CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The Reunion
This chapter describes how Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifested Himself in the midst of the gopīs, who had become extremely disturbed by their separation from Him. After He consoled them, they expressed to Him their deep feelings of ecstasy.
The gopīs having shown in various ways their great eagerness to see Kṛṣṇa, the attractor of Cupid, He appeared before them wearing silken yellow garments and a beautiful flower garland. Some of the gopīs, overwhelmed with ecstasy at seeing Him, grasped His hands, others placed His arm on their shoulders, and others accepted the remnants of betel nut He had chewed. Thus they served Him.
One gopī, impelled by loving anger toward Kṛṣṇa, bit her lip and looked askance at Him. Because the gopīs were so attached to Kṛṣṇa, they were not satiated even by continuously gazing at Him. One of them then placed Kṛṣṇa within her heart, closed her eyes and, embracing Him within herself again and again, became absorbed in transcendental bliss, just like a yogī. In this way the pain the gopīs had felt because of separation from the Lord was dispelled.
Next Lord Kṛṣṇa went to the bank of the Yamunā in the company of the cowherd girls, His internal potencies. The gopīs then made a seat for Kṛṣṇa out of their shawls, and after He had sat down they enjoyed with Him by gesturing amorously. The gopīs still felt hurt that Kṛṣṇa had disappeared, so He explained to them why He had done so. He further told them that He had come under the exclusive control of their loving devotion and would ever remain indebted to them.
Devanagari
इति गोप्य: प्रगायन्त्य: प्रलपन्त्यश्च चित्रधा ।
रुरुदु: सुस्वरं राजन् कृष्णदर्शनलालसा: ॥ १ ॥
Text
iti gopyaḥ pragāyantyaḥ
pralapantyaś ca citradhā
ruruduḥ su-svaraṁ rājan
kṛṣṇa-darśana-lālasāḥ
Synonyms
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti — thus, as related above; gopyaḥ — the gopīs; pragāyantyaḥ — singing forth; pralapantyaḥ — speaking forth; ca — and; citradhā — in various charming ways; ruruduḥ — they cried; su-svaram — loudly; rājan — O King; kṛṣṇa-darśana — for the sight of Kṛṣṇa; lālasāḥ — hankering.
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, having thus sung and spoken their hearts out in various charming ways, the gopīs began to weep loudly. They were very eager to see Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Devanagari
पीताम्बरधर: स्रग्वी साक्षान्मन्मथमन्मथ: ॥ २ ॥
Text
smayamāna-mukhāmbujaḥ
pītāmbara-dharaḥ sragvī
sākṣān manmatha-manmathaḥ
Synonyms
tāsām — before them; āvirabhūt — He appeared; śauriḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; smayamāna — smiling; mukha — His face; ambujaḥ — lotuslike; pīta — yellow; ambara — a garment; dharaḥ — wearing; srak-vī — wearing a flower garland; sākṣāt — directly; man-matha — of Cupid (who bewilders the mind); man — of the mind; mathaḥ — the bewilderer.
Translation
Then Lord Kṛṣṇa, a smile on His lotus face, appeared before the gopīs. Wearing a garland and a yellow garment, He directly appeared as one who can bewilder the mind of Cupid, who himself bewilders the minds of ordinary people.
Devanagari
उत्तस्थुर्युगपत् सर्वास्तन्व: प्राणमिवागतम् ॥ ३ ॥
Text
prīty-utphulla-dṛśo ’balāḥ
uttasthur yugapat sarvās
tanvaḥ prāṇam ivāgatam
Synonyms
tam — Him; vilokya — seeing; āgatam — returned; preṣṭham — their dearmost; prīti — out of affection; utphulla — opening wide; dṛśaḥ — their eyes; abalāḥ — the girls; uttasthuḥ — they stood up; yugapat — all at once; sarvāḥ — all of them; tanvaḥ — of the body; prāṇam — the life air; iva — as; āgatam — returned.
