Srimad-Bhagavatam Commentaries

Canto 10, Chapter 23

1
Sridhara Svami: Next, in the 23rd chapter, on the
pretext of the cowherd boy’s begging for food, Krsna
makes the brahmanas who are initiated for sacrifice
feel remorse by giving special mercy to their wives.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: In the 23rd chapter are

described how the cowherd boys begged food and
were ignored, as well as the unalloyed ecstatic love
of the wives of the brahmanas and the remorse felt
by the brahmanas themselves.
“Hungry”: If the two of You are capable of killing
today this great enemy, our hunger, according to the
statement of sruti, ksut khalu vai manusasya
bhratrvyah: “Hunger is indeed man’s cousin.” Then
Your great strength and capacity to destroy the
wicked will become known as true. Thus their joking
is hinted at.

2
Sridhara Svami: The use of the singular form of the
word bhaktayah is with the idea of considering them
all simultaneously together.

Jiva Gosvami: The word bhaktayah is in the

singular form in the sense of category; they are
being described as by their very nature having their
minds predominated by Krsna.

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Visvanatha Cakravarti: The word vipra-bharyayah
is put in the singular form in the sense of category,
and the word bhaktayah indicates that it is in
pursuance of their devotion that He is immediately
satisfying them. Furthermore, among them there is
one in particular who will attain to the tenth stage of
life (death), and remembering her He is especially
lamenting (sidan = socamanah); thus some explain
the use of the singular form as intended for
expressing these two different ideas.

3
Visvanatha Cakravarti: “Brahmana, even if they
have austerity, knowledge, dharma, and so forth, do
not have My satisfaction if they are devoid of
devotion. On the other hand, their wives, even
though lacking austerity and so forth, have My
satisfaction because of possessing devotion for Me.”
In order to exemplify one after another these two
different ideas among the one group of brahmanas,
first the Lord sends the cowherd boys to place of the
brahmanas, with the verse beginning prayata.

4
Sridhara Svami: Sent forward by the two of us
(asmat-visarjitah = avabhyam prahitah), just beg.
What need do you have to be embarrassed about
that? They may object, still, because we are not fit
candidates, why will they give to us? In reply to that,
the Lord speaks the words beginning kirtayantah.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The word yacata is

equivalent to yacadhvam. The words beginning
kirtayantah: in order to make known such ignorance

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(nidra) of those learned men, that they’re incapable
of even recognizing the two of Us by Our names, first
of all, the Lord tells them, chant the name of My
elder, Baladeva. If, because He, being from the
ksatriya class, is more venerable than Myself, who
am from the vaisya class, they thus think Him to
some extent honorable and accept Him as a fit
candidate for charity, and, even though materialistic
in their vision, they give something, then that also
will be good. The Lord has this idea in mind.

5
Visvanatha Cakravarti: The words beginning
krtanjali-putah: this is in order to exhibit their own
good character, and also for the immediate purpose
of gaining alms. “Danda-vat patitah”: the idea here is
that they (should be) considering them more potent
than their own brahmanas residing in Vraja.

6
Jiva Gosvami: The word krsnasya refers to the
statement of Sri Krsna. Pretending to have forgotten
the proper sequence (of things that they were
supposed to do), they are expressing some words of
respect in order (to give themselves the chance) to
remember that, with the words beginning bhadram.
According to Sri Krsna’s instruction, they are
speaking the words beginning rama.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The words beginning

krsnasya adesa-karinah: This is with the idea that
since (Krsna), being the son of King Nanda,
possesses more opulence than Rama, food should be

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first begged for on behalf of Rama, and thus they
say, “sent by Rama.”

7
Sridhara Svami: The two of Them, being present
nearby, are desiring the food you have (lasatah =
abhilasatah). If you have food, or else if you have
faith, then give it.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Desiring from you (vah =

yusmat). They are begging for either odanam or
annam, where the two alternative readings are
equivalent in sense. But, it may be objected, these
two are not brahmanas, and thus how can we give to
them before the brahmanas have taken their food? In
reply to this, the cowherd boys speak the words
beginning bubhuksitau. Their idea is that “you know
well the evidential statement, annasya ksudhitam
patram: “Anyone who is hungry is a fit candidate for
receiving food in charity.”
Seeing that the brahmanas were not saying
anything in response, the cowherd boys spoke
further: “O learned brahmanas, if you have any faith
in these two who are making a request of you, then
please give this, and if you do not, then say so and
we will simply go back to Them.”
Dharma-vittamah here indicates (that they know
indeed both dharma and adharma in their positive
and negatives senses, so “what more can we speak
on the matter?” The subtle hint here is that since you
can remain silent after hearing that these two, Rama
and Krsna, upon simply hearing whose name the
hearts of the entire world melt and all become
attached to Them—that these two are pained by

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hunger and are requesting from you, consequently
you are dvijas simply in the sense of being born from
two parents.” The cowherd boys are criticizing them
in this way. They are using the word dharma-
vittahamah in a contrary way.

