in the last line, stands for yasya and also applies to the compound which begins yoga-prabhäva.
Thus yat is a separate word, and its case ending was deleted due to the meter.
"The sages, who are satisfied by continuously serving (niseva = nitaräm sevanena), by the practice
of meditation, the resplendent atomic particles of splendor of whose lotus feet—this means the sages
are full of love for Him and their intelligence has had enough of everything else—and the entire
bondage of whose karma was dispelled by the power of the Yoga related to whom (yasya), that is, by
the power of the sädhana called bhakti-yoga, wander about at will (svairam = svacchandam yathä syät
tathä), doing prescribed actions and unprescribed actions, and are not bound in that (na nahyamänäh =
tatra nahyamänäS ca na bhavanti), how could He, therefore, possibly have bondage?" He does not
have any.
Having thus made the same point with kaimutya, he illustrates, by the strength of a modifier, that
He has no bondage: icchayä. Only by His will (= icchä-mätrena), not by the force of karma as in the
case of jivas, He brought a body into the material world because of a connection with bhakti (ätta-
vapu$ah — ättarh tad-bhaktisambandhät prapafice 'py änitam vapur yena tasya). For this reason, He
sometimes transgresses etiquette, as in His defeating Durväsä in order to do a favor to Ambarisa, a
special devotee.

10.33.36

gopinähi tat-patinäm ca sarve$äm eva dehinäm I yo 'ntaS carati so 'dhyak$ah kridaneneha

deha-bhäk Il

gopinäm—of the cowherd girls; tat-patinäm—of their husbands; ca— and; sarvesäm—all; eva—
without exception; dehinäm—of embodied souls; yah—who; antah—the inside (the heart); carati—
occupies: sah—He; adhyaksah—the witness; kridanena—as entertainment; iha—here (in this world);
deha-bhäk—has a body.
gopinäm tat-patinäm ca sarveyäm eva dehinäm (ca) yah antah carati, sah adhyaksah kridanena iha
deha-bhäk (bhavati).

He who occupies the hearts of the gopis and of their husbands, nay, of all embodied souls is the
internal witness and has assumed a body in this world for entertainment.
Sridhara Svämi
Having acknowledged that the gopis are wives of other cowherds, he refutes it. Now he says: In the
case of the Lord, the inner Soul in everyone, there is no such as thing as adultery. "He who occupies
their inside and is the witness of everyone's intelligence, etc., is the same one who assumed a body as
entertainment (yo 'ntas: caraty adhyakso buddhy-ädi-säk$i, sa eva kridanena deha-bhäk).
He is not like any one of us. If He were, a fault could be attributed to Him."

Viévanätha Cakravarti
By considering all that, given that He is the inner witness in everyone it cannot be said that someone is
completely distinct from the Lord. The gist is: He occupies their inside, so what is the fault in
embracing them outside? He is the witness of their intelligence, etc., so what is the fault in looking at
their bodies outwardly in private?
"In the region of Vraja (iha = vraja-mandale), because of the entertainment (kridanena = kridanena
hetunä) He served the bodies of gopis (deha-bhäk = dehän gopi-Sariräni bhajate sevate) by wiping off
the perspiration brought about by the exertion of love."

Sanätana Gosvämi
Thus, the gopis are definitely not the wives of others. To accomplish His status as Paramätmä, the
phrase sarvesäm eva dehinäm is added.
He assumed the manifestation of His divine body (deha-bhäk — nija-Sri-mürti-praka!akah) as a
pastime, or because of entertainment, that is, for the sake of entertainment (kridanena = lilayä, kith vä
kridanena hetunä, kridärtham).

Jiva Gosvämi
Even after acknowledging that the gopis are wives of other cowherds, the fault is repudiated. Such
being the case, the label of being unchaste women does not go away. Thus they might end up being
condemned. Unable to tolerate this, Sukadeva breaks to pieces the idea that the gopis are the wives of
other men.
Sridhara Svämi explains the verse. In his commentary, the witness of everyone's intelligence is
Paramätmä. Consequently, no one is completely distinct from Him, hence who at all might be the
wives of others? That said, Krsna does not accept every woman as His wife.

10.33.37

anugrahäya bhaktänäm mänwam deham ästhitah I bhajate tädrSih kridä yäh Srutvä tat-
paro bhavet Il

anugrahäya—to show favor; bhaktänäm—to His devotees; mänusam—human; deham—a body;

ästhitah—assuming; bhajate— He does; tädrSih—that kind; kridäh—adventures; yäh—which; Srutvä
—hearing; tat-parah—dedicated to Him; bhavet—one might become.
(sah) bhaktänäm anugrahäya mänusam deham ästhitah (san) tädrSih kridäh bhajate, (janah) yäh
(kridäh) Srutvä tat-parah bhavet.

{athavä: (sah) bhaktänäm anugrahäya tädrjih kridäh bhajate, yäh Srutvä mänusam deham ästhitah
(jivah) tat-parah bhavet. }

Having assumed a human body to show favor to devotees, He has the kind of adventures hearing about
which a person becomes dedicated to Him.

Sridhara Svämi
"Still, why would an äpta-käma engage in something which is going to be criticized?" He responds
here. The tenor is: He does that to make those whose minds are attracted to Srhgära-rasa dedicated to
Him, even if they are adverse outsiders.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
This verse is the answer to the second question: "What was His intention in doing a contemptible
deed? (verse 29)."
"To show favor to devotees, He has the kind of adventures hearing about which a soul, anyone
who has a material body (mänusam deham ästhitah = mänusam deham äjrito jivah), becomes a
believer in Him (tat-parah = tad-visayakah = 'raddhävän)."
Since this entertainment, consisting of madhura-rasa, is entirely distinct from other types of
entertainment, it's understood that it has some inconceivable power like that of gems, mantras or
medicine. Thus, the main motive is to make those who have a human body be qualified for krsna-
bhakti.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Here he elaborates on the last clause in the previous verse: kridaneneha deha-bhäk. This is the answer
to the second question. He manifests a human form to show favor to devotees, in light of His
statement: mad-bhaktänäm vinodärtharh karomi vividhäh kriyäh, "I do diverse actions to delight My
devotees'• (Padma Puräna). The gopis are His principal devotees.
The word tat in tat-parah refers to Bhagavän: A soul becomes dedicated to Him. As a pun, it can
also refer to either bhakta (devotees) or kridä (entertainment).
Or, the connection is: mänwam deham äSritah sarvo 'pi jivas tatparo bhavet (hearing about which a
soul, anyone who has a material body, becomes dedicated to Him).

