Srimad Bhagavatam 10th Canto 22nd
Chapter Summary.
by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada.
Kåñëa Steals
the Garments of the Unmarried Gopés
This chapter describes how the marriageable
daughters of the cowherd men worshiped Kätyäyané to get
Lord Çré Kåñëa as their husband, and how
Kåñëa stole the garments of the young girls and gave
the girls benedictions.
During the month of Märgaçérña,
every day early in the morning the young daughters of the cowherds would
take one another’s hands and, singing of Kåñëa’s transcendental
qualities, go to the Yamunä to bathe. Desiring to obtain Kåñëa
as their husband, they would then worship the goddess Kätyäyané
with incense, flowers and other items.
One day, the young gopés
left their garments on the shore as usual and began playing in the water
while chanting of Lord Kåñëa’s activities. Suddenly Kåñëa
Himself came there, took away all the garments and climbed a nearby kadamba
tree. Wanting to tease the gopés, Kåñëa said,
“I understand how fatigued you gopés are from your austerities,
so please come onto the shore and take back your clothes.”
The gopés then pretended
to become angry and said the cold water of the Yamunä was giving them
great pain. If Kåñëa did not give them back their garments,
they said, they would inform King Kaàsa of all that had happened.
But if He did give the clothes back, they would willingly carry out His
orders in the mood of humble servants.
Çré Kåñëa
replied that He had no fear of King Kaàsa, and that if the girls
really intended to follow His command and be His maidservants they should
each immediately come onto the shore and take their respective garments.
The girls, trembling from the cold, climbed out of the water with their
two hands covering their private parts. Kåñëa, who felt
great affection for them, again spoke: “Because while executing a vow you
bathed in the water naked, you have committed an offense against the demigods,
and to counteract it you should offer obeisances with joined palms. Then
your vow of austerity will achieve its full result.”
The gopés followed this instruction
and, folding their hands in respect, offered obeisances to Çré
Kåñëa. Satisfied, He gave them back their clothing. But
the young girls had become so attracted to Him that they could not leave.
Understanding their minds, Kåñëa said that He knew they
had worshiped Kätyäyané to get Him as their husband. Because
they had offered their hearts to Him, their desires would never again become
tainted by the mood of materialistic enjoyment, just as fried barleycorns
can no longer grow into shoots. Next autumn, He told them, their most cherished
desire would be fulfilled.
Then the gopés, fully satisfied,
returned to Vraja, and Çré Kåñëa and His
cowherd friends went off to a distant place to graze the cows.
Sometime later, when the boys felt
disturbed by the great heat of summer, they took shelter at the base of
a tree that stood just like an umbrella. The Lord then said that the life
of a tree is most excellent, for even while feeling pain a tree continues
to protect others from heat, rain, snow and so on. With its leaves, flowers,
fruits, shade, roots, bark, wood, fragrance, sap, ashes, pulp and sprouts,
a tree fulfills the desires of everyone. This kind of life is ideal. Indeed,
said Kåñëa, the perfection of life is to act with one’s
vital energy, wealth, intelligence and words for the benefit of all.
After the Lord had glorified the
trees in this way, the entire company went to the Yamunä, where the
cowherd boys let the cows drink the sweet water and also drank some themselves.
SB 10.22.1.
çré-çuka uväca
hemante prathame mäsi
nanda-vraja-kamärikäù
cerur haviñyaà bhuïjänäù
kätyäyany-arcana-vratam
TRANSLATION
Çukadeva Gosvämé
said: During the first month of the winter season, the young unmarried
girls of Gokula observed the vow of worshiping goddess Kätyäyané.
For the entire month they ate only unspiced khichré.
PURPORT
The word hemante refers to the month
of Märgaçérña—from approximately the middle of
November to the middle of December, according to the Western calendar.
In Volume One, Chapter Twenty-two, of Kåñëa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Çréla Prabhupäda comments that
the gopés “first ate haviñyänna, a kind of food prepared
by boiling together mung däl and rice without any spices or turmeric.
According to Vedic injunction, this kind of food is recommended to purify
the body before one enacts a ritualistic ceremony.”
SB 10.22.2-3
äplutyämbhasi kälindyä
jalänte codite ‘ruëe
kåtvä pratikåtià
devém
änarcur nåpa saikatém
gandhair mälyaiù surabhibhir
balibhir dhüpa-dépakaiù
uccävacaiç copahäraiù
praväla-phala-taëòulaiù
TRANSLATION
My dear King, after they had bathed
in the water of the Yamunä just as the sun was rising, the gopés
made an earthen deity of goddess Durgä on the riverbank. Then they
worshiped her with such aromatic substances as sandalwood pulp, along with
other items both opulent and simple, including lamps, fruits, betel nuts,
newly grown leaves, and fragrant garlands and incense.
