Rasa-pancadhyayi IV - Krsna Reappears

Bhāgavata 10.32.1

Śrī Śukadeva said: O King, singing in this way and speaking distractedly in many different manners, the gopīs wept in long, plaintive tones, yearning to see Kṛṣṇa. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.

Bhāgavata 10.32.2

Then Śauri appeared before them, His lotus face smiling. Clad in yellow cloth and adorned with a flower garland, He was Cupid's own enchanter manifest in person. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha Although Śauri is renowned as one who appeared in the dynasty of Śūra, He now appeared solely for those gopīs. The meaning is that His manifestation was unprecedented in every respect. "Cupid manifest in person" means that the many Pradyumnas who abide in the various fourfold expansions are themselves Cupids, while He is the Cupid of them all. Just as scripture speaks of "the eye of the eye" (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.18), He is the one who awakens even their power to enchant.

Bhāgavata 10.32.3-4

Seeing their dearest beloved return, all the weakened gopīs rose at once, their eyes blossoming with joy, as bodies rise when life returns to them. One joyfully clasped Śauri's lotus hand between her joined palms. Another placed upon her shoulder His arm, fragrant with sandalwood paste. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha This begins the group of six verses starting with "One gopī." Textual note 117: Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa reads "adorned" in place of "fragrant."

Bhāgavata 10.32.5

One slender gopī received the chewed betel from His mouth in her joined palms. Another, burning with separation, placed His lotus foot upon her breasts. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit. Textual note 118: The compound can be read "burning with separation." Textual note 119: Sanātana Gosvāmī preserves the alternate reading "upon her heart."

Bhāgavata 10.32.6

One gopī, overwhelmed by the agitation of love, knit her brows and bit her lip. She looked at Him from the corners of her eyes as though striking Him with those glances. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.

Bhāgavata 10.32.7

Another gopī savored the lotus of His face with unblinking eyes. Though she had drunk it deeply, she was no more satisfied than saints are satisfied by contemplating His feet. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.

Bhāgavata 10.32.8

One gopī drew Him through the opening of her eyes and placed Him within her heart. Closing her eyes, her limbs thrilled with horripilation, she embraced Him inwardly and remained flooded with bliss like a yogī. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit. Textual note 124: Padyāvalī 259; Sad-ukti-karṇāmṛta 1.55.3, attributed to Umapatidhara. Textual note 125: Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 4.4, in its section on Rādhā, says, "She who is renowned as Gāndharvā in the Gopāla-uttara-tāpanī." It is unclear why the present source calls this the explanation of the permanent emotion. The Upaniṣad says, "Gāndharvā, the greatest among them, spoke" (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 2.6), and, "Making her their chief, they first imitated her and then became silent" (2.13). Textual note 126: This verse is not found in the other three currently circulating collections attributed to Bilvamaṅgala. Subhāṣitāvali 98 gives a variant:

Bhāgavata 10.32.9

All the gopīs found complete relief in the supreme festival of beholding Keśava. They abandoned the fever born of separation, just as people are relieved when they attain an enlightened person. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha The word prājña suggests the witnessing consciousness present in deep sleep. Yet, just as ignorance remains concealed during deep sleep, a hidden fear that He might abandon them again still remained within the gopīs.

Bhāgavata 10.32.10

Dear Parīkṣit, among those gopīs whose grief had been dispelled, Bhagavān Acyuta, the all-pervading Lord, shone still more brilliantly, just as the Supreme Person shines among His potencies. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha The puruṣa is the reality of Bhagavān. He shines more splendidly precisely when, in His form as Bhagavān, He is surrounded by His intrinsic potencies consisting of majesty and the other divine attributes; He does not shine more by assuming the feature of undifferentiated Brahman and being covered by those potencies. In the same way, Kṛṣṇa shone more brilliantly precisely because He was surrounded by these gopīs, His intrinsic potencies constituted of distinctive love.

