SB 10.47.19 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

वयमृतमिव जिह्मव्याहृतं श्रद्दधाना: कुलिकरुतमिवाज्ञा: कृष्णवध्वो हरिण्य: । दद‍ृशुरसकृदेतत्तन्नखस्पर्शतीव्र- स्मररुज उपमन्त्रिन् भण्यतामन्यवार्ता ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

vayam ṛtam iva jihma-vyāhṛtaṁ śraddadhānāḥ kulika-rutam ivājṣāḥ kṛṣṇa-vadhvo hariṇyaḥ dadṛśur asakṛd etat tan-nakha-sparśa-tīvra smara-ruja upamantrin bhaṇyatām anya-vārtā

Synonyms

vayam — we ; ṛtam — true ; iva — as if ; jihma — deceptive ; vyāhṛtam — His speech ; śraddadhānāḥ — trusting ; kulika — of a hunter ; rutam — the song ; iva — as if ; ajṣāḥ — foolish ; kṛṣṇa — of the black deer ; vadhvaḥ — wives ; hariṇyaḥ — the doe ; dadṛśuḥ — experienced ; asakṛt — repeatedly ; etat — this ; tat — His ; nakha — of the fingernails ; sparśa — by the touch ; tīvra — sharp ; smara — of lust ; rujaḥ — the pain ; upamantrin — O messenger ; bhaṇyatām — please speak ; anya — another ; vārtā — topic .

Translation

Faithfully taking His deceitful words as true, we became just like the black deer’s foolish wives, who trust the cruel hunter’s song. Thus we repeatedly felt the sharp pain of lust caused by the touch of His nails. O messenger, please talk about something besides Kṛṣṇa.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Faithfully taking His deceitful words as true, we became just like the black deer's foolish wives, who trust the cruel hunter's song. Thus we repeatedly felt the sharp pain of lust caused by the touch of His nails. O messenger, please talk about something besides Kṛṣṇa. KB 10.47.19 Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī continued to speak to the black messenger of Kṛṣṇa: “Please do not talk anymore about Kṛṣṇa. It is better to talk about something else. We are already doomed, like the black-spotted she-deer in the forest who are enchanted by the sweet musical vibration of the hunter. In the same way, we have been enchanted by the sweet words of Kṛṣṇa, and by thinking of the rays of His toenails again and again, we are becoming more and more lusty for His association. Therefore, I request you not to talk of Kṛṣṇa anymore.” These talks of Rādhārāṇī with the bumblebee messenger, including Her accusing Kṛṣṇa in so many ways and at the same time expressing Her inability to give up talking about Him, are signs of the topmost transcendental ecstasy, called mahā-bhāva. The ecstatic mahā-bhāva manifestation is possible only in the persons of Rādhārāṇī and Her associates. Great ācāryas like Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura have analyzed these mahā-bhāva speeches of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and described their different varieties, such as udghūrṇā, or bewilderment, and jalpa-pratijalpa, or talking in different ways. These are the signs of ujjvala-rasa, or the brightest jewel of love of God. While Rādhārāṇī was talking with the bee and the bee was flying hither and thither, it all of a sudden disappeared from Her sight. She was in full mourning due to separation from Kṛṣṇa and felt ecstasy by talking with the bee. But as soon as the bee disappeared, She became almost mad, thinking that the messenger-bee might have returned to Kṛṣṇa to inform Him all about Her talking against Him. “Kṛṣṇa must be very sorry to hear it,” She thought. In this way She was overwhelmed by another type of ecstasy.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī categorizes this statement of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s as ājalpa, as defined by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: jaihmyaṁ tasyārti-datvaṁ ca nirvedād yatra kīrtitam bhaṅgyānya-sukha-datvaṁ ca sa ājalpa udīritaḥ “A statement spoken in disgust, describing how the male lover is deceitful and brings one misery, and also implying that He gives happiness to others, is known as ājalpa. ” ( Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 14.196)