PURPORT
The word balibhiù in this
verse indicates offerings of clothing, ornaments, food and so on.
SB 10.22.4
kätyäyani mahä-mäye
mahä-yoginy adhéçvari
nanda-gopa-sutaà devi
patià me kuru te namaù
iti mantraà japantyas täù
püjäà cakruù
kamärikäù
TRANSLATION
Each of the young unmarried girls
performed her worship while chanting the following mantra. “O goddess Kätyäyané,
O great potency of the Lord, O possessor of great mystic power and mighty
controller of all, please make the son of Nanda Mahäräja my husband.
I offer my obeisances unto you.”
PURPORT
According to various äcäryas,
the goddess Durgä mentioned in this verse is not the illusory energy
of Kåñëa called Maya but rather the internal potency
of the Lord known as Yoga-mäyä. The distinction between the internal
and external, or illusory, potency of the Lord is described in the Närada-païcarätra,
in the conversation between Çruti and Vidyä:
jänäty ekäparä
käntaà
saivä durgä tad-ätmikä
yä parä paramä çaktir
mahä-viñëu-svarüpiëé
yasyä vijïäna-mätreëa
paräëäà paramätmanaù
mahürtäd deva-devasya
präptir bhavati nänyathä
ekeyaà prema-sarvasva
svabhävä gokuleçvaré
anayä su-labho jïeya
ädi-devo ‘khileçvaraù
asyä ävärika-çaktir
mahä-mäyäkhileçvaré
yayä mugdaà jagat sarvaà
sarve dehäbhimäninaù
“The Lord’s inferior potency, known
as Durgä, is dedicated to His loving service. Being the Lord’s potency,
this inferior energy is nondifferent from Him. There is another, superior
potency, whose form is on the same spiritual level as that of God Himself.
Simply by scientifically understanding this supreme potency, one can immediately
achieve the Supreme Soul of all souls, who is the Lord of all lords. There
is no other process to achieve Him. That supreme potency of the Lord is
known as Gokuleçvaré, the goddess of Gokula. Her nature is
to be completely absorbed in love of God, and through Her one can easily
obtain the primeval God, the Lord of all that be. This internal potency
of the Lord has a covering potency, known as Mahä-mäyä,
who rules the material world. In fact she bewilders the entire universe,
and thus everyone within the universe falsely identifies himself with the
material body.”
From the above we can understand
that the internal and external, or superior and inferior, potencies of
the Supreme Lord are personified as Yoga-mäyä and Mahä-mäyä,
respectively. The name Durgä is sometimes used to refer to the internal,
superior potency, as stated in the Païcarätra: “In all mantras
used to worship Kåñëa, the presiding deity is known as
Durgä.” Thus in the transcendental sound vibrations glorifying and
worshiping the Absolute Truth, Kåñëa, the presiding deity
of the particular mantra or hymn is called Durgä. The name Durgä
therefore refers also to that personality who functions as the internal
potency of the Lord and who is thus on the platform of çuddha-sattva,
pure transcendental existence. This internal potency is understood to be
Kåñëa’s sister, known also as Ekänaàçä
or Subhadrä. This is the Durgä who was worshiped by the gopés
in Våndävana. Several äcäryas have pointed out that
ordinary people are sometimes bewildered and think that the names Mahä-mäyä
and Durgä refer exclusively to the external potency of the Lord.
Even if we accept hypothetically
that the gopés were worshiping the external Mäyä, there
is no fault on their part, since in their pastimes of loving Kåñëa
they were acting as ordinary members of society. Çréla Prabhupäda
comments in this regard: “The Vaiñëavas generally do not worship
any demigods. Çréla Narottama däsa Öhäkura
has strictly forbidden all worship of the demigods for anyone who wants
to advance in pure devotional service. Yet the gopés, who are beyond
compare in their affection for Kåñëa, were seen to worship
Durgä. The worshipers of demigods also sometimes mention that the
gopés also worshiped goddess Durgä, but we must understand
the purpose of the gopés. Generally, people worship goddess Durgä
for some material benediction. Here, the gopés could adopt any means
to satisfy or serve Kåñëa. That was the superexcellent
characteristic of the gopés. They worshiped goddess Durgä completely
for one month in order to have Kåñëa as their husband.
