Devanagari
कुर्वन्ति हि त्वयि रतिं कुशला: स्व आत्मन्
नित्यप्रिये पतिसुतादिभिरार्तिदै: किम् ।
तन्न: प्रसीद परमेश्वर मा स्म छिन्द्या
आशां धृतां त्वयि चिरादरविन्दनेत्र ॥ ३३ ॥
Verse text
kurvanti hi tvayi ratiṁ kuśalāḥ sva ātman
nitya-priye pati-sutādibhir ārti-daiḥ kim
tan naḥ prasīda parameśvara mā sma chindyā
āśāṁ dhṛtāṁ tvayi cirād aravinda-netra
Synonyms
kurvanti
—
they show
;
hi
—
indeed
;
tvayi
—
for You
;
ratim
—
attraction
;
kuśalāḥ
—
expert persons
;
sve
—
for their own
;
ātman
—
Self
;
nitya
—
eternally
;
priye
—
who is dear
;
pati
—
with our husbands
;
suta
—
children
;
ādibhiḥ
—
and other relations
;
ārti
—
daiḥ — who only give trouble
;
kim
—
what
;
tat
—
therefore
;
naḥ
—
to us
;
prasīda
—
be merciful
;
parama
—
īśvara — O supreme controller
;
mā sma chindyāḥ
—
please do not cut down
;
āśām
—
our hopes
;
dhṛtām
—
sustained
;
tvayi
—
for You
;
cirāt
—
for a long time
;
aravinda
—
netra — O lotus-eyed one .
Translation
Expert transcendentalists always direct their affection toward You because they recognize You as their true Self and eternal beloved. What use do we have for these husbands, children and relatives of ours, who simply give us trouble? Therefore, O supreme controller, grant us Your mercy. O lotus-eyed one, please do not cut down our long-cherished hope to have Your association.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Expert transcendentalists always direct their affection toward You because they recognize You as their true Self and eternal beloved. What use do we have for these husbands, children and relatives of ours, who simply give us trouble? Therefore, O supreme controller grant us Your mercy. O lotus-eyed one, please do not cut down our long-cherished hope to have Your association.
KB 10.29.33
Then the gopīs told lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, “Please do not discourage our long-cherished desires to have You as our husband. Any intelligent man who cares for his own self-interest reposes all his loving spirit in You. Persons who are simply misled by the external energy, who want to be satisfied by false concepts, try to enjoy themselves apart from You. The so-called husband, friend, son, daughter, father and mother are all simply sources of material misery. No one is made happy in this material world by having a so-called father, mother, husband, son, daughter and friend. Although the father and mother are expected to protect the children, there are many children who are suffering for want of food and shelter. There are many good physicians, but when a patient dies, no physician can revive him. There are many means of protection, but when one is doomed, none of the protective measures can help, and without Your protection the so-called sources of protection simply become sources of continued distress. We therefore appeal to You, dear Lord of all lords: please do not kill our long-cherished desires to have You as our supreme husband.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In relation to this topic, some other gopis strengthen their argument with practical examples. "Anyone who develops love for Krsna, endowed with the eight good qualities is not defeated by the enemies such as lust, just as the followers of Visnu are not defeated by the asuras. One who has faith in Garga’s statement is truly intelligent. Those who are intelligent have love for you. This love is natural, and eternally present in their hearts. You are the object of possession for them (sve), and you (atman) are eternally the object of affection for them (nitya priya). The devotees’s affection for husbands and sons is temporary (aupadhika). But we do not even have temporary affection for husbands and sons. As they give us suffering by preventing us from meeting you, what is the need of them at all? Therefore be merciful and save our lives. You may not want to let the married gopis live, but why make the unmarried gopis cry? You already granted their desire when you stole their clothing: "O young girls I understand your vow, and I will enjoy with you on future nights." (he varada). But Krsna may say "I can give mercy to them because of their vow in worshipping Katyayani, but for what reason can I give mercy to you? You are telling me to be merciful, without good reason. "
Thus the gopis present a sorrowful request. "Oh Lord, who is dependent only on himself (he isvara), since your childhood (cirat) you have nurtured a desire creeper , and now that creeper of desire is bearing fruit. Those with such fruit laden creepers should not cut them down (ma chindya)."