Jiva Gosvämi
Someone might wonder: "Why would He, an äpta-käma, get involved in an amusement, especially
since He is criticized by people who only see externally?" He responds: bhaktänäm anugrahäya. This
is because of the Lord's statement in Padma Puräna: mad-bhaktänärh vinodärtham... (see above).
"He assumed a human body." Although He is the substratum of all, as Brahman, He assumed
Himself. Thus it is shown that He, who has the nature of Para-Brahman, is the highest shelter. This has
been said: dasame dasamam lak$yam äSritäSraya-vigraham, "In the Tenth Canto, the tenth topic is
defined: He is a shelter for those who are surrendered" (Bhävärtha-dipikä 10.1.1, mahgaläcarana 2).
An explanation is in the Bhagavad Upanisad: brahmano hi prati$thäham, "because I am the basis of
Brahman" (Gitä 14.27). In the reading ästhitah instead of äSritah, the sense is the same, with added
respect. At any rate, it should not be said that He only now made His body by His will and assumed it.
Or, the connection is: mänusarh deham äSritah sarvo 'pi jivas tatparo bhavet (hearing about which
a soul, anyone who has a material body, becomes dedicated to Him).
Thus it is stated that the cause is His utter compassion. Nonetheless, it should be understood that
He shows favor to anyone who has a connection with bhajana (service to God). The rest was explained
by Sridhara Svämi. In his commentary, the mention of outsiders is meant to be at the end. The words
"those whose minds are attracted to Srhgära-rasa" should be explained in the other meaning: the gopis.
There is another rendering. Someone might wonder, "Let Him have fun secretly in that way, but
what is the use of revealing this to materialistic people?" Sukadeva answers: "To show mercy to the
devotees in the world, He inhabits the Earth," which is an aspect of the body of Virät dehmh
martya-loka-rüpmil viräddehämSam äiritah, tatra prakato 'bhüt). The word 'body' is used on account of
this text of Sruti: yasya prthivi Sariram, "whose body is the Earth" (Brhad-äranyaka Upani$ad 3.7.3).
Since tat-parah bhavet is in the singular, the subject, the antecedent of tat-parah, cannot be the
devotees, because they are mentioned in the plural. Adding a word to make another explanation is
cumbersome. From the context, the subject should be bhagavän (the Lord). Thus, "He has the kind of
amusements hearing about which He Himself becomes dedicated to them." Whenever He hears about
them, He develops a liking for them.

10.33.38

näsüyan khalu krsnäya mohitäs tasya mäyayä I manyamänäh sva-pärjva-sthän svän svän därän
vrajaukasah I l

na äsüyan—did not feel resentment202 • khalu—indeed (an ornamentation of the sentence); knnäya—
toward Krsna; mohitäh— bewildered; tasya mäyayä—by His illusory energy; manyamänäh— while
thinking; sva-pär'va—at their side; sthän—situated; svän svän—respective; därän—wives; vraja-
okasah—those whose residence was the cowherd village.

vrajaukasah (janäh) tasya (krsnasya) mäyayä mohitäh, (atah) svän svän därän sva-pärSva-sthän
manyamänäh knnäya khalu na äsüyan.

The cowherd men did not resent Knoa: Bewildered by His power of illusion, they thought that their
respective wives were at their sides.

Sridhara Svämi
"Others too deviate from proper conduct and commit adultery in order to make people dedicated to
them. " He answers here: näsüyan. The gist is it's understood that a person who does that in the
absence of such ai'varya will suffer the sinful reaction.

The verb äsüyan is a simple past tense form of the kandv-ädi root asu upatäpe (to envy). The affix ya[k]
202

is added by the
rule: kandv-ädibhyo yak (Astädhyäyi 3.1.27); kandv-ädibhyo yak karoty-arthe (Hari-
nämämrtavyäkarana 618).
Viévanätha Cakravarti
The cowherds were bewildered by Mäyä, that is, by Yogamäyä, not by the Mäyä which is His external
potency, because the latter has no jurisdiction over the associates of the Lord inasmuch as it only
bewilders those who are adverse to Him. It is not seen anywhere that those cowherds were inimical to
Him. On the night when the gopis set out to meet Krsna, Yogamäyä created as many replicas as there
were gopis and showed them to the cowherd men. Consequently: svän svän därän sva-pärSva-sthän
manyamänäh (the men thought that their wives were at their sides). It is mentioned in Ujjvalanilamani:

mäyä-kalpita-tädrk-stri-jilanenänasüyabhih I na jätu vraja-devinähl patibhih saha

sahgamah Il

"The gopis never had intercourse with their husbands, who did not resent KNOa because they
continuously were with women of that sort created by Mäyä." (3.32)

Even the gopis who were the replicas created by Yogamäyä did not have intercourse with their
husbands: They only had the conceit that they are their wives. That conceit was truly real, because
Yogamäyä is a function of the transcendental energy. Hence it is said here: sva-pärSva-sthän (situated
at their sides), and not sva-talpa-sthän (situated on their beds). It's understood that the duplication was
the work of Yogamäyä because their husbands did not feel lust toward their wives. It's also understood
that when the real gopis returned home, Yogamäyä made the replicas disappear.

Sanätana Gosvämi
If the Lord performs pastimes to show favor to devotees, how did He show favor to the gopis'
husbands, considering that those men might resent Krsna for taking their wives? This verse is the
answer.

Jiva Gosvämi
"They were bewildered by His Yogamäyä and thought that their wives were at their sides." The word
khalu has the sense of nijcaya (certainly, indeed): Because the men reside in the cowherd village, they
did not resent Krsna.
Similarly, in the thirty-second chapter in Kürma Puräna, this is said: When Sitä understood that
Rävana had disguised himself as an ascetic with the intent to kidnap her, she prayed to Agni by
remembering Räma. Then Agni made a replica of Sitä and made the real one disappear. The replica is
the Sitä whom Rävana kidnapped and held captive. Later, after Räma had defeated Rävana, He
returned to Ayodhyä. There, to reassure everyone that Sitä was pure, He made her enter the fire as a
test. The fake Sitä entered the fire: Agni burned that form and showed the real Sitä to Räma. They
were thus reunited.
Still, a second syntactical construction of the verse must be made to account for the fact,
mentioned in the scriptures, that the gopis are Krsna's wives. And that is as follows: tasya mäyayä
mohitäh santas te tasya därän svän svän manyamänäh sva-pärSva-sthärhS ca manyamänäh krsnäya
näsüyan, "Bewildered by Krsna's Mäyä, that is, by His Yogamäyä, the men, thinking that their
respective wives were His and were at their sides, did not resent Him."
10.33.39

brahma-rätra upävrtte väsudevänumoditäh I anicchantyo yayur gopyah sva-grhän

bhagavat-priyäh Il

brahma-rätre—when a night of Brahmä; upävrtte—had passed; väsudeva—by Krsna; anumoditäh—

permitted (or allowed); anicchantyah—unwilling; yayuh—went; gopyah—the cowherd girls; sva-
grhän—to their homes; bhagavat-priyäh—beloveds of the Lord.

brahma-rätre upävrtte (sati) gopyah bhagavat-priyäh väsudevänumoditäh anicchantyah (api) sva-grhän

yayuh.

When a night of Brahmä had passed, the cowherd girls, who were dear to the Lord, returned to their
homes, though relunctantly, with the approval of Väsudeva.

Sridhara Svämi
"When sunrise was about two hours away" (brahma-rätre = brähme muhürte) (upävrtte = präpte).

Srinätha Pandita
"When brähma-muhürta arrived, after many nights had passed. . .

Viévanätha Cakravarti
In the word brahma-rätre, the end of the compound is poetic license.3(h "When a night of Brahmä
(brahma-rätre = brahmano rätrau), which measures one thousand Yugas, had passed one time (upävrtte
= upa ädhikyena ävrtte ekäm ävrttihi gate sati), the gopis went back home."
Krsna desired: "All these pastimes of singing and dancing, etc., in the Räsa have to be done in one
night." The time required for that to happen turned out to be one thousand Yugas. Because the Lord's
will comes true, one thousand Yugas entered within a single twelve-hour night. This inconceivable
compression of time compares with the fact that within the area of Vrindavan, which measures five
yojanas (or forty miles), Brahmä saw universes which measure five hundred million yojanas during
the pastime of his theft of Krsna's cows. Or this compares with the universe seen in Krsna's interior by
Yasodä. Therefore one should not think that the Räsa dance could not possibly last for such a long
time. This is stated in Bhägavatämrta:

atah prabhoh priyäpäm ca dhämnaS ca samayasya ca I avicintya-prabhävatväd atra kim ca

na durgha(am Il

"By the power of the Lord's inconceivable energy, nothing is impossible for Him, His dear devotees,
His abode, or the time of His pastimes." (Laghu-bhägavatämrta 1.5.515)

The word väsudevänumoditäh indicates that Krsna advised the gopis, "To assure the success of these
pastimes, you and I should keep our love secret." Or, the name Väsudeva denotes the presiding
306 By rule, the word rätri becomes rätra at the end of a compound only if the first word is varsä, dirgha, sahkhyäta, sarva,
or punya, or if it is expressive of a part of the night, or if it is an indeclinable, or if it is a numeral: varsä-dirgha-sailkhyäta-
sarva-punyaika-dejävyaya-sahkhyäbhyo rätreh (Hari-nämämrta-vyäkarana 1()68); ahah-sarvaika-deia-samkhyätapunyäc ca
rätreh (A$(ädhyäyi 5.4.87).
deity of consciousness: He sent the gopis home after creating in the girls the rise of embarrassment and
fear of their elders. Therefore it was only with great reluctance, because separation from the lover is
hard to tolerate, that the young women returned home.