Translation
When the gopīs saw that their dearmost Kṛṣṇa had returned to them, they all stood up at once, and out of their affection for Him their eyes bloomed wide. It was as if the air of life had reentered their bodies.
Devanagari
काचिद् दधार तद्बाहुमंसे चन्दनभूषितम् ॥ ४ ॥
Text
jagṛhe ’ñjalinā mudā
kācid dadhāra tad-bāhum
aṁse candana-bhūṣitam
Synonyms
Translation
One gopī joyfully took Kṛṣṇa’s hand between her folded palms, and another placed His arm, anointed with sandalwood paste, on her shoulder.
Devanagari
एका तदङ्घ्रिकमलं सन्तप्ता स्तनयोरधात् ॥ ५ ॥
Text
tanvī tāmbūla-carvitam
ekā tad-aṅghri-kamalaṁ
santaptā stanayor adhāt
Synonyms
Translation
A slender gopī respectfully took in her joined hands the betel nut He had chewed, and another gopī, burning with desire, put His lotus feet on her breasts.
Devanagari
घ्नन्तीवैक्षत् कटाक्षेपै: सन्दष्टदशनच्छदा ॥ ६ ॥
Text
prema-saṁrambha-vihvalā
ghnantīvaikṣat kaṭākṣepaiḥ
sandaṣṭa-daśana-cchadā
Synonyms
ekā — one more gopī; bhru-kuṭim — her eyebrows; ābadhya — constricting; prema — of her pure love; saṁrambha — by the fury; vihvalā — beside herself; ghnantī — injuring; iva — as if; aikṣat — she looked; kaṭa — of her sidelong glances; ākṣepaiḥ — with the insults; sandaṣṭa — biting; daśana — of her teeth; chadā — the covering (her lips).
Translation
One gopī, beside herself with loving anger, bit her lips and stared at Him with frowning eyebrows, as if to wound Him with her harsh glances.
Devanagari
आपीतमपि नातृप्यत् सन्तस्तच्चरणं यथा ॥ ७ ॥
Text
juṣāṇā tan-mukhāmbujam
āpītam api nātṛpyat
santas tac-caraṇaṁ yathā
Synonyms
Translation
Another gopī looked with unblinking eyes upon His lotus face, but even after deeply relishing its sweetness She did not feel satiated, just as mystic saints are never satiated when meditating upon the Lord’s feet.
Purport
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the analogy given here of saintly persons meditating upon the Lord’s feet is only partially applicable, since the ecstasy the gopīs felt when Kṛṣṇa came back was actually unparalleled. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also reveals that this particular gopī is the most fortunate of all, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
Devanagari
पुलकाङ्ग्युपगुह्यास्ते योगीवानन्द सम्प्लुता ॥ ८ ॥
Text
hṛdi kṛtvā nimīlya ca
pulakāṅgy upaguhyāste
yogīvānanda-samplutā
Synonyms
tam — Him; kācit — one of them; netra — of her eyes; randhreṇa — through the aperture; hṛdi — in her heart; kṛtvā — placing; nimīlya — closing; ca — and; pulaka-aṅgī — the hair on her limbs standing on end; upaguhya — embracing; āste — she remained; yogī — a yogī; iva — like; ānanda — in ecstasy; samplutā — drowned.
Translation
One gopī took the Lord through the aperture of her eyes and placed Him within her heart. Then, with her eyes closed and her bodily hairs standing on end, she continuously embraced Him within. Thus immersed in transcendental ecstasy, she resembled a yogī meditating upon the Lord.
Purport
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura states that the seven gopīs mentioned so far in this chapter are the first seven of the eight principal gopīs, whose status allowed them to immediately approach Śrī Kṛṣṇa upon His reappearance. The ācārya quotes a verse from the Śrī Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī that gives the names of these seven as Candrāvalī, Śyāmalā, Śaibyā, Padmā, Śrī Rādhā, Lalitā and Viśākhā. The eighth is understood to be Bhadrā. Śrī Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī itself quotes a verse from the Skanda Purāṇa that declares these eight gopīs to be the principal among the three billion gopīs. Detailed information about the hierarchy of gopīs is available in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi.
