Devanagari
किं ते कृतं क्षिति तपो बत केशवाङ्घ्रि-
स्पर्शोत्सवोत्पुलकिताङ्गरुहैर्विभासि ।
अप्यङ्घ्रिसम्भव उरुक्रमविक्रमाद् वा
आहो वराहवपुष: परिरम्भणेन ॥ १० ॥
Verse text
kiṁ te kṛtaṁ kṣiti tapo bata keśavāṅghri-
sparśotsavotpulakitāṅga-nahair vibhāsi
apy aṅghri-sambhava urukrama-vikramād vā
āho varāha-vapuṣaḥ parirambhaṇena
Synonyms
kim
—
what
;
te
—
by you
;
kṛtam
—
performed
;
kṣiti
—
O earth
;
tapaḥ
—
austerity
;
bata
—
indeed
;
keśava
—
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
;
aṅghri
—
by the feet
;
sparśa
—
on account of being touched
;
utsava
—
due to the joyful experience
;
utpulakita
—
standing on end in jubilation
;
aṅga
—
ruhaiḥ — with your bodily hairs (the grass and growing plants on your surface)
;
vibhāsi
—
you appear beautiful
;
api
—
perhaps
;
aṅghri
—
by the feet (of Kṛṣṇa present now on your surface)
;
sambhavaḥ
—
generated
;
urukrama
—
of Lord Vāmanadeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s dwarf incarnation, who covered the entire universe in three mighty steps
;
vikramāt
—
because of the stepping
;
vā
—
or
;
āha u
—
or else perhaps
;
varāha
—
of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s incarnation as a boar
;
vapuṣaḥ
—
by the body
;
parirambhaṇena
—
because of the embrace .
Translation
O mother earth, what austerity did you perform to attain the touch of Lord Keśava’s lotus feet, which has brought you such great joy that your bodily hairs are standing on end? You appear very beautiful in this condition. Was it during the Lord’s current appearance that you acquired this ecstatic symptom, or was it perhaps much earlier, when He stepped upon you in His form of the dwarf Vāmanadeva, or even earlier, when He embraced you in His form of the boar Varāhadeva?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O mother earth, what austerity did you perform to attain the touch of Lord Keśava's lotus feet, which has brought you such great joy that your bodily hairs are standing on end? You appear very beautiful in this condition. Was it during the Lord's current appearance that you acquired this ecstatic symptom, or was it perhaps much earlier, when He stepped upon you in His form of the dwarf Vāmanadeva, or even earlier, when He embraced you in His form of the boar Varāhadeva?
KB 10.30.10
The gopīs then looked upon the ground they were traversing and began to address the earth: “Dear earthly planet, we do not know how many penances and austerities you have undergone to be now living with the footprints of Lord Kṛṣṇa upon you. You are very jolly; the hairs on your body are these jubilant trees and plants. Lord Kṛṣṇa must have been very much pleased with you; otherwise how could He have embraced you in the form of Varāha the boar? When you were submerged in water, He delivered you, taking the whole weight of your existence on His tusks.”
Purport
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains the thoughts of the
gopīs
as follows: “‘Perhaps the trees and plants [mentioned in the previous verses] did not hear our question because they were in trance, meditating on Lord Viṣṇu. Or perhaps, since they will not tell us where Kṛṣṇa has gone, they are hardhearted even though they live in a holy place. Anyway, what is the use of unnecessarily criticizing the residents of a holy place? We cannot tell if they really know where Kṛṣṇa has gone. So let us find someone who definitely knows where He is.’ Thus the
gopīs
concluded that since Lord Kṛṣṇa had to be
somewhere
on the earth, the earth herself must know His whereabouts.
“Then the
gopīs
thought, ‘Since Kṛṣṇa always walks on the earth, she is never separated from Him and thus cannot understand how much His parents, girlfriends and servants suffer in His absence. Let us ask her what austerities she has performed to gain the great fortune of being constantly touched by the feet of Lord Keśava.’”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"Because they are absorbed in meditation on Visnu, they are probably not replying to us, but as residents of a holy place they are hard-hearted, since they don’t say a word to us."
After this one gopis spoke, "Since we cannot tell who knows about Krsna and who does not, why do you criticize these residents of the holy place? We should ask that person who knows the truth, that person who has seen him. O friends, do you know
that person?" Asking all the gopis this, that one gopi pointed at the earth with her finger.
The gopis said to that sakhi, "Yes, what you say is true. Wherever Krsna is, it is somewhere on the earth. The earth is never separated from Krsna. The earth is certainly most fortunate among all the elders, girl friends, lovers, and servants, because she never knows the pain of separation. We should not ask her as we did to others previously about news of Krsna, but rather ask her what austerities she did long ago to get this good fortune. If we know that, then we also can do the same austerity and become freed from separation from Krsna."
Considering in this way, they then asked, "O earth, what austerities did you perform by which you shine with bliss borne from the touch of Kesava’s feet? Because your hairs in the form of grass are standing on end, we understand that he has touched you with his feet. What austerity did you do by which you constantly are absorbed day and night in close association with Krsna. You should tell us. Hearing that, our lives will become successful"
Seeing that the earth did not reply, the gopis began to consider, thinking of the past. "Your strength was shown when you bore the great burden of Vamana’s foot as he stretched his other foot from patala to svarga. By what austerity did you get that strength? (va stands for vai (certainly), or can be considered added to complete the rhythm of the verse.) Or what austerity did you do to get the firm embrace of Varaha? That austerity by which you get happiness rarely achieved by others is also joyfully performed because it brings you, a woman, into contact with a man. There is no one more fortunate than you."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Asking about the footprints of Kṛṣṇa, they glance at the earth and then assume that the earth must have seen him since the earth is spread everywhere. They consider her sprouts of grass to be her hairs standing on end out of joy on being touched by his lotus feet. They then describe her great fortune while indicating his excellence. You must have done pious acts (tapaḥ) to touch his feet. Has the touch of his feet created your joy? Api indicates a question. Śruti says tredhā viṣṇu-vicakrame: Viṣṇu took three steps. Has your joy arisen from Trivikrama stepping with his feet to cover the three worlds, showing his power? That cannot be, since why would you show such joy now, after such a long time? Maybe it was not just touching with the foot, but Varāha lifting you up and enjoying you.
Or, what was your previous act by which you attained joy in being touched Kṛṣṇa’s feet? Was it being touched by Trivikrama’s feet? Was it being embraced by Varāha? Please tell us. This indicates Kṛṣṇa’s greater glory. How can we endure separation then? You are most fortunate and we are most unfortunate. Be merciful and show us his path.