Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.1 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१ ॥
श्री-शुक उवाच
इति गोप्यः प्रगायन्त्यः प्रलपन्त्यश् च चित्रधा ।
रुरुदुः सुस्वरं राजन् कृष्ण-दर्शन-लालसाः ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
इति-शब्दः प्रकार-वचनस् तस्माद् एवं प्रभृतीत्य् एवार्थः । प्रकर्षेण प्रेमोद्रेकाद् उच्चैर् गायन्त्यः कदाचित् प्रकर्षेण लपन्त्यश् च । किं वा, विरह-व्याकुलतया किञ्चिद् अनर्थकं जल्पन्त्युः चित्रधेत्य् अस्य पूर्वेण परेणाप्य् अन्वयः । सुस्वरं करुण-दीर्घ-स्वरेणेत्य् अर्थः । हे राजन्न् इति तद्-दर्शने लालसया तद्-युक्तम् एवेत्य् आर्ति-सम्बोधनम् ॥१॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
The word "thus" indicates a manner and therefore means "in this and similar ways." As love surged within them, they sang intensely and loudly, and at times they also spoke with great intensity. Or, distraught by separation, they uttered some words without coherent meaning. "In many different manners" connects both with what precedes it and with what follows. "With beautiful voices" means in long and piteous tones. Śukadeva addresses Parīkṣit as "O King" in anguish, because the gopīs' longing to see Kṛṣṇa makes such an anguished address fitting.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.2 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.२ ॥
तासाम् आविरभूच् छौरिः स्मयमान-मुखाम्बुजः ।
पीताम्बर-धरः स्रग्वी साक्षान् मन्मथ-मन्मथः ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
तासां तथा रुदतीनाम् अधुना मद्-दुःख-सम्भावनया दैन्य-विशेषेणासां रोदनात् प्राणा गत-प्राया इति । तेन वितर्क्यमानानाम् इत्य् अर्थः । एवम् आत्मानपेक्षया तद्-एकापेक्षयैव दैन्य-विशेषेण तत्-प्राप्तिर् इति दर्शितम् । शौरिः शूर-वंशाविर्भूतत्वेन प्रसिद्धोऽपि तासाम् एव आविरभूत् सर्वतोऽप्य् अपूर्वाद् आविर्भावाद् इत्य् अर्थः। तथा च वक्ष्यते---त्रैलोक्य-लक्ष्म्य्-एक-पदं वपुर् दधत् [भा।पु। १०.३२.१४], तत्रातिशुशुभे ताभिर् भगवान् देवकी-सुतः [भा।पु। १०.३३.७] इति,
गोप्यस् तपः किम् अचरन् यद् अमुष्य रूपं > लावण्य-सारम् असमोर्ध्वम् अनन्य-सिद्धम् । > दृग्भिः पिबन्त्य् अनुसवाभिनवं दुरापं [भा।पु। १०.४४.१४] इत्य्-आदौ > च ।
तथैव श्री-गोपीषु विशेषोक्तिः । एताः परं [भा।पु। १०.४७.५८] इत्य्-आदौ, वाञ्छन्ति यद् भव-भियो मुनयो वयं च [भा।पु। १०.४७.५८] इति श्रीमद्-उद्धव-सिद्धान्तानुसारेण सर्वाधिक-प्रेमवतीषु तासु युक्तम् एव च तादृशत्वम् । प्रपद्यमानस्य यथाश्नतः स्युः [भा।पु। ११.२.४२] इत्य्-आदि-न्यायेन तथैव दर्शयति---साक्षान्-मन्मथ-मन्मथ इति ।
नाना-वासुदेवादि-चतुर्व्यूहेषु ये साक्षान्-मन्मथाः स्वयं कामदेवाः, न तु तदीय-शक्त्य्-अंशावेशि-प्राकृत-मन्मथवद् असाक्षाद्-रूपाः, तेषाम् अपि मन्मथः मन्मथत्व-प्रकाशकः चक्षुषश् चक्षुः [बृ।आ।उ। ४.४.१८] इत्य्-आदिवत् । येषां रूप-गुण-विशेषाणाम् अंशेन तत्-प्रकाशकोऽसौ, तान् अखिलान् एव प्रकाशयन्न् इत्य् अर्थः । अत एवास्य महा-मन्मथत्वेनैकाक्षरादि-मन्त्रा ध्यानानि च सन्ति । किन्तु तस्मिन् ध्यानेऽन्याकारत्वं मन्मथत्व-व्यञ्जनार्थम् एव ज्ञेयम् । मन्मथ-पदस्य यौगिक-वृत्त्या तेषाम् अपि क्षोभकादि-रूपः सन्न् इति ध्वनितम् । एवं तादृश-रूपस्यादि-रसे परमालम्बनता भक्त्य्-अन्तरागम्यता च दर्शिता ।
तद् एवं स्वरूपाविर्भावस्यापूर्वताम् उक्त्वा विलास-वेशयोर् अप्य् आह---स्मय- इत्य्-आदि विशेषण-त्रयेण । तत्र स्मयमान- इति वर्तमान-प्रयोगेण तात्कालिकत्व-विवक्षया सहज-स्मिताद् वैलक्षण्य-प्रतीतेः । तथा पीताम्बर इत्य् अनेनैव विवक्षिते सिद्धे धारण-प्रयोगोऽतिरिक्त एवेति तेन तदानीम् अन्य-विशिष्ट-धारण-बोधनात् । तथा स्रग्वी इत्य् अत्रापि प्रशंसायां मत्व्-अर्थीय-विधानात् ।
किं च, स्मितेनात्मनः सुप्रसन्नत्वं त्यागस्य च परिहासमयत्वम् । पीताम्बर-धारणेन मूर्ध-पर्यन्तावृततया स्वस्य तासां परित्यागतः सङ्कुचित-चित्तत्वम् । स्रग्वित्वेन केवल-तत्-सङ्गितया तां विना स्वस्य सङ्गान्तरारोचकत्वं च ज्ञापितम् । तथा च, श्रोतृ-हृदये तत्-प्रवेशाय तात्कालिक-शोभा-वर्णनम् इदम् इति ॥२॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
He appeared before the gopīs as they wept in this way. Kṛṣṇa understood, "They are now imagining My suffering. Their special humility has made them weep until their lives have nearly left them." Thus the verse shows that they attained Him through a humility that disregarded themselves and cared only for Him.
Although He is renowned as Śauri because He appeared in Śūra's dynasty, He appeared exclusively for them, manifesting in a way more unprecedented than any other appearance. Later verses will say that He bore "the form that is the sole abode of the beauty of the three worlds" (Bhāgavata 10.32.14), and that "Bhagavān, the son of Devakī, shone there most splendidly among them" (10.33.7). Another verse asks:
Sanskrit quotation, Bhāgavata 10.44.14
What austerity did the gopīs perform, that with their eyes they continually drink His form, the essence of loveliness, without equal or superior, perfected by nothing outside itself, unattainable and ever new at every moment?
The gopīs are similarly singled out elsewhere. Uddhava concludes, in the passage beginning "These women alone..." and continuing "that which sages frightened of material existence, and we ourselves, desire" (Bhāgavata 10.47.58), that they possess the greatest love of all. Such an unprecedented manifestation is therefore entirely fitting for them. By the principle that realization develops for one who surrenders just as satisfaction develops for one who eats (Bhāgavata 11.2.42), the verse describes Him accordingly as "Cupid's own enchanter manifest in person."
The direct Cupids among the many quadruple expansions headed by Vāsudeva are themselves divine gods of love. Unlike the material Cupid, who indirectly embodies only a fragment of their potency, they are direct forms. Yet Kṛṣṇa is the Cupid even of those Cupids, the one who reveals their power to enchant, just as the Upaniṣad speaks of "the eye of the eye" (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.18). Every distinctive beauty and quality that they reveal only in part is revealed completely in Him. Because He is thus the supreme Cupid, there are one-syllable and other mantras for Him and meditations upon Him in that form. Any apparently different shape described in such meditation exists only to disclose His power as Cupid. The etymological force of the word manmatha also implies that He agitates even those divine Cupids. This establishes that His form is the supreme object of support for the original amorous rasa and is inaccessible through other forms of devotion.
Having described the unprecedented character of His personal manifestation, Śukadeva next describes His playfulness and dress through the three adjectives beginning with "smiling." The present participle "smiling" indicates something happening at that very moment and therefore distinguishes this smile from His natural, constant smile. "Yellow cloth" would by itself convey the intended dress, so the added verb "wearing" indicates that He had put it on in a special manner at that time. Likewise the possessive formation in "garlanded" carries praise and indicates an especially splendid garland.
His smile also showed that He was completely pleased and that abandoning the gopīs had been a playful joke. Wearing the yellow cloth wrapped up as far as His head revealed that His heart had contracted in shame at leaving them. His garland showed that He desired only their company and found no other association pleasing without them. Śukadeva describes Kṛṣṇa's beauty at that moment so that He may enter the listener's heart.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.3-4 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.३-४ ॥
तं विलोक्यागतं प्रेष्ठं प्रीत्य्-उत्फुल्ल-दृशोऽबलाः ।
उत्तस्थुर् युगपत् सर्वास् तन्वः प्राणम् इवागतम् ॥
काचित् कराम्बुजं शौरेर् जगृहेऽञ्जलिना मुदा ।
काचिद् दधार तद्-बाहुम् अंसे चन्दन-रूषितम्1 ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
आगतम्** आदौ समुत्कण्ठया सद्य एव दूरे प्रादुर्भूय आगमन-क्रमेण निजान्तिकं प्राप्तं सन्तम् । तथा च विष्णु-पुराणे---ततो ददृशुर् आयान्तं विकासि-मुख-पङ्कजं [वि।पु। ५.१३.४३] इति । अत एव विशेषेण लोकयित्वा दृष्ट्वेति रोदन-वैवश्येन ईषद्-दर्शनेऽप्य् अनिश्चयात् । किं वा, दृष्टेऽपि परमर्त्या विश्वासाभावात् सम्यक् निरीक्ष्यैवेत्य् अर्थः । अबला विरह-क्षामतयोत्थातुम् असमर्था अपि सर्वा युगपद् उत्थितः । तत्र हेतुः---प्रेष्ठम् इति । तद्-एक-प्रेष्ठत्वेन मरणे जीवने च तद्-एक-हेतुत्वात् । एतद् एव दृष्टान्तेन साधयति---तन्व इति । आगतम् इति पुनर् उक्तिः उत्थाने आगमनैक-हेतुता स्पष्टार्थं कृता । विलासाख्योऽनुभावोऽयम्---
गति-स्थानासनादीनां मुख-नेत्रादि-कर्मणाम् । > तात्कालिकं तु वैशिष्ट्यं विलासः प्रिय-सङ्गजम् ॥ [उ।नी। ११.३१] > इति ॥३॥
पूर्वं विरह-दैन्येन तुल्य-वचनैः सर्वासाम् एव तुल्यता प्राप्तिर् दर्शिता। अधुना प्राप्त-निजालम्बनत्वेन स्व-स्वभावम् अनुसरन्तीनां मुख्यानां चेष्टित-भेदैर् भाव-भेदान् आह---काचिद् इति पञ्चभिः । कराम्बुजं दक्षिणं जगृहे वन-भ्रमण-श्रान्ततया मत्तस्य तस्य करावलम्बनाय तथा व्यवहारस्यौचित्यात् स्पर्शोत्सुक्याच् च । करस्य दक्षिणत्वं च निज-स्कन्धे तद्-बाहु-धारिण्या द्वितीयायाः कान्त-समान-स्थितत्वेन वाम-भागावस्थानौचित्यात्, दक्षिणस्यैव तथा ग्रहणौचित्याच् च । करस्य दक्षिणं च निज-स्कन्धे तद्-बाहु-धारिण्या, द्वितीयायाः कान्त-समान-स्थितत्वेन वाम-भागावस्थानौचित्यात्, दक्षिणस्यैव तथा ग्रहणौचित्यात् । एवम् उत्तरोत्तरं ज्ञेयम् ।
Footnotes
-
भूषितम् इति नारायण-भट्टः। ↩
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
"Returned" means that in response to their intense yearning He first appeared at some distance and then approached until He stood beside them. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa similarly says, "Then they saw Him approaching, His lotus face blossoming" (5.13.43). Thus they "beheld" Him with special care. Helpless from weeping, they could not be certain from a slight glimpse alone. Or, because supreme anguish made it difficult to believe even what they saw, they inspected Him thoroughly.
