Verse Text
tatra mahārtyā, yathā –
hanta deha-hatakaiḥ kim amībhiḥ
pālitair viphala-puṇya-phalair naḥ |
ehi kāliya-hrade viṣa-vahnau
svaṁ kuṭumbini haṭhāj juhavāma ||8||
Translation
From great sorrow: O Yaśodā! What is to be gained from continuing to maintain this sinful, unfortunate body? Come! We will immediately offer our bodies in the lake of Kāliya filled with the fire of poison.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
In this verse the plural is used for the dual (Nanda is speaking to Yaśodā). This is according to the rule asmador dvayoś ca. (Pāṇini 1.2.59) Deha-hatakaiḥ is in the plural to indicate attaining many sinful bodies in past lives as well.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
When Kṛṣṇa, in punishing the Kāliya serpent, appeared to have drowned Himself in the poisonous water of the Yamunā, Nanda Mahārāja addressed Yaśodā-devī thus: “My dear wife, Kṛṣṇa has gone deep into the water, and so there is no longer any need to maintain our bodies, which are so full of sinful activities! Let us also enter into the poisonous water of the Yamunā and compensate for the sinful activities of our lives!” This is an instance of severe shock, wherein the devotee becomes greatly disappointed.