SB 10.84.1 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच श्रुत्वा पृथा सुबलपुत्र्यथ याज्ञसेनी माधव्यथ क्षितिपपत्न्‍य उत स्वगोप्य: । कृष्णेऽखिलात्मनि हरौ प्रणयानुबन्धं सर्वा विसिस्म्युरलमश्रुकलाकुलाक्ष्य: ॥ १ ॥

Verse text

śrī-śuka uvāca śrutvā pṛthā subala-putry atha yājṣasenī mādhavy atha kṣitipa-patnya uta sva-gopyaḥ kṛṣṇe ’khilātmani harau praṇayānubandhaṁ sarvā visismyur alam aśru-kalākulākṣyaḥ

Synonyms

śrī — śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said ; śrutvā — hearing ; pṛthā — Kuntī ; subala — putrī — Gāndhārī, the daughter of King Subala ; atha — and ; yājṣasenī — Draupadī ; mādhavī — Subhadrā ; atha — and ; kṣiti — pa — of the kings ; patnyaḥ — the wives ; uta — also ; sva — (Lord Kṛṣṇa’s) own ; gopyaḥ — gopīs ; kṛṣṇe — to Kṛṣṇa ; akhila — of all ; ātmani — the Soul ; harau — the Supreme Lord Hari ; praṇaya — loving ; anubandham — attachment ; sarvāḥ — all of them ; visismyuḥ — became amazed ; alam — greatly ; aśru — kala — with tears ; ākula — filling ; akṣyaḥ — whose eyes .

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Pṛthā, Gāndhārī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, the wives of other kings and the Lord’s cowherd girīfriends were all amazed to hear of the queens’ deep love for Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Soul of all beings, and their eyes filled with tears.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Pṛthā, Gāndhārī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, the wives of other kings and the Lord's cowherd girīfriends were all amazed to hear of the queens' deep love for Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Soul of all beings, and their eyes filled with tears. KB 10.84.1 Among the women present at Kurukṣetra during the solar eclipse were Kuntī, Gāndhārī, Draupadī, Subhadrā and the queens of many other kings, as well as the gopīs from Vṛndāvana. When the different queens of Lord Kṛṣṇa were submitting their statements as to how they had been married and accepted by Lord Kṛṣṇa as His wives, all the female members of the Kuru dynasty were struck with wonder. They were filled with admiration at how all the queens of Kṛṣṇa were attached to Him with love and affection. When they heard about the queens’ intensity of love and affection for Kṛṣṇa, they could not check their eyes from filling with tears.

Purport

Draupadī is the chief hearer in this assembly of exalted women, since, as explained by Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, she had asked the question that Lord Kṛṣṇa’s queens answered by relating their respective stories. Since Gāndhārī and the other ladies named here were not even mentioned in the previous chapter as having been present, Ācārya Śrīdhara concludes that they must have heard the queens’ narrations only secondhand. Indeed, Draupadī would never have spoken so freely in the presence of Pṛthā and Gāndhārī, her elders, or before the gopīs, whose attitude toward the queens of Dvārakā was not particularly sympathetic. Even though the gopīs joined in shedding tears, it was more because of their being reminded of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes than because of any loving affinity between them and the queens. We should remember, of course, that there is always perfect harmony on the spiritual platform. Apparent conflict between pure devotees is nothing like mundane envy and strife. The jealousy of the gopīs was more show than substance, being exhibited by them as an ecstatic symptom of their overflowing love for Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmipāda further analyzes the phrase sva-gopyaḥ as implying that these gopīs were the queens’ sva-svarūpa, the original prototypes of whom the queens were specific expansions.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In the eighty fourth chapter there is mutual praise between Krsna and the sages, questions by Vasudeva, performance of yajna by Vasudeva and Nanda’s departure for Vraja. Though Gandhari (subalaputri), Draupadi (yajnaseni) and Subhadra (madhai) all heard the discussions of the queens, those such as Gadadhari did not hear directly, because it was not fitting for them to be involved in the intimate discussion with questions and answers between Draupadi and the queens in such independent way. Because Draupadi and Subhadra were intimate friends of the same age with the queens, it was proper that they heard directly. The cowherd women living in another place because of their different caste, heard even more indirectly. The word (uta) indicates this separation of distance. By the word "sva" since they identified themselves as the internal energy of Krsna, they would have carry on their intimate pastimes such as embracing without others seeing every night at that place. But in Kuruksetra, a holy place, one should understand that they carried out the practice of brahmacarya and did not engage in such activities. The gopis were also astonished and shed tears on hearing the queens’ pastimes, because they were pastimes concerning Krsna, and they saw there a very slight similarity to their own emotions. It should be understood that the gopis did not have overwhelming attraction to the queens’ pastimes.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The previous subject is concluded by praising it. Draupadī was the main person who heard since she made the proposal and asked the question. Gāndhārī and others were secondary listeners since only they names are given. They heard from others, not directly since it would have been improper that independently she would make the attractive proposal and have the queens speak in front of them. Kuntī and Gāndhārī are mentioned first since they were senior. The word atha, indicating distinction from the rest, used with Draupadī and Subhadrā, indicates that the two were at this time on the same level. Then the wives of other kings are listed. They heard from the previous persons or from others. The gopīs are mentioned separately from all the others by use of the word uta to indicate they were far away and also not directly hearers. The word sva announces that their prema was hundreds of times greater than the previously mentioned persons. Thus it was astonishing that they listened. Or the word sva can indicate they were under his protection and were his dear friends. Thus the gopīs are mentioned separately with the word sva. Kuntī and Gāndhārī were amazed at the queens’ dedication as Kṛṣṇa’s wives. Draupadī was amazed because of the queens’ bhāva. Subhadrā was amazed by their affection for Kṛṣṇa. The wives of the kings were amazed according to their qualification. The gopīs were amazed at the queen’s bhāva which was intense like their own. Each was amazed according to how each took shelter of Kṛṣṇa. The phrase praṇayānubandham (attachment in love) indicates that each woman was amazed according her own capacity. Not only were they amazed at the queens’ love but felt joyful affection for the Lord. Some felt general prema and others felt more specific emotions similar to the queens’ for their eyes became filled with streams of tears. “Some felt like this since they had great affection for Kṛṣṇa, but why did the others also have tears?” This is because Kṛṣṇa is attractive to all, since he is the root form of all material and spiritual beings (akhilātmani), and attractive to all by his form and qualities (harau).

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The word atah repeated indicates amazement or it means “and.” Even the gopīs (uta) were amazed, though they had indescribable prema. What to speak of Kuntī and others. The list is in order less capacity for amazement, because of lesser awareness of Kṛsṇa as the Lord. Among the all, the gopīs awareness of his greatness was covered by their great prema. The queens had love of Kṛṣṇa, svayam bhagavān, who appeared to reveal his nature as bhagavān, while attracting all hearts. He was dearest of all (akhilātmani) and attracted everyone (harau). They could all have prema for Krṣṇa but the queens all had strong love, or natural inclination for love (praṇayānubandham). Hearing of their love, all of them, or all other women, were amazed. Their eyes were filled with tears because of love or because of adbhūta-rasa manifeseting.