Though weakened by separation and unable to rise, they all stood up at once. Why? Because He was their dearest beloved. Since He alone was supremely dear to them, He alone caused both their death and their life. The comparison with bodies whose life has returned establishes this. The repetition of "returned" makes clear that His coming alone caused them to rise. This is the expressive condition called vilāsa:
Sanskrit quotation, Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 11.31
The momentary distinction in movement, standing, sitting, and the actions of face, eyes, and other limbs, produced by meeting one's beloved, is called vilāsa.
Previously, their common words born of the humility of separation showed that all the gopīs had reached the same condition. Now that they had regained the object supporting their love, each followed her own nature. In the five verses beginning "one gopī," Śukadeva reveals differences in the chief gopīs' emotions through differences in their actions.
The first gopī joyfully took His right lotus hand. Since Kṛṣṇa was intoxicated and tired from wandering in the forest, it was proper to offer Him the support of her hand, and she also yearned to touch Him. The hand must be His right hand because the second gopī placed His arm upon her own shoulder. Standing beside her beloved, that second gopī would properly occupy His left side, leaving His right hand available to the first. The source repeats this reasoning: because the second held His arm on her shoulder and stood on His left in a position equal to His, it was fitting that the first grasped His right hand. The successive gestures should be understood in this manner.
Textual note
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.5 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.५ ॥
काचिद् अञ्जलिनागृह्णात् तन्वी ताम्बूल-चर्वितम् ।
एका तद्-अङ्घ्रि-कमलं सन्तप्ता1 स्तनयोर्2 अधात् ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
अञ्जलिनागृह्णाद्** इति पूर्ववत् । अत्रौत्सुक्यं त्व् अधरामृतार्थम् । इयं मृदुर् दास्य-प्राय-सख्या कान्त-पराधीना दक्षिणा च अङ्घ्रि-कमलं दक्षिणम् एव स्तनयोर् न्यधात्। वाम-भुजेन प्रियावलम्बनेन वाम-चरण-न्यस्ताङ्ग-भावता-प्राप्तेः। सम्प्रति स्थित एव चायम् उपवेशस्याग्रतो वक्ष्यमाणत्वात् । अत उपविष्टयैव तया चरण-धारणम् । तस्य तयोर् निधाने हेतुः---सन्तप्त- इति विरह-मय-रत्य्-आख्येन भावेनेति शेषः । "हृदय" इति पाठे स एवार्थः । इयं प्रखरा दास्य-प्राय-सख्या कान्ताधीना दक्षिणा च ॥५॥
Footnotes
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
The first received His gift in joined palms, as in the preceding verse. Here, however, her eagerness was directed toward the nectar of His lips. She is gentle, her friendship is predominantly servitude, she is dependent upon her beloved, and she is compliant.
The other gopī placed His right lotus foot upon her breasts. Kṛṣṇa was supporting Himself with His left arm upon His beloved, so His weight rested upon His left foot, leaving His right foot available. He was still standing, because the verses will describe Him sitting only later. The gopī must therefore have been seated when she held His foot. Why did she place it upon her breasts? Because she was scorched by the emotion called love in separation. The alternate reading "upon her heart" conveys the same meaning. This gopī is forceful, her friendship is predominantly servitude, she is dependent upon her beloved, and she too is compliant.
Textual notes
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.6 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.६ ॥
एका भ्रू-कुटिम् आबध्य प्रेम-संरम्भ-विह्वला ।
घ्नन्तीवैक्षत् कटाक्षेपैः सन्दष्ट-दशन-च्छदा ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
प्रेम-संरम्भ-विह्वला** सती भ्रुकुटिम् आबध्य निर्दष्ट-दशन-च्छदा भूत्वा कटाक्षेपैर् घ्नतीवैक्षत इत्य् अन्वयः । कटाक्षेपैः कटाक्ष-विक्षेपैः । सन्दष्टेति क्वचित् पाठः । शारिम् इति प्रकरणात् । घ्नतीवेति तस्यापि क्षोभं व्यज्य ताभिर् गृहीतत्वेनैव दाक्षिण्य-मात्रेणैव च स तत्र स्थित इति व्यज्यते । तथा वाम्येन दूर-स्थिताया अपि तस्याः प्रेम-संरम्भेणेत्य् अनेन तद्-ईक्षणे परम-सुखं दर्शितम् । यथा श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे---
काचिद् भ्रू-भङ्गुरं कृत्वा ललाट-फलकं हरिम् । > विलोक्य नेत्र-भृङ्गाभ्यां पपौ तन्-मुख-पङ्कजम् ॥ [वि।पु। > ५.१३.४४] इति ।
अत्र बिब्बोकाख्यानुभावो दर्शितः । यथोक्तं---इष्टेऽपि गर्व-मानाभ्यां बिब्बोकः स्याद् अनादरः इति । तथा ललिताख्योऽपि, यथोक्तं---
विन्यास-भङ्गि-रङ्गानां भ्रू-विलास-मनोहराः । > सुकुमारा भवेद् यत्र ललितं तद् उदीरितम् ॥ [उ।नी। ११.५६]
इयं प्रखरा सुसख्यात्यन्त-स्वाधीना वामा कान्ता च ॥६॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
The grammatical sequence is: overwhelmed by love's agitation, she knit her brows, bit her lip, and looked at Him with darting sidelong glances as if striking Him. Some manuscripts read "firmly bitten." The context concerns a female myna bird. "As if striking Him" reveals that she too agitated Kṛṣṇa. It also suggests that He remained there only because the other gopīs had physically taken hold of Him and because He was responding gently to them. Though her contrariness kept her at a distance, the phrase "agitation of love" shows that gazing upon Him gave her the highest joy. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa similarly says:
Sanskrit quotation, Viṣṇu Purāṇa 5.13.44
One gopī furrowed the surface of her brow. Beholding Hari, with the bees of her eyes she drank the lotus of His face.
This displays the expressive state called biboka: "Disregard even for what one desires, arising from pride and jealous anger, is called biboka." It also displays the state called lalita:
Sanskrit quotation, Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 11.56
Where the arrangement and graceful play of the limbs are delicate and charming with the movements of the brows, that condition is called lalita.
This gopī is forceful, bound to Kṛṣṇa by exceptionally intimate friendship, completely independent, contrary, and His beloved.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.7 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.७ ॥
अपरानिमिषद्-दृग्भ्यां जुषाणा तन्-मुखाम्बुजम् ।
आपीतम् अपि नातृप्यत् सन्तस् तच्-चरणं यथा ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
जुषाणा आस्वादयन्ती आपीतं सम्यग् आस्वादितं माधुर्यम् अपि इति दृशो रसनात्वं मुखस्याम्बुजता-रूपकेण तत् सौन्दर्यस्य मधुत्वं च रूपितम् । दृशोत्तं रसनात्व-रूपकेण तु तन्-माधुर्यासक्तिर् दर्शिता । शान्ता दास्य-भक्ति-निष्ठा इति साक्षाद्-दर्शनेऽपि तृप्त्य्-अभाव-मात्रे दृष्टान्तः । वैशिष्ट्यं तु तत्-तद्-भाव-माधुरी-व्यञ्जक-श्री-मुखालम्बनतया विद्यत एव । इयं सन्-मुख-दत्त-दृष्टित्वात् प्रखरा स्वयम् एवासौ मां मिल्ष्यतीति स्व-स्थान एव स्थितत्वात् सुसख्या स्वाधीन-कान्ता वामा च ॥७॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
She "savored" His face, and even after thoroughly drinking its sweetness she was not satisfied. The metaphor makes her eyes into tongues, His face into a lotus, and the beauty of that face into honey. Describing the eyes as organs of taste shows her attachment to His sweetness.
Saints established in tranquil devotion and servitude remain unsatisfied even when directly seeing His feet. The comparison applies only to that absence of satisfaction. Her distinctive condition remains, because her object is His beautiful face, which reveals the sweetness of each of her particular emotions.