The Padma Purāṇa confirms that Śrī Rādhā is the foremost of the gopīs:
tasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathā
sarva-gopīṣu saivaikā
viṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā
“Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Kṛṣṇa, Her bathing pond is similarly dear. Of all the gopīs, She is the most beloved of the Lord.”
The Bṛhad-gautamīya-tantra also names Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī as Kṛṣṇa’s foremost consort:
rādhikā para-devatā
sarva-lakṣmī-mayī sarva
kāntiḥ sammohinī parā
“The transcendental goddess Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the direct counterpart of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.” (This translation is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s English rendering of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 4.83.)
Additional information about Śrī Rādhā is given in the Ṛg-pariśiṣṭa (the supplement to the Ṛg Veda): rādhayā mādhavo devo mādhavenaiva rādhikā/ vibhrājante janeṣu. “Among all persons, it is Śrī Rādhā in whose company Lord Mādhava is especially glorious, as She is especially glorious in His.”
Devanagari
जहुर्विरहजं तापं प्राज्ञं प्राप्य यथा जना: ॥ ९ ॥
Text
paramotsava-nirvṛtāḥ
jahur viraha-jaṁ tāpaṁ
prājñaṁ prāpya yathā janāḥ
Synonyms
sarvāḥ — all; tāḥ — those gopīs; keśava — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; āloka — by the sight; parama — supreme; utsava — of festivity; nirvṛtāḥ — feeling joy; jahuḥ — they gave up; viraha-jam — born of their separation; tāpam — the distress; prājñam — a spiritually enlightened person; prāpya — achieving; yathā — as; janāḥ — people in general.
Translation
All the gopīs enjoyed the greatest festivity when they saw their beloved Keśava again. They gave up the distress of separation, just as people in general forget their misery when they gain the association of a spiritually enlightened person.
Devanagari
व्यरोचताधिकं तात पुरुष: शक्तिभिर्यथा ॥ १० ॥
Text
bhagavān acyuto vṛtaḥ
vyarocatādhikaṁ tāta
puruṣaḥ śaktibhir yathā
Synonyms
tābhiḥ — by these gopīs; vidhūta — fully cleansed; śokābhiḥ — of their distress; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; acyutaḥ — the infallible Lord; vṛtaḥ — surrounded; vyarocata — appeared brilliant; adhikam — exceedingly; tāta — my dear (King Parīkṣit); puruṣaḥ — the Supreme Soul; śaktibhiḥ — with His transcendental potencies; yathā — as.
Translation
Encircled by the gopīs, who were now relieved of all distress, Lord Acyuta, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, shone forth splendidly. My dear King, Kṛṣṇa thus appeared like the Supersoul encircled by His spiritual potencies.
Purport
The gopīs are Lord Kṛṣṇa’s internal potency, and therefore when they were relieved and happy again the Lord shone forth even more brilliantly than before, and His transcendental bliss increased. Kṛṣṇa loves the gopīs with pure transcendental love, and they love Him in the same pure way. The whole affair, conducted on the transcendental platform, is inconceivable to those bound in material existence.