Sanätana Gosvämi
Väsudeva is the presiding deity of consciousness. Or, Väsudeva is Krsna as the son of Nanda, who was
a Vasu in his previous life. That is, Nanda, who was Drona, shone among the Vasus (vasu$u as(äsu
divyatiti vasudevo vasu-pravaro drona-rüpah Sri-nandah). Thus, although they were permitted
(anumoditäh = anujiätäh) by Krsna, they were reluctant, but still they went back to their respective
homes (sva-grhän = sva-sva-grham). Alternatively, the gopis had been continuously delighted
(anumoditäh = anu nirantaram moditäh harsitäh) by Him, and so they were reluctant.
Why did they return home? bhagavat-priyäh. The sense is they noticed that He would be pleased
that way.

Jiva Gosvämi
How could He possibly permit them to depart? And how could they possibly leave without Him? The
answer is bhagavat-priyäh, which means either bhagavän eva priyo yäsäDz täh (they for whom the
Lord is dear) or bhagavatah preyasyah (the Lord's beloveds). Thus, the gopis can tolerate sorrow, but
they would never cause Him any inconvenience. Another reason is that although a gentleman is
controlled by his ladylove, it is seen that sometimes the woman has to go to maintain her bashfulness,
the etiquette, her compliant nature, and so on.

10.33.40

vikriditam vraja-vadhübhir idam ca vi$tgoh

Sraddhänvito 'nu+nuyäd atha varnayed yah I

bhaktim paräm bhagavati pratilabhya kämam hrd-rogam äSv apahinoty acirena dhirah Il
(vasanta-tilakä)

vikriditam—the sporting; vraja—ofthe cowherd village; vadhübhih— with the young women (a vixen
can mean "a sexually attractive woman," according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary); idam—this
(sporting); ca—and (i.e. and the philosophy that goes with it); vi$noh—of Visnu; Sraddhä-anvitah—
who has faith; anusrnuyät— might hear; atha—afterward; varnayet—might describe; yah—who;
bhaktim—devotional service; paräm—topmost; bhagavati—unto the Lord; pratilabhya—after
obtaining; kämam—lust; hrt-rogam— which is the disease of the heart; asu—quickly; apahinoti—gets
rid of; acirena—before long; dhirah—an intelligent person.
yah dhirah 'raddhänvitah (san) vraja-vadhübhih vi$noh idmii vikriditmh anusrnuyät atha (tad
vikriditahi) ca varnayet, (sah) bhagavati bhaktitii paräm pratilabhya kämam hrd-rogam äSu acirena
apahinoti (iti).

An intelligent person who has faith and who hears and then describes this romance between Vispu and
the young vixens of Vrindavan achieves the topmost devotion to the Lord and quickly, without delay,
delivers himself (or herself) from lust, the disease of the heart.

Sridhara Svämi
Sukadeva mentions the result of hearing or reading about the Play of the Räsa, which is a form of the
Lord's triumph over lust. That result is victory over lust. "Becoming steadfast before long, the person
quickly gives up lust, the disease of the heart (acirena dhirah san hrd-rogam kämam äSu apahinoti
parityajati)."

Vallabhäcärya
The word yah (who) denotes anyone, without consideration of caste and so forth. However, this is
someone who will be liberated simply by hearing about the glory of God. The word atha signifies that
the description should occur only after hearing (atha = anantaram).
"Anyone who has faith and hears about or (atha = athavä) describes this special play (vikriditam =
viSesena kriditam) of the Lord (visnoh = bhagavatah) with the young women of Vrindavan obtains the
topmost bhakti to the Lord and—because the bhakti has been made firm in the mind—quickly (äju =
Sighram) dispels lust, the disease of the heart (hrd-rogam = hrdasya roga-rüpam), and so that person
becomes dhira (steadfast or intelligent) before long."
Hence hearing or reading about the Räsa should be done with this purpose. Because this chapter is
in the phala-prakarana (the section about the reward), the reward is stated.

Srinätha Pandita
Here Sukadeva expounds on bhajate tädrSih kridä yäh frutvä tatparo bhavet, "He has the kind of
adventures hearing about which a person becomes dedicated to Him" (verse 37). Lust and other vices
are the diseases of the heart.
The secret is that this play between Him and the gopis occasions a purification of the heart, a
purification which is hard to accomplish by any other process.

Viévanätha Cakravarti
The Räsa is the jewel of all pastimes, and now he says even the reward of hearing about and
discoursing on the Räsa is the jewel of all rewards.
In this verse Krsna is called Visnu with the intent to express His faculty of pervading, stated
previously: täsärh madhye dvayor dvayoh, "He took His place between each girl" (verse 3). 203 The
words 'raddhänvito 'nuimuyät can optionally be separated as Sraddhänvito nu Smuyät, where nu means
nifcitam (with certainty).
"One who daily (anu = anudinam) hears and then describes, either orally or by writing a poetical
work, both the play between Him and the gopis and (ca) something else of that sort written by some

203
Another reason He is called Visnu here is that the first line of the verse features an alliteration of the letter
v.
other poet obtains the topmost bhakti, characterized by prema, gets rid of lust which is the disease of
the heart and becomes learned (dhirah =
The suffix ktvä in pratilabhya expresses an action earlier in time. Therefore at first prema enters
the heart of the qualified person, who has the disease of lust, and thereafter lust is quickly destroyed by
the power of prema. Thus it is shown that prema is stronger than jfiäna-yoga. This lust is the käma
which is disease of the heart, not the käma whose object is the Lord: They are poles apart because the
latter consists of prema.
The person becomes learned: This means he or she has no connection with any type of foolishness
such as "How can prema enter the heart when the disease of lust is there?" Hence the person has faith
('raddhänvitah): The drift is prema does not accept someone who has no faith in the scriptures, let
alone an offender of the holy name.

Sri-krsnätivaéikära-cuöcor jisnu-éiromaneh I premnä häsa iväyam Sri-räsah Srir api

näpa yam I l
Sästra-buddhi-vivekädyair api durgamam iksyate I gopinäm rasa-vartmedam täsäm
anugatir vinä I l pada-väkya-prakarana-dhvanayo 'tra sahasraéah I santy agamyäS ca
gamyäS ca noktä vistara-bhititah I l

The divine Räsa-lilä was not attained by Lakyni and is like the loving smile of the jewel of conquerors
who is famous for bringing Sri Krsna under control.
Without being in an anugati of the gopis, the path of Rasa related to those girls is hard to fathom,
even with scriptural knowledge, intelligence and proper discernment.
There are, here, thousands of words, sentences, sections and implied meanings. Some are easily
understood, and some are not. Out of fear of increasing the size of the commentary, I did not mention
them all.