Every day they prayed for Kåñëa, the son of Nanda Mahäräja,
to become their husband.”
The conclusion is that a sincere
devotee of Kåñëa will never imagine any material quality
to exist in the transcendental gopés, who are the most exalted devotees
of the Lord. The only motivation in all their activities was simply to
love and satisfy Kåñëa, and if we foolishly consider
their activities to be mundane in any way, it will be impossible for us
to understand Kåñëa consciousness.
SB 10.22.5
evaà mäsaà vrataà
ceruù
kumäryaù kåñëa-cetasaù
bhadrakäléà samänarcur
bhüyän nanda-sutaù
patiù
TRANSLATION
Thus for an entire month the girls
carried out their vow and properly worshiped the goddess Bhadrakälé,
fully absorbing their minds in Kåñëa and meditating upon
the following thought: “May the son of King Nanda become my husband.”
SB 10.22.6
üñasy utthäya gotraiù
svair
anyonyäbaddha-bähavaù
kåñëam uccair
jagur yäntyaù
kälindyäà snätum
anvaham
TRANSLATION
Each day they rose at dawn. Calling
out to one another by name, they all held hands and loudly sang the glories
of Kåñëa while going to the Kälindé to take
their bath.
SB 10.22.7
nadyäù kadäcid
ägatya
tére nikñipya pürva-vat
väsäàsi kåñëaà
gäyantyo
vijahruù salile mudä
TRANSLATION
One day they came to the riverbank
and, putting aside their clothing as they had done before, happily played
in the water while singing the glories of Kåñëa.
PURPORT
According to Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura, this incident
occurred on the day the young gopés completed their vow, which was
a full-moon day. To celebrate the successful completion of their vow, the
girls invited young Rädhäräëé—the daughter of
Våñabhänu and the special object of their affection—along
with other important gopés, and brought them all to the river to
bathe. Their playing in the water was meant to serve as the avabhåtha-snäna,
the ceremonial bath taken immediately upon the completion of a Vedic sacrifice.
Çréla Prabhupäda
comments as follows: “It is an old system among Indian girls and women
that when they take bath in the river they place their garments on the
bank and dip into the water completely naked. The portion of the river
where the girls and women take bath was strictly prohibited to any male,
and this is still the system. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, knowing
the minds of the unmarried young gopés, awarded them their desired
objective. They had prayed for Kåñëa to become their
husband, and Kåñëa wanted to fulfill their desires.”
SB 10.22.8
bhagaväàs tad abhipretya
kåñno yogeçvareçvaraù
vayasyair ävåtas tatra
gatas tat-karma-siddhaye
TRANSLATION
Lord Kåñëa, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and master of all masters of mystic yoga,
was aware of what the gopés were doing, and thus He went there surrounded
by His young companions to award the gopés the perfection of their
endeavor.
PURPORT
As the master of all masters of
mystic power, Lord Kåñëa could easily understand the
desires of the gopés, and He could also fulfill them. The gopés,
like all young girls from respectable families, considered the embarrassment
of appearing naked before a young boy to be worse than giving up their
lives. Yet Lord Kåñëa made them come out of the water
and bow down to Him. Although the bodily forms of the gopés were
all fully developed, and although Kåñëa met them in a
secluded place and brought them fully under His control, because the Lord
is completely transcendental there was not a trace of material desire in
His mind. Lord Kåñëa is the ocean of transcendental bliss,
and He wanted to share His bliss with the gopés on the spiritual
platform, completely free of ordinary lust.
Çréla Viçvanätha
Cakravarté Öhäkura explains that the companions of Kåñëa
mentioned here were mere toddlers two or three years old. They were completely
naked and were unaware of the difference between male and female. When
Kåñëa went out to herd the cows, they followed Him because
they were so attached to Him that they could not bear to be without His
association.
SB 10.22.9
täsäà väsäàsy
upädäya
népam äruhya satvaraù
hasadbhiù prahasan bälaiù
parihäsam uväca ha
TRANSLATION
Taking the girls’ garments, He quickly
climbed to the top of a kadamba tree. Then, as He laughed loudly and His
companions also laughed, He addressed the girls jokingly.
SB 10.22.10
aträgatyäbaläù
kämaà
svaà svaà väsaù
pragåhyatäm
satyaà braväëi
no narma
yad yüyaà vrata-karçitäù
TRANSLATION
[Lord Kåñëa said:]
My dear girls, you may each come here as you wish and take back your garments.
