Verse Text
virahād, yathā śrī-daśame –
gāyanty uccair amum eva saṁhatā
vicikyur unmattakavad vanād vanam |
papracchur ākāśavad antaraṁ bahir
bhūteṣu santaṁ puruṣaṁ vanaspatīn ||83||
Translation
Insanity arising from separation, from the Tenth Canto: The gopīs began to sing in a loud voice together and began to search for Kṛṣṇa in the various forests like insane persons. They began to inquire from the trees about that person who is inside and outside of all living beings like ether. SB 10.30.4
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This is a suitable example of insanity. They inquired from the trees about their lover, Kṛṣṇa (puruṣam). They asked the trees about Kṛṣṇa appearing directly as the Lord who resides inside and outside of all moving and non-moving living entities like ether. Such displays arise because of special actions of the gopīs’ prema. Trees manifest Viṣṇu within in the following way:
vana-latās tarava ātmani viṣṇuṁ
vyaṣjayantya iva puṣpa-phalāḍhyāḥ
The trees and creepers in the forest respond by becoming so luxuriant with fruits and flowers that they seem to be manifesting Lord Viṣṇu within their hearts. SB 10.35.9
Since the manifestation of the Lord as being outside everything is far away from the senses to perceive, and since the manifestation of the Lord within is too close for the senses to perceive, in the state of madness it seems sensible to ask questions to those who have no senses at all such as the trees.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
How a devotee can be in a state of insanity because of ecstatic love is described in the Tenth Canto, Thirtieth Chapter, verse 4, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, wherein the gopīs were searching for Kṛṣṇa in the forests of Vṛndāvana. The gopīs were loudly singing the glories of Kṛṣṇa and wandering from one forest to another in search of Him. They knew that Kṛṣṇa is not localized, but all-pervading. He is in the sky, He is in the water, He is in the air, and He is the Supersoul in everyone’s heart. Thus the gopīs began to inquire from all kinds of trees and plants about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is an instance of ecstatic madness on the part of devotees.