The words cirat and chindya can be explained as follows. "You have grown in the fields of our hearts this creeper of desire. O lotus eyed one, from the first time at the beginning of childhood, the seed of bhava, sent by your lotus-like eyes, entered through the openings of our eyes and became planted in the field of our hearts. This creeper of desire grew by the process of hearing and seeing your qualities and form according to the stages mentioned in the rasa sastra: first attraction by eye, then meeting in the heart and then vow. It has grown and become full of fruit. Some of the fruit has been enjoyed and some is to be enjoyed. Then why do you cut down this creeper today with the axe of your harsh words. You must also certainly know that one should not cut down a full grown tree even if it is filled with poison."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The gopīs reject the bondage of material affection propounded in verse 20 by answering on the strength of correct spiritual conduct in response to scriptural statements about serving the husband. The word hi indicates that this is well known. Those who have true knowledge were described by Garga.
ya etasmin mahā-bhāge prītiṁ kurvanti mānavāḥ
nārayo ’bhibhavanty etān viṣṇu-pakṣān ivāsurāḥ
Enemies cannot harm the devotees who show affection for this greatly fortunate child just as the demons cannot harm the devatās. SB 10.26.21
Those who know that Kṛṣṇa should be worshipped (kuśalāḥ) show affection for you, the natural object of love. This indicates that Kṛṣṇa produces happiness in the gopīs and others. Showing affection for husbands gives opposite results. They give pain to oneself and those related to oneself (sve ātman) since they prevented the gopīs from meeting Kṛṣṇa. This indicates that they were opposed to the Lord. Therefore what use do we have of such husbands?
The gopīs of the first group who began speaking in verse 31 now summarize their plea. Therefore show affection for us. You must give us mercy, and do not do the opposite. Do not break our hopes firmly fixed in you since the time we developed awareness (cirāt), but rather fulfill our hopes. They reject relationship with their husbands. By ignoring us, you finish our lives which are dedicated solely to you. O benedictor (varada)! You already promised the unmarried gopīs (SB 10.22.25) O lord (īśvara)! You are capable of doing what others cannot do, fulfilling desires in our minds. We have held these desires for a long time. They address him as aravinda-netra. Ara means the spoke of a wheel. The tip of the lotus eye is sharp, cutting their hearts. In this way they indicate their inner anger.
śarad-udāśaye sādhu-jāta-sat-
sarasijodara-śrī-muṣā dṛśā
surata-nātha te ’śulka-dāsikā
vara-da nighnato neha kiṁ vadhaḥ
O Lord of love, in beauty your glance excels the whorl of the finest, most perfectly formed lotus within the autumn pond. O bestower of benedictions, you are killing the maidservants who have given themselves to you freely, without any price. Isn’t this murder? SB 10.31.2
There is another meaning in the words. Your eyes are like the lotus and do not remain open at night. Therefore it is understandable that you ignore us beautiful women! This is a joke. Like lotuses those eyes take away all sorrows, but they have the opposite effect on us.
The meaning recognizing his powers as the Lord is as follows. It is well known in scriptures (hi) that persons like Nārada show bhāva for the Lord, not just faith. The Lord is their eternal object of love. How can he be eternally dear? He is the Paramātmā (atman) for the self (sve).
kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam ātmānam akhilātmanām
jagad-dhitāya so ’py atra dehīvābhāti māyayā
You should know Kṛṣṇa to be the soul of all living entities. For the benefit of the whole universe, he has, out of his causeless mercy, appeared as an ordinary human being by the strength of māyā. SB 10.14.55
This indicates that his form is the embodiment of happiness since otherwise he could not be the object of unconditional prema. Therefore what is the use of our husbands? Nothing at all. “But your husbands are also eternally dear like me.” No, they are not. They give us pain, being opposed to us worshipping you, who are desired by the great souls. You never fail to grant blessings (varadeśvara).
