Verse 1.2.177

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.2.177:

সর্ব-লীলা-লাবণ্য-বৈদগ্ধী করি’ সঙ্গে কৃষ্ণ-রূপে বিহর’ গোকুলে বহু-রঙ্গে ॥ ১৭৭ ॥

सर्व-लीला-लावण्य-वैदग्धी करि’ सङ्गे कृष्ण-रूपे विहर’ गोकुले बहु-रङ्गे ॥ १७७ ॥

sarva-līlā-lāvaṇya-vaidagdhī kari’ saṅge kṛṣṇa-rūpe vihara’ gokule bahu-raṅge || 177 ||

sarva-lila-lavanya-vaidagdhi kari’ sange krsna-rupe vihara’ gokule bahu-range (177)

English translation:

(177) “In the form of Kṛṣṇa, Your unlimited enchanting Gokula pastimes include those of all other incarnations.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.44.14) it is stated: “What austerities must the gopīs have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame, and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.”

The words kṛṣṇa-rūpe vihara’ gokule are described in the following verses from Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (334, 520, 538): “The various wonderfully enchanting sweet pastimes exhibited by the Lord in this world are superior to the opulent pastimes exhibited by Nārāyaṇa among the demigods. Although Lord Kṛṣṇa performs His pastimes in Gokula, Mathurā, and Dvārakā, His sweet pastimes of Gokula are the topmost. All animate and inanimate living entities become jubilant upon seeing the form of Gopendra-nandana, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose beauty is inexhaustible, nectarean, and incomparable.” It is stated in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:

santi bhūrīṇi rūpāṇi mama pūrṇāni ṣaḍ guṇaiḥ bhaveyustāni tulyāni na mayā gopa-rūpiṇā

“All My various forms are full with six opulences, but there is no comparison to My form as a cowherd boy.” The Padma Purāṇa says:

caritaṃ kṛṣṇa-devasya sarvam evādbhutaṃ bhavet gopāla-līlā tatrāpi sarvato ‘ti-manoharā

“The characteristics of Kṛṣṇa are certainly wonderful, and His pastimes as a cowherd boy are most enchanting.” The Tantras state:

kandarpa-koty-arbuda-rūpa-śobhā- nīrājyapādābja-nakhāṃ calasya kutrāpy adṛṣṭa-śruta-ramya-kānter dhyānaṃ paraṃ nanda-sūtasya vakṣye

“I meditate on Nanda-suta, whose beauty surpasses that of millions of Cupids, who thus adore His lotus feet and toenails. His transcendental effulgence is beyond the description or vision of material senses.”

The Gokula pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are most perfect because they include all of Kṛṣṇa’s sweet sportive pastimes as well as the pastimes of all His other incarnations.