8
Sridhara Svami: Automatically anticipating the
objection that the brahmanas may speak, “We are
initiated for this sacrifice and must refrain from
eating,” the cowherd boys speak in reply that from
the time of the sacrificial initiation up until the
slaughtering of the sacrificial animal, which is known
as agnisomiya, this is improper, but not at other
times (during the sacrifice), at other times than the
sautramani.

Jiva Gosvami: This is faulty from the time of the

initiation up to the time of the killing of the animal,
but it is not faulty at other times. During the
sautramani sacrifice, on the other hand, it is faulty
throughout.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: According to the

statement, diksitannam na bhunjita (“One who is
initiated for sacrifice should not eat”), the
brahmanas (may say) that “we are initiated and
cannot take food.” The cowherd boys anticipate that
the brahmanas may say this and therefore state that
the next sentence repeats. And it is not faulty during
other times; after that (slaughter of the animal) one
does not commit offense by eating. The implication is
that the killing of the animal has already occurred.
Similarly, it is not faulty in sacrifices other than the

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sautramani, whereas during the sautramani it is
faulty throughout.

9
Sridhara Svami: Whose desire was for the
insignificant, simply for attainment of heaven, and so
forth, whose ritualistic activities were extensive, full
of trouble, and who therefore were foolish, vainly
considering themselves advanced in knowledge.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But it may be questioned,

why did they not pay need, even though they knew
well the sastras? In reply to that (Sukadeva Gosvami)
states in these two and a half verses that they were
not factually in knowledge of the sastras, but rather,
even after studying and teaching the scriptures, they
were fools. In this way (Sukadeva Gosvami) angrily
condemns them. Whose desire was insignificant,
simply for attainment of heaven and so forth; they
were thinking themselves advanced, but actually
they were not advanced in knowledge.

10-11
Sridhara Svami: But the brahmanas may object,
why should we give this to Him, the food which is
meant for another, interrupting the proper ritualistic
order of performance and doing this in the improper
time and place? In response to this, the cowherd
boys speak the words beginning desah. The distinct
paraphernalia such as the caru, purodasa (rice cakes
offered to the demigods when soma is not offered),
the tantra or specific methods of performance, and
dharma or unseen power of fruitive results (apurva).

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 Text 11: With the vision that “this is a human
being”; martyatmanah means that they were
thinking, “We brahmanas are great personalities.”

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, they may object, why

should we give food that is meant for others to Him,
transgressing the order prescribed in the scripture of
place, time, and candidate? In reply to this the
cowherd boys speak the words beginning desah. The
next sentence repeats. Comprising Whom, forming
the opulence of whose partial expansion of an
expansion. That Supreme Brahman, the
transcendental Personality of Godhead, who is
imperceivable by the senses, has out of His mercy
visibly manifest Himself. Such is their idea. With the
vision that “this is a human, a particular jiva,” they
are martyatmanah, falsely identifying with their
bodies.

12
Visvanatha Cakravarti: They did not utter “om,”
the idea being “why should we give (food) to these
cowherd boys now, before the brahmanas have been
fed?” “And they did not say no,” with the idea that if
after the brahmanas are fed, if there is any food left
over, then we will give. Then seeing how the king
(Pariksit) himself became angry, (Sukadeva)
addresses him, he parantapa. If you were king at that
time, then certainly, even though you are the best of
the followers of brahminical culture, would have
punished those brahmanas as enemies.

13

7
Sridhara Svami: The way of the ordinary world:
showing the situation of the ordinary world, “those
who are anxiously absorbed in fruitive activities
never tire, so what beggar will not become
defeated?” I’m not sure if I translated that correctly.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Laughing: the idea being

that there is no need to be angry at such foolish
brahmanas. The way of the ordinary world: the rest
repeats.

14
Sridhara Svami: They’re simply remaining gin their
homes with their bodies, whereas with their minds
they are residing in Me, because they are very
affectionate toward Me. Therefore they will give.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Tell them that I have

come, but not that I am hungry, since if they were to
hear that I was unhappy, symptomized by hunger,
that would cause the immediate and severe distress.
But, they may object, if we don’t inform them of
this hunger, then how will they give us food?
The Lord replies that they will give to you simply
because of your connection with Me, when they see
how you are hungry.
But, the cowherd boys may object: Their
husbands will prevent them.
Krsna: They are affectionate toward Me (snigdha
= sneha vatyah), and will not care for the
prohibitions of their husbands. This is because they
dwell by their intelligence in Me. In other words, they
reside in their husbands’ houses only with their
bodies.

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15
No commentary.