Devanagari
विकसत्कुन्दमन्दारसुरभ्यनिलषट्पदम् ॥ ११ ॥
शरच्चन्द्रांशुसन्दोहध्वस्तदोषातम: शिवम् ।
कृष्णाया हस्ततरलाचितकोमलवालुकम् ॥ १२ ॥
Text
nirviśya pulinaṁ vibhuḥ
vikasat-kunda-mandāra
surabhy-anila-ṣaṭpadam
dhvasta-doṣā-tamaḥ śivam
kṛṣṇāyā hasta-taralā
cita-komala-vālukam
Synonyms
tāḥ — those gopīs; samādāya — taking; kālindyāḥ — of the Yamunā; nirviśya — entering upon; pulinam — the bank; vibhuḥ — the almighty Supreme Lord; vikasat — blooming; kunda-mandāra — of kunda and mandāra flowers; surabhi — fragrant; anila — with the breeze; sat-padam — with bees; śarat — autumnal; candra — of the moon; aṁśu — of the rays; sandoha — by the abundance; dhvasta — dispelled; doṣā — of the night; tamaḥ — the darkness; śivam — auspicious; kṛṣṇāyāḥ — of the river Yamunā; hasta — like hands; tarala — by her waves; ācita — collected; komala — soft; vālukam — sand.
Translation
The almighty Lord then took the gopīs with Him to the bank of the Kālindī, who with the hands of her waves had scattered piles of soft sand upon the shore. In that auspicious place the breeze, bearing the fragrance of blooming kunda and mandāra flowers, attracted many bees, and the abundant rays of the autumn moon dispelled the darkness of night.
Devanagari
मनोरथान्तं श्रुतयो यथा ययु: ।
स्वैरुत्तरीयै: कुचकुङ्कुमाङ्कितै-
रचीक्लृपन्नासनमात्मबन्धवे ॥ १३ ॥
Text
manorathāntaṁ śrutayo yathā yayuḥ
svair uttarīyaiḥ kuca-kuṅkumāṅkitair
acīkḷpann āsanam ātma-bandhave
Synonyms
tat — Him, Kṛṣṇa; darśana — due to seeing; āhlāda — by the ecstasy; vidhūta — driven away; hṛt — in their hearts; rujaḥ — the pain; manaḥ-ratha — of their desires; antam — the ultimate fulfillment; śrutayaḥ — the revealed scriptures; yathā — as; yayuḥ — they attained; svaiḥ — with their own; uttarīyaiḥ — covering garments; kuca — of their breasts; kuṅkuma — with the vermilion powder; aṅkitaiḥ — smeared; acīkḷpan — they arranged; āsanam — a seat; ātma — of their souls; bandhave — for the dear friend.
Translation
Their heartache vanquished by the ecstasy of seeing Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs, like the personified Vedas before them, felt their desires completely fulfilled. For their dear friend Kṛṣṇa they arranged a seat with their shawls which were smeared with the kuṅkuma powder from their breasts.
Purport
In the Eighty-seventh Chapter of this canto (text 23), the śrutis, or personified Vedas, pray as follows:
vayam api te samāḥ samadṛśo ’ṅghri-saroja-sudhāḥ
“These women fully absorbed their minds in meditation on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s powerful arms, which are like the bodies of great serpents. We want to become just like the gopīs and render service to His lotus feet.” The śrutis had seen Kṛṣṇa during His appearance in the previous day of Brahmā and had become full of the most intense desire to associate with Him. Then in this kalpa they became gopīs. And since the Vedas are eternal in human society, the śrutis in this kalpa also become full of desire for Kṛṣṇa and in the next kalpa will also become gopīs. This information is given by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura.
Devanagari
योगेश्वरान्तर्हृदि कल्पितासन: ।
चकास गोपीपरिषद्गतोऽर्चित-
स्त्रैलोक्यलक्ष्म्येकपदं वपुर्दधत् ॥ १४ ॥
Text
yogeśvarāntar-hṛdi kalpitāsanaḥ
cakāsa gopī-pariṣad-gato ’rcitas
trailokya-lakṣmy-eka-padaṁ vapur dadhat
Synonyms
tatra — there; upaviṣṭaḥ — seated; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saḥ — He; īśvaraḥ — the ultimate controller; yoga-īśvara — of the masters of mystic meditation; antaḥ — within; hṛdi — the hearts; kalpita — arranged; āsanaḥ — His seat; cakāsa — He appeared resplendent; gopī-pariṣat — in the assembly of the gopīs; gataḥ — present; arcitaḥ — worshiped; trai-lokya — of the three worlds; lakṣmī — of the beauty and other opulences; eka — the exclusive; padam — reservoir; vapuḥ — His transcendental, personal form; dadhat — exhibiting.