The meaning expressing indifference is as follows. “If I am dearest to all beings, you should show rati for me just as others do.” Can chaste auspicious women show affection for you, eternally dear, in their houses (sve), where there are opposing husbands? They cannot, for this would bring destruction to their houses. Therefore, bestower of benedictions, Lord of Gokula, be merciful to us: we should not remain (mā smaḥ) long at this place. Please give us permission to go to our houses quickly. Destroy our desire for associating with you. Dhṛta can mean “situated in.” Instead of varadeśvara sometimes parameśvara is seen. The word then may be interpreted like īśvara in varadeśvara. Instread of chindyā sometimes chindyāt is seen. The respectful word bhavān (you) should be understood.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
“O moon in the ocean of desire! Not only do we say this with desire, but persons with discrimination and good conduct say this.” Crying they speak pitifully. The wise have prema (ratim), not just faith, only (hi) for you and no one else, since you are the friend of the self, the giver of conscioiusness (sva ātman) and the internal and external benefactor (nitya-priye) and give happiness.
Or O ātmā! O eternal one! This indicates that husbands and others are not eternal. The wise have prema for you, who are dear (priye) by nature and beneficial to the self (sve). This is the opposite of husbands. What is the use of husbands and others? They are of no use at all. The use of husbands is accomplished because of you. They also give pain since they are subject to rebirth and cause grief because of their temporary nature. This includes mothers, fathers and brothers.
Or they cannot destroy (daiḥ) suffering. Even if they destroy suffering sometimes or a little, what use are they?
Those who are skilful have love for you, the object of prema at all times (nitya-priye). What is the use of husbands who give suffering to the self (sva ātman)?
Therefore, since all should have prema for you (since others give suffering and persons of good conduct are devoted to you), be merciful to us devotees. “Women are generally fond of ornaments. Accept some ornaments from me as mercy.” Since you are the supreme Lord you can give extraordinary mercy.
They elaborate on this. Do not destroy that strong hope, as long as we live (cirāt) or until we realize it, rather fulfil that hope If you destroy that hope, our lives will also be destroyed. Their aspiration is strong because he is most beautiful (aravinda-netra).
śarad-udāśaye sādhu-jāta-sat-
sarasijodara-śrī-muṣā dṛśā
surata-nātha te ’śulka-dāsikā
vara-da nighnato neha kiṁ vadhaḥ
O Lord of love, in beauty your glance excels the whorl of the finest, most perfectly formed lotus within the autumn pond. O bestower of benedictions, you are killing the maidservants who have given themselves to you freely, without any price. Will you not kill us? SB 10.31.2
Or you can take away our pain by your glance. It is not proper to keep us in a miserable position.
One version has varadeśvara instead of parameśvara. Varada refers back to Kṛṣṇa giving a benediction on stealing the gopīs’ clothing. Also varada can mean O destroyer of blessings you gave already! You can do that because you are the supreme Lord, independent in action (īśvara). They speak with anger. Though you gave blessings to the young girls performing austerities, that should apply to other girls also, since friends are the same as they are.
Or O great lover! Innocent girls should not worship you. But why should we worship you? Those who are clever show love for you. What use do we, who are clever, have for husbands? Moreover you have given us a boon. Therefore be merciful to us.
This verse is a response to verse 20. (Not finding you at home, your mothers, fathers, sons, brothers and husbands are certainly searching for you. Don’t cause anxiety for your family members.) They should be disregarded since they give pain.
Or they pray with determination to give up their bodies, as was previously explained. O boy whose mind is on his possession of cows (sva ātman). This indicates that he is not skillful. Should we who are skillful, having husbands who destroy suffering have love for you, who do not show affection for anyone (apriye)? No, we should not. Do not be merciful to us. Destroy our hopes. Aravinda means having spokes, a wheel. You have eyes that cut, most expert at killing us.
They utter this in anger with a desire to die.
Or you have eyes that do not open at night, like the lotus. Thus it is natural that you ignore us beautiful women. It is also proper that we give regard to mothers etc. as you explained. They say this when they manifest some hatred.
Should chaste women with auspicious forms have love for you since they have husbands who will inflict pain on those who are dear, ourselves (nitya-priye sva ātmani)? No. Therefore, O giver of blessing! O Lord! Be merciful to us. We will not remain (sma) here for long. Please give permission so we can return home. But (tu), O lotus eyed Kṛṣṇa (ayi aravinda-netra)! Cut your strong hopes for associating with us. Or do not obstruct the path to Vraja (āśām). “You should look and find the path yourselves.” The path has been blocked by you (dhṛtam).