I’m telling you the truth and am not joking with you, since I see you’re
fatigued from executing austere vows.
SB 10.22.11
na mayodita-pürvaà vä
anåtaà tad ime viduù
ekaikaçaù pratécchadhvaà
sahaiveti su-madhyamäù
TRANSLATION
I have never before spoken a lie,
and these boys know it. Therefore, O slender-waisted girls, please come
forward, either one by one or all together, and pick out your clothes.
SB 10.22.12
tasya tat kñvelitaà
dåñövä
gopyaù prema-pariplutäù
vréòitäù
prekñya cänyonyaà
jäta-häsä na niryayuù
TRANSLATION
Seeing how Kåñëa
was joking with them, the gopés became fully immersed in love for
Him, and as they glanced at each other they began to laugh and joke among
themselves, even in their embarrassment. But still they did not come out
of the water.
PURPORT
Çréla Viçvanätha
Cakravarté Öhäkura explains this verse as follows:
“The gopés were from most
respectable families, and they might have argued with Kåñëa:
‘Why don’t You simply leave our clothes on the bank of the river and go
away?’
“Kåñëa might have
replied, ‘But there are so many of you that some of the girls might take
clothes belonging to another.’
“The gopés would reply, ‘We
are honest and never steal anything. We never touch another’s property.’
“Then Kåñëa would
say, ‘If that’s true, then simply come and get your clothes. What is the
difficulty?’
“When the gopés saw Kåñëa’s
determination, they were filled with loving ecstasy. Although embarrassed,
they were overjoyed to receive such attention from Kåñëa.
He was joking with them as if they were His wives or girlfriends, and the
gopés’ only desire was to achieve such a relationship with Him.
At the same time, they were embarrassed to be seen naked by Him. But still
they could not help laughing at His joking words and even began to joke
among themselves, one gopé urging another, ‘Go ahead, you go first,
and let us see if Kåñëa plays any tricks on you. Then
we will go later.’ ”
SB 10.22.13
evaà bruvati govinde
narmaëäkñipta-cetasaù
ä-kaëöha-magnäù
çétode
vepamänäs tam abruvan
TRANSLATION
As Çré Govinda spoke
to the gopés in this way, His joking words completely captivated
their minds. Submerged up to their necks in the cold water, they began
to shiver. Thus they addressed Him as follows.
PURPORT
Çréla Viçvanätha
Cakravarté Öhäkura gives the following example of joking
between Kåñëa and the gopés.
Kåñëa: O birdlike
girls, if you do not come here, then with these garments caught in the
branches I will make a swing and a hammock. I need to lie down, since I
have spent the entire night awake and am now becoming sleepy.
Gopés: Our dear cowherd boy,
Your cows, greedy for grass, have gone into a cave. So You must quickly
go there to herd them back on the proper path.
Kåñëa: Come now,
My dear cowherd girls, you must quickly go from here to Vraja and perform
your household duties. Don’t become a disturbance to your parents and other
elders.
Gopés: Our dear Kåñëa,
we will not go home for an entire month, for it is by the order of our
parents and other elders that we are executing this vow of fasting, the
Kätyäyané-vrata.
Kåñëa: .My dear
austere ladies, I too, by the strength of seeing you, have now developed
a surprising mood of detachment from family life. I wish to stay here for
a month and execute the vow of dwelling in the clouds. And if you show
mercy to Me, I can come down from here and observe the vow of fasting in
your company.
The gopés were completely
captivated by Kåñëa’s joking words, but out of shyness
they submerged themselves in the water up to their necks. Shaking from
the cold, they addressed Kåñëa as follows.
SB 10.22.14
mänayaà bhoù
kåthäs tväà tu
nanda-gopa-sutaà priyam
jänémo ‘ìga vraja-çläghyaà
dehi väsäàsi vepitäù
TRANSLATION
[The gopés said:] Dear Kåñëa,
don’t be unfair! We know that You are the respectable son of Nanda and
that You are honored by everyone in Vraja. You are also very dear to us.
Please give us back our clothes. We are shivering in the cold water.
SB 10.22.15
çyämasundara te däsyaù
karaväma tavoditam
dehi väsäàsi dharma-jïa
no ced räjïe bruväma
he
TRANSLATION
O Çyämasundara, we are
Your maidservants and must do whatever You say. But give us back our clothing.
You know what the religious principles are, and if You don’t give us our
clothes we will have to tell the king. Please!
