Verse 2.2.1-2

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.1-2:

श्री-गोप-कुमार उवाच—
श्री-मथुरोत्तम विश्रान्तौ स्नत्वा वृन्दावनं गतः ।
अत्र गोवर्धनादौ च यथा-कामं परिभ्रमन् ॥ १ ॥
पिबंश् च गोरसं पूर्व-बान्धवैस् तैर् अलक्षितः ।
भजन् स्व-जप्यम् अनयं दिनानि कतिचित् सुखम् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca—
śrī-mathurottama viśrāntau snatvā vṛndāvanaṃ gataḥ |
atra govardhanādau ca yathā-kāmaṃ paribhraman || 1 ||
pibaṃś ca gorasaṃ pūrva-bāndhavais tair alakṣitaḥ |
bhajan sva-japyam anayaṃ dināni katicit sukham || 2 ||

śrī-gopa-kumāraḥ uvāca–Śrī Gopa-kumāra said; māthura–of the residents of Mathurā; uttama–O best; viśrāntau–at Viśrāmaghāṭa; snātvā–having bathed; vṛndā-vanam–to the forests of Vṛndā; gataḥ–gone; atra–here; govardhana–around Govardhana Hill; ādau–and so forth; ca–also; yathā-kāmam–by my free will; paribhraman–wandering; piban–drinking; ca–also; gorasam–milk, nectar of the cows; pūrva-bāndhavaiḥ–by relatives and friends; taiḥ–by them; alakṣitaḥ–unnoticed; bhajan–worshiping; sva-japyam–murmuring my mantra; anayam–I passed; dināni–days; katicit–some; sukham–happily.

Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: O topmost brāhmaṇa of Mathurā, upon reaching Mathurā, I bathed at Viśrāma-ghāṭa and then continued on to Vṛndāvana. There, I freely wandered about Govardhana and other places as I desired, maintaining my life by drinking the nectar of the cows (milk). Concealing my presence from my kinsmen and chanting my mantra with devotion, I happily passed some days there.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

This Second Chapter describes the progressively greater glories of the upper planets, beginning with Svarga, then Maharloka, etc. It establishes that seeing the Lord externally, that is, with one’s eyes anointed with devotion, is better than seeing Him within, in the trance of samādhi. It also compares liberation (mukti) and devotional service (bhakti), and illustrates the superiority of bhakti in every way.

Śrī Gopa-kumāra says, “O best of the Mathurā brāhmaṇas, reaching Mathurā-puri, I bathed at its main holy place, Viśrāma-ghāṭa, and then came to Vṛndāvana. Here in Śrī Vṛndāvana, I rambled all about–in Govardhana; on the banks of the Yamunā; in Bhāṇḍīravana, Tālavana, Mahāvana; and wherever else I was drawn. Because I was dressed like an outsider, my previous friends did not recognize me.” This statement exhibits Gopa-kumāra’s detachment. “In this way, I remained incognito and happily spent some days continuously chanting my mantra.”