308 The word dhira means intelligent person, in accordance with this list of synonyms of scholar: vidvän vipaScid dosa-
jiah san sudhi kovido budhah. dhiro mani$i jiah präjiah sahkhyävän papditah kavih. dhimän sürih krti kr$(ir labdha-varno
vicaksanah. düra-darSi dirgha-darfi (Amara-kosa 2.7.5-

Jiva Gosvämi
(Additions are underlined.) Having shown by the logic of kaimutya that the reward, even just by
hearing about that kind of pastime, of this lilä is prema, due to being the opposite of material love and
due to conveying Love of God, now, at the end of his description of that pastime, while raising the
eminence of an aforesaid philosophical conclusion he mentions the natural result of hearing about, etc.,
the Play of the Räsa and as if gives blessings to future speakers and hearers.
Krsna had pastimes with the gopis,who are called vadhüs in the verse either because they are very
youthful like brides or because they as if became His wives by means of the Play of the Räsa. (The rest
up to the verse below was incorporated by Viévanätha
Cakravarti in his own exegesis.)

kridatä bahir anta' ca jano 'yam yena nartyate I tasya caitanya-rüpasya prityai bhagavato
'stv idam I l

"May this be for the pleasure of Lord Caitanya, who has fun outwardly and inwardly and by whom
this person is made to dance."
Priti-sandarbha 84: Even by hearing about it, the Play drives away the lust even of those who are far
away in time and place and spreads the highest love. The Play does not consist of lust, rather it consists
of a special type of the highest love. A muddy place is not cleaned up with mud.

Baladeva Vidyäbhü$apa
"The intelligent should continuously listen and continuously describe (anu Srnuyäd atha varnayet =
anuSrnuyäd anuvarnayec ca) both this special Play and some other transcendental fun and games (ca =
anyac ca cid-viläsa-bhütam)." Thus a great liking (äsakti) for them is implied. The means to achieve
the highest goal of life is stated thus.

Näräyapa Bhatta
In case someone were to argue, "What is the use of listening to the
Räsa-viläsa, given that people feel even more lusty by hearing about it?" he reconciles the matter by
mentioning the highest goal to be attained by the hearers and the speakers: prema-bhakti.
The term vikriditam denotes vividham kriditam (various fun and games) and refers to the
conversation at the very beginning and to other pastimes between Krsna and the gopis.
Kämam can also mean yatheccham (at will): "One who continuously hears about and describes the
pastimes between Krsna and the gopis to his or her entourage drives away malice, the disease of the
heart, at will." This explanation is justified by the fact that the topic relates to devotees in general and
because a devotee should be devoid of malice (matsara). This is implied in the text: dharmah projjhita-
kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaränärh satäm (1.1.2). (Näräyana Bhatta's explanation is further justified by
the usage of the verb äsüyan in verse 38: "The cowherd men did not resent".)
Or, having obtained krsna-bhakti, one quickly drives away the pain in the heart (hrd-rogam = hrt-
täpam). And when that pain again comes, by the subconscious impression of bhakti one becomes
resolute (dhirah).
The Rasikählädini commentary ends here. I am writing this on the third day in the month of
Bhädra, in the temple of Srimän Revati-ramana in Uccagräma.

ANNOTATION
Like any other sacred book, the Pancädhyäyi must be read in seclusion to reap the benefit stated in the
verse. The Play of the Räsa hints at the path of Rasa. It is fitting that the goal of a system that claims to
be based on indirectness (paroksatvam) (11.21.35) should be indirectly expressed. By experiencing a
higher taste, the taste for other, lesser things automatically disappears. Therefore, although some say
the Räsa-lilä cures the disease of lust by the logic of administering a homeopathic dose of poison to
cure the poison, as in this text: ämayo yas ca bhütänähl jäyate yena su-vrata, tad eva hy ämayarh
dravyam na punäti cikitsitam, "[Närada said to Vyäsa:] O upholder of good vows, the substance which
was conducive to a malady usually does not counteract it, but when taken in a properly medicated
form, it does cure the malady" (1.5.33), in truth the standards of love are raised in the Paficädhyäyi:
This love is of an altogether different nature than lust. This is reminiscent of the wellknown dictum:
visayä vinivartante nirähärasya dehinah I rasa-varjam raso 'py asya param dry(vä
nivartate Il

"When a person restricts the senses, the sensory objects go away, but not the taste for them. Upon
realizing a higher thing, however, even that taste goes away." (Gitä 2.59)
•ossary
Äcärya — (1) Spiritual preceptor, one who teaches by example; a teacher of teachers, (2) one who
propounds a particular doctrine, (3) a title of proficiency (in Sanskrit departments in old-school Indian
universities, B.A is called Sästri, M.A. is called Äcärya, and Ph.D. is called Vidyä-rddhi).
Acintya-éakti — the inconceivable energy of the Lord (as contrasted with Mäyä, the material energy).
Synonyms are Cit-éakti, Parä éakti, and Svarüpa-éakti.
Aiévarya — godly might. It is one of the six features of Bhagavän. The five others are: virya
(heroism), ya'as (renown), Sri (beauty), jiäna (knowledge), and vairägya (renunciation). In the context
of Rasa, the term aiSvarya or aiSvarya-bhäva (the mood of viewing the Lord in a mood of awe and
reverence) is the counterpart of mädhurya (sweetness: the devotee does not attach importance to the
fact that Krsna is God).
Änanda — bliss, joy. It denotes either transcendental bliss or material bliss, according to the context
(see Sac-cid-änanda). Antaranga — internal, as contrasted with bahirahga (external, adverse).
Anubhäva — an effect, specifically any bodily reaction triggered by the sthäyi-bhäva or by a
vyabhicäri-bhäva. The word anu means pascät (it occurs afterward). By definition, an anubhäva is that
which reveals the emotion in the person's heart: anubhävo bhävabodhakah (Amara-kosa 1.7.21)
(rendered in Bhakti-rasämrtasindhu 2.2.1). Because they are bodily reactions, the eight sättvikabhävas
are classed in the category of anubhäva. The difference between the two is that an anubhäva involves
volition. The similarity between the two is that both arise from sattva (good vibrations) (see