SB 10.22.16
çré-bhagavän
uväca
bhavatyo yadi me däsyo
mayoktaà vä kariñyatha
aträgatya sva-väsäàsi
pratécchata çuci-smitäù
no cen nähaà pradäsye
kià
kruddho räjä kariñyati
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead
said: If you girls are actually My maidservants, and if you will really
do what I say, then come here with your innocent smiles and let each girl
pick out her clothes. If you don’t do what I say, I won’t give them back
to you. And even if the king becomes angry, what can he do?
PURPORT
Çréla Prabhupäda
comments, “When the gopés saw that Kåñëa was strong
and determined, they had no alternative but to abide by His order.”
SB 10.22.17
tato jaläçayät
sarvä
därikäù çéta-vepitäù
päëibhyäà
yonim äcchädya
protteruù çéta-karçitäù
TRANSLATION
Then, shivering from the painful
cold, all the young girls rose up out of the water, covering their pubic
area with their hands.
PURPORT
The gopés had assured Kåñëa
that they were His eternal servants and would do whatever He said, and
thus they were now defeated by their own words. If they delayed any longer,
they thought, some other man might come along, and this would be unbearable
for them. The gopés loved Kåñëa so much that even
in that awkward situation their attachment to Him was increasing more and
more, and they were very eager to stay in His company. Thus they did not
even consider drowning themselves in the river because of the embarrassing
situation.
They concluded that they could do
nothing but go forward to their beloved Kåñëa, putting
aside their embarrassment. Thus the gopés assured each other that
there was no alternative and rose up out of the water to meet Him.
SB 10.22.18
bhagavän ähatä vékñya
çuddha -bhäva-prasäditaù
skandhe nidhäya väsäàsi
prétaù proväca
sa-smitam
TRANSLATION
When the Supreme Lord saw how the
gopés were struck with embarrassment, He was satisfied by their
pure loving affection. Putting their clothes on His shoulder, the Lord
smiled and spoke to them with affection.
PURPORT
Çréla Prabhupäda
comments, “The gopés’ simple presentation was so pure that Lord
Kåñëa immediately became pleased with them. All the unmarried
gopés who prayed to Kätyäyané to have Kåñëa
as their husband were thus satisfied. A woman cannot be naked before any
male except her husband. The unmarried gopés desired Kåñëa
as their husband, and He fulfilled their desire in this way.”
For aristocratic girls like the
gopés, standing naked before a young boy was worse than death, and
yet they decided to give up everything for the pleasure of Lord Kåñëa.
He wanted to see the power of their love for Him, and He was completely
satisfied by their unalloyed devotion.
SB 10.22.19
yüyaà vivasträ
yad apo dhåta-vratä
vyagähataitat tad u deva-helanam
baddhväïjalià mürdhny
apanuttaye ‘àhasaù
kåtvä namo ‘dho-vasanaà
pragåhyatäm
TRANSLATION
[Lord Kåñëa said:]
You girls bathed naked while executing your vow, and that is certainly
an offense against the demigods. To counteract your sin you should offer
obeisances while placing your joined palms above your heads. Then you should
take back your lower garments.
PURPORT
Kåñëa wanted to
see the full surrender of the gopés, and thus He ordered them to
offer obeisances with their palms joined above their heads. In other words,
the gopés could no longer cover their bodies. We should not foolishly
think that Lord Kåñëa is an ordinary lusty boy enjoying
the naked beauty of the gopés. Kåñëa is the Supreme
Absolute Truth, and He was acting to fulfill the loving desire of the young
cowherd girls of Våndävana. In this world we would certainly
become lusty in a situation like this. But to compare ourselves to God
is a great offense, and because of this offense we will not be able to
understand Kåñëa’s transcendental position, for we will
wrongly take Him to be materially conditioned like ourselves. To lose transcendental
sight of Kåñëa is certainly a great disaster for one
trying to relish the bliss of the Absolute Truth.
SB 10.22.20
ity acyutenäbhihitaà
vrajäbalä
matvä vivasträplavanaà
vrata-cyutim
tat-pürti-kämäs tad-açeña-karmaëäà
säkñät-kåtaà
nemur avadya-måg yataù
TRANSLATION
Thus the young girls of Våndävana,
considering what Lord Acyuta had told them, accepted that they had suffered
a falldown from their vow by bathing naked in the river. But they still
desired to successfully complete their vow, and since Lord Kåñëa
is Himself the ultimate result of all pious activities, they offered their
obeisances to Him to cleanse away all their sins.
