Devanagari
तन्न: प्रसीद वृजिनार्दन तेऽङ्घ्रिमूलं
प्राप्ता विसृज्य वसतीस्त्वदुपासनाशा: ।
त्वत्सुन्दरस्मितनिरीक्षणतीव्रकाम-
तप्तात्मनां पुरुषभूषण देहि दास्यम् ॥ ३८ ॥
Verse text
tan naḥ prasīda vṛjinārdana te ’nghri-mūlaṁ
prāptā visṛjya vasatīs tvad-upāsanāśāḥ
tvat-sundara-smita-nirīkṣaṇa-tīvra-kāma
taptātmanāṁ puruṣa-bhūṣaṇa dehi dāsyam
Synonyms
tat
—
therefore
;
naḥ
—
to us
;
prasīda
—
please show Your mercy
;
vṛjina
—
of all distress
;
ardana
—
O vanquisher
;
te
—
Your
;
aṅghri
—
mūlam — feet
;
prāptāḥ
—
we have approached
;
visṛjya
—
renouncing
;
vasatīḥ
—
our homes
;
tvat
—
upāsanā — the worship of You
;
āśāḥ
—
hoping for
;
tvat
—
Your
;
sundara
—
beautiful
;
smita
—
smiling
;
nirīkṣaṇa
—
because of the glances
;
tīvra
—
intense
;
kāma
—
by the lust
;
tapta
—
burned
;
ātmanām
—
whose hearts
;
puruṣa
—
of all men
;
bhūṣaṇa
—
O ornament
;
dehi
—
please grant
;
dāsyam
—
servitude .
Translation
Therefore, O vanquisher of all distress, please show us mercy. To approach Your lotus feet we abandoned our families and homes, and we have no desire other than to serve You. Our hearts are burning with intense desires generated by Your beautiful smiling glances. O jewel among men, please make us Your maidservants.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Therefore, O vanquisher of all distress, please show us mercy. To approach Your lotus feet we abandoned our families and homes, and we have no desire other than to serve You. Our hearts are burning with intense desires generated by Your beautiful smiling glances. O jewel among men, please make us Your maidservants.
KB 10.29.38
“Dear Kṛṣṇa, You are known as Hari. You destroy all the miseries of all living entities, specifically of those who have left their homes and family attachment and have completely taken to You. We have left our homes with the hope that we shall completely devote and dedicate our lives to Your service. We are simply begging to be engaged as Your servants. We do not wish to ask You to accept us as Your wives. Simply accept us as Your maidservants. Since You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and like to enjoy the parakīya-rasa and are famous as a transcendental woman hunter, we have come to satisfy Your transcendental desires. We are also after our own satisfaction, for simply by looking at Your smiling face we have become very lusty. We have come before You decorated with all ornaments and dress, but until You embrace us, all our garments and beautiful features remain incomplete. You are the Supreme Person, and if You complete our dressing attempt as the puruṣa-bhūṣaṇa, or the male ornament, then all our desires and bodily decorations are complete.
Purport
When Śrī Kṛṣṇa was born, the sage Garga predicted that He would manifest all the opulences of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa. The
gopīs
now appeal to the Lord to fulfill this prediction by being merciful and granting them direct service, just as Lord Nārāyaṇa awards direct service to His loving devotees. The
gopīs
emphasize that they did not give up their families and homes with the hope of securing a higher pleasure from Kṛṣṇa. They are simply begging for service, revealing their pure-hearted devotion. The
gopīs
think, “If in the course of Your pursuing Your happiness we somehow or other become happy by seeing Your face, what is the harm in that?”
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments on the words
puruṣa-bhūṣaṇa,
“O jewel among men.” The Ṭhākura states that the
gopīs
meant to say, “O jewel of all males, please decorate our golden bodies with the dark blue gems of Your limbs.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"Giving up your families we desire to be your servants like the devotees of Narayana. As you are similar to Narayana, you should be pleased with us."
"But you have some karma which gives suffering, the opposite of my mercy. Therefore how can you receive my mercy. Is Narayana satisfied with everyone?"
"O one who destroys suffering (vrjinardana), take away our suffering. It is well known in the scriptures that Narayana must take away the suffering of those who take shelter of him. We are taking shelter of your feet, without any other desire, giving up our houses."
"O yes, you have given up the happiness of family life, but certainly you have expectation of getting some bliss from me. I can understand that."
"Our aspiration is simply to worship you (tvad upasanasa), not to get happiness through worshipping you. In worship we hope to please you. But there is no fault if by seeing your face we get some sudden happiness. The fault would be in your face."
"If you don’t have any fault, then are you not improperly requesting me to extinguish the fire of your desire?"
"This is not improper, it is the truth. You are the cause of the fire blazing. Our souls burn with intense desire, generated from your beautiful glance. To remove that fault, you simply give us the position of servants, not as wives."
Vallabhacarya comments on this is as follows. They pray for the position of servants, not wives because that position does not require Krsna to have upanayana samskara.
"Whether we are umarried or unmarried does not matter, for both types can be your servants."
