Devanagari
ता वार्यमाणा: पतिभि: पितृभिर्भ्रातृबन्धुभि:
गोविन्दापहृतात्मानो न न्यवर्तन्त मोहिता: ॥ ८ ॥
Verse text
tā vāryamāṇāḥ patibhiḥ
pitṛbhir bhrātṛ-bandhubhiḥ
govindāpahṛtātmāno
na nyavartanta mohitāḥ
Synonyms
tāḥ
—
they
;
vāryamāṇāḥ
—
being checked
;
patibhiḥ
—
by their husbands
;
pitṛbhiḥ
—
by their fathers
;
bhrātṛ
—
brothers
;
bandhubhiḥ
—
and other relatives
;
govinda
—
by Lord Kṛṣṇa
;
apahṛta
—
stolen away
;
ātmānaḥ
—
their very selves
;
na nyavartanta
—
they did not turn back
;
mohitāḥ
—
enchanted .
Translation
Their husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives tried to stop them, but Kṛṣṇa had already stolen their hearts. Enchanted by the sound of His flute, they refused to turn back.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Their husbands, fathers, brothers and other relatives tried to stop them, but Kṛṣṇa had already stolen their hearts. Enchanted by the sound of His flute, they refused to turn back.
KB 10.29.8
While all the gopīs were hurriedly leaving their respective places, their husbands, brothers and fathers were all struck with wonder to know where they were going. Being young girls, they were protected either by husbands, elder brothers or fathers. All their guardians forbade them to go to Kṛṣṇa, but they disregarded them. When a person becomes attracted by Kṛṣṇa and is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not care for any worldly duties, even though very urgent. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that it gives everyone relief from all material activities. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has written a very nice verse wherein one gopī advises another, “My dear friend, if you desire to enjoy the company of material society, friendship and love, then please do not go to see that smiling boy Govinda who is standing on the bank of the Yamunā and playing His flute, His lips brightened by the beams of the full moonlight.” Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī indirectly instructs that one who has been captivated by the beautiful smiling face of Kṛṣṇa has lost all attraction for material enjoyments. This is the test of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness: a person advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must lose interest in material activities and personal sense gratification.
Purport
Some of the young
gopīs
were married, and their husbands tried to stop them. The unmarried girls had to deal with their fathers and brothers and other relatives. None of these relatives would have ordinarily allowed even the young girls’ dead bodies to go alone into the forest at night, but Lord Kṛṣṇa had already engaged His internal potency, and thus the entire romantic episode unfolded without interference.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Out of extreme love the gopis gave up all duties. That is expected. But how could they give up their husbands and fathers? Though the husbands tried to stop their wives and the fathers tried to stop the unmarried gopis, they could not dissuade them from going, because their very souls had been stolen by Govinda, what to speak of their fear, bashfulness and control, and they were thus in trance, mohitah, like puppets controlled by strings. But how could the husbands tolerate letting their wives go elsewhere in a weakened state, fearing danger to their bodies? That is true, and therefore yogamaya allowed this to happen. She did this by producing replica bodies of the gopis who returned their husbands’ houses, while the original gopis left for the forest.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
They gave up shyness which was hard to give up because of their natural chastity, though their relatives made them aware of external reality by force. Though they were blocked by husbands and others who said, “Where are you going at night outside?” they could not be prevented and they went. Why? They had lost power of discrimination. What was the cause? Their hearts had been stolen by Govinda. The husbands became slack because of the strength of their devotion to Kṛṣṇa which destroyed all obstacles. Some were prevented by husbands who were at home. Others were prevented by parents, since they were not married.
rakṣet kanyāṁ pitaḥ prauḍhāṁ patiḥ putras tu vārdhake
Abhāve jātayas tv evaṁ na svātantryaṁ kvacit striyaḥ
Women should be protected by the father before marriage and by the husband when they are married and by the son when they are old, or the absence of these by other relatives. Women should never be independent. Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.85
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Though reminded by their relatives, they lost all sense of discrimination because of attraction to the Lord. Though they were all prevented by their husbands and others, by showing them dharma and by holding their hands, they could not be stopped. They went. Why? They had lost all discrimination. Why? Because of the king of Gokula (govinda) or “he who rules over the senses.”
Those who were scant in materials were robbed by he who was greatest in ownership.
Since their minds had been internally stolen by the internal lord, who was most attractive and ruled their lives, they could not be stopped, just as a boat swept away by the current cannot be brought to the shore by persons on the boat or by the captain.
Their souls (ātma) had been stolen by Govinda. As a pun, they were thus without life (nivṛtta, nyavartanta). They were without purpose in living. The husbands are mentioned first since they were the chief participants in the auspicious or inauspicious actions of their wives. Then fathers are mentioned, since they had affection, and would be blamed for the irregular conduct of their daughters. Then brothers with special affection, and fear of infamy. Friends were worried about faults to the family.
rakṣet kanyāṁ pitaḥ prauḍhāṁ patiḥ putras tu vārdhake
Abhāve jātayas tv evaṁ na svātantryaṁ kvacit striyaḥ
Women should be protected by the father before marriage and by the husband when they are married and by the son when they are old, or the absence of these by other relatives. Women should never be independent. Yājñavalkya Smṛti 1.85
Four protectors are mentioned in the Bhāgavatam verse. Sons are not mentioned, since the gopīs had not given birth to sons. The order of the list is from most important to less important since the later persons have less control over the relationship. Thus the husbands were the most active in preventing them from leaving, but all were involving since they were all family members. Or in rejecting the first membes, the others feared that gopīs would take shelter of them, and thus they also prevented them.
Or some were prevented by husbands who were at home. Others were prevented by parents, since they were not married.