This gopī is forceful because she openly fixes her gaze upon His face. Thinking, "He Himself will come and meet me," she remains standing in her own place. She is joined to Him by intimate friendship, independent, contrary, and His beloved.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.8 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.८ ॥
तं काचिन् नेत्र-रन्ध्रेण हृदि-कृत्य निमील्य च ।
पुलकाङ्ग्य् उपगुह्यास्ते योगीवानन्द-सम्प्लुता ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
तं नेत्र-रन्ध्रेण हृदि कृत्य** इति तस्या हृदये तस्य स्वच्छोपाधौ बिम्बस्यैव परमासक्तिः सूचिता । ततः साक्षाद् भावाल् लज्जया नेत्रे निमील्य भाव-पारवश्येन पुलकाङ्गी सती उपगुह्य आलिङ्गनम् अनुकृत्य आस्ते चिरं तथैवासीद् इत्य् अर्थः । योगीव इति अन्तः स्फूर्तौ दृष्टान्तः । यद् वा, योगीति क्रिया-विशेषणं योगे यथा स्यात् तद् इवेत्य् अर्थः । इयं लज्जया मृद्वी, पूर्वस्माद् धेतोः सुसख्या स्वाधीन-कान्ता वामा च । एवं सप्तोक्ता । अष्टमी तु श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे---
काचिद् आयान्तम् आलोक्य गोविन्दम् अतिहर्षिता । > कृष्ण कृष्णेति कृष्णेति प्राह नान्यद् उदीरितम् ॥ [वि।पु। ५.१३.४४] > इति ।
प्रखरा सरला चेयम् ।
अत्रेदं विवेचनीयं---रत्य्-आख्यो भावस् तावद् उभय-विधः---एक आत्मनि तदीयता-भावना-मयत्वेन कान्त-पराधीना दाक्षिण्यादि-मयः । अन्यः कान्ते मदीयता-भावना-मयत्वेन पराधीन-कान्तत्व-वामत्वादि-मयः । तद् एवं भाव-द्वय-मिश्रित-तारतम्येनान्येऽपि विविधा भावा विभाव्यन्ते । तद् एतन्-नाना-भाववतीनां मध्ये सजातीय-भावानां सख्यं स्यात् रोचकत्वात्, विजातीय-भावानां प्रतिपक्षता स्यात्, अरोचकत्वाद् एव सजातीय-भावानां सौहृद्यं स्यात्, यत् किञ्चिद् रोचकत्वेन हिताशंसन-मात्रात् । अतिमिश्रत्वेन अतिसूक्ष्मत्वेन वा नातिस्फुट-सजातीयादि-भेद-भावानां तटस्थ्यं स्यात्, अवधान-हेत्व्-अभावात् । श्री-कृष्ण-विषयक-निज-निज-भाव-मात्राभिरुचि-मतीनां तासां सख्याद्य्-उदयस्य तद्-एक-मूलत्वम् एवोचितम् इति । तत्र तदीयता-मदीयता-मययोर् मुख्ययोर् भावयोर् उत्तरः श्रेयान्, ममताधिक्येन हि गम्भीर-प्रेम-प्रवाहाधिक्यं भवति । तत एव तद्-विवर्त-रूप-वाम्यापर-पर्याय-कौटिल्याभासो जायते---अहेर् इव गतिः प्रेम्णः स्वभाव-कुटिला भवेत् [उ।नी। १५.१०२] इति भरत-न्यायात् । अत एव कान्तोऽपि तद्-वशः स्यात्, तथा च रुद्रः---
वामता दुर्लभत्वं च स्त्रीणां या च निवारणा । > तद् एव पञ्च-बाणस्य मन्ये परमम् आयुधम् ॥ [उ।नी। १.२०]
यथा श्री-हरि-वंशे श्री-सत्यभामायां दृश्यते---
रूप-यौवन-सम्पन्ना स्व-सौभाग्येन गर्विता । > अभिमानवती देवी श्रुत्वैवेर्ष्या-वशं गता ॥ [ह।वं। २.६५.५०] > कुटुम्बस्येश्वरी सासीद् रुक्मिणी भीष्मकात्मजा । > सत्यभामोत्तमा स्त्रीणां सौभाग्ये चाधिकाभवद् ॥ इति च ।
अत एवार्धेनार्धेन प्रथम-चतसृणां वर्णनम्, उत्तर-तिसृणां त्व् एकेनैकेनेति कवेर् आदरोऽपि दृश्यते । आसु तिसृसु च एका भ्रू-कुटिम् आबध्य [भा।पु। १०.३२.६] इत्य् अनेन या वर्णिता, सैव श्रेष्ठा भाव-वैशिष्ट्येन न प्रथमत्वेन चोपन्यासात् तादृश-सर्व-विलक्षण-भावश् च तस्या एव स्व-परित्यागे स्यात्, यस्याः सर्व-परित्यागेन स्व-सङ्गे नीतायाः सौभाग्य-दानेन सर्व-वैलक्षण्यं श्री-भगवान् स्वयम् आविष्कृतवान्, तस्मात् सैव सा भवेत् ।
अथ प्रथम-चतसृणां प्रथमैव ज्येष्ठा श्रेष्ठा च अग्रे स्थितत्वात्, सर्वा अतिक्रम्य प्रथमत एव कान्त-स्पर्शात् दक्षिणासु सुमधुर-चेष्टत्वात् । एषा चोत्तर-वर्ग-प्रवराया विजातीय-भावेति प्रातिपक्षिकी ज्ञेया ।
अथानयोर् वर्ग-विचारः तत्रोत्तर-प्रथमायाः सख्यौ तद्-अनन्तरे द्वे प्रथम-प्रथमायास् त्व् एक-व्यवहित-तृतीयादिके द्वे भाव-साम्यात्, न तत्-तद्-अनुगततया वाम-दक्षिणयोः स्थितेश् च। या तु प्रथम-द्वितीया सा खलु प्रथम-गणान्तः प्रविश्य स्थितापि किञ्चिद् व्यवहितत्वात् तद्-अतिक्रमि-चरितत्वाच् च न प्रथमायाः सखी पराधीन-कान्तं मन्यतया किञ्चित् सादृश्येनोत्तरायास् तु सुहृद् इति ज्ञेयम् ।
अथ या विष्णु-पुराणोक्ता सा तु नातिविस्पष्ट-भावत्व-वर्ग-द्वयाप्रवेशाच् छ्री-शुकेनावर्णनाच् च तटस्थैव ज्ञेया ।
अथ तासां नाम-विचारः । तत्र भविष्योत्तरे मल्ल-द्वादशी-प्रसङ्गे श्री-कृष्ण-युधिष्ठिर-संवादे तन्-नामानि, यथा---
गोपी-नामानि राजेन्द्र प्राधान्येन निबोध मे । > गोपाली पालिका धन्या विशाखा ध्याननिष्ठिका । > राधानुराधा सोमाभा तारका दशमी तथा ॥ इति ।
"विशाखान्या धनिष्ठिका" इति पाठः क्वचित् । दशमी इत्य् अपि नामैकं, तच् चान्वर्थम् इति सर्वान्ते पठितम् । यद् वा, तथेति दशम्य् अपि तारका-नाम्न्य् एवेत्य् अर्थः । गोपाली चेयं नूनं पाद्मोक्त-गायत्री-चरी भवेत्, तथा स्कान्द-प्रह्लाद-संहितायां द्वारका-माहात्म्ये माया-सरः-प्रस्तावे पुनर् उद्धवागमने प्रिय-प्राप्तिवत् प्रिय-दूत-प्राप्ताव् अपि स्व-स्वभावाभिव्यक्तेस् तद्-भावोक्ति-सहितान्य् एवाष्टौ नामानि निर्दिष्टानि, किन्त्व् अत्यन्त-दुःख-मयोक्तित्वान् नैतादृश-रसावसरे दृश्यानि । कदाचिद् विचारावसरे त्व् अपेक्ष्याणीत्य् अनन्य-गतिकत्वेनैव लिख्यन्ते, यथा---
तच् छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य ललिता क्रोध-मूर्च्छिता । > उद्धवं साश्रु-नयना सोवाच रुदती तदा ॥ > श्री-ललितोवाच--- > असत्यो भिन्न-मर्यादः शठः क्रूर-जन-प्रियः । > मा कृथाः पुरतोऽस्माकं कथास् तस्याकृतात्मनः ॥ > धिक् धिक् पाप-समाचारो धिग् असौ निष्ठुराशयः । > हित्वा यः स्त्री-जनान् मूढो गतो द्वारवतीं प्रति ॥ > श्री-श्यामलोवाच--- > किं तस्य मन्द-भाग्यस्य स्वल्प-पुण्यस्य दुःखदाः । > मा कुरुध्वं कथाः सख्यः कथाः कथयतापराः ॥ > श्री-धन्योवाच--- > केनायं हि समानीतो दूतो दुष्ट-जनस्य च । > यातुं तेन पथा पापो येन नायाति वै पुनः ॥ > श्री-विशाखोवाच--- > न शीलं न कुलं यस्य ज्ञायते जन्म कर्म च । > हीनस्य पुरुषार्थेषु तेन सङ्गो निरर्थकः ॥ > श्री-राधोवाच--- > पूतना-घातने यस्य नास्ति पाप-कृतं भयम् । > तस्य स्त्री-हनने साध्व्यः शङ्का कापि न विद्यते ॥ > श्री-शैव्योवाच--- > सत्यं ब्रूहि महाभाग किं करोति यदूत्तमः । > संवृतो नागर-स्त्रीभिः कथास्माकं करोति किम् ॥ > श्री-पद्मोवाच--- > कदोद्धव महा-बाहुः नागरी-जन-वल्लभः । > समेष्यतीह दाशार्हः पद्म-पत्रायतेक्षणः ॥ > श्री-भद्रोवाच--- > हा कृष्ण गोप-प्रवर हा गोपी-जन-वल्लभ । > समुद्धर महाबाहो गोपीः संसार-सागरात् ॥ इति ।
एके तु चन्द्रावलीम् एवाष्टानां मध्ये मन्यन्ते, न तु धन्याम्, तस्या लोकेऽतिप्रसिद्धेः । तत्र दश-सङ्ख्याकं मतं नात्रैकार्थ्यं समर्थयति, सङ्ख्या-वैषम्यात् । अष्ट-सङ्ख्याकयोर् अपि मतयोर् धन्या-पक्षो न सङ्घटयितुं शक्यते, तत्र तत्-सहितत्वेन श्री-ललितादीनां पञ्चानां वाम-प्रखर-प्रायत्वात् । अत्र त्व् एका भ्रूकुटिम् अबध्य [भा।पु। १०.३२.६] इति तिसृणाम् एवेति चन्द्रावली-पक्षस् तु सङ्गम्येत, तस्या दक्षिणा-वर्गाग्रिमात्वेन स्थापयिष्यमाणत्वाद् वाम-दक्षिणयोर् द्वयोर् अपि वर्गयोस् त्रिसङ्ख्यकत्वेन षट्त्वे द्वाभ्यां श्यामला-भद्राभ्यां चान्याभ्याम् अष्टता-पर्याप्तौ सुघटता स्याद् इति ।
तद् एवं स्थिते या पुनर् उत्तर-वर्ग-प्रथमा एका भ्रूकुटि इत्य्-आदि वर्णिता परम-भाव-सौभाग्योपरि-काष्ठापन्नत्वाच् छ्री-राधैव ।
यथा राधा प्रिया विष्णोस् तस्याः कुण्डं प्रियं तथा । > सर्व-गोपीषु सैवैका विष्णोर् अत्यन्त-वल्लभा ॥ इति पाद्मोक्तेः ।
राधा वृन्दावने वने इति मत्स्य-स्कन्दादिभ्यः ।
देवी कृष्णमयी प्रोक्ता राधिका पर-देवता । > वराभय-करा ध्येया सेविता सर्व-देवतैः । > सर्व-लक्ष्मी-मयी सर्व-कान्तिः सम्मोहिनी परा ॥ इति बृहद्-गौतमीये > च । > राधया माधवो देवो माधवेनैव राधिका । > विभ्राजन्ते जनेष्व् आ इति ऋक्-परिशिष्टे ।
वर्णिता च सा तथैव श्री-जयदेव-सहचरेण महाराज-लक्ष्मण-सेन-मन्त्रि-वरेणोमापति-धरेण---
भ्रूवल्ली-चलनैः कयापि नयनोन्मेषैः कयापि स्मित- > ज्योत्स्ना-विच्छुरितैः कयापि निभृतं सम्भावितस्याध्वनि । > गर्वाद् भेद-कृतावहेल-विनय-श्रीभाजि राधानने > सातङ्कानुनयं जयन्ति पतिताः कंसद्विषः दृष्टयः ॥1 इति ।
विवृतं च तन्-मद्-अनुज-वरैः श्री-रूप-महा-भागवतैर् उज्ज्वल-नीलमणेः स्थायि-भाव-विवरणे । अतो गान्धर्वा इति या श्री-गोपाल-तापिन्यां प्रसिद्धा, सापि मुख्यत्व-लिङ्गेनेयम् एव2 इति मन्यन्ते । अस्याः प्रह्लाद-संहितायां पूर्व-पूर्वापेक्षया वचन-कौशल्यान् मध्यात्वम् । अत्र च कोपावसरेऽपि लीला-विशेष-मात्र-व्यञ्जित-प्रागल्भतया बाहु-धारिण्याद्य्-अपेक्षया मध्यात्वम् इति च समानम् ।
अथ या अपरानिमिषत् [भा।पु। १०.३२.७] इत्य्-आदिना तत्-सखी वर्णिता, सा श्री-ललितेत्य् अवगम्यते, वाम्य-प्राखर्याभ्यां साम्यात् । सम्प्रति नातिवाम्यादिकं तु निज-वर-सखी-निशात-दृक्-पात-घात-जात-तत्-क्षोभ-दर्शनेनातिसन्तोषात् । एषा च राधानुराधा इति या भविष्योत्तर-पठिता तद्-अपर-पर्यायैव वा । तत्र च पाठस्य नाम्नोश् च युग्मता-मयत्वावगतेर् अत्रापि सम-वर्गता प्राप्त-सखी-वृन्द-प्रथमोक्तेर् मुख्यता प्राप्ति-साम्यात् ।
अथ तं काचिन् नेत्र-रन्ध्रेण [भा।पु। १०.३२.८] इत्य्-आदि वर्णिता तत्-सखी तु प्रायः श्री-विशाखैव, वाम्य-मार्दवाभ्यां साम्यात् । प्रह्लाद-संहितायाम् अपि न शीलम् इत्य्-आदिकं तद्-वाक्यं तादृशम् एव ।
अथ या प्रथम-वर्गस्य प्रथमा सा श्री-चन्द्रावल्य् एव । यतः श्री-राधया सह प्रतियोगितयैतिह्यम् अस्या एव विराजते । तथा च श्री-बिल्वमङ्गल-चरणाः---
राधा-मोहन-मन्दिराद् उपगतश् चन्द्रावलीम् ऊचिवान् > राधे क्षेमम् इहेति तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वाह चन्द्रावली । > कंस क्षेमम् अये विमुग्ध-हृदये कंसः क्व दृष्टस् त्वया > राधा क्वेति विलज्जितो नत-मुखः स्मेरो हरिः पातु वः ॥3 इति > ।
अर्थ-साम्य-प्रायाद् इयं भविष्योत्तर-ख्याता सोमाभैव वा स्यात् ।
अथ या तस्या द्वितीया काचिद् दधार [भा।पु। १०.३२.४] इत्य्-आदिना श्री-राधा-सुहृद्-वर्णिता सा श्यामला भवेत् । प्रह्लाद-संहितायां ललितादि-गणे प्रविश्य हितोपदेश-दानेन तस्याः सौहृद्य-लक्षणावगतेः । सखीनां सम-दुःख-प्रलापिता भवति किञ्चिद् व्यन्तरितध्यैव (सिच्) तु हितोपदेश-दातृता दृश्यत इति । इयम् एव श्री-मध्वाचार्यैर् भागवत-तात्पर्य-दर्शिता लीलाख्या भवेत् ।
अथ काचिद् अञ्जलिना [भा।पु। १०.३२.५] इति एका तद्-अङ्घ्रि [भा।पु। १०.३२.५] इति वर्णिते ये चन्द्रावली-सख्यौ । तथा विष्णु-पुराने यास् तटस्था वर्णिताः ताः क्रमेण शैव्या-पद्मा-भद्रा स्युः सेवकवद् दैन्येन सञ्जिगमिषया नातिस्फुट-भाव-विशेषत्वेन च साम्याद् इति ।
महानुभाव-सम्मत्या युक्ति-प्रायं व्यलेखि यत् ।
तत्र कृष्णस् तदीयाश् च ममानन्य-गतेर् गतिः ॥
ता मद्-वर्ण्य-रहो-लीला-नाम्ना सङ्कोचम् आप्नुयुः ।
मुनिनैवं ह्नुताह्वानाः क्षमन्तां मम चापलम् ॥८॥
Footnotes
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पद्यावली २५९; सद्-उक्ति-कर्णामृते १.५५.३, (उमापतिधरस्य) ॥ ↩
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गोपालोत्तर-तापन्यां यद् गान्धर्वेति विश्रुता इति उज्ज्वले राधा-प्रकरणे ४.४ । कथम् अत्र स्थायि-भाव-विवरणे इति लिखितं न ज्ञातम् । तासां मध्ये श्रेष्ठा गान्धर्वा ह्य् उवाच [गो।ता।उ। २.६] तां हि मुख्यां विधाय पूर्वम् अनुकृत्वा तूष्णीम् आसुर् [गो।ता।उ। २.१३] इति । ↩