597
Rasa). The anubhävas are virtually infinite in number. The term anubhäva mentioned thus far is in fact
one of three categories of anubhävas: anubhäväs tv alarikäräs tathaivodbhäsvaräbhidhäh, väcikäs<
ceti, "There are three kinds of anubhävas: (1) The twenty or twenty-two alahkäras of Srhgära-rasa, (2)
The udbhäsvaras (bodily transformations), and (3) The varieties of vocal expression" (Ujjvala-
nilamani 11.1). Of the three, only the above-mentioned anubhäva (udbhäsvara) is the anubhäva which
assists a vyabhicäribhäva and the vibhävas in raising the sthäyi-bhäva to the level of Rasa (aesthetic
delight) (see Rasa).
Anuräga — (1) love (räga), (2) in a technical sense, it denotes a stage in the development of love for
Krsna: rati, prema, sneha, mäna, pranaya, räga, anuräga, bhäva and mahäbhäva.
Aparä éakti — The Lord's inferior potency, the material energy (Mäyä) (as contrasted with Parä éakti).
Apauruseya — what is not created by a human (puru.ya)•, divine; that which is transcendental in
nature, emanating directly from Bhagavän: the Vedas.
Apavarga — liberation, literally "what is not pa-varga. " In grammar, pa-varga is the phonemes p, ph,
b, bh, and m. Poetically, the term pa-varga represents the materialistic way of life—pari'rama (hard
work), phena (foam, indicating exhaustion, because foam comes from the mouth of an exhausted
animal), bandha (bondage), bhaya (fear), and ultimately mrtyu (death).
Apräk!ta transcendental, beyond the influence of material nature.
Arya (English: Aryan) a venerable Hindu; a member or descendant of the prehistoric people who
spoke Indo-European.
Äéraya — (1) refuge, shelter, (2) the person who is the subject of the feeling for the other person. The
äSraya is the correlative of the visa.ya. Both constitute the älambana aspect of vibhäva. For example,
in the sentence, "Rädhä loves Krsna," Rädhä is the äSraya and Krsna the visaya, but in the sentence
"Krsna loves Rädhä," Krsna is the äSraya and Rädhä the visaya.
Ätmä (ätman) — the soul. The word ätman has many other meanings, depending on the context.
Ätmäräma — a person whose delight (äräma) is in the soul: This is because the nature of the soul is
Rasa (bliss with astonishment).
Bhagavän — the Lord. He has a transcendental body, either a twoarmed form (Krsna) or a four-armed
form (Visnu, Näräyana). The term literally means He has bhaga (excellence), which is sixfold (see
AiSvarya).
Bhägavata — a devotee of the Lord.
Bhägavatam— the Bhägavata Puräna.
Bhajana — service, spiritual practice; a loose synonym of bhakti (devotional service). Often, bhajana
conventionally means "singing the glories of God." Bhakta — a devotee.
Bhakti (bhakti-yoga) — service to God, devotional service. There are three types: uttamä bhakti (pure
devotional service), jiänamifra-bhakti (bhakti mixed with the spiritual practice for merging in
Brahman), and karma-mifra-bhakti (bhakti is performed by one who works for a living). For devotees,
the term bhakti refers to abhidheya (the performance of devotional service) and consists of three main
aspects: cestä-rüpa (performing actions of bhakti: the nine types listed below), bhäva-rüpa (feeling
emotions in the scope of bhakti), and abhäva-rüpa (not committing an offense). In pure bhakti, there
are three levels: sädhana-bhakti, bhäva-bhakti, and prema-bhakti. The nine primary types of bhakti are:
Gravapam, kirtanam, smarapam, päda-sevanam, arcanam, vandanam, däsyam, sakhyam, and ätma-
nivedanam.
Brähmana — the highest of the four Varnas or castes in the Varnäérama system; usually a priest.

c
Cinmaya — transcendental (made of cit).
Cit — transcendental consciousness; spirit.
Cit-éakti — the Lord's internal potency, by which His transcendental pastimes are accomplished (a
synonym of Svarüpa-éakti).

Däsa — a servant; a servant of the Lord.

Deva — (1) a god (demigod): celestial deities, situated in the celestial planets. Some of them are
entrusted with specific powers for the purpose of universal administration; (2) God.
Dharma — (1) religiosity (one of the four goals of life: see Purusärtha) (from the verbal root dhr (to
sustain): righteousness, virtue, code of ethics, the specific socio-religious duties prescribed in the
scriptures for different classes of persons in the Varnäérama system. There are many types of dharma:
Stri-dharma (a woman's code of ethical behavior), Purusa-dhanna, Brähmana-dharma, Sannyäsa-
dharma, and so on, (2) the nature (of something), (3) attribute (quality or action).
Dvija — a twice-born person: any Brähmana, Ksatriya or Vaiéya who has received a 'second birth'
through the upanayana-samskära (investiture with the sacred thread), which prepares one for studying
the Vedas.

Ekädaéi — the eleventh day of the waxing or waning moon. Abstinence from grains, beans, etc., is
prescribed. The purpose of this light form of fasting is to spend less time for cooking, etc., and more
time for bhakti.
Gandharvas — the celestial beings in the higher planets who are especially noted for their expertise in
singing and in music.
Gokula — (1) a cowherd village, (2) the place called Mahävana (Brhadvana), where Krsna spent His
childhood before moving to Vrindavan, (3) Vraja-mandala, the earthly manifestation of Goloka.
Goloka (or Goloka-Vrndävana) — the highest place in the spiritual world.
Gopa — (1) a cow herder, (2) a cow herder of Vraja.
Gopi — (1) female cow herder, (2) a cowherd girl who loves Krsna. Gopikä — a gopi.
Gosvämi (Gosvämin) — a title which means a man who is the master of his senses.
Guna — quality. The term "three gunas" denotes the three modes of material nature: sattva-guna
(goodness), rajo-guna (action / passion), and tamo-guna (ignorance, darkness).

Hari-kathä (Väsudeva-kathä, etc.) — a discourse on Hari, specifically about His holy names, form,
qualities, and pastimes.
Hari-valiléa — the appendix or epilogue of the Mahäbhärata.
Hlädini éakti — The form of Cit-Sakti which governs the änanda aspect (bliss, pleasure). The Sandhini
éakti governs the sat aspect (transcendental existence), and the Samvit éakti the cit aspect (cognitive
faculty).

1
Indra — (1) the king of gods, Purandara, (2) a king.
iévara — the Supreme Controller: a synonym of Bhagavän, specifically as the one who oversees the
material world.

Jiva (or jivätmä) — a soul. A soul is transcendental (sat-cid-änanda). Thus, it has the same nature as
that of Brahman, just like a spark is one in essence with the fire.

Kali-yuga — the Age of Quarrel; the present age, which began after Krsna's departure from this world
(circa 3100 BCE).
Kirtana — congregational singing of Krsna's names, sometimes accompanied by music. Kirtana is the
most important of the nine ahgas of bhakti. It literally means kathanam (saying, repeating), and so it
may also denote a discourse (kathä) about Bhagavän's names, forms, qualities, associates, and
pastimes.
Koga (also written kosa) — (1) dictionary, (2) treasure, (3) receptacle, and (4) a covering (as in anna-
maya-kofa). The main classical dictionaries are Vijva-koia (also called Vijva-prakäSa), Medini-koia,
Amara-ko'a, and Trikända-fesa (so called because it lists words omitted by Amara Singh in his
dictionary, AmarakoSa, which consists of three cantos). There are other classical dictionaries, of which
the best is Hema-koSa (Anekärtha-sahgraha), compiled by Hemacandra: It is cited by Baladeva
Vidyäbhüsana in his commentary on Stavamälä (Utkallikä-vallari 64) and in his commentary on
Laghu-bhägavatämrta (1.1.8). The two Sanskrit encyclopedias are Sabda-kalpa-druma and
Väcaspatyam: In these two, the derivation of each word is given (from Unädisütra whenever
applicable), the definition from one of the above dictionaries is provided, and examples from the
scriptures and from literature are shown. Sometimes Sabda-kalpa-druma refers to Kavikalpa-druma
(Vopadeva's list of verbal roots). The Sanskrit-English dictionaries include Monier-Williams and Apte.
The latter mentions the derivation of the word in Väcaspatyam. The oldest dictionary, the dictionary
for Vedic Sanskrit, is Nighan(u, of which Yäska's Nirukta is the commentary. The Nighantu gives
synonyms of nouns, just like the aforesaid Classical Sanskrit dictionaries do, and in addition it lists
synonyms of verbs. The most popular dictionary of verbs in classical Sanskrit is Bhatta Malla's
Änanda-candrikä, from which Rüpa Gosvämi took inspiration in compiling his own lexicon of verbs,
called Prayuktäkhyäta-maijari (compendium of verbs that are actually in use).
Krsna — the son of Yaéodä. He is equal to Näräyana in terms of Godhood, but is the foremost
manifestation of God from the viewpoint of rasa (relish). But in Hindu scriptures other than the
Bhägavatam, He is simply depicted as an Avatära of Visnu. According to some Hindu astronomers,
Lord Krsna was born on July 18, 3228 BCE and passed away on February 18, 3102 BCE (the start of
Kali Yuga). There is disagreement about the dates, yet everyone agrees that Krsna passed away thirty-
five years after the Kuruksetra War (see Kuruksetra). Kuöja — pleasure grove.