16
Sridhara Svami: Isitah means sent (presitah).

17
Sridhara Svami: He, Krsna, together with the
cowherd boys.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Ah, just see how these

ladies have become stunned out of ecstasy simply by
hearing the name of Krsna. Therefore, in order to
waken them, although their business has already
been stated, they again speak it more loudly with
some further detail, which is what they had in mind
in speaking the words beginning gah. He has come
(aduram) nearby. And then when the boys saw that
they have become fully conscious and announced to
them that He desires food, they (the wives of the
brahmanas), who are extremely affectionate,
became completely overwhelmed, as stated by the
words beginning bubhuksitasya.

18
Sridhara Svami: Because of their minds being
agitated through the hearing of topics of Him, they
were anxious to see Him, and therefore when they
heard that He had arrived, they became excited.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: (Their minds) agitated by

the topic of Him, the news of His being hungry, “O
lowly mind, why are you not stunned even by hearing

9
that our beloved is hungry? Rather you remain
conscious. To hell with you!” The ladies who were
thus condemning their own minds.

19
Sridhara Svami: (Food) of four kinds—that which is
chewed, eaten without being chewed, licked, and
sucked. Bahu-gunam means that food that had many
fine qualities of taste, fragrance, and so on, because
of being prepared with special care. Bhajanaih
means in the cooking pans or else in vessels. Even
though being held back by their husbands, they went
forward (abhisasruh = abhijagmuh) to their beloved,
Sri Krsna. The example of not being checked is given:
just like the rivers (go forward) to the ocean.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Of four kinds—that which

is chewed, that which is swallowed, that which is
sucked, and that which is licked. The rest of this
sentence repeats. “They went forward”: This is
stated based upon the observation that at that time,
all of these ladies considered Krsna to be their
paramour. The example of not heeding any attempts
of checking them: just like the rivers (go forward)
toward the sea.

20-21
Sridhara Svami: Text 20: The reason for this is
stated by the words beginning bhagavati: those who
acquired such expectation by long (dirgham = bahu-
kalam) hearing (srutena = sravanena).
Text 21: While going there they saw Him.

22

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Sridhara Svami: Whose garment (paridhim =
paridhanam) was like gold, or in other words (they
saw Him, whose garment was yellow. Whose
dressing was like that of a dancer, with forest
garlands, peacock feathers, colored minerals, and
twigs. Who had placed His hand (vinyasta = nihita)
upon the shoulder of a friend (anuvratasya =
sakhyuh). With the other hand twirling (dhunanam =
bhramayantam) a pastime-lotus. Upon whose ears
were lilies, whose hair hung over His forehead, and
upon whose mouth there was a smile.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Him whose garments

(vastram = paridhim = paridhanam) was golden,
decorated with gold jari. Whose dressing was like an
actor, with a forest garland made of leaves and
flowers, extending down to His feet, with a peacock
feather placed on the top of His head, with minerals
used to color His limbs, and with the sprouts of
plants placed on the top of His ears and in the belt
wrapped around His abdomen.
Furthermore, He caused them to perceive His
own intent, as stated: who placed His left hand upon
the shoulder of a dear friend (anuvratasya = priya-
sakhasya) in the course of friendly contact. With the
other, the right hand, twirling a pastime-lotus (abja =
lila-kamala). He is hinting to them, “Just see how, by
granting such a sight to you, who are possessed of
transcendental loving sentiment, I have seized within
My hand your lotus hearts and am eagerly twirling
them about.” Or, “While seeing you, who are
possessed of loving sentiment, My lotus heart is
twirling out of eagerness. Thus on the pretext of
twirling a toy lotus flower, I am revealing to you that

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My own heart is twirling about. This is what you
should deduce from how I am acting.” Such is what
the Lord is hinting at. Whose hair was unsteady
because of the lilies in His ears. Whose face showed
a smile extending to the two ends of His forehead.

23
Sridhara Svami: How they attained to immortality
by the merging of even their physical functions is
stated by the verse beginning prayah. The
repeatedly heard the glories (udaya = utkarsa) of
their beloved. These glories were karna-puras in the
sense that they filled the ears and perfected them.
Or, by the ornaments of the ears, their minds were
submerged in Sri Krsna. In other words, their hearts
being fully absorbed in Him, they made Him enter
within by their eyes and by embracing Him for a long
time and gave up their pain. This is as one (gives up)
the functions of ego (abhimatayah = aham-vrttayah)
by embracing prajna, the witness present in the
conscious state of deep sleep, and obtains the
platform of merging into it.

Jiva Gosvami: The words beginning prajna give a

partial example.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: (Most of the next sentence

repeats.) Thus they had their minds absorbed in Him
for so many days. And now they made Him enter
within by their eyes, onto the couch of their lotus
heart, and for a long time freely and firmly
embracing Him they became stunned from the
ecstasy caused by the firmness of this embracing,
and simultaneously they were able to give up their

12
pain, the distress caused by not being able to come
into contact with His body. In that regard the
example is given: just like (the rest repeats).

24
Sridhara Svami: Akhila-drg-drasta means the
witness of everyone’s intelligence