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थिस् वेर्से इस् नोत् फ़ोउन्द् इन् अन्य् ओफ़् थे थ्रेए चुर्रेन्त् चेन्तुरिएस् अत्त्रिबुतेद् तो बिल्वमन्गल।
राधा-मोहन-मन्दिरं जिगमिषोश् चन्द्रावली-मन्दिराद्
राधे क्षेमम् इति प्रियस्य वचनं श्रुत्वाह चन्द्रावली ।
क्षेमं कंस ततः प्रियः प्रकुपितः कंसः क्व दृष्टस् त्वया
राधा क्वेति तयोः प्रसन्न-मनसोर् हासोद्गमः पातु वः ॥
↩[सुभाषितावलि ९८]
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
"Drawing Him through the opening of her eyes and placing Him in her heart" indicates her supreme attachment to His reflected image within the transparent medium of her heart. Then, embarrassed by His physical presence, she closed her eyes. Overpowered by emotion and covered with horripilation, she imitated an embrace within and remained in that state for a long time. "Like a yogī" compares her experience to an inward manifestation. Or yogī may function adverbially: she remained as one remains in yoga. Her bashfulness makes her gentle; for the reason given with the preceding gopī, she is joined to Him by intimate friendship, independent, contrary, and His beloved.
Seven gopīs have now been described. An eighth appears in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:
Sanskrit quotation, Viṣṇu Purāṇa 5.13.44
Seeing Govinda approaching, one gopī became overjoyed. She said only, "Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!" and nothing else.
This gopī is forceful and straightforward.
The following question now requires examination. The emotion called rati, deep loving attachment, is of two principal kinds. In one, the beloved's ownership of the lover is felt within herself: "I am His." This produces dependence upon the beloved, compliance, and related traits. In the other, the lover feels ownership of the beloved: "He is mine." This produces a beloved who is subject to her, contrariness, and related traits. Many further emotions can be understood through differing mixtures and gradations of these two.
Among women possessing such varied emotions, those whose feelings are of the same kind become intimate friends because each finds the other's mood pleasing. Those whose feelings are of unlike kinds become rivals because each finds the other's mood unappealing. Those whose feelings are partly similar become well-wishers, since partial agreement produces a simple wish for the other's welfare. When feelings are too thoroughly mixed or too subtle for similarity and difference to appear clearly, the women remain neutral because there is no cause for particular attention. Each gopī delights solely in her own particular feeling toward Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so it is fitting that their friendships and other relationships all arise from that one root.
Of the two principal feelings, "I am His" and "He is mine," the latter is superior. A greater sense of possessiveness produces a deeper and more abundant current of love. From it arises an apparent crookedness, another name for contrariness, which is a transformation of that love. Bharata's maxim says, "Like a serpent's movement, the nature of love is crooked" (Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 15.102). For this very reason the beloved comes under her control. Rudra similarly says:
Sanskrit quotation, Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 1.20
A woman's contrariness, her difficulty of attainment, and the obstacles she places before union: these, I believe, are the supreme weapons of the five-arrowed god of love.
This is seen in Satyabhāmā in the Harivaṁśa:
Sanskrit quotations, Harivaṁśa 2.65.50 and following
Endowed with beauty and youth, proud of her good fortune, the self-assured queen fell under jealousy as soon as she heard.
Rukmiṇī, Bhīṣmaka's daughter, was mistress of the household, but Satyabhāmā was foremost among women and surpassed them in amorous good fortune.
The poet's special regard can therefore be seen in his structure. He describes the first four gopīs in half a verse each, but gives one whole verse to each of the final three. Among those final three, the gopī described by "one knit her brows" (Bhāgavata 10.32.6) is the greatest. She is introduced first not because of mere sequence, but because of the distinctive excellence of her emotion. Such an emotion, unlike that of all others, could belong only to the gopī whom Kṛṣṇa abandoned after first leaving everyone else to take her alone. By bestowing that unique good fortune, the Lord Himself revealed her distinction from all the others. The gopī who knits her brows must therefore be that very gopī.
Among the first four, the first is likewise the eldest and chief. She stands at the front, passes all the others to touch her beloved first, and among the compliant heroines her gesture is exquisitely sweet. Her emotion differs in kind from that of the foremost gopī of the later group, so she should be understood as her rival.
The two groups may be analyzed as follows. The two gopīs immediately following the first of the later group are her friends because their emotions resemble hers. The third and fourth of the initial group, separated from its leader by one intervening gopī, are similarly her friends because their emotions resemble hers. This does not mean they simply follow the respective leaders; rather, their positions reflect the division between contrary and compliant temperaments. The second gopī of the first group stands within that group, but because she is somewhat separated from its leader and acts by passing beyond her, she is not that leader's friend. Her conception of a beloved who remains independent gives her a certain resemblance to the leader of the later group, so she should instead be understood as that gopī's well-wisher.
The gopī mentioned in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa should be regarded as neutral. Her particular emotion is not sufficiently explicit, she does not enter either group, and Śukadeva does not describe her here.
Now the names of these gopīs should be considered. In the Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa's account of Malla-dvādaśī, Kṛṣṇa tells Yudhiṣṭhira:
Sanskrit quotation
O king, hear from Me the names of the principal gopīs: Gopālī, Pālikā, Dhanyā, Viśākhā, Dhyānaniṣṭhikā, Rādhā, Anurādhā, Somābhā, Tārakā, and the tenth.
Some manuscripts read "Viśākhā, Anyā, Dhaniṣṭhikā." "The tenth" may itself be a meaningful proper name placed last. Or "and so the tenth" may mean that the tenth is also named Tārakā. Gopālī is probably the cowherd maiden who practiced the Gāyatrī as described in the Padma Purāṇa.
The Prahlāda-saṁhitā of the Skanda Purāṇa, in the Dvārakā-māhātmya's account of Māyā-saras, also names eight gopīs when Uddhava returns. Just as their natures become manifest when they attain their beloved, their individual emotions become manifest when they receive the beloved's messenger. Because their statements there are filled with extreme sorrow, they are not appropriate to view during a relishable occasion such as this. Yet they are needed when the identities are examined, so, having no alternative source, I record them:
Sanskrit quotations, Prahlāda-saṁhitā
Hearing his words, Lalitā fainted in anger. With tear-filled eyes she then spoke to Uddhava while weeping.
Śrī Lalitā said: He is false, a breaker of all bounds, deceitful, and fond of cruel people. Do not speak before us about that uncontrolled man. Shame, shame upon his sinful conduct and pitiless heart! The fool abandoned these women and went away to Dvārakā.
Śrī Śyāmalā said: Why speak of that unfortunate man of little merit, who causes pain? Friends, do not tell stories about him. Speak of something else.
Śrī Dhanyā said: Who brought here this messenger of a wicked man? Let the sinner go back by a road from which he can never return.
Śrī Viśākhā said: Neither his character nor family, birth, or deeds are known. He is deficient in the goals of human life, so association with him is useless.
Śrī Rādhā said: One who felt no fear of sin in killing Pūtanā will surely feel no hesitation, virtuous friends, in killing women.
Śrī Śaivyā said: Fortunate one, tell us truthfully: what is the best of the Yadus doing? Surrounded by sophisticated city women, does he ever speak of us?
Śrī Padmā said: Uddhava, when will mighty-armed Dāśārha, the beloved of city women whose eyes spread like lotus petals, come here again?
Śrī Bhadrā said: Alas, Kṛṣṇa, foremost cowherd! Alas, beloved of the gopīs! Mighty-armed one, lift the gopīs from the ocean of worldly existence.
Some authorities count Candrāvalī, rather than Dhanyā, among the eight because Candrāvalī is exceptionally famous in the world. The list of ten cannot be reconciled directly with the present passage because the numbers differ. Even between the two lists of eight, the proposal including Dhanyā cannot be made to fit. Including her would make Lalitā and four others, five in all, predominantly forceful and contrary, whereas only three gopīs belong to the group beginning with "one knit her brows" (10.32.6). The proposal including Candrāvalī can be reconciled. She will be established as the leader of the compliant group. With three members in each of the contrary and compliant groups there are six; adding Śyāmalā and Bhadrā, who belong differently, brings the number neatly to eight.