Laksmi — the consort of Näräyana. She is the presiding deity of wealth. She is also called Sri.
Lilä — (1) a pastime, sport (2) the act of imitating the beloved. In usage, lilä also functions as an
adverb: lilayä (playfully). The definition is: lilä keli-viläsayoh, Srhgära-bhäva-cestäyäm, "Lilä means
keli (game), viläsa (amusement, entertainment), and Srhgärabhäva-ce$(ä (the act in the mood or
romance)" (Medini-koSa). The derivation of the term is: lilä stri, li kvip, liyarh läti, lä—ka
(Väcaspatyam); lilä stri, layanam iti li + sampad-äditvät kvip, liyarh lätiti, lä + kah (Sabda-kalpa-
druma). Thus, lilä literally means "It gives an embrace" or "It takes away rest." The affix kvip is
applied in the passive impersonal voice after the verbal root li 'lesane (to stick, adhere to, embrace) (or
after li dravi-karane, to melt, from which the word laya is made) to form the word li. And lä is
achieved by adding the suffix ka in the active voice after the verbal root lä däne (to give) (or after the
same root in the opposite sense: lädäne, to take). This makes li-la (it gives li, or it takes li). Then the
word is made feminine by adding the suffix !äp. But another derivation is possible: Lilä can be
separated as li-ilä (the basis for an embrace, or for a repose), where ilä means bhü (Earth, or place)
which has the sense of äSraya (basis); for example, Mammata glossed bhü as äSraya: tad-bhüs
tadäirayah (Kävya-prakä'a 2.14), and Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana did so too (Sähitya-kaumudi 2.22). Yet
other explanations are possible, considering that Yäska derives the word ila (a Vedic name of Agni)
either from the root id stutau (to praise) or from the root indh (to kindle): ila i!teh stuti-karmanah,
indhater vä (Nirukta 8.7). In Sanskrit, the letter l, d, and r are interchangeable. Perhaps the word lilä
has no derivation. It could be a Prakrit loanword.

Madhura-rasa (or Mädhurya-rasa) — a synonym of Smgära-rasa (romance).

Maöjari — a female confidante, an intimate servant of an exalted woman. The term is used in this
meaning only in Gaudiya Vaisnava literature. It was popularized by Rüpa Gosvämi. The word mahjari
literally means "flower bud". When used in the title of a book, it means "a concise version."
Mathura- — the city where Lord Krsna was born, located between Delhi and Agra, about twelve
kilometers from Vrindavan. After living in Gokula and in Vrindavan, Krsna lived in Mathurä between
the ages of 11 and 28. In the 6th century BCE, Mathurä became the capital of the Sürasena kingdom.
Over the years, it changed hands several times. It was replete with fabulous wealth until the city was
sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018 CE.
Mäyä — (1) Mäyä-éakti, Visnu's material potency, the energy in the universe. She is also called Aparä
éakti (inferior potency), Avidyä-éakti (the potency that implements ignorance), Bahirahgaéakti
(external potency), and Mahä-mäyä, to distinguish her from Yogamäyä, Visnu's transcendental
potency. Mahä-mäyä governs the three gunas. Prakrti (Mother Nature) is one of her aspects. In her
aspect of Avidyä-éakti, she has two functions: ävarana-Sakti (the power that conceals the true nature of
things; and she keeps everyone ignorant of their identity as souls) and vik$epa-Sakti (the power of
projection: she makes everyone see false things and think falsely); (2) Yogamäyä (see Visnu-mäyä);
(3) illusion, magic; (4) deceit.
Muni — a sage, especially one who rarely talks. Mürti — a Deity form of Bhagavän.

Näräyapa — (1) God's form in Vaikuntha, in the mood of majestic opulence, (2) Garbhodaka-éäyi
Visnu.
Nikuöja — a pleasure grove (kuija), or a very secret pleasure grove.
Nirgupa — transcendental; without the three gums.
Nirvrti — bliss, joy, pleasure.
Nivrtti-märga — the path of renunciation, which leads to liberation. It is contrasted with Pravrtti-
märga, the path of engaging in work for the sake of material benefits.

O
0m — (1) Omkära, the sacred syllable obi, used at the beginning of many Vedic mantras: In
meditation, the nasal sound (the bindu, the anusvära) must be made: the reverberation (näda) of it
brings about transcendence, (2) Agreed, yes (a word expressive of agreement, assent).

Paöcädhyäyi — chapters 29 to 33 of the tenth canto of Bhägavata Puräna, literally "a set of five
chapters." Those are the chapters that describe the Rasa-lilä. The word paicädhyäyi is a dvigu
compound formed by the rules dvigoh (A$(ädhyayi 4.1.21) and väb-antah striyäm i$tah (Värttika
2.4.17). Jiva Gosvämi's corresponding rule is: a-rämäntä trirämi lak$mih, äb-antä vä, trirämyä ip
(Hari-nämämrtavyäkarana 935).
Parakiya-bhäva — the relationship between a man and a woman who is not married to him. The term
is thus contrasted with Svakiya-bhäva (marital relationship). There are two categories of Parakiya-
bhäva: The woman is not married, or the woman is married to another man. From the viewpoint of
Rasa (rasa-vicära), the relationship between the damsels of Vrndävana and Krsna is an example of
Parakiyabhäva, whereas from the viewpoint of the ontological truth (tattvavicära) their relationship is
Svakiya inasmuch as the gopis are the personifications of Krsna's transcendental potencies and hence
His wives, so to speak.
Paramahamsa — a person in the fourth and final stage of Sannyäsa; he is also called ni$kriya (without
any material action) (Bhägavatam 3.12.43), which Sridhara Svämi and Viévanätha Cakravart interpret
as präpta-tattva (he has realized the Absolute Truth).
Paramärtha — the truth in the highest sense; spiritual knowledge.
Päramärthika — real in the highest sense; related to the ultimate reality. This term is contrasted with
Vyavahärika (real in the relative sense).
Paramätmä — the Supersoul, situated in the hearts of all as the witness and as a giver of intuition.
Parameévara — God, "the supreme controller".
Parä éakti — The Lord's superior potency; or Parä-éakti, the potency called Parä (same meaning).
Paräéara — the great sage who narrated the Visnu Puräna and was the father of Vyäsa.
Paravyoma — the spiritual sky at large; Vaikuntha.
Parik$it — son of Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna. During the Battle of Kuruksetra, he was
attacked by Aévatthämä with the brahmästra weapon, while still a fetus in the womb, and was saved
by Krsna. He succeeded Yudhisthira on the throne of Hastinäpura.
Prapatti —submission to the will of Bhagavän.
Prärabdha-karma — the results of previous acts which have begun to manifest (as contrasted with
aprärabdha-karma).
Prema — (1) love, (2) transcendental love (in the context of bhakti): When Krsna-prema makes its
appearance in the heart of a devotee, that love is like poison and nectar mixed together, (3) one of the
stages of the gopis' love for Krsna (see Anuräga).
Puräpam — one of the eighteen historical supplements to the Vedas. By definition, a Puräna must treat
of five subjects: sarga (creation of the universe), pratisarga (the sequence of the continuation of the
process of creation), vat-hia (genealogy), manvantara (a description of Manvantaras), and
vamSänucarita (deeds in a genealogy). By contrast, in Itihäsa, future events are not mentioned.
Puru$a — God in a human-like shape; man, person. There are three Purusas: The three Visnus:
Käranodaka-éäyi, Garbhodaka-éäyi and K$irodaka-éäyi. Krsna is the Ädi-Purusa (the primeval
Godhead).
Purusärtha — a goal of human life: There are four of them: dharma (religiosity), artha (economic well-
being), käma (the fulfillment of material desires), and moksa (liberation from transmigration):
Sometimes the synonymous word mukti is used instead of moha so that the concept of vimukti (special
liberation: prema-bhakti, which does not involve a desire for liberation) may be included as a variety
of moksa. Those four are separated in two groups (see Tri-varga). The books in the scope of the first
three are called Preyah-éästra (books about the pleasure of living), whereas books which treat of
liberation are called Sreyah-éästra (scriptures about the highest benefit). Regarding the first category,
the Dharma-éästras include Manu-smrti. In addition, Kautilya's Artha-Sästra (Cänakya-niti) and
Vätsyäyana's Käma-sütra are well-known.

