Devanagari
अप्यायास्यति गोविन्द: स्वजनान्सकृदीक्षितुम् ।
तर्हि द्रक्ष्याम तद्वक्त्रं सुनसं सुस्मितेक्षणम् ॥ १९ ॥
Verse text
apy āyāsyati govindaḥ
sva-janān sakṛd īkṣitum
tarhi drakṣyāma tad-vaktraṁ
su-nasaṁ su-smitekṣaṇam
Synonyms
api
—
whether
;
āyāsyati
—
will come back
;
govindaḥ
—
Kṛṣṇa
;
sva
—
janān — His relatives
;
sakṛt
—
once
;
īkṣitum
—
to see
;
tarhi
—
then
;
drakṣyāma
—
we may glance upon
;
tat
—
His
;
vaktram
—
face
;
su
—
nasam — with beautiful nose
;
su
—
beautiful
;
smita
—
smile
;
īkṣaṇam
—
and eyes .
Translation
Will Govinda return even once to see His family? If He ever does, we may then glance upon His beautiful face, with its beautiful eyes, nose and smile.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Will Govinda return even once to see His family? If He ever does, we may then glance upon His beautiful face, with its beautiful eyes, nose and smile.
KB 10.46.19
“Is there any possibility of His coming back to His friends and relatives so we can again see His beautiful face, with its raised nose and lotuslike eyes?
Purport
Now that Kṛṣṇa had become a prince in the great city of Mathurā, Nanda had lost hope that He would come back to live in the simple cowherd village of Vṛndāvana. But he hoped against hope that Kṛṣṇa would come back at least once to visit the simple cowherd folk who had raised Him from birth.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Nanda began to worry, “My son is grateful and intelligent. But also he said he had to satisfy his relatives in Mathurā (SB 10.45.23). This will cause some delay.” He then asked about some other pleasant result. Will Govinda return to see his people? Govinda is the protector of Gokula. He must return. He must return to see those who are objects of affection, his own people (sva-janān). Let him not come repeatedly. Will he come even once just to console everyone? Desire that he come to see them indicates that they are suffering as if from a serious illness. He should come at least once, since some inhabitants of Vraja may not continue to live. There are some among us who are in the process of dying, having given up hope of living, who suffer from not seeing him again. Others, who will live a little longer, suffer from the impossibility of again seeing him. In both cases, intolerable suffering from longing will be destroyed if he comes once. With his coming there will be another pleasant result. Nanda reveals this with agitation. If he will come at some time, then we will see his face. Instead of tarhi sometimes karhi is seen. Kṛṣṇa promised to come and see them (SB 10.45.23). Thus they would not go to Mathurā and see him. Remembering his face he remembers its beauty, almost fainting.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Thinking that Kṛṣṇa, being intelligent and grateful, will remember them at all times, he asks another urgent question. He is the king of Gokula (govindaḥ). Thus he must return. He must see the people who are objects of his affection (sva-janān). He must see them at least once, since they are suffering. Will he satisfy them with his sweet words? Or will he come to see us once, not doing anything else? We expect to see him once, and not anywhere else. This is a statement made in misery. “He sees everything. Even staying there he sees you at all times. Why should he come here?” We will see his beautiful eyes, smile and nose. Though all his limbs are beautiful, the nose and eyes being the chief limbs are mentioned to represent all his limbs. By his coming, our desires will be fulfilled completely. Out of great longing, and loss of control Nanda utters “When will this be (karhi—instead of tarhi)?” Asking this question, they expect to see him in Vraja.