On this basis, the first gopī of the later group, described by "one knit her brows," is Śrī Rādhā. She has reached the highest summit of emotional excellence and amorous good fortune. The Padma Purāṇa says:
Sanskrit quotation
As Rādhā is dear to Viṣṇu, so Her lake is dear to Him. Among all the gopīs, She alone is Viṣṇu's supremely beloved.
The Matsya, Skanda, and other Purāṇas likewise speak of "Rādhā in the forest of Vṛndāvana." The Bṛhad-gautamīya says:
Sanskrit quotation
The Goddess is declared to be filled with Kṛṣṇa; Rādhikā is the supreme deity. Granting boons and fearlessness, She is to be meditated upon and is served by all the gods. She contains every Lakṣmī, is all splendor, and is the supreme enchantress.
The supplement to the Ṛg Veda says:
Sanskrit quotation
Through Rādhā, the divine Mādhava shines among all people; and through Mādhava, Rādhikā shines.
Umapatidhara, the distinguished minister of King Lakṣmaṇa Sena and an associate of Śrī Jayadeva, describes Her in the same way:
Sanskrit quotation
On the path, one gopī secretly honored Him with movements of vine-like brows, another with the opening of her eyes, and another with rays of moonlight from her smile. Yet when pride created division, Rādhā's face possessed the beauty of dignified neglect, and the anxious, pleading glances of Kaṁsa's enemy fell before Her in triumph.1
My highly exalted younger brother, the great devotee Śrī Rūpa, explains this in his treatment of the permanent emotion in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi. The gopī renowned as Gāndharvā in the Gopāla-tāpanī is therefore also considered to be Rādhā, since the text marks her as chief.2 In the Prahlāda-saṁhitā, the skill of Her words relative to those preceding Her places Her in the intermediate class of heroines. Here too, even in anger, Her boldness is expressed only through a special gesture of play. Relative to the gopī who holds Kṛṣṇa's arm and the others, She is therefore likewise intermediate.
The companion described by "another, with unblinking eyes" (10.32.7) should be understood as Śrī Lalitā because she shares Rādhā's contrariness and forcefulness. She does not display extreme contrariness at this moment because she is deeply satisfied to see Kṛṣṇa agitated by the cutting blows of her dearest friend's sharp glances. She may also be the same person called Rādhānurādhā in the Bhaviṣyottara. That reading presents the two names as a pair. In the present passage too, her membership in the same group, her being named first among the circle of friends, and her corresponding prominence all agree.
The friend described by "one drew Him through the opening of her eyes" (10.32.8) is probably Śrī Viśākhā, because her contrariness is mixed with gentleness. Her words beginning "Neither his character..." in the Prahlāda-saṁhitā display the same temperament.
The first gopī of the first group is Śrī Candrāvalī, for the traditional account of rivalry with Śrī Rādhā belongs especially to her. Śrī Bilvamaṅgala says:
Sanskrit verse attributed to Bilvamaṅgala
Coming from Rādhā's enchanting temple, Hari said to Candrāvalī, "Rādhā, is all well here?" Hearing Him, Candrāvalī replied, "Kaṁsa is well." "Bewildered girl, where did you see Kaṁsa?" "And where is Rādhā?" May that smiling Hari, face lowered in embarrassment, protect you.3
Because their meanings are nearly identical, she may also be the Somābhā named in the Bhaviṣyottara.
The second gopī of Candrāvalī's group, described by "another placed His arm upon her shoulder" (10.32.4), is a well-wisher of Śrī Rādhā and may be Śyāmalā. In the Prahlāda-saṁhitā she enters the group of Lalitā and the others yet gives beneficial counsel, revealing the nature of her goodwill. Friends lament together in equal grief, while one who stands at a slight emotional distance can be seen giving beneficial advice. She may be the gopī called Līlā whom Śrī Madhvācārya identifies in his Bhāgavata-tātparya.
The two described by "one received in joined palms" and "one placed His lotus foot" (10.32.5) are Candrāvalī's friends. The neutral gopīs described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa may respectively be Śaivyā, Padmā, and Bhadrā. Their humble wish to approach like servants and the absence of a clearly differentiated emotional character make these identifications fitting.
I have written this largely inferential analysis with the assent of great souls. May Kṛṣṇa and His own beloveds be the refuge of me, who have no other refuge.
May those women, whose names the sage concealed in describing their private pastimes, forgive my rashness if the names I have offered make them feel shy.
Textual notes
As He was going from Candrāvalī's temple to Rādhā's enchanting temple, the beloved said, "Rādhā, are you well?" Hearing Him, Candrāvalī replied, "Kaṁsa is well." Her beloved grew angry: "Where did you see Kaṁsa?" "And where is Rādhā?" May the laughter arising from their delighted hearts protect you.
Footnotes
-
Padyāvalī 259; Sad-ukti-karṇāmṛta 1.55.3, attributed to Umapatidhara. ↩
-
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). ↩
-
This verse is not found in the other three currently circulating collections attributed to Bilvamaṅgala. Subhāṣitāvali 98 gives a variant: ↩
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.9 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.९ ॥
सर्वास् ताः केशवालोक-परमोत्सव-निर्वृताः ।
जहुर् विरहजं तापं प्राज्ञं प्राप्य यथा जनाः ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
नन्व् अन्यासां का वार्ता ? तत्राह---सर्वा इति । तासां तत् सौभगम् इदं वीक्ष्य मानं च केशवः [भा।पु। १०.२९.४८] इत्य् अत्रेवात्र च केशव-शब्दः परम-तेजो-निधानता-परः । ततश् च तदानीं यथा तस्यान्तर्धाने तासां तेजोऽन्तर्धापनं, तथा सम्प्रति आविर्भावेन तद्-आविर्भावः सञ्जात इति भावः । तस्य आलोक एव परमानन्द-प्रदत्वात् परमोत्सवः, तेन निर्वृताः प्राप्त-दुःख-निवर्तक-सुखाः ।
तत्रानुरूपो दृष्टान्तः---प्राज्ञम् इति । सुषुप्ताव् अविद्यया इव पुनः परित्याग-शङ्काया निगूढ-स्थितेः । यद् वा, प्राज्ञः परम-भागवतः, तं प्राप्य जना यथा इति । एवम् अप्य् आरम्भ एव दृष्टान्तेन सम्यक्-सिद्धौ पूर्वस्माद् एव हेतोः ॥९॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
What of the gopīs not individually described? Śukadeva answers, "All of them." As in the earlier statement, "Seeing their exceptional good fortune and pride, Keśava..." (Bhāgavata 10.29.48), the name Keśava here indicates that Kṛṣṇa is the treasury of supreme radiance. When He disappeared, their radiance disappeared with Him. Now, when He manifested again, their radiance also reappeared. The mere sight of Him bestows the highest bliss and is therefore a supreme festival. Fulfilled by that festival, they attained the happiness that removed the suffering they had undergone.
"Like people who attain the enlightened" supplies a fitting comparison. Just as ignorance remains hidden in deep sleep, the gopīs' fear that He might abandon them again remained concealed. Or prājña may mean a supremely realized devotee: people who attain such a person are relieved in the same way. Even on this reading, the comparison is already fully established at the outset for the reason just explained.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.10 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१० ॥
ताभिर् विधूत-शोकाभिर् भगवान् अच्युतो विभुः ।
व्यरोचताधिकं तात पुरुषः शक्तिभिर् यथा ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
ततो मद-मानौ परित्यज्य सर्वा मिलित्वैव तद्-अनुगता बभूवुः, ताभिः श्री-भगवतो\ऽपि परम-शोभाविर्भावो जात इत्य् आह---ताभिर् इति त्रिकेण। विधूत- इत्य् अत्र कारण-विशेषश् चोक्तः श्री-पराशरेण---
ततः काञ्चित् प्रियालापैः काञ्चिद् भ्रू-भङ्ग-वीक्षितैः । > निन्येऽनुनयम् अन्याश् च कर-स्पर्शेन माधवः ॥ [वि।पु। ५.१३.३०] > इति ।
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
The gopīs then abandoned intoxication and jealous pride. United together, all of them followed Him. The three verses beginning here explain that through them even the Supreme Lord manifested the highest beauty. Parāśara gives a specific reason for the phrase "whose grief had been dispelled":
Sanskrit quotation, Viṣṇu Purāṇa 5.13.30
Mādhava conciliated one with loving words, another with glances from arched brows, and still others by the touch of His hand.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.11-12 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.११-१२ ॥
ताः समादाय कालिन्द्या निर्विश्य पुलिनं विभुः ।
विकसत्-कुन्द-मन्दार-सुरभ्य्-अनिल-षट्-पदम् ॥
शरच्-चन्द्रांशु-सन्दोह-ध्वस्त-दोषातमः शिवम् ।
कृष्णाया हस्त-तरलाचित-कोमल-बालुकम् ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
वि-शब्दोक्तस्य रोचने वैशिष्ट्यस्य उपकरणान्तरम् अपि दर्शयति---ता इति द्वाभ्याम् । सम्यक् प्रत्येकं सर्वासाम् एव हस्त-धारणादिना आदाय रास-योग्यं पुलिनान्तरं गन्तुं पूर्व-पुलिनतो गृहीत्वा निर्विश्य प्रविश्य मध्यम् अधिष्ठायेत्य् अर्थः । विभुर् व्यापक इत्य् एकस्यापि सर्वासां युगपत् समादानादि-समावेशार्थम् ।
पुलिनस्य भावोद्दीपन-सामग्र्या रास-क्रीडा-योग्यतां दर्शयंस् तद् विशिनष्टि---विकसद् इति सार्धेन । वायोः शैत्य-सौरभ्ये स्पष्टे । मान्द्यं च षट्पदास्पदत्वात् ।
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
These two verses describe a further element that made the brilliance indicated by the prefix in "shone" distinctive. Kṛṣṇa took every gopī properly, holding each one's hand and leading them from the first riverbank to another bank suited for the rāsa dance. He entered that place and occupied its center. Although He is one, He is called "all-pervading" because He simultaneously took and engaged every gopī.
