Chapter 32 - Kṛṣṇa comforts Gopīs

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. In this way (as described in the previous chapter), the Gopīs, yearning strongly to see Lord Kṛṣṇa went singing loudly, wailing loudly and at times raving incoherently, they wept loudly and piteously, Oh king.^[1]

2. And (surprisingly enough) in their very midst appeared Lord Kṛṣṇa, the descendant of king Śūra, with his lotusface beaming with smile, wearing a yellow garment, adorned with a wreath of flowers, capable of fascinating the god of Love (cupid) himself (with his charm).

3. Seeing their beloved-most Darling arrived,^[2] all those women, though emaciated and weak at once sprang to their feet, with their eyes wide open with rapturous delight, even as the limbs of the body do on the return of the vital principle (Prāṇa).

[Bhāgavata Candrikā’s Text:]

3(A). The more they drank the nectarine beauty of his countenance with the drinking vessels (in the form) of their eyes, the more unsatiated they grew (lit. they were not satiated at all), just as men of spiritual wisdom feel about his feet.

4. One of the Gopīs, in her ecstasy, clasped the lotushand of Kṛṣṇa with her palms, while another placed on her shoulder his arm smeared with sandal-paste.

5. Another slim and emaciated Gopī received in the hollow of her palms, the betel chewed by him, while another Gopī, feverish with love, placed his lotus-feet on her bosom.

6. Being beside herself with the agitation of unrequieted love, another Gopī knitted her eyebrows and continued to bite her lip and was looking at him as if she was subjecting him to a volley of side-glances.

7. Another Gopī gazed at his lotus-face with fixed unwinking eyes. Although she drank (his nectar-like face) to the full, she did not feel satiated like saintly persons who are never satiated serving his feet.

8. A certain other Gopī got him established in her heart through the pupils of her eyes, and closed the eyes (so as to prevent his exit). Then she (mentally) embraced him, and through that thrill, had all her hair standing on their ends like a yogin immersed in spiritual bliss.

9. All of them became satisfied and happy by the high festival of having the look of Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) and had their fever born of separation subsided, just as people do when they attain God-head or meet a person who has realized the Brahman or who reach Prājña in deep sleep.

10.Surrounded by the ladies who had shed off their sorrow (due to the separation from the Lord), the glorious immortal Lord Kṛṣṇa shone more brilliantly like the Puruṣa (Supreme Spirit) endowed with his spiritual powers^[3].

11-12. The Supreme Lord repaired with them to the sandy bed of the Yamunā where swarm of blackbees were attracted by the gentle breeze charged with the fragrance of fully blossomed jasmine and Mandāras. The darkness of the night where-of was dispelled by flood of rays of the autumnal moon, rendering the scene all the more delightful; the soft sands whereof were (evenly) spread by the handlike ripples of the Yamunā^[4]. (In this way, the Lord surrounded by the Gopīs appeared still more beautiful).

13. With their mental anguish completely dissipated by the extreme joy of seeing him, the Gopīs accomplished their desires to their heart’s content, just as Śrutis (Vedas which pertain to the karmakāṇḍa or sacrificial and other rituals, are unsatisfied due to their inability to see the Lord but) have their purpose achieved (in the portion containing jñāna-kāṇḍa or spiritual knowledge leading to and resulting) in God-realization. With their upper garments coloured with the spots of saffron applied to their breasts, they prepared a seat for Kṛṣṇa, who was dearer to them than their self (or their indwelling soul).

14. The glorious Almighty Lord who is enthroned in the hearts of the masters of yoga took his seat on it. Assuming a personality which was the only receptacle of all the splendour and beauty in the three worlds^[5], he shone splendidly in the congregation of Gopīs^[6].

15. Offering warm respectful welcome to him who enkindled the passion of love, the Gopīs, with their eyebrows the sport fulness of which was enhanced by their smiles and playful oglings, and praising him while pressing his hands and feet placed on their laps, spoke to him slightly feigning anger.

Gopīs said:

16. Some show favour (in response) to those who resort to them, while others behave to the contrary (and favour those who do not resort to them), while (still) others do neither (and confer grace of favour on none). Oh Lord! Be pleased to explain to us clearly about this.

The Lord replied:

17. Oh friends! Those who love or resort to each other (the reciprocity of their love is with a selfish motive), strive to achieve purely their own purpose. Neither friendliness nor righteousness plays any part therein. This love is just for self-interest and nothing else^[7].