Sanatana Goswami says in his commentary that service to the husband in married life does not give as much happiness as service as a paramour lover. That is also well known from Bhagavatamrta. Therefore being servant is more desirable. Therefore in this verse they pray, "Let us be servants."
"Because there is a great ocean of desire, the worship of you, the playboy, should be by our own limbs. That will bring you satisfaction. Our prayer to extinguish the fire of desire is a prayer to worship you. And our fire of desire is the chief instrument of that worship." Therefore they address Krsna suitably as ornament in the form of a man. "You are the sapphire ornament on our golden bodies."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The third group of gopīs express themselves. Because of the previously stated reasons, show mercy to us. Make us your servants. “You are impassioned because of youth. Servitude is most rare. How can I grant that?” They reply in misery. We have come here giving up everything. You must fulfill the desires of those who surrender to you. Otherwise we will be filled with great sorrow. You should not do that. O deliverer from suffering (vṛjinārdana)! With their hearts moved by love they say “O topmost taster! Give us servitude filled with rasa.”
Or, make us servants, since we are suffering from your glance. They indicate that they have given up hope of relief from the pain. You must make us your servants since you are the best among men.
We have given up houses where there is no worship of you (tvad upasa nāśāḥ). Or, O Kṛṣṇa, with beautiful, smiling glance! You speak with cunning. They hint by clever words the feelings hidden within Kṛṣṇa. We are suffering from intense passion caused by you. This is an answer to verse 25. “Women who desire a good destination in the next life should never abandon a husband who has not fallen from his religious standards, even if he is obnoxious, unfortunate, old, inactive, sickly or poor.” For those afflicted by your smiling glance, what fault is there in giving up husbands? There are no choices for those who are being devoured by a huge snake.
Indifference is expressed as follows. Therefore, be merciful and give up your inclination for us. O afflicter of those who suffer (vṛjinārda)! We give up worshipping you. We will not give up our houses and take to your feet. You should make those who are burning from your smiling glance your servants and not us. What use do we have for him, since he does not really accept those who are burning with desire? This is indicated by the genitive case in tīvra-kāma taptātmanām. You enthusiastically decorate your male friends in women’s clothing but not the women. This shows the impossibility of responding to anyone. Or puruṣa-bhūṣaṇa (puruṣa-bhū + ūṣaṇa) can mean “one who afflicts ordinary people.” They address him in anger.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Since we have surrendered to your foot dust, please be merciful. They address him. “Please make us your servants.” “O women mad with new youth! Why should I give servitude which is requested by Lakṣmī?” They speak with humility. With a desire to worship you, giving up our houses with freinds and retinue, we have attained your feet. You must fulfil the desires of those who have surrendred, giving up everything. Otherwise we will be overwhelmed with grief. You should not do this. O deliverer from suffering! You must give us service imbued with special rasa,O king of rasa! Our hearts are burning with intense desires generated by your beautiful smiling glances. You must do this. O ornament among men!
Or “O married women! Go to your houses and worship me along with my servants, the cowherd men. At home there are unlimited articles that can be employed in worship.” They reply pitifully. We have given up our houses because it destroys (nāśa) worship of you (upāsa). Our houses are not favorable for worshipping you. Most attractive one! We do not pray for servitude like other devotees. That can be accomplished in the house with the cowherds. We want special service. They speak with great pain. O you who pain (uṣa) the hearts (bhu) of the jīvas (puruṣa)! You do this by your beautiful smiles and glances. O you with beautiful smile and glances (sundara-smita-nirīkṣaṇa)! Speaking with deceit, they indicate their hidden bhāva by skill of words.
Our souls are pained with sharp desire because of you (tvat). Quickly give a remedy for this otherwise we will die. Or give us servitude as the remedy.
Or, “O women of Vraja! You automatically have service to me by being daughters or wives of the cowherds who are my best devotees. Why do you have to pray for this?” That is true. But give us special service. Out of modesty and shyness they do not directly indicate themselves. They speak in agitation. Give service which is suitable for those in pain.
Or with grass in their mouthes they speak in great pain. Give us service to some women who are pained in their their hearts. By service to them we will definitely get your special mercy.
This verse is a response to verse 25. “Women who desire a good destination in the next life should never abandon a husband who has not fallen from his religious standards, even if he is obnoxious, unfortunate, old, inactive, sickly or poor.”
With a desire to worship you, it is proper to give up even a good husband. That conclusion has been written. In desiring to worship you, particularly the houses, being related to husbands, become sinful because they obstruct your worship. They should thus be given up. So what is the fault or consideration if persons pained by love for you give up the house? What can persons devoured by a big snake do?
Another meaning using puns is explained. You are the destroyer of sin (janārdana) for other people. We have attained your feet. Even now you are concerned about sin. Be merciful. Forgive our offense of coming here. Take the mind and fix it in piety.
Or “Service to me is difficult to attain even by Lakṁsī. Please accept whatever I give by mercy.” With malice they speak.
Giving up our houses with a desire to worship you, we have come to your feet. Give service to those who are pained by sharp desires. Genitive case expresses the dative. What is the use of chastity to husbands? O person who decorates men or friends and not women! Or O person who pains the hearts of the jīvas! What use do we have for you? What is the use of bhakti to you?