Rädhä (Rädhäräni) — She is a gopi married to Abhimanyu and is Krsna's foremost ladylove in Vraja.
She is the personification of His pleasure-giving spiritual potency, called Hlädini-éakti. The term
Rädhäräni means "the queen named Rädhä". Since she is not a queen per se, the Gosvämis of
Vrindavan and their immediate followers never used this term in their writings. It is an honorific given
by later Vaisnavas to show due respect.
Räga — (1) material desire, attachment to material things, (2) love (see Anuräga).
Räga-bhakti — bhakti consisting of räga, spontaneous affection for Krsna. Usually this term applies to
Krsna's eternal associates.
Räga-märga — the path of spontaneous love for Krsna. Usually this term applies to spiritual
practitioners and is contrasted with Vidhimärga, the path of revering the Lord by means of the
procedures of formal worship.
Rägänuga-bhakti — the bhakti of the devotee who follows (anuga) the mindset of one of Krsna's
eternal associates who has räga (spontaneous love) (räga-bhakti) for Krsna. The term Rägänuga-bhakti
is contrasted with Vaidhi bhakti (devotional service performed by the rules of formal worship, etc.).
Räjasika — of the nature of rajo-guna (the mode of action / passion). Räma — (1) Rämacandra, the
husband of Sitä; (2) Balaräma, Krsna's elder brother.
Rasa — relish. In poetics, it has several technical meanings: (1) a synonym of sthäyi-bhäva
(foundational mood), as in the terms Srhgära-rasa, häsya-rasa, Sänta-rasa, etc.; In bhakti, there are five
main rasas (Sänta, däsya, sakhya, vätsalya, and Srhgära) and seven secondary ones (häsya, adbhuta,
vira, karuna, raudra, bhayänaka, and bibhatsa). In classical poetics, however, there are nine rasas
(Srigära, love, romance; häsya, humor, laughter; karupa, lamentation; raudra, anger; vira, heroism;
bhayänaka, fear; bibhatsa, disgust; adbhuta, wonderment; and Sänta, saintly peacefulness); (2) a
sthäyi-bhäva implied by vibhävas (causes), anubhäva (effect, physical reaction), and vyabhicäri-bhäva
(transient emotion) is called rasa (aesthetic delight) in the sense that it has become relishable; (3) when
the relish of that rasa (the sthäyi-bhäva thus implied) is augmented by an extraordinary implied
meaning, it becomes rasa in the sense of 'aesthetic rapture'. The pleasure in that state is directly derived
from the bliss of the soul: raty-ädy-avacchinnä bhagnävaranä cid eva rasah (Pandita-räja Jagannätha,
Rasa-gahgädhara, Kävya-mälä edition p. 23): ätmaivänandämSe vibhävädibhir bhagnävaranas
tadvyanjita-raty-ädy-avacchinnas tat-sannibhaS ca rasah (Baladeva Vidyäbhüsana, Sähitya-kaumudi
4.10). For aesthetic delight to turn into rapture, the spectator of a play or the reader of a literary work
must have the required predisposition. For example, to understand the topic of Smgära-rasa (romantic
love), the spectator or the reader must be familiar with that topic. There are two broad varieties of Rasa
(rapture), considering that the rapture in the state of bhaktirasa is partly brought about by the
transcendental potency: yatra tu bhagavad-ratir eva vibhävädi-sambhinnä rasas tatra rater hlädinisam
vid-vrtti-bhütatvät tad-älambanädinäm ca jiäna-sukhätmakatvät, häsädinäm api raty-anugrhitatvät
tathä-bhüta-rasa-rüpatä susiddhaiva (Sähitya-kaumudi 4.10). Again, for this to take place the spectator
or the reader must have the required predisposition, an affinity for bhakti. Further, Rasa rests on
aucitya (appropriateness of the ideas described). Not only that, aesthetic delight turns into rapture
because of an upsurge of sattva: sattvodrekäd akhanda-svaprakäiänanda-cin-mayah (Sähitya-darpapa
3.2): hrdi sattvojjvale bädham svadate sa raso matah (Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 2.5.132). In the case of
the Rasa of the soul, the term sattva means "good vibrations," a state where the mind is untouched by
either rajoguna or tamo-guna. Sattva manifests by constantly taking interest in the meanings of
extraordinary poetry: rajas-tamobhyäm aspr$tam manah sattvam ihocyate [Sarasvati-kan(häbharana
5.20] ity uktaprakäro bähya-meya-vimukhatäpädakah kaScanäntaro dharmah sattvam. tasyodreko
rajas-tamasau abhibhüya ävirbhävah. atra ca hetus tathä-vidhälaukika-kävyärtha-parijilanam (Sähitya-
darpana 3.2-3). This sattva (good vibes) is essentially the same as the sattva which gives rise to
sättvika-bhäva and to anubhäva (Bhakti-rasämrtasindhu 2.3.1). In the case of bhakti-rasa (the Rasa of
the soul mixed with the Rasa of the transcendental potency), sattva denotes both sattva (the vibes) and
Suddha-sattva (transcendental consciousness). Moreover, in Vedic literature, ultimately the
consideration of Rasa (relish, fun) (rasa-vicära) supersedes the consideration of the truth (precise
historical facts) (tattva-vicära). In the vernacular, rasa means juice or taste. In a technical sense, the
term Rasa used in reference to everyday life, as in "the path of Rasa," means mojo (good vibrations).
Rasika — a refined person, someone who has mastered the art of living; a person who is able to
imbibe and relish the feelings or meanings portrayed in literature; literally "one who has good taste."
When applied to devotees, the sense is "one who is able to relish bhakti-rasa." The capacity to relish
the meanings in devotional literature can be greatly enhanced by knowing the Sanskrit language. A
synonym of Rasika is Sahrdaya (connoisseur of literature, lit. someone who has a heart).
Ratl• — (1) attachment, fondness for; (2) a stage in the development of bhakti which is synonymous
with bhäva (bhäva-bhakti) (sthäyibhäva); (3) in classical poetics, the type of sthäyi-bhäva
characterized by love.