PURPORT
The transcendental position of Kåñëa
consciousness is clearly described here. The gopés decided that
it was better to renounce their so-called family tradition and traditional
morality and simply surrender unto the Supreme Lord Kåñëa.
This does not mean that the Kåñëa consciousness movement
advocates immoral activities. In fact, the devotees of ISKCON practice
the highest standard of restraint and morality, but at the same time we
recognize the transcendental position of Kåñëa. Lord
Kåñëa is God and therefore has no material desire to
enjoy young girls in sexual affairs. As will be seen in this chapter, Lord
Kåñëa was not at all attracted to enjoying the gopés;
rather He was attracted to their love and wanted to satisfy them.
The greatest offense is to imitate
the activities of Lord Kåñëa. In India there is a group
called präkåta-sahajiyä, who imitate these affairs of Kåñëa
and try to enjoy naked young girls in the name of worshiping Kåñëa.
The ISKCON movement sternly rejects this mockery of religion, because the
greatest offense is for a human being to ludicrously imitate the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. In the ISKCON movement there are no cheap incarnations,
and it is not possible for a devotee of this movement to promote himself
to the position of Kåñëa.
Five hundred years ago Kåñëa
appeared as Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu, who practiced strict celibacy
throughout His student life and at the age of twenty-four took sannyäsa,
a lifelong vow of celibacy. Caitanya Mahäprabhu rigidly avoided contact
with women in order to carry out His vow of loving service to Kåñëa.
When Kåñëa personally appeared five thousand years ago,
He exhibited these wonderful pastimes, which attract our attention. We
should not become envious or shocked when we hear that God can perform
such pastimes. Our shock is due to our ignorance, because if we tried to
perform these activities our bodies would be afflicted by lust. Lord Kåñëa,
however, is the Supreme Absolute Truth and is therefore never disturbed
by any material desire whatsoever. Thus, this incident—in which the gopés
gave up normal standards of morality and, raising their hands to their
head, bowed down in compliance with Kåñëa’s order—is
an example of pure devotional surrender and not a discrepancy in religious
principles.
In fact, the gopés’ surrender
is the perfection of all religion, as Çréla Prabhupäda
describes in Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead:
“The gopés were all simple souls, and whatever Kåñëa
said, they took to be true. In order to be freed from the wrath of Varuëadeva,
as well as to fulfill the desired end of their vows and ultimately to please
their worshipable Lord, Kåñëa, they immediately abided
by His order. Thus they became the greatest lovers of Kåñëa,
and His most obedient servitors.
“Nothing can compare to the Kåñëa
consciousness of the gopés. Actually the gopés did not care
for Varuëa or any other demigod; they only wanted to satisfy Kåñëa.”
SB 10.22.21
täs tathävanatä dåñövä
bhagavän devaké-sutaù
väsäàsi täbhyaù
präyacchat
karuëas tena toñitaù
TRANSLATION
Seeing them bow down like that,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the son of Devaké, gave them
back their garments, feeling compassionate toward them and satisfied by
their act.
SB 10.22.22
dåòhaà pralabdhäs
trapayä ca häpitäù
prastobhitäù kréòana-vac
ca käritäù
vasträëi caiväpahåtäny
athäpy amuà
tä näbhyasüyan priya-saìga-nirvåtäù
TRANSLATION
Although the gopés had been
thoroughly cheated, deprived of their modesty, ridiculed and made to act
just like toy dolls, and although their clothing had been stolen, they
did not feel at all inimical toward Çré Kåñëa.
Rather, they were simply joyful to have this opportunity to associate with
their beloved.
PURPORT
Çréla Prabhupäda
comments, “This attitude of the gopés is described by Lord Caitanya
Mahäprabhu when he prays, ‘My dear Lord Kåñëa, You
may embrace Me or trample Me under Your feet, or You may make Me brokenhearted
by never being present before Me. Whatever You like, You can do, because
You have complete freedom to act. But in spite of all of Your dealings,
You are My Lord eternally, and I have no other worshipable object.’ This
is the attitude of the gopés toward Kåñëa.”
SB 10.22.23
paridhäya sva-väsäàsi
preñöha-saìgama-sajjitäù
gåhéta-cittä no
celus
tasmin lajjäyitekñaëäù
TRANSLATION
The gopés were addicted to
associating with their beloved Kåñëa, and thus they became
captivated by Him. Thus, even after putting their clothes on they did not
move. They simply remained where they were, shyly glancing at Him.