The verse beginning "blossoming" uses a verse and a half to show how the bank's collection of stimulants for love made it suitable for the rāsa pastime. The breeze's coolness and fragrance are explicit. Its gentleness is implied because it provided a resting place for the bees.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.13 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१३ ॥
तद्-दर्शनाह्लाद-विधूत-हृद्-रुजो
मनोरथान्तं श्रुतयो यथा ययुः ।
स्वैर् उत्तरीयैः कुच-कुङ्कुमाङ्कितैर्
अचीकॢपन्न् आसनम् आत्म-बन्धवे ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
ततोऽतिहृष्टानां प्रेम-सेवाम् आह---तद् इति । तस्य क्रीड-विशेषोत्सुकस्य विभोर् दर्शनेन य आह्लादः, तेन विशेषतो धूता नाशिता हृद्-रुजः सर्वाः आधयो यासाम् । तथा-विधेन तेन सह तत्रागमनेन रास-क्रीडादि-मय-चिर-स्थितिर् निर्धारिता, पूर्व-शङ्कापगमात् । न केवलं परम-दुःख-शान्तिर् एव, अपि तु परम-सुख-प्राप्तिर् अपि जातेत्य् आह । मनोरथस्य वाञ्छितस्य अन्तं परां काष्ठां ययुर् इति ।
तत्र दृष्टान्तः---श्रुतयो यथा इति । श्रुतयोऽपि तादृश-लीला-विशिष्टं तं प्रकाश्य निज-निज-नाना-तात्पर्य-दौःस्थ्यं परित्यजन्ति । परम-तात्पर्य-पर्यवसानं च प्राप्नुवन्तीति । तद् उक्तम् एकादशे स्वयं श्री-भगवतः---यस्यां न मे पावनम् अङ्ग कर्म1 [भा।पु। ११.११.२०] इत्य्-आदि । द्वादशे श्री-सूतेन स्व-सुख-निभृत-चेतास् तद्-व्युदस्तान्य-भाव [भा।पु। १२.१२.६९] इत्य्-आदि च । तत्राप्य् एषा परम-प्रेम-मय-रास-लीलेति । श्रुतयोऽप्य् अत्रैव कृतार्था जाता इत्य् अस्या लीलाया महिमापि दर्शितः । अतः सहोक्ति-नामालङ्कारोऽयं व्यञ्जितः ।
ततश् च सुस्थिर-चित्ताः सत्यः आसनम् अचीकॢपन् विचित्र-चारु-प्रकारेण रचयामासुः । कैः ? स्वैः स्वयं परिहितैः उत्तरीयैः सर्वाङ्गीण-वस्त्रस्यान्तर्गतैः कुच-पट्टिकां वेति वक्ष्यमाणानुसारेण हृदयावरण-रूपैः विरह-रोदन-धारा-पातात् कुच-कुङ्कुमेनाङ्कितैर् इत्य् अर्थः ।
ननु कथं लज्जा-शैथिल्यम् इव आभिर् अङ्गीकृतं ? स्वीय-युक्तैः वस्त्रैर् आसनं दत्तं च ? तत्राह---आत्म- इति आत्मनो बन्धवे । आत्मीयत्वेन मित्रत्वेन च भावाद् इत्य् अर्थः । अन्यत् तैः । आसनं चेदं सर्वासां सूक्ष्म-वस्त्र-मय-विस्तीर्णम् एकम् एव वर्गशः पृथक् पृथग् एव ज्ञेयम् ॥१३॥
Footnotes
-
यस्यां न मे पावनम् अङ्ग कर्म स्थित्य्-उद्भव-प्राण-निरोधम् अस्य ।
लीलावतारेप्सित-जन्म वा स्याद् बन्ध्यां गिरं तां बिभृयान् न धीरः ↩
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
This verse describes the loving service of the overjoyed gopīs. Seeing the all-pervading Lord eager for a special pastime gave them such delight that every affliction of the heart was thoroughly destroyed. His coming there with them in that mood established that He would remain for a long time in the rāsa dance and related pastimes, removing their earlier fear. They did not merely gain freedom from the highest sorrow; they also attained the highest happiness. They reached the final limit, the supreme culmination, of the desire they cherished.
The comparison "like the revealed scriptures" means that the Vedas reveal Him together with pastimes such as this. In doing so they leave behind the hardship created by their many apparently separate purports and arrive at their supreme, final meaning. The Lord Himself says in the Eleventh Canto, "A thoughtful person should not uphold as fruitful any speech in which My purifying deeds, the maintenance, creation, and dissolution of this universe, or My desired births as pastime incarnations are absent" (Bhāgavata 11.11.20). In the Twelfth Canto Sūta likewise says, "Śukadeva's heart was absorbed in his own bliss, yet that bliss displaced every other thought..." (12.12.69). Above all, the present rāsa pastime is filled with supreme love. The Vedas themselves become fulfilled here, revealing this pastime's glory. The verse therefore suggests the poetic ornament called sahokti, coordinated expression.
Their minds now steady, the gopīs fashioned a seat in wonderfully beautiful ways. They made it from their own upper garments, which they themselves had worn. These were either garments beneath their full-body coverings or breast cloths, and thus coverings of their hearts. Streams of tears shed in separation had marked them with the kuṅkuma from their breasts.
Why did they appear to relax their modesty and offer a seat from clothes joined to their own bodies? The verse answers: it was for "the intimate friend of their souls." He belonged to them and was their friend. The remaining details have been explained by earlier commentators. The seat may be understood either as one broad seat made from the fine garments of all the gopīs or as separate seats arranged according to their groups.
Source quotation preserved in footnote 132, Bhāgavata 11.11.20
A thoughtful person should not uphold as fruitful any speech in which My purifying deed, the maintenance, creation, and dissolution of this universe, or My desired birth as a pastime incarnation is absent.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.14 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१४ ॥
तत्रोपविष्टो भगवान् स ईश्वरो
योगेश्वरान्तर्-हृदि कल्पितासनः ।
चकास गोपी-परिषद्-गतोऽर्चितस्1
त्रैलोक्य-लक्ष्म्य्-एक-पदं वपुर् दधत् ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
स प्रेम-रसाम्बुधि-वर्धनः श्री-कृष्ण-चन्द्रः स्वयं भगवान् ऐश्वर्यादि-षड्गुण-सम्पन्नोऽपि, तथा ईश्वरः नित्यम् अपूर्वापूर्व-तत्-प्रकाशन-समर्थोऽपि तत्र तस्मिन्न् आसने उपविष्टः सन् चकास, तत्र तत्रासम्भव-शोभाविर्भाववान् बभूव ।
अन्यत्र पुनर् असौ परम-दुर्लभ एवेत्य् आह---योगेश्वरैः सिद्ध-समाधिभिः श्री-रुद्रादिभिर् अपि अन्तर्-हृदि एकाग्र-चित्ते कल्पितं भावना-मात्रेण स्थापितम् आसनं यस्य तादृशोऽपि । अलुक् समासः । अर्थात् तैर् एव कल्पितम् इति वा । तस्मात् तासां सम्बन्धस्यैवैष महिमेति भावः । तत्र च वैशिष्ट्यम् आह---गोपी इति । यद् वा, तादृशेन गोपी-परिषद्-गतत्वेन एव योगेश्वरान्तर्-हृदि-कल्पितासन इति ज्ञेयम् ।
किं च, अर्चितः आसन-ताम्बूल-नर्म-सस्मितापाङ्गादिना सम्मानितः । किं कुर्वंश् चकाश ? त्रैलोक्ये प्राकृताधो-मध्योर्ध्व-लोके परम-व्योमाख्य-महा-वैकुण्ठ-पर्यन्ते या लक्ष्मीस् तत्-तद्-अनन्त-स्वाविर्भाव-पर्यन्त-वस्तूनां नाना-शोभादि-सम्पत्तिः । तस्या एकम् अनन्यत् पदम् आश्रय-भूतं वपुः प्रकाशं बिभ्रत्, तासाम् अग्रे धारयन् प्रकटयन्न् इत्य् अर्थः । तथा च वक्ष्यते---गोप्यस् तपः किम् अचरन् यद् अमुष्य [भा।पु। १०.४४.१४] इत्य्-आदि ॥१४॥
Footnotes
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"अच्युतः" इति पठितं विष्वनाथेन। ↩
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-candra expands the ocean of the rasa of love. Though He is Bhagavān, endowed with the six excellences beginning with sovereignty, and the Lord, eternally capable of manifesting ever unprecedented wonders, He sat upon that seat and shone. He manifested beauties there that could not appear anywhere else.
The verse next shows that He is supremely difficult to attain elsewhere. Even masters of yoga such as Śrī Rudra, perfected in samādhi, establish a seat for Him only through meditation within the concentrated heart. The compound retains its internal case ending, or it may mean that the yogic masters themselves imagine the seat. This is therefore the glory of the gopīs' relationship with Him. The word "gopī" states the special distinction. Or it is precisely because He enters the assembly of gopīs in this manner that the masters of yoga must construct His seat within their hearts.
He was "worshiped," honored with the seat, betel, playful words, smiling sidelong glances, and other offerings. How did He shine? He displayed before them the radiance of His form, the one incomparable abode of all lakṣmī. Here lakṣmī means the varied wealth of beauty and every other splendor found throughout the three worlds: the lower, middle, and upper material realms, extending through the great Vaikuṇṭha called the supreme sky and through all the infinite manifestations within each. A later verse will accordingly ask, "What austerity did the gopīs perform, that they behold this form?" (Bhāgavata 10.44.14).
Textual note
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.15 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१५ ॥
सभाजयित्वा तम् अनङ्ग-दीपनं
स-हास-लीलेक्षण-विभ्रम-भ्रुवा ।
संस्पर्शनेनाङ्क-कृताङ्घ्रि-हस्तयोः
संस्तुत्य ईषत्-कुपिता बभाषिरे ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
तत्र च प्रणय-स्वभावेन तासां निगूढां कोपोत्पत्तिम् आह---सभाजयित्वा पूर्वोक्त-प्रकारेण संमान्य तं बभाषिरे पृष्टवत्यः, ता इति शेषः । कीदृश्यः सत्यः ? तत्राह---ईषत् कुपिताः । ननु तादृक् सभाजितवत्यश् चेत्, तर्हि कथम् ईषत्-कोपस्याप्य् अवसरम् अर्हन्ति ? तत्राह---अनङ्ग-दीपनम् इति । तद्-दीपन-कृते नाना-विलासम् अभिव्यञ्जयन्तम् इत्य् अर्थः । पूर्वं परित्यज्य गतः सम्प्रत्य् असाव् एवं चेष्टत इति प्रणय-स्वभाव-विमर्शनेनेति भावः ।
ननु कुच-कुङ्कुमाक्त-वस्त्रोपवेशतया स्वेषाम् एव तद्-अनङ्ग-दीपनत्वे प्राग् एव जाते सति तस्य तद्-दीपनत्वं पृष्ट्वा सन्तम् अपि कोपं व्यक्तीकर्तुं कथम् अर्हन्ति ? तत्राह---अङ्क-कृताङ्घ्रि-हस्तयोः संस्पर्शनेन संस्तुत्य इति । तादृशतया तत्-तत्-स्पर्श-पूर्वकं नाना-गुण-तृतीया स्व-गिरैवायं व्यक्त-दोषः स्याद् इति मति-कौटिल्य-व्यञ्जकेन तादृश-भ्रू-विलासेन व्यक्त-तत्-कौटिल्य इत्य् अर्थः । व्यक्तीभविष्यति च तत् कौटिल्यं प्रश्न-परिपाट्या इति भावः
तद् एवम् अवहित्ता नाम सञ्चारी व्यक्तः । तद् उक्तं---अनुभावं पिधानार्थेऽवहित्थं भाव उच्यते [भ।र।सि। २.४.१२०] इति । अवहित्था इति स्त्री-लिङ्गिता च । तथा---
हेतुः कश्चिद् भवेत् कश्चिद् गोप्यः कश्चन गोपनः । > इति भाव-त्रयस्यात्र विनियोगः समीक्ष्यते ॥ [भ।र।सि। २.४.१२७] > इति ।
यथा हेतुर् अत्र मति-कौटिल्यम् एव गोप्योऽसूया-मयोऽमर्षः । गोपयन्त्य् अनेनेति गोपनः, स चात्र तादृशतया तत्-तत्-स्पर्श-संस्तवाभ्यां प्रत्यायितं हर्ष-कौटिल्यं सहासादित्वं च मति-कौटिल्यमयम् अपि तद् एव प्रत्याययति । एवम् अत्रापि योग-माया-वैभवम् एव दर्शितम्, सर्वाभिर् युगपत् तथा व्यवहारात् । अङ्घ्रि-हस्तयोर् इति द्वित्वं प्रत्येकं जात्य्-अपेक्षया ॥१५॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
This verse describes the concealed anger that arose from the intimate nature of their love. Having honored Him in the ways already described, they spoke to Him by asking a question. Yet they were "slightly angry."
If they honored Him so warmly, how could even slight anger find an opportunity? He was "kindling the bodiless god of love," displaying varied gestures to awaken their passion. Their intimate love reflected, "He abandoned us and went away before, yet now He behaves in this way."