Translation
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for whom the great masters of mystic meditation arrange a seat within their hearts, took His seat in the assembly of gopīs. His transcendental body, the exclusive abode of beauty and opulence within the three worlds, shone brilliantly as the gopīs worshiped Him.
Purport
The masters of mystic meditation include Lord Śiva, Ananta Śeṣa and other exalted personalities, all of whom keep the Lord seated within the lotus of their hearts. This same Lord, conquered by the intense, selfless love of the gopīs, agreed to become their boyfriend and dance with them in Vṛndāvana, after sitting upon their fragrant shawls on the bank of the Yamunā River.
Devanagari
सहासलीलेक्षणविभ्रमभ्रुवा ।
संस्पर्शनेनाङ्ककृताङ्घ्रिहस्तयो:
संस्तुत्य ईषत्कुपिता बभाषिरे ॥ १५ ॥
Text
sahāsa-līlekṣaṇa-vibhrama-bhruvā
saṁsparśanenāṅka-kṛtāṅghri-hastayoḥ
saṁstutya īṣat kupitā babhāṣire
Synonyms
sabhājayitvā — honoring; tam — Him; anaṅga — of lusty desires; dīpanam — the inciter; sa-hāsa — smiling; līlā — playful; īkṣaṇa — with glances; vibhrama — sporting; bhruvā — with their eyebrows; saṁsparśanena — with touching; aṅka — upon their laps; kṛta — placed; aṅghri — of His feet; hastayoḥ — and hands; saṁstutya — offering praise; īṣat — somewhat; kupitāḥ — angry; babhāṣire — they spoke.
Translation
Śrī Kṛṣṇa had awakened romantic desires within the gopīs, and they honored Him by glancing at Him with playful smiles, gesturing amorously with their eyebrows, and massaging His hands and feet as they held them in their laps. Even while worshiping Him, however, they felt somewhat angry, and thus they addressed Him as follows.
Devanagari
भजतोऽनुभजन्त्येक एक एतद्विपर्ययम् ।
नोभयांश्च भजन्त्येक एतन्नो ब्रूहि साधु भो: ॥ १६ ॥
Text
bhajato ’nubhajanty eka
eka etad-viparyayam
nobhayāṁś ca bhajanty eka
etan no brūhi sādhu bhoḥ
Synonyms
śrī-gopyaḥ ūcuḥ — the gopīs said; bhajataḥ — to those who respect them; anu — reciprocally; bhajanti — show respect; eke — some; eke — some; etat — to this; viparyayam — the contrary; na ubhayān — with neither; ca — and; bhajanti — reciprocate; eke — some; etat — this; naḥ — to us; brūhi — speak; sādhu — properly; bhoḥ — O dear one.
Translation
The gopīs said: Some people reciprocate the affection only of those who are affectionate toward them, while others show affection even to those who are indifferent or inimical. And yet others will not show affection toward anyone. Dear Kṛṣṇa, please properly explain this matter to us.
Purport
By this apparently polite question, the gopīs want to expose Lord Kṛṣṇa’s failure to properly reciprocate their love. They were very disturbed when Śrī Kṛṣṇa left them in the forest, and they want to know why He caused them to suffer in these loving affairs.