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The bee seemed to say, "Why did such intelligent ladies establish friendship with such a person as Krsna?" Radha said, "'You have offered yourselves to me with the highest attachment. If I had the lifetime of the devatas, still I could not repay you.'(sb 10.32.22) We fools had faith in this cheaters statements, just as the wives of the black deer have faith in the song of the hunter. As the deer 'saw' his song (saw the result-- the striking of the arrow), so we also experienced the sharp pangs of love with the touch of his nails. Not once, but many times, the deer, out of ignorance, have been shot. This shows their extreme stupidity. And we also, repeatedly suffering in the mind from relationship with him, are also extremely stupid. Therefore o jester, speak of other things, which will make us happy, for news of Krsna simply brings us suffering." This verse is an example of ajalpa, which contains descriptions of Krsna’s crooked nature, stating that topics about him give sorrow, and other topics give happiness. Ujjvala Nilamani says, "Where there is discussion of his crooked nature with disgust, and how that gives sorrow, where as other topics give happiness, it is called ajalpa."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

“Why do you say that Kṛṣṇa is a danger to dharma? Previously you met with him alone. You did not say then what you are saying today!” She answers with this verse. Let that be. If there will be proof then you can ask, and not otherwise, for we have drowned in the ocean of suffering because of thinking his words were true. Or, if we develop great troubles just by hearing about his pastimes, is it astonishing that we have experienced great suffering by listening to his deceptive words? She then speaks this verse. Or, the bee says, “O lady! First hear the message from your lover. Then consider. Then you can become angry if you want.” She then answers with this verse. We believed the words of your cheating friend previously described. He said “I cannot repay you.” (SB 10.32.22) He said “I will come back.” (SB 10.41.17) He has promised us a thousand times. We believed that his words were true (ṛtam) countless times. We were certain, since great persons speak the truth. Though he often deviated from his word, we still had firm faith. We felt sharp pangs of desire on always seeing the marks caused when many times he touched us with his nails, since in illusion we thought we were his wives. We experienced (dadṛṣima instead of dadṛśuḥ) only pain in that love, and not happiness in that love. There is an incongruous verb ending for metrical reasons and because she was not aware of the correct grammar due to unmāda. The past tense is used in the sense of “being completed” to hide her present feelings. This happened because we were foolish. An example of a sound made by a hunter and deer is given. The deer, hearing the sound of the hunter think that it is truly favorable for them and not dangerous. They then experience the pain of the hunter’s arrow, just as we experience the pain of love from his nails. The deer then experience unfortunate circumstances just like us. In both cases they are susceptible because of their ignorance. “But you are respectable women and animals become food for men. How can you compare yourselves to the deer?” Thinking the deer to be favorable to her, she includes them in her group by praising them as the wives of the black deer (kṛṣṇa-vadhvaḥ). She addresses their husband with the attractive name of Kṛṣṇa. What is the superiority of the deer over your friend, O bee, by which the does attain excellence? Just as the hunter gives suffering to the does, so your friend gives suffering to us. O representative of Kṛṣṇa, who remains silent in pride! The word upamantin can also mean a jester as in SB 10.70.19. tatropamantriṇo rājan nānā-hāsya-rasair vibhum upatasthur naṭācāryā nartakyas tāṇḍavaiḥ pṛthak And there, O King, jesters would entertain the Lord by displaying various comic moods, expert entertainers would perform for him, and female dancers would dance energetically. Thus the meaning in the present verse would be “O jester! Give some other news. Give up joking. The total meaning that the gopī spoke out of pain, using words of unmade, is of the highest excellence. This is left unspoken by Śukadeva.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

By hearing his pastimes we experience great pain. What can be said? By his false words we have experienced great suffering. Believing his false words to be true, we, suitable for the black person, were like wives of the black deer. Previous she said alam asita-sakhaih: enough with the friends of the black person! The bee says, “O lady! Your lover has sent a message: Dearest! Please be merciful. Do not lament. Please come from there and be merciful to me.” Because we were ignorant, previously, being his wives, we experienced pains of love from the touch of his nails. We believed the words of your cheating friend to be true. When leaving through a messenger he said “I will come back.” (SB 10.41.17) He sent a message from Mathurā through a cowherd, “I will return to see my relatives.” (SB 10.45.23) We experience incomparable pain, maintaining our bodies with hope of his returning. This is lamentation with self pity. Speak of other things. Holding her chest with both hands in pain, for a moment being bewildered, she falls on the ground. That is indicated by the word etat. The bee also left.