One might object that by seating Him on garments marked with their breast-kuṅkuma, the gopīs had already kindled His desire. How could they question His own power to kindle desire and reveal their still-existing anger? The verse answers that they touched and praised His feet and hands placed upon their laps. After such affectionate contact, directly voicing His fault would implicate their own words. Their expressive eyebrows therefore revealed a crooked intention, and that crookedness would soon become explicit through the sequence of their questions.
This displays the transitory emotion called avahitthā, concealment. It is defined: "The emotion intended to conceal an outward expression is called avahittha" (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.4.120). The form avahitthā is feminine. Another verse says:
Sanskrit quotation, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.4.127
Here one should discern three elements: a particular cause, something concealed, and a particular means of concealment.
Here the cause is their crooked intention. What is concealed is their jealous indignation. The means of concealment is that by which they hide it. Their touching and praising Him conveyed joy mixed with crookedness, while their smiling and other gestures, though themselves formed from a crooked intention, conveyed the same covering joy. This again displays the majesty of Yogamāyā, for every gopī behaved in this way simultaneously. The dual "feet and hands" refers distributively to each member of those two classes of limbs.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.16 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१६ ॥
गोप्य ऊचुः---
भजतोऽनुभजन्त्य् एक, एक एतद्-विपर्ययम् ।
नोभयांश् च भजन्त्य् एक एतन् नो ब्रूहि साधु नः ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
अथ सेयं परिपाटी स्व-त्याग-परिहारार्थम् एव ताभिः कृतेति बोधयन्न् आह---गोप्य ऊचुः इति । तत्र चैतद् इति उभयान् भजतश् चाभजतश् च न भजन्तीत्य् अन्तं प्रश्न-त्रयम् । साधु यथा स्यात् तथा ब्रूहि इत्य् अर्थः । ते ते के ? किं वा, तेषां फलं तत् सर्वं विविच्य कथयेत्य् अर्थः । भो इति सम्बोधनेन अवधापयन्ति । स्वस्मिन् दोष-पर्यवसान-शङ्कया तस्य मनोऽनभिनिवेशानुकरणात् ॥१६॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
Śukadeva introduces their speech to show that the gopīs arranged this line of questioning solely to prevent Kṛṣṇa from abandoning them again. Their verse contains three questions, ending with those who honor neither people who honor them nor people who do not. "Explain properly" means: distinguish who each class includes and what result each receives, and explain all of it. By addressing Him as "sir," they demand His attention. They imitate His apparent lack of concentration because He fears that the discussion will end by establishing fault in Him.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.17 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१७ ॥
श्री-भगवान् उवाच---
मिथो भजन्ति ये सख्यः स्वार्थैकान्तोद्यमा हि ते ।
न तत्र सौहृदं धर्मः स्वार्थार्थं तद् धि1 नान्यथा ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
स्वार्थो**ऽत्र स्वीयं दृष्टम् अदृष्टं च भजन्ति ये यथा देवान् देवा अपि तथैव तान् [भा।पु। ११.२.६] इति न्यायेन यज्ञादि-सन्तोषिताभिर् देवताभिर् अपि गो-महिष्य्-आदिभिर् दुग्धादिकम् इव स्वर्गादिकं दीयत इति तस्मिन्न् एकान्तस् तन्-मात्र-निष्ठ उद्यमो येषां ते । न तत्र सौहृदं धर्म इति प्रसिद्धम् अपि तद् द्वयं वक्ष्यमाण-रीत्या सापवादम् एव मन्यामह इत्य् अर्थः । धर्म-स्वातन्त्र्येण पुरुषार्थत्वेऽप्य् अर्थ-कामाभ्यां परिवर्तनाय विनियोगापातात् सहृदयस्य च कैतव-मयत्वाद् इति भावः । हि निश्चये। अन्यथा उक्ताद् अन्य-प्रकारेण तन् मिथो भजनं न स्यात् । यद् वा, तत्र मिथ्यात्वं नास्तीत्य् अर्थः । तत्र आत्मनोऽपि तासु तादृश-भजन-शङ्कां सहज-सख्योल्लेखेन परिहरन् सम्बोधयति---हे सख्यः ! इति । अन्यत् तैः ।
अत्रातो न सुखम् इत्य् अर्थ-बलाद् व्याख्यातम् । यद्यपि तत्रापि दृष्ट-सुखं घटते, तथापि सौहृद-राहित्येनोत्तमानां सुख-वृद्धिर् न जायत इति भावः । किन्तु पाठोऽयं कल्पित इव लक्ष्यते । उत्तरत्रैतत्-प्रतियोगि-वाक्येऽपि नापेक्षितव्य इति । "स्वार्थार्थम्" इति पाठोऽपि चित्सुखादीनां बहूनां सम्मतः । तत्र तद्-भजनम् अन्यथा प्रतीयमानम् अपि स्व-प्रयोजनार्थम् एवेत्य् अर्थः । स्पष्टम् अन्यत् ॥१७॥
Footnotes
-
स्वार्थं तद् वित्त इति विजयध्वजस्य पाठः । ↩
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
"Self-interest" includes desired results visible in this life and invisible results in the next. Such people worship the gods, and by the principle "as people honor the gods, so the gods honor them" (Bhāgavata 11.2.6), the deities pleased by sacrifice and other rites give heaven and related rewards, just as cows and buffaloes give milk. Their effort is exclusively fixed upon that result alone.
The statement that neither friendship nor dharma is present means that even these two widely recognized goods are subject to exception in the way the following verses explain. Although dharma is independently a goal of human life, it becomes subordinated when employed in exchange for wealth and pleasure, while apparent friendship becomes filled with deceit. "Indeed" expresses certainty. Were their motive otherwise, their mutual service would not take that form. Or the phrase may mean that there is no falsity in this conclusion.
Kṛṣṇa addresses them as "friends," invoking their natural friendship to remove the suspicion that He might serve them with the same self-interested motive. The remaining details have been explained by earlier commentators.
The reading "there is therefore no happiness" has been explained by force of the apparent sense. Even if visible pleasure occurs in such exchange, the absence of genuine friendship prevents the highest persons' happiness from increasing. Yet this reading appears to be conjectural and is not required by the contrasting statement in the next verse. Citsukha and many others accept the reading "for self-interest." On that reading, even when their service appears otherwise, it is performed only for their own purpose.
Textual note
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.18 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१८ ॥
भजन्त्य् अभजतो ये वै करुणाः पितरो1 यथा ।
धर्मो निरपवादोऽत्र सौह्र्दं च सुमध्यमाः ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
वै** प्रसिद्धौ । यथा इत्य् उभयेषाम् उदाहरणार्थं पितरौ च इति, च-कारोऽध्याहार्यः । निरपवादो विप्रतिपत्ति-रहित इत्य् अर्थः । सौहृदं च निरपवादं । हे सुमध्यमाः ! इति सर्व-सल्-लक्षणोपलक्षणत्वेन तादृश-गुणत्वं युष्मासु भात्य् एवेति भवत्य एव तत्र साक्षिण्य इति भावः । इदं च तासाम् आत्म-भजनार्थं चातुर्यम् । अन्यत् तैः ।
यद् वा, पूर्वं सोपाधि-भजताम् उद्दिष्टयोर् अपि सौहृद-धर्मयोः सापवादत्वम् उक्त्वा सम्प्रति निरुपाधि-भजताम् उद्दिष्टयोर् निरपवादत्वम् आह । तत्राप्य् उदाहरणी-कृतानां करुणानां पित्रोर् अप्य् अविशेषम् आह---भजन्त्य् अभजत इति । करुणेषु सौहृदस्यापि स्पष्टत्वात्, पित्रोः पुत्रादि-पालनस्य गार्हस्थ्य-धर्म-सहायत्वाद् धर्मस्यापि समान्यतः प्राप्तेः ॥१८॥
Footnotes
-
पितरौ ↩
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
The particle vai marks something well known. The comparison "like" supplies examples for both classes, and "parents" should be joined with an implied "and": compassionate people and parents. "Without exception" means free from contradiction. Friendship too is without exception.
By addressing them as "slender-waisted," Kṛṣṇa implies every auspicious bodily characteristic: "These very virtues plainly shine in you, so you yourselves are witnesses to such conduct." This is also His clever way of inducing them to honor Him. The remaining details have been explained by earlier commentators.
Alternatively, the previous verse said that friendship and dharma are subject to exception in those who serve with conditions. The present verse says that both are without exception in those who serve unconditionally. It also shows no essential difference between the compassionate and the parents offered as examples, for both honor those who do not honor them. Friendship is evident in compassionate people, while parents' protection of their children assists the duties of household life and therefore generally constitutes dharma as well.
Textual note
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.19 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.१९ ॥
भजतोऽपि न वै केचित् भजन्त्य् अभजतः कुतः ?
आत्मारामा ह्य् आप्त-कामा अकृतज्ञा गुरु-द्रुहः ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
वै** एव, नैव भजन्ति, हि प्रसिद्धौ। एवम् अकृतज्ञानाम् अज्ञत्वे माभजने अभिप्रेतं । ज्ञात्वापि ये न भजन्ति ते त्व् अशेषा-दोष-युक्ता इत्य् आह---गुरु- इति गुरूपेक्षका इत्य् अर्थः । प्राण-दण्डोचित-विप्रादेर् इव तादृशस्योपेक्षैव द्रोह इति। अत्र तु पदार्थे तात्पर्यं नास्ति, किन्तु गौण्या वृत्त्या कृतोपकारोपेक्षका गम्यन्ते । तेन च तेषाम् अर्थ-धर्म-सौहृद-दयापेक्षा-राहित्यं व्यज्यत इति ज्ञेयम् ॥१९॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
The particles emphasize certainty: they simply do not reciprocate. "Indeed" marks these classes as well known. The ungrateful people intended here fail to honor others because they do not recognize the kindness done to them. Those who recognize it and still refuse to reciprocate possess every fault. The phrase "hostile to a superior" therefore means people who disregard a benefactor. Just as neglect itself would be treachery for a brāhmaṇa or another person whose offense merits the punishment of death, such disregard is hostility.