Bhāgavata 10.32.11-12

The all-pervading Lord took all the gopīs with Him and entered another bank of the Yamunā. Blossoming jasmine and heavenly coral-tree flowers made its breeze fragrant, while bees hovered in that gentle air. Masses of autumn moonbeams had driven away the night's darkness. The auspicious bank's soft sand was arranged by the river's rippling hands. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.

Bhāgavata 10.32.13

The joy of seeing Him drove every pain from their hearts. Like the revealed scriptures, they reached the ultimate limit of their desire. With their own upper garments, marked by the kuṅkuma from their breasts, they prepared a seat for the intimate friend of their souls. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha The compound beginning with "the sight of Him" is to be resolved as "by seeing Him, the all-pervading Lord whose eagerness for this special play was so great." Because He came there together with them in this way, and because their earlier fear had vanished, a long stay filled with the rāsa dance and other play was assured. The words "the ultimate limit of their desire" state that they also attained supreme happiness. The comparison is "as the revealed scriptures do." The word "as" indicates a shared point of comparison: both the gopīs and the revealed scriptures attain supreme fulfillment through experiencing His divine play.

Bhāgavata 10.32.14

Bhagavān, that sovereign Lord whose seat the masters of yoga construct within their concentrated hearts, sat there among the assembly of gopīs and accepted their worship. He shone while displaying a form that is the sole abode of all the beauty of the three worlds. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit. Textual note 134: Viśvanātha reads "Acyuta" in place of "worshiped."

Bhāgavata 10.32.15

They honored Him as He kindled desire, employing smiling playful glances and expressive brows. They touched and praised His feet and hands, placing them upon their laps. Yet still slightly angry, they addressed Him. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.

Bhāgavata 10.32.16

The gopīs said: Some people reciprocate only with those who honor them. Others act in the opposite way. Still others honor neither those who honor them nor those who do not. Please explain these three properly to us. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha Wishing to make Bhagavān account for His apparent hardness of heart, the gopīs ask the question beginning, "Some reciprocate."

Bhāgavata 10.32.17

The Supreme Lord said: Friends, those who mutually honor one another strive exclusively for their own benefit. No true friendship or dharma is present there, for their service is performed for self-interest and not otherwise. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha Here "self-interest" means a result visible to oneself. Those whose effort is directed only toward such a visible reward and who therefore honor one another are really serving only themselves. Indeed, their service does not occur in any other way. Consequently, there is neither genuine friendship nor dharma in it. Textual note 137: Vijayadhvaja reads, "They know it as self-interest."

Bhāgavata 10.32.18

Those who honor even people who do not honor them are compassionate, like parents. In them dharma is without exception, and so is friendship, O slender-waisted gopīs. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit. Textual note 140: The dual reading is "the two parents."

Bhāgavata 10.32.19

Some people do not reciprocate even with those who honor them, so how could they honor those who do not? They are either self-satisfied, have every desire fulfilled, are unaware of another's kindness, or are hostile to their benefactors. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.

Bhāgavata 10.32.20

Friends, however, I do not always appear to reciprocate even with those who worship Me. I act so that their devotion may grow. A poor man who once gains wealth and then loses it becomes so absorbed in thinking of that treasure that he knows nothing else. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha He now illustrates His own exceptional compassion. Suspecting that His preceding classification might culminate in an implied criticism, the gopīs narrowed their eyes and glanced at one another. He therefore addressed them with the verse beginning, "I do not."

Bhāgavata 10.32.21

Gentle gopīs, for My sake you abandoned social convention, Vedic duty, and your own families. I disappeared only to increase your continuous devotion to Me, while remaining unseen and still loving you. My beloveds, do not therefore resent your beloved. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.

Bhāgavata 10.32.22

Even with the lifespan of the gods, I could not repay the pure service of you whose union with Me is faultless. You cut through the nearly unbreakable chains of home and worshiped Me. May your own virtue be the repayment for your deed. Jīva Gosvāmī's Krama-sandarbha No separate explanation is printed for this source unit.