Devanagari
मिथो भजन्ति ये सख्य: स्वार्थैकान्तोद्यमा हि ते ।
न तत्र सौहृदं धर्म: स्वार्थार्थं तद्धि नान्यथा ॥ १७ ॥
Text
mitho bhajanti ye sakhyaḥ
svārthaikāntodyamā hi te
na tatra sauhṛdaṁ dharmaḥ
svārthārthaṁ tad dhi nānyathā
Synonyms
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; mithaḥ — mutually; bhajanti — reciprocate; ye — who; sakhyaḥ — friends; sva-artha — for their own sake; eka-anta — exclusively; udyamāḥ — whose endeavor; hi — indeed; te — they; na — not; tatra — therein; sauhṛdam — true friendship; dharmaḥ — true religiosity; sva-artha — of their own benefit; artham — for the sake; tat — that; hi — indeed; na — not; anyathā — otherwise.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: So-called friends who show affection for each other only to benefit themselves are actually selfish. They have no true friendship, nor are they following the true principles of religion. Indeed, if they did not expect benefit for themselves, they would not reciprocate.
Purport
The Lord here reminds the gopīs that in pure loving friendship there is no sense of selfish interest but rather only love for one’s friend.
Devanagari
धर्मो निरपवादोऽत्र सौहृदं च सुमध्यमा: ॥ १८ ॥
Text
karuṇāḥ pitarau yathā
dharmo nirapavādo ’tra
sauhṛdaṁ ca su-madhyamāḥ
Synonyms
bhajanti — they devotedly serve; abhajataḥ — with those who do not reciprocate with them; ye — those who; vai — indeed; karuṇāḥ — merciful; pitarau — parents; yathā — as; dharmaḥ — religious duty; nirapavādaḥ — faultless; atra — in this; sauhṛdam — friendship; ca — and; su-madhyamāḥ — O slender-waisted ones.
Translation
My dear slender-waisted gopīs, some people are genuinely merciful or, like parents, naturally affectionate. Such persons, who devotedly serve even those who fail to reciprocate with them, are following the true, faultless path of religion, and they are true well-wishers.
Devanagari
आत्मारामा ह्याप्तकामा अकृतज्ञा गुरुद्रुह: ॥ १९ ॥
Text
bhajanty abhajataḥ kutaḥ
ātmārāmā hy āpta-kāmā
akṛta-jñā guru-druhaḥ
Synonyms
bhajataḥ — with those who are acting favorably; api — even; na — not; vai — certainly; kecit — some; bhajanti — reciprocate; abhajataḥ — with those who are not acting favorably; kutaḥ — what to speak of; ātma-ārāmāḥ — the self-satisfied; hi — indeed; āpta-kāmāḥ — those who have already attained their material desires; akṛta-jñāḥ — those who are ungrateful; guru-druhaḥ — those who are inimical to superiors.
Translation
Then there are those individuals who are spiritually self-satisfied, materially fulfilled or by nature ungrateful or simply envious of superiors. Such persons will not love even those who love them, what to speak of those who are inimical.
Purport
Some people, being spiritually self-satisfied, do not reciprocate others’ affection because they want to avoid entanglement in mundane dealings. Other persons do not reciprocate simply out of envy or arrogance. And still others fail to reciprocate because they are materially satisfied and thus uninterested in new material opportunities. Lord Kṛṣṇa patiently explains all these things to the gopīs.
Devanagari
भजाम्यमीषामनुवृत्तिवृत्तये ।
यथाधनो लब्धधने विनष्टे
तच्चिन्तयान्यन्निभृतो न वेद ॥ २० ॥
Text
bhajāmy amīṣām anuvṛtti-vṛttaye
yathādhano labdha-dhane vinaṣṭe
tac-cintayānyan nibhṛto na veda
Synonyms
na — do not; aham — I; tu — on the other hand; sakhyaḥ — O friends; bhajataḥ — worshiping; api — even; jantūn — with living beings; bhajāmi — reciprocate; amīṣām — their; anuvṛtti — propensity (for pure love); vṛttaye — in order to impel; yathā — just as; adhanaḥ — a poor man; labdha — having obtained; dhane — wealth; vinaṣṭe — and it being lost; tat — of that; cintayā — with anxious thought; anyat — anything else; nibhṛtaḥ — filled; na veda — does not know.
