Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
इति विक्लवितं तासां श्रुत्वा योगेश्वरेश्वर: ।
प्रहस्य सदयं गोपीरात्मारामोऽप्यरीरमत् ॥ ४२ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
iti viklavitaṁ tāsāṁ
śrutvā yogeśvareśvaraḥ
prahasya sa-dayaṁ gopīr
ātmārāmo ’py arīramat
Synonyms
śrī
—
śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
;
iti
—
in these words
;
viklavitam
—
the despondent expressions of
;
tāsām
—
of them
;
śrutvā
—
having heard
;
yoga
—
īśvara — īśvaraḥ — the Lord of all lords of mystic power
;
prahasya
—
laughing
;
sa
—
dayam — mercifully
;
gopīḥ
—
the gopīs
;
ātma ārāmaḥ
—
self-satisfied
;
api
—
even though
;
arīramat
—
He satisfied .
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Smiling upon hearing these despondent words from the gopīs, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme master of all masters of mystic yoga, mercifully enjoyed with them, although He is self-satisfied.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Smiling upon hearing these despondent words from the gopīs, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme master of all masters of mystic yoga, mercifully enjoyed with them, although He is self-satisfied.
KB 10.29.42
Upon hearing the anxious plea of the gopīs, the Supreme Personality of Godhead smiled, and being very kind to the gopīs, the Lord, although self-sufficient, began to embrace them and kiss them as they desired.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Having heard the words expressing their dejection, and having his own desires fulfilled, smiling, he said, "O women, every day when we meet, you show obstinacy. Just today I have hidden my feelings and shown obstinacy, though internally I am always soft. Becoming disturbed like this, you have thrown away your modesty, and therefore I smile. Turning an ocean into a drop of water, I have now conquered your obstinacy. You think yourselves so intelligent. But you have been defeated by me. You have come to me of your own will, without the obstacles of modesty or control, becoming a golden jewelled garland around my neck, and drinking with your own sweet lips. I have been suffering for a long time from a great thirst."
Amused in this way, he then enjoyed with affection suitable to the auspicious occasion (sadayam), though he is self satisfied (atmarama).
How astonishing is the love of the gopis! In such verses as atma ramas ca munaya and ittham bhuta guno hari, the Lord’s great qualities are glorified. In this verse the greatness of the gopis’ prema is glorified. Because the gopis are the hladini sakti arising directly from the Lord, they are also the atma of Krsna. Therefore it was possible for him to sport with them.
"My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmā, Lord Siva, Lord Sankarasa, the goddess of fortune nor indeed My own self are as dear to Me as you are.." sb11.14.15
"O best of the brahmanas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme opulences." Sb 9.4.64
From these statements it can be understood that the Lord has greater tendency to give bliss to his devotee than to himself. Krsna also knew this. Because the gopis are the supreme devotees, he then desired to enjoy with them with the aim of greater enjoyment, though he is self satisifed.
"From the krama dipika it is understood that the gopis numbered in the millions. How was it poassible for Krsna to enjoy with them all at once in one day?"
Saubari and other are yogis. Rudra and others are yogesvara. Thus the yogis like Saubari can enjoy by expanding their bodies into many. But Krsna is yogesvaresvara. He can enjoy without having to do that. Narada was astonished at Krsna in Dvaraka because he performed pastimes in each of the thousands of queens’ rooms in one body.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Hearing the agitation arising from prema, mixed with anger and humility, containing double meaning (like his own words) of request and refusal, having his own desires fulfilled on hearing this, he smiled at their confusion and also because of hearing what he desired to hear, because of the skill in their answers to his skilful statements and because of the manifestation of their rati with the disappearance of concealing their feelings. That smile was intense (pra), indicating his own special bhāva with the anubhāva of a pleasing face, indicating the blossoming in his heart, which is famous in rasa scriptures. Hearing the words of the gopīs filled with prema and humility, with a melted heart (sadayam) he then engaged zealously in giving enjoyment to the gopīs. This indicates his special desire: he was the chief, promoting youth among all playing youths. Parasmaipada is used though the result of the action accrues to himself, following the rule anāvakarmakāc cittavat kartrṭkāt: an intransitive verb in the causal form takes the parasamipada though the action accrues to the agent, if the agent is an intelligent being. (Pāṇini 1.3.88) What is so astonishing about low men enjoying in this manner? Kṛṣṇa was ātmārāma, completely satisfied within himself. Still he did this, because of the strength of the gopīs’ prema.
ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame |
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ ||
Some sages who are ātmārāmas, beyond the scriptures, false ego and rules, also practice unmotivated, pure bhakti to the master of pure bhakti, Kṛṣṇa, since he possesses qualities attractive to even them. SB 1.7.10
Just as ātmārāmas are attracted to the qualities of the Lord, he was brought under control by their love. The word api indicates that their prema was more attractive than his own happiness.
nāham ātmānam āśāse mad-bhaktaiḥ sādhubhir vinā
śriyaṁ cātyantikīṁ brahman yeṣāṁ gatir ahaṁ parā
O brāhmaṇa! Without the devotees, who take shelter of only me, I do not desire to enjoy my own bliss by my six great qualities. SB 9.4.64
Though the Lord is attracted to regular devotees, the word api indicates that the gopīs’ love was extraordinary. “How did one person enjoy with many gopīs?” Masters of yoga are able to expand their form into many and perform many actions simultaneously. But Kṛṣṇa is the master of such masters of yoga. Because of his natural inconceivable energy, he can enjoy with all of them. Nārada says:
citraṁ bataitad ekena vapuṣā yugapat pṛthak
gṛheṣu dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasraṁ striya eka udāvahat
It is astounding that Kṛṣṇa, who is one without a second, expanded himself in sixteen thousand similar forms to marry sixteen thousand queens in their respective homes. SB 10.69.2
The word gopī is included in the mantra used in worship and thus indicates that they are his eternal lovers and thus it is not astonishing that he enjoyed with them.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Hearing their despondent words, which had double meanings because of being tinged with both agreement and disagreement, he smiled brightly with mercy. The following was not his smile in this case for they had clearly explained their desires.
hāso janonmāda-karī ca māyā: His smile is māyā which illusions all men. SB 2.1.31
Or being merciful he enjoyed with them while wiping away their tears with his hand. He could not have been indifferent, with a false smile. He had great affection for them because they were gopīs (gopī), qualified for his mercy, having special prema. He smiled at their sad words which they uttered because they did not know his intentions and because he had hidden meanings in his words.
Or he smiled with pure intentions because he was overjoyed at their answers or because by his words they stopped hiding their feelings and developed strong symptoms of love. Hāsa is a vyabhicārī-bhāva of śṛṅgāra-rasa.
“Rati is produced by mutual attachment, and manifests with playful gestures. He should not show qualities of an ātmārāma.” Though he was the master of those who perfected concentration of the mind (yoga), though he was ātmārāma, now he was not situated in that yoga since he displayed various playful gestures.
Or, by their sad words, his lordship over those who control the mind disappeared and by the enjoyment his nature of ātmārāma disappeared. Otherwise he could not have enjoyed hearing their words.
Or being the master of masters of yoga, he did not have one form but many, and simultaneously enjoyed.