The literal meaning of "superior" is not intended here. By secondary usage it refers to those who disregard kindness already done for them. Such people are thereby shown to lack concern for material welfare, dharma, friendship, and compassion.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.20 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.२० ॥
नाहं तु सख्यो भजतोऽपि जन्तून्
भजाम्य् अमीषाम् अनुवृत्ति-वृत्तये ।
यथाधनो लब्ध-धने विनष्टे
तच् चिन्तयान्यन् निभृतो न वेद ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
तद् एवं तासां मते तद्-आदिभिः सह विचित्र-क्रीडया रममाणस्य तस्य आत्मारामत्वादि-द्वयं न घटत एव । विरहार्ति-प्रदत्वेन, न च पूर्वोक्ते सापेक्ष-निरपेक्ष-भजने तादृशोत्तरादि-चातुर्येण विज्ञताभिव्यक्तेः न कृत्वा चाकृतज्ञत्वं, ततो गुरुध्रुक्त्वं निर्विशेषं काठिन्यम् एव पर्यवसितम् इत्य् अभिप्रेत्य व्याख्यातम् अक्षि-निकोचैर् इति । अथवा काठिन्यापादनार्थ एवायं प्रश्नोद्यम इति व्याख्येयम् । अथाभजनेऽपि मम सर्वेभ्यो भजन-कृद्भ्यः उत्तम-भजनत्वं किम् उत भजन इत्य् आह---न इति । तु-शब्दो भिन्नोपक्रमे । आत्मारामादि-चातुर्विध्य-रहितोऽप्य् अहं भजतोऽपि जनान् न भजामि ।
नाहं वसामि वैकुण्ठे योगिनां हृदये न च ।
मद्-भक्ता यत्र गायन्ति तत्र तिष्ठामि नारद ॥
इत्य्-आदि मद्-उक्तिभिस् तन्-निकटे स्थितम् अपि स्वं तेभ्यो न दर्शयामीत्य् अर्थः । नञः सर्वादौ प्रयोगः स्व-वाक्येनैव स्वस्य यन्त्रणापत्त्या परम-वैयग्र्यात् । हे सख्यः ! इति आत्मारामत्वादि-राहित्यम् एव साधितम् । जन्तून् इत्य् अविशेषात् सर्वत्रैवेदृशो मम व्यवहारो न तु भवतीष्व् एवेति नात्मनि ममौदासीन्यं शङ्कनीयम् इति भावः ।
कथं न भजसि ? तत्राह---अमीषाम् इति । अनुवृत्तीनां निरन्तर-ध्यानानां वृत्तिर् यस्मात्, तस्मै सन्तत-प्रेम-प्रकर्षायेत्य् अर्थः ।
नन्व् अस्माकं त्वय्य् अनुवृत्ति-वृत्तिः सदा वर्तते एव इति चेत्, सत्यम् । तथापि वैशिष्ट्यार्थम् इति स-दृष्टान्तम् आह---यथा इति । विशेषतो नष्टे हारिते इति वैयग्र्य-विशेषो दर्शितः । अत एव तच्-चिन्तया नितरां भृतो व्याप्तः । तद् एवं रूप-गुणादिना सर्व-वशित्वात् सर्वार्थ-पूर्णत्वेन प्रेम-मात्र-सापेक्षत्वेन च प्रत्युपकारानपेक्षतया साम्येऽपि करुण-पितॄन् अप्य् अतिक्रम्य स्वस्य हितैषित्वं दर्शितं, स्वादेय-स्व-वशीकार-सर्व-पुरुषार्थ-शिरोमणि-स्व-प्रेम-दानात्। तथा प्रिय-प्रेम-रसास्वादाधिक्यं च बोधितम्, सन्तत-तद्-वर्धन-लालसात्, तद्-अर्थं तद्-विरह-दुःख-सहनाच् चेति ज्ञेयम् ॥२०॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
In the gopīs' judgment, the first two classes, the self-satisfied and those whose desires are fulfilled, cannot apply to Kṛṣṇa, who delights in varied pastimes with them and others. Nor can He be ignorant of their kindness, since He gives them the anguish of separation and His clever answers to the preceding questions show His awareness of both conditional and unconditional service. The only remaining category appears to be hostility toward benefactors, which would amount to unqualified hardness. Their narrowing eyes have been explained with this implication. Or one may understand that the gopīs initiated the entire question precisely to establish that He is hardhearted.
Kṛṣṇa now says that even when He does not visibly reciprocate, His service to His devotees is superior to every other form of reciprocation. How much more is this true when He openly serves them. "However" introduces this distinct position. Though He belongs to none of the four classes beginning with the self-satisfied, He does not visibly reciprocate even with beings who worship Him.
Sanskrit quotation
I do not dwell in Vaikuṇṭha, nor in the hearts of yogīs. Nārada, I remain wherever My devotees sing of Me.
In accordance with this and similar statements spoken by Him, Kṛṣṇa means that although He remains near His devotees, He does not always show Himself to them. The negative is placed at the very beginning because the thought of describing His own treatment of them causes Him such pain that He becomes intensely agitated by His own words. Addressing them as "friends" establishes that He is neither self-satisfied in relation to them nor included in any of the other indifferent classes. The general word "beings" shows that this is His behavior everywhere, not only toward the gopīs, so they should not suspect Him of indifference specifically toward them.
How does He serve by not appearing? He does so to sustain their anuvṛtti, their continuous attention and meditation, and thereby perpetually intensify their love.
The gopīs may object, "Our uninterrupted attention to You already exists at all times." True, but He desires to make it extraordinary, and therefore gives the comparison. The poor man's treasure is "lost" in a special sense: it has been taken away from him, creating exceptional agitation. He becomes completely filled and pervaded by thought of it.
Kṛṣṇa's form and qualities bring everyone under His control. He is complete in every attainment and depends only upon love, so He needs no repayment. In this respect He resembles compassionate people and parents, yet He surpasses even them in seeking the devotee's welfare. He gives His own love, which is relishable, brings Him under the devotee's control, and is the crest jewel of every human attainment. The verse also reveals how greatly He relishes the rasa of His beloveds' love: He perpetually longs to increase it and even tolerates their suffering in separation for that purpose.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.21 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.२१ ॥
एवं मद्-अर्थोज्झित-लोक-वेद-
स्वानां हि वो मय्य् अनुवृत्तयेऽबलाः ।
मया परोक्षं भजता तिरोहितं
मासूयितुं मार्हथ तत् प्रियं प्रियाः ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
अद्यैव च भवतीनां निकट एव स्थितवान् अस्मीत्य् आह । एवं दुह्यन्त्योऽभिययुः काश्चित् [भा।पु। १०.२९.५] इत्य्-आदि-प्रकारेण, मद्-अर्थ- इत्य्-आदि हे अबलाः ! इति तत्-तत्-परित्यागे दुष्करत्वं सूचयति । मासूयितुम् इत्य् अत्र हेतु-विशेषम् अप्य् आह---प्रियं प्रियाः इति । हि निर्धारणे ।
यद् वा, एवं यथाधनः [२०] इत्य्-आदि-प्रकारेण वो युष्माकं मय्य् अनुवृत्ति-वृत्तये एव मया तिरोहितम् । पदानि व्यक्तम् एतानि नन्द-सूनोर् महात्मन [भा।पु। १०.३०.२५] इत्य्-आदि-भवद्-वाक्यानुसारेणाग्रतः पार्श्वतः स्थित्वैव भवद्-दृष्टि-मात्रा-गोचरी-बभूव इत्य् अर्थः ।
किं कुर्वता ? परोक्षं भजता प्रेमालापादिकम् अनुमोदमानेन । तथानुग्रहे हेतुः---मद्-अर्थ- इति । यद् वा, अन्यत् तैः । मा-द्वयं निषेधे, तथापि प्रियं मल्-लक्षणं मासूयितुं मार्हथ, अपि तु मया दत्त-दुःखा यूयम् अर्हर्थ एवेत्य् अर्थः । कुतः ? प्रियं प्रियाः । प्रियस्य तथा कर्तुम् अयुक्तत्वाद् इत्य् अर्थः । एतच् चानुनय-चातुर्यम् ॥२१॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
Kṛṣṇa says that even tonight He remained very near them. "In this way" refers to the descriptions beginning, "Some came while they were milking the cows" (Bhāgavata 10.29.5). Calling them "gentle women" emphasizes how difficult it was for them to abandon each of those bonds. In telling them not to resent Him, He gives a special reason by saying, "My beloveds, do not resent your beloved." "Indeed" conveys certainty.
Alternatively, "in this way" refers to the example of the poor man in verse 20. He disappeared only to sustain and increase their constant devotion to Him. In accordance with their own statement, "These are clearly the footprints of the great son of Nanda" (Bhāgavata 10.30.25), He stood in front of them or beside them and merely remained outside the range of their sight.
What did He do while unseen? He continued loving them, approving their words of love and their other expressions. Their abandonment of everything for His sake was the reason He blessed them in this way. The remaining details have been explained by earlier commentators.
Or the two prohibitive particles strongly forbid resentment: "Even so, you should not resent the beloved who is Me." Yet the form can also suggest, "Having received suffering from Me, you certainly deserve to resent Me." Why? Because they are beloveds and He is their beloved, and it is improper for a beloved to act in this way. This is Kṛṣṇa's clever art of conciliation.
Original
Sanskrit
Source: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.32.22 with Jīva Gosvāmī's Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
॥ १०.३२.२२ ॥
न पारयेऽहं निरवद्य-संयुजां
स्व-साधु-कृत्यं विबुधायुषापि वः ।
या माभजन् दुर्जर-गेह-शृङ्खलाः
संवृश्च्य तद् वः प्रतियातु साधुना ॥
Jiva Gosvami - Laghu-vaisnava-tosani:
वः** इति सम्बन्ध-मात्रे षष्ठी, युष्मान् प्रतीत्य् अर्थः । स्व-साधु-कृत्यं स्वीय-प्रत्युपकार-कृत्यं न पारये, प्रतिकर्तुं न शक्नोमि । यद् वा, वो युष्माकं यत् स्वीयम् असाधारणं साधु-कृत्यं तद् अहं न पारये, तत्-सदृश-प्रत्युपकारे न समर्थोऽस्मीत्य् अर्थः ।
स्व-साधु-कृत्यत्वम् एव दर्शयति---निरवद्या काममयत्वेन प्रतीयमानत्वेऽपि वस्तुतो निर्मल-प्रेम-विशेष-मयत्वेन निर्दोषा संयुक् संयोगः सम्यङ्-मद्-विषयक-चित्तैकाग्रता स्व-स्व-पत्य्-आदि-स्पर्शाभावेन च निर्दोषा संयुक् सङ्गमो यासाम् । किं च, या इति दुर्जराः कुल-वधूत्वेन छेत्तुम् अशक्या अपि गेह-शृङ्खला गृह-सम्बन्धिन्य ऐहिक-पारलौकिक-सुख-कर-लोक-धर्म-मर्यादाः संवृश्च्य या माम् अभजन् परमानुरागेण मय्य् आत्म-निवेदनं कृतवत्य इत्य् अर्थः । अतो ममान्यत्रापि प्रेम-युक्तत्वान् न पारये इत्य् अर्थः । अत्रोत्तरं व इति पदम् अनपेक्ष्यैव या इति प्रयुज्यते, पश्चाद् एव च तेन योज्यते । अतः प्रथम-पुरुषत्वम् ।
यद् वा, अन्यत् तैः । विगतो बुधो गणनाभिज्ञो यस्मात्, तेनानन्तेन आयुषा अपीत्य् अर्थः । शृङ्खलम् इति क्वचिद् एक-वचनान्तः पाठः ॥२२॥
English translation
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 Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī
The genitive "of you" expresses mere relation and means "with regard to you." "Your own noble deed" can mean the act of repayment that He ought personally to perform. "I cannot accomplish it" means "I am unable to repay you." Or it can mean, "I cannot equal the extraordinary noble deed that belongs to you; I am incapable of making a return like it."
He next shows why their deed is uniquely noble. Their union is "faultless." Although it may appear to be formed from erotic desire, in truth it consists of a distinctive, immaculate love and is therefore blameless. Their union also means their perfectly concentrated attention upon Him. It is faultless because it excludes the touch of their husbands and all others.
The household chains were nearly impossible to cut because the gopīs were married women of respected families. Those chains were the social and religious boundaries connected with home that promised happiness both in this world and the next. Yet they cut them completely and worshiped Him, offering themselves to Him in supreme attachment. Because Kṛṣṇa also bears love elsewhere and cannot give them an absolutely exclusive return equal to theirs, He says, "I cannot repay you." The relative pronoun "you who" is used without immediately requiring the later pronoun "your," and joins with it only afterward; this accounts for the grammatical person of the construction.
Alternatively, the remaining details follow the earlier commentators. "Even with a divine lifespan" can mean with an endless life from which every wise calculator has departed, because no one could number its extent. Some manuscripts read the singular "chain."