SB 10.46.44 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एवं निशा सा ब्रुवतोर्व्यतीता नन्दस्य कृष्णानुचरस्य राजन् । गोप्य: समुत्थाय निरूप्य दीपान् वास्तून् समभ्यर्च्य दधीन्यमन्थन् ॥ ४४ ॥

Verse text

evaṁ niśā sā bruvator vyatītā nandasya kṛṣṇānucarasya rājan gopyaḥ samutthāya nirūpya dīpān vāstūn samabhyarcya daudhīny amanthun

Synonyms

evam — in this way ; niśā — the night ; sā — that ; bruvatoḥ — as they were both speaking ; vyatītā — was finished ; nandasya — Nanda Mahārāja ; kṛṣṇa — anucarasya — and the servant of Kṛṣṇa (Uddhava) ; rājan — O King (Parīkṣit) ; gopyaḥ — the cowherd women ; samutthāya — rising from sleep ; nirūpya — lighting ; dīpān — lamps ; vāstūn — the domestic deities ; samabhyarcya — worshiping ; dadhīni — curds ; amanthan — churned .

Translation

While Kṛṣṇa’s messenger continued speaking with Nanda, the night ended, O King. The women of the cowherd village rose from bed and, lighting lamps, worshiped their household deities. Then they began churning the yogurt into butter.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

While Kṛṣṇa's messenger continued speaking with Nanda, the night ended, O King. The women of the cowherd village rose from bed and, lighting lamps, worshiped their household deities. Then they began churning the yogurt into butter. KB 10.46.44 Nanda and Uddhava thus passed the whole night discussing Kṛṣṇa. In the morning, the gopīs prepared for morning ārati by lighting their lamps and sprinkling butter mixed with yogurt. After finishing their maṅgala-ārati, they engaged themselves in churning butter from yogurt.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Nanda and Uddhava spent the night in discussing among themselves. Uddhava was not able pacify them however, and they could not accept his advice. Then Nanda began to consider things in this way. "Uddhava wants to enlighten us by saying the Krsna is the Supreme Lord. Do we do not know that? At the time of his name giving ceremony, we heard from Garga ‘This son is similar to Narayana.’ Except for Narayana who can be similar or equal to him? Therefore from Garga we knew that our son is Narayana. We also realized our son to be Narayana, when he killed Putana, Agha, Baka, when he lifted Govardhana, when he quelled the forest fire and when the ruler of Varuna Loka offered respects. We also know that Narayana is paramatma and param brahman. Though we know that, we also know irrefutably that he is our son. The proof is Garga’s words. ‘O Nanda, this son of yours ...’ "From Garga’s words, though it is proved that Krsna is the supreme Lord, when we treat him without reverence, and offer him our chewed betel nut, satisfaction appears in our minds. If he were not our son, our minds would not be satisfied. Before Krnsa’s birth, we could meditate on Narayana, our family deity. But now, as soon as we meditate on Narayana, Narayana appears directly in front of us. This is a sign of satisfaction of our minds. Therefore acting like this in relation to our son is not a fault. We are certainly Krsna’s mother and father. "Krsna’s own realization in this matter is also proof. We have seen many times that if we do not give him the chewed betel nut, if we do not lift him on our lap, if we do not hold him to our chest and kiss him, then his face becomes sad. If Yasoda were not his mother, how could she tie him up when he broke the yogurt pots? Seeing his miserable face when he was tied up, I released him and saw him become pleased. Because we are his mother and father, he accepted scolding, commands, and bondage though he may be the Supreme Lord. How is it possible to bind up the para brahma, the Supreme Lord? "But after he killed Canura and Kamsa in Mathura, everyone said, ‘Krsna, you are certainly the Supreme Lord.’ But then Devaki said, "I am your mother." Vasudeva said, "I am your father." Others said, "We are your uncles." And others said, "We are your brothers, your relatives, your friends." When people, saying this, invited him to their houses, to keep him in Mathura, our son, the crest jewel of proper conduct, looking at their faces, fell in a terrible trap. Being unable to come back to his Vraja, being very benevolent, I suppose he said everyone, "I am the Supreme Lord, the creator of the universe. Who can be my mother, who can be my father, who can be my relative? Just look, in the scriptures it says, "I reside with that person who has devotion and with no one else. In those houses where I reside, there also are my mothers and fathers."’ "Though Uddhava has been very intelligent from childhood, he is unable to fathom the depths of my son’s heart. Taking the literal meaning of Krsna’s words as if they were the intentions of his heart, he has come from Mathura and given us this advice. But my son said something very intelligent in those words. ‘They are my father and mother who show devotion to me. I reside in their house.’ Therefore I am sending this message with Uddhava to Krsna. ‘O Krsna, I have devotion to your feet. Be merciful and be pleased with me, so that I can attain you by the devotional processes of hearing, chanting remembering and offering obeisances.’ "Receiving this message, my son will announce in the assembly of the Yadavas. ‘O men of the Yadu dynasty, you are not able to perform devotional activities in Mathura, but Nanda is doing so. Therefore he is my father, my friend and dear one. I will go to his house.’ Saying this he will come here." At last, Nanda forgot all these deliberations, due to the influence of the sancari bhava of misery (dainya). Now, to continue the text: The gopis, rising in the brahma muhurta, lit lamps, performed worship of the entrances and other things (vastuni), and churned the yogurt.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

In this way, the night passed, with Nanda desiring only that his son come back and Uddhava trying to console him. It was said “seeing the great attachment of Nanda, Uddhava spoke with happiness.” (verse 29) The bhāva of Nanda and Yaśodā was most worthy of praise by all. The root of their bhāva was grief in separation. And now, that grief became most unbearable. Kṛṣṇa did not come at that time. By praising their bhāva and giving philosophical instructions he managed to relax that bhāva of separation to some degree but is was also necessary to slacken their grief to the same degree. That was the extent of his consolation efforts. The present participle bruvatoḥ is used to indicate that Uddhava and Nanda continually spoke all night. Though the night when they discussed was long, it completely passed (vy—atītā). Nanda’s lamentation and Uddhava’s speaking did not cease. Uddhava was the loyal servant of Kṛṣṇa (anucarasya). According to Kṛṣṇa’s instructions, he used his unlimited skill in speaking at this time. Then Uddhava quickly went outside to perform his morning duties. With knowledge that he had come, the gopīs began their morning household duties. These were ordinary gopīs who had prominence of familiarity (viśvrambha). They began churning yogurt into butter to send to Kṛṣṇa.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The two continued to speak so that the words were understood by Nanda (evam). Nanda said, “Does he remember us?” Or like this the two spoke on other topics as well (evam). The night (sā niśā), though long or related to their conversation, passed completely (vi atītāḥ). Nanda’s lamention did not cease and Uddhava’s attempts did not cease, though Uddhava was most skillful (kṛṣṇānucarasya). It is understood that Uddhava quickly went outside to perform morning duties. O king! You can understand this since you have great intelligence. Not knowing of Uddhava’s arrival, the gopīs began morning duties. As cowhered women, they churned the yogurt. Gopyaḥ also means “those who protected their bodies carefully because of their hope.” Rising up after being absorbed in meditation on Kṛṣṇa’s attractive pastimes (not sleeping), they performed worship (arcya) according to the rules (sam), completely (abhi). Though generally detached from duties because of pain of separation, doing them out of practice, they performed their duties with special attention to please Kṛṣna, because of the instruction that he would return. Or they churned the yogurt as a pretext for singing about him. Or they churned to send butter to Kṛṣṇa.