S
Sädhaka — spiritual practioner who is fully dedicated ("one who accomplishes"), especially a sädhu
who has not reached the level of prema-bhakti.
Sädhu — (1) spiritual practioner who is fully dedicated ("one who accomplishes"); (2) a good man, (3)
a saint, (4) good, well.
Sakha (sakhä) — comrade.
Sakhi — a female friend.
Samsära — (1) transmigration, the cycle of repeated birth and death in the material world; (2) material
life.
Samskrtam — (1) embellished, (2) the Sanskrit language, lit. 'refined' language.
Saöcäri-bhäva — a synonym of vyabhicäri-bhäva (transient emotion). Sat-cid-änanda (proper spelling:
sac-cid-änanda) — transcendental. This is a Sanskrit idiom which literally means, "what is real (sat
satya), transcendentally conscious (cit), and bliss (änanda)." These three concepts are not separate,
rather they are united:
Transcendence is the one essence of sat, cit, and änanda.
Sättvika — of the nature of sattva-guna.
Sättvika-bhäva — one of the eight sättvika-bhävas: stambha (being stunned), sveda (perspiration),
romähca (horripilation), svarabheda (faltering voice), vepathu (trembling), vaivarnya (a change in the
complexion, often due to separation), aSru (tears), and pralaya (loss of consciousness, owing to
happiness; or total devastation)." (Sähitya-darpana 3.135) (Bhakti-rasämrta-sindhu 2.3.16). The
sättvika-bhävas are so called because they arise from sattva (good vibes) (see Rasa) (Bhakti-rasämrta-
sindhu 2.3.2). The sättvikabhävas are classed as anubhävas (see Anubhäva).
Sauri — "a descendant of Süra": (1) Vasudeva, or (2) Krsna.
Sesa — an expansion of Lord Balaräma (Safikarsana) who takes the form of a gigantic, multihooded
serpent and serves as Lord Visnu's couch. In theory, there are two Sesas: One is in the universe, the
other in Vaikuntha. The former is said to hold the universal globes on his hoods. However,
Garbhodaka-éäyi Visnu rests on Sesa, as does K$irodaka-éäyi Visnu.
Siddhänta philosophical doctrine or precept; demonstrated conclusion. Over and above that, in Vedic
philosophy, as in Vedic literature, what matters is not the veracity of the statement, but its purport.
Smrti — (1) the whole body of Vedic scriptures that are not part of Sruti: The Smrti scriptures were
composed by humans, (2) the Dharma-éästras (they are part of the above, but the titles of those works
end with the term smrti).
Sri — (1) a name of Laksmi, (2) splendor, beauty, (3) an honorific, lit. "endowed with splendor" (Sri =
Sri-yukta).
Snigära-rasa — romance, love: one of the sthäyi-bhävas. It has two categories: sambhoga (meeting)
and vipralambha (separation).
Sruti — the Vedas.
Sthäyi-bhäva — foundational mood. For example, vismaya is the sthäyi-bhäva of adbhuta-rasa. Often
a sthäyi-bhäva is referred to by the name of its corresponding rasa (see Rasa).
Süra — (1) the son of Kärtaviryärjuna, (2) the father of Vasudeva. Svarga — heaven, in the material
universe.

Tämasika — of the nature of tamo-guna.

Tri-varga — the first three Purusärthas: dharma (religiosity based on the scriptures), artha (economic
well-being), and käma (the fulfillment of material desires). They occur in sequence: Adopting the
society's code of ethics leads to employment; desires are fulfilled by having money to spend. The
purport is that those who only follow the Tri-varga do not aspire for liberation.
Traivargika — (1) something that only relates to the first three Purusärthas, (2) someone who only
adheres to the Tri-varga.
Tulasi — holy basil: a sacred plant whose leaves and blossoms are used by Vaisnavas in the worship of
Lord Krsna•, a partial expansion of Vrndä-devi.

Uddipana (uddipana-vibhäva) — stimulus: anything that inflames the sthäyi-bhäva, such as the time,
the place, a quality, a living being and an object.
Vaikuntha — the spiritual world at large; the spiritual world where Näräyana lives, as contrasted with
Goloka Vrndävana.
Vaisnava — a devotee of Visnu.
Varpa — one of the four social orders (Brähmana, Ksatriya, Vaiéya, Südra) in which one carries out
corresponding socio-religious duties in the system known as Varnäérama.
Varnäérama-dharma — the Vedic social system, which organizes society into four castes or
occupational divisions (varna) and four stages of life (äSrama).
Vasudeva — the father of Krsna, and half-brother of Nanda Mahäräja: Devamidha had a Ksatriya wife
and a Vaiéya wife. Sura was the son of the Ksatriya wife and the father of Vasudeva.
Parjanya was the son of the Vaiéya wife and the father of Nanda.
Väsudeva — Krsna, "the son of Vasudeva".
Vibhäva — the determinants of Rasa. There are two kinds: älambana (the foundation: äSra_ya and
visaya) and uddipana (stimuli). When vibhäva is accompanied with vyabhicäri-bhäva and anubhäva,
the sthäyi-bhäva turns into rasa (aesthetic delight). Thus vibhäva is a cause, specifically the primary
cause of the rise of Rasa.
Visaya — (1) topic, (2) object of sensory perception, (3) the person who is the object of the other
person's feeling: The visaya is the correlative of the äjraya.
Vispu — God in His form as the omnipresent Being in the universe. It is said that He has three forms:
Käranodaka-éäyi (He lies in the Causal Ocean, beyond the universes; also called Mahä-Visnu),
Garbhodaka-éäyi (He lies at the bottom of the universe, on the Garbhodaka Ocean) and Ksirodaka-
éäyi (He lies in heaven, on the Milk Ocean; He is the personification of Paramätmä).
Vispu-mäyä Bhagavän's potency, which has two aspects: Yogamäyä (the spiritual energy) and Mahä-
mäyä (the material potency). Mahä-mäyä is subordinate to Yogamäyä.
Viéuddha — completely pure; beyond the influence of material nature.
Viéuddha-sattva — Pure Existence; the state of existence beyond the influence of material nature.
Vraja — (1) pasturing grounds, (2) a village of gopas, (3) Vrindavan (Mathurä district, Uttar Pradesh,
India), (4) Vraja-mandala, the region that encompasses the twelve holy forests in the district of
Mathurä. Nowadays, the fourth meaning is the most common. In usage, Vraja is often pronounced
Braj, because in Bengali the letters b and v are the same. After Caitanya Mahäprabhu discovered
Radha-kund and other holy places in Vraja-mandala (c. 1510 CE), He ordered His chief
representatives to go live in Vraja.
Vraja-bhä9ä (Braj-bhasha) — The dialect of Vraja is called Braj Bhasha and is an offshoot of
Sauraseni, a Prakrit language. Sauraseni was the language spoken in Sürasena country (which included
the modern district of Mathurä), the land once ruled by Süra (the son of Kärtaviryärjuna). Sauraseni
Prakrit is used in some Gaudiya Vaisnava works. Prakrit languages are offshoots of Sanskrit.
Currently, Braj Bhasha exists in rural areas of the district of Mathurä and in areas of Rajasthan close to
Uttar Pradesh. Although the Hindi language is based on Khariboli, which is the vernacular of Delhi
and of western Uttar Pradesh and is an offshoot of Sauraseni, Braj Bhasha is commonly viewed as a
western dialect of Hindi, because in the old days the term 'Hindi' was a generic name given by
Muslims to dozens of languages, much like the term 'Hindu' used to denote anyone on the east side of
the Sindhü river (Indus river) who had a religious belief. Thus, some say modern Hindi is rather a
composite of fourteen different languages and dialects. Among the best-known poets of Braj Bhasha
are Surdas (15th century), Bhai Gurdas (1551—1636), Mira Bai (16th century), Bihari Lal (1595—1663)
and Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850—1882).
Vyabhicäri-bhäva transient emotion: An emotion that rises from and merges back into the sthäyi-bhäva
like waves in an ocean. Theoretically, the vyabhicäri-bhävas are thirty-three in number, but some of
them have subcategories.
Vyäsa (Veda-vyäsa) — identified with the sage Bädaräyana. He is so called because He separated the
Veda into four. He is the compiler of the Puränas. His first name was Krsna-dvaipäyana, because he
has a dark complexion and because he was brought up on an island (dvipa) by his mother, Satyavati.
His father is Paräéara and his son Sukadeva.
Vyavahära — behavior, conduct, social customs, practice.
Vyavahärika (sometimes written Vyävahärika) — (1) related to the world; common, ordinary; (2)
relating to practical life and social customs.

Yogamäyä — the Lord's transcendental potency. Just as Mahä-mäyä gives material illusions,
Yogamäyä gives spiritual illusions.

The rendering of the commentaries on the tenth canto ends here.