PURPORT
By association with their beloved
Kåñëa, the gopés had become more attached to Him
than ever. Just as Kåñëa had stolen their clothes, He
had also stolen their minds and their love. The gopés interpreted
the whole incident as proof that Kåñëa was also attached
to them. Otherwise, why would He have gone to the trouble of playing with
them in this way? Because they thought that Kåñëa was
now attached to them, they glanced at Him with shyness, and being stunned
by the rising of their ecstatic love, they could not move from where they
stood. Kåñëa had overcome their shyness and forced them
to come out of the water naked, but now, having dressed properly, they
again became shy in His presence. In fact, this incident increased their
humbleness before Kåñëa. They did not want Kåñëa
to see them staring at Him, but they cautiously took the opportunity to
glance at the Lord.
SB 10.22.24
täsäà vijïäya
bhagavän
sva-päda-sparça-kämyayä
dhåta-vratänäà
saìkalpam
äha dämodaro ‘baläù
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord understood the
determination of the gopés in executing their strict vow. The Lord
also knew that the girls desired to touch His lotus feet, and thus Lord
Dämodara, Kåñëa, spoke to them as follows.
SB 10.22.25
saìkalpo viditaù sädhvyo
bhavaténäà mad-arcanam
mayänumoditaù so ‘sau
satyo bhavitum arhati
TRANSLATION
[Lord Kåñëa said:]
O saintly girls, I understand that your real motive in this austerity has
been to worship Me. That intent of yours is approved of by Me, and indeed
it must come to pass.
PURPORT
Just as Kåñëa
is free of all impure desire, so are the gopés. Their attempt to
gain Kåñëa as their husband was therefore motivated not
by a desire for personal sense gratification but by their overwhelming
desire to serve Kåñëa and to please Him. Because of their
intense love, the gopés did not see Kåñëa as God
but rather as the most wonderful boy in all creation, and being beautiful
young girls, they desired only to please Him by loving service. Lord Kåñëa
understood the pure desire of the gopés and was thus satisfied.
The Lord could certainly not be satisfied by ordinary lust, but He was
moved by the intense loving devotion of the cowherd girls of Våndävana.
SB 10.22.26
na mayy äveçita-dhiyäà
kämaù kämäya
kalpate
bharjitä kvathitä dhänäù
präyo béjäya neçate
TRANSLATION
The desire of those who fix their
minds on Me does not lead to material desire for sense gratification, just
as barleycorns burned by the sun and then cooked can no longer grow into
new sprouts.
PURPORT
The words mayy äveçita-dhiyäm
are very significant here. Unless one has achieved an advanced degree of
devotion, one cannot fix the mind and intelligence on Kåñëa,
since Kåñëa is pure spiritual existence. Self-realization
is a state not of desirelessness but rather of purified desire, wherein
one desires only the pleasure of Lord Kåñëa. The gopés
were certainly attracted to Kåñëa in a mood of conjugal
love, and yet, having fixed their minds and indeed their entire existence
completely on Kåñëa, their conjugal desire could never
manifest as material lust; rather, it became the most exalted form of love
of Godhead ever seen within the universe.
SB 10.22.27
yätäbalä vrajaà
siddhä
mayemä raàsyathä
kñapäù
yad uddiçya vratam idaà
cerur äryärcanaà
satéù
TRANSLATION
Go now, girls, and return to Vraja.
Your desire is fulfilled, for in My company you will enjoy the coming nights.
After all, this was the purpose of your vow to worship goddess Kätyäyané,
O pure-hearted ones.
SB 10.22.28
çré-çuka uväca
ity ädiñöä
bhagavatä
labdha-kämäù kumärikäù
dhyäyantyas tat-padämbhojam
kåcchrän nirviviçur
vrajam
TRANSLATION
Çukadeva Gosvämé
said: Thus instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the young
girls, their desire now fulfilled, could bring themselves only with great
difficulty to return to the village of Vraja, meditating all the while
upon His lotus feet.
PURPORT
The gopés’ desire was fulfilled
because Lord Kåñëa had agreed to act as their husband.
A young girl can never spend the night with any man except her husband,
and thus when Kåñëa agreed to engage the girls in the
nocturnal räsa dance during the coming autumn season, in effect He
was agreeing to reciprocate their love for Him in the role of a husband.
SB 10.22.29
atha gopaiù parivåto
bhagavän devaké-sutaù
våndävanäd gato
düraà
cärayan gäù sahägrajaù
TRANSLATION
Some time later Lord Kåñëa,
the son of Devaké, surrounded by His cowherd friends and accompanied
by His elder brother, Balaräma, went a good distance away from Våndävana,
herding the cows.