Translation
But the reason I do not immediately reciprocate the affection of living beings even when they worship Me, O gopīs, is that I want to intensify their loving devotion. They then become like a poor man who has gained some wealth and then lost it, and who thus becomes so anxious about it that he can think of nothing else.
Purport
Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: “As people approach Me, I reciprocate with them accordingly.” Yet even if the Lord is approached by someone with devotion, to intensify the devotee’s love the Lord may not immediately reciprocate fully. In fact, the Lord is truly reciprocating. After all, a sincere devotee always prays to the Lord, “Please help me to love You purely.” Therefore the Lord’s so-called neglect is actually the fulfillment of the devotee’s prayer. Lord Kṛṣṇa intensifies our love for Him by apparently separating Himself from us, and the result is that we achieve what we really wanted and prayed for: intense love for the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa’s apparent negligence is actually His thoughtful reciprocation and the fulfillment of our deepest and purest desire.
According to the ācāryas, as Lord Kṛṣṇa began to speak this verse the gopīs looked at one another with squinting eyes, trying to hide the smiles breaking out on their faces. Even as Lord Kṛṣṇa was speaking, the gopīs had begun to realize that He was bringing them to the highest perfection of loving service.
Devanagari
स्वानां हि वो मय्यनुवृत्तयेऽबला: ।
मयापरोक्षं भजता तिरोहितं
मासूयितुं मार्हथ तत् प्रियं प्रिया: ॥ २१ ॥
Text
svānām hi vo mayy anuvṛttaye ’balāḥ
mayāparokṣaṁ bhajatā tirohitaṁ
māsūyituṁ mārhatha tat priyaṁ priyāḥ
Synonyms
evam — thus; mat — My; artha — for the sake; ujjhita — having rejected; loka — worldly opinion; veda — the opinion of the Vedas; svānām — and relatives; hi — indeed; vaḥ — of you; mayi — for Me; anuvṛttaye — for the loving propensity; abalāḥ — My dear girls; mayā — by Me; aparokṣam — removed from your sight; bhajatā — who is actually reciprocating; tirohitam — the disappearance; mā — with Me; asūyitum — to be inimical; ma arhatha — you should not; tat — therefore; priyam — with your beloved; priyāḥ — My dear beloveds.
Translation
My dear girls, understanding that simply for My sake you had rejected the authority of worldly opinion, of the Vedas and of your relatives, I acted as I did only to increase your attachment to Me. Even when I removed Myself from your sight by suddenly disappearing, I never stopped loving you. Therefore, My beloved gopīs, please do not harbor any bad feelings toward Me, your beloved.
Purport
Here the Lord indicates that though the gopīs were already perfect in their love for Him, still, to inconceivably increase their perfection and show an example for the world, He acted as He did.
Devanagari
स्वसाधुकृत्यं विबुधायुषापि व: ।
या माभजन् दुर्जरगेहशृङ्खला:
संवृश्च्य तद् व: प्रतियातु साधुना ॥ २२ ॥
Text
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaṁ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
yā mābhajan durjara-geha-śṛṅkhalāḥ
saṁvṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā
Synonyms
na — not; pāraye — am able to make; aham — I; niravadya-saṁyujām — to those who are completely free from deceit; sva-sādhu-kṛtyam — proper compensation; vibudha-āyuṣā — with a lifetime as long as that of the demigods; api — although; vaḥ — to you; yāḥ — who; mā — Me; abhajan — have worshiped; durjara — difficult to overcome; geha-śṛṅkhalāḥ — the chains of household life; saṁvṛścya — cutting; tat — that; vaḥ — of you; pratiyātu — let it be returned; sādhunā — by the good activity itself.
Translation
I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahmā. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.
Purport
The translation and word meanings for this verse are taken from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s English rendering of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 4.180).
In conclusion, the gopīs became eternally glorious by their behavior in the Lord’s temporary absence, and the mutual love between them and the Lord was wonderfully enhanced. This is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa and His loving devotees.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Reunion.”