18. Those who love even those who do not resort to them (or love them) in return, are really compassionate like parents. Here lies pure, blemishless righteousness as well as good will, Oh charming damsels (with beautiful waists).

19. There are some who do not love those who resort to them. How can they be expected to favour them who do not resort to them? These belong, to the following categories:

(1) They are sages immersed in the spiritual delight of ātman (the soul) (and are unconscious of the external world).

(2) They have accomplished the objects of their desires (and as such have no interest or longing for enjoyment and hence indifferent, though conscious of the external world).

(3) They are ungrateful (and incapable of appreciating obligations done to them).

(4) They are bent on hating their elderly people (father or teacher).

(20) (When Kṛṣṇa dodged the implied accusation of Gopīs against him in explaining the above categories, the Gopīs smiled. Kṛṣṇa noticed it and explained).

As far as I am concerned, Oh friends (I do not belong to any of these categories because I am an extremely compassionate and the best friend of all), I do not respond immediately to their love and devotion (I do not reveal myself to them), so that they would ever continue to meditate upon me, just as a penniless man who has lost the money he has earned, is absorbed in thinking about his lost treasure and would not be aware of anything else.

[Padaratnāvalī’s Text adds:]

20(A). In the same way both (the categories described above) continue to get from me the fruit or return in great or small measure (according to the intensity of their devotion to me) even as one obtains fruit from the kalpa-taru (wishyielding tree).

21^[8]. Oh fair damsels! In this way, it is with a view of seeing the intensity and constancy of your devotion to me that I remained with you invisible (and stayed with you listening to your expression of love about me) as you have, for my sake, renounced the conventional worldly sense of decorum, the injunction of the Vedas (for righteousness or otherwise) and your kith and kin. Oh beloved ones! It does not behove you to blame me, your Darling.

22. Even if the long life of celestials^[9] be granted, it is not possible for me to repay adequately your devoted service to me with whom your relations are pure and faultless. And you have resorted to me and adored me cutting asunder the unbreakable ties that fetter you to your home. (The only way is:) May your righteousness be rewarded by your good deeds only.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The beginning of the chapter shows that just as the Lord manifested Himself to the Gopīs, He reveals himself to the possessors of spiritual means of getting divine wisdom—Padaratnāvalī

[2]:

SG. quotes Viṣṇu Purāṇa tato dadṛśur āyāntaṃ vikāsi-mukha-paṅkajaḥ and states that Kṛṣṇa revealed himself at a distance and then approached the Gopīs. The above quotation is not traceable in the Gītā Press etc. of Viṣṇu Purāṇa

[3]:

These are variously enumerated by different commentators:

(1) Bhāvāratha Dīpikā—(a) Sattva, rajas and tamas; (b) spiritual knowledge and (physical and mental) strength essential for meditation.

(2) Bhāgavata Candrikā: 24 tattvas forming the part of the astral body of a jīva.

(3) Padaratnāvalī various forms of Lakṣmī attending upon the Lord.

[4]:

Padaratnāvalī reads: Kṛṣṇehāyasta etc. and interprets:

The sands whereof were scattered and made uneven by the sports of Kṛṣṇa—

(Śrī Kṛṣṇa-mūrtikrīḍayā āyastāni ca taralāni cā?a evācitāni itastato vikīrṇāni /)

[5]:

Padaratnāvalī: Worthy of being enjoyed only by the goddess Lakṣmī who is adored and served by the three worlds.

Subodhinī: He assumed the best of the form suitable to the time, place etc. and manifested whatever was the worthiest.

[6]:

SG. suggests that Kṛṣṇa assumed different forms each per Gopī and occupied the seat prepared by her and made her feel that it is her special privilege to receive Kṛṣṇa that way.

[7]:

KD refuses to regard this as real worship or love: It is naked self-interest 32.17.172-80.

[8]:

Padaratnāvalī: The Lord explains how to serve him on the plea of Praising the service rendered by Gopīs:

Just as a penniless fellow who lost his wealth he could earn, is too much submerged in deep sorrow to be cognisant of anything else, you have dedicated to Me everything—worldly way of life, injunctions of the Vedas and your relatives; your devotional service shall not be fruitless. By nature I am beyond the ken of senses and hence was invisible to you—But it does not behove you to find fault with Me who am your darling.

[9]:

The life of a god is 36000 human years but KD interprets vibudhāyus as the life-span of god Brahmā which is one parārdha years i.e. 100,000,000,000,000,000 years—32.22.260.