PURPORT
Having described how Lord Kåñëa
stole the garments of the young gopés, Çukadeva Gosvämé
now begins introducing the description of Lord Kåñëa’s
blessings upon the wives of some ritualistic brähmaëas.
SB 10.22.30
nidaghärkätape tigme
chäyäbhiù sväbhir
ätmanaù
ätapaträyitän vékñya
drumän äha vrajaukasaù
TRANSLATION
Then the sun’s heat became intense,
Lord Kåñëa saw that the trees were acting as umbrellas
by shading Him, and thus He spoke as follows to His boyfriends.
SB 10.22.31-32
he stoka-kåñëa
he aàço
çrédäman subalärjuna
viçäla våñabhaujasvin
devaprastha varüthapa
paçyataitän mahä-bhägän
parärthaikänta-jévitän
väta-varñätapa-himän
sahanto värayanti naù
TRANSLATION
[Lord Kåñëa said:]
O Stoka Kåñëa and Aàçu, O Çrédäma,
Subala and Arjuna, O Våñabha, Ojasvé, Devaprastha and
Varüthapa, just see these greatly fortunate trees, whose lives are
completely dedicated to the benefit of others. Even while tolerating the
wind, rain, heat and snow, they protect us from these elements.
PURPORT
Lord Kåñëa was
preparing to bestow His mercy on the wives of the hard-hearted ritualistic
brähmaëas, and in these verses the Lord indicates that even trees
who are dedicated to the welfare of others are superior to brähmaëas
who are not. Certainly the members of the Kåñëa consciousness
movement should soberly study this point.
SB 10.22.33
aho eñäà varaà
janma
sarva -präëy-upajévanam
su-janasyeva yeñäà
vai
vimukhä yänti närthinaù
TRANSLATION
Just see how these trees are maintaining
every living entity! Their birth is successful. Their behavior is just
like that of great personalities, for anyone who asks anything from a tree
never goes away disappointed.
PURPORT
This translation is quoted from
Çréla Prabhupäda’s Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi
9.46).
SB 10.22.34
patra-puñpa-phala-cchäyä-
müla-valkala-därubhiù
gandha-niryäsa-bhasmästhi-
tokmaiù kämän vitanvate
TRANSLATION
These trees fulfill one’s desires
with their leaves, flowers and fruits, their shade, roots, bark and wood,
and also with their fragrance, sap, ashes, pulp and shoots.
SB 10.22.35
etävaj janma-säphalyaà
dehinäm iha dehiñu
präëair arthair dhiyä
väcä
çreya-äcaraëaà
sadä
TRANSLATION
It is the duty of every living being
to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life,
wealth, intelligence and words.
PURPORT
This translation is quoted from
Çréla Prabhupäda’s Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi
9.42).
SB 10.22.36
iti praväla-stabaka-
phala-puñpa-dalotkaraiù
tarüëäà namra-çäkhänäà
madhyato yamunäà gataù
TRANSLATION
Thus moving among the trees, whose
branches were bent low by their abundance of twigs, fruits, flowers and
leaves, Lord Kåñëa came to the Yamunä River.
SB 10.22.37
tatra gäù päyayitväpaù
su-måñöäù
çétaläù çiväù
tato nåpa svayaà gopäù
kämaà svädu papur
jalam
TRANSLATION
The cowherd boys let the cows drink
the clear, cool and wholesome water of the Yamunä. O King Parékñit,
the cowherd boys themselves also drank that sweet water to their full satisfaction.
SB 10.22.38
tasyä upavane kämaà
cärayantaù paçün
nåpa
kåñëa-rämäv
upägamya
kñudh-ärtä idam
abravan
TRANSLATION
Then, O King, the cowherd boys began
herding the animals in a leisurely way within a small forest along the
Yamunä. But soon they became afflicted by hunger and, approaching
Kåñëa and Balaräma, spoke as follows.
PURPORT
Çréla Jéva
Gosvämé explains that the cowherd boys were concerned that
Kåñëa would be hungry, and thus they feigned their own
hunger so that Kåñëa and Balaräma would make suitable
arrangements to eat.
Thus end the purports of the humble
servants of His Divine Grace A . C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda
to the Tenth Canto, Twenty-second Chapter, of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam,
entitled “Kåñëa Steals the Garments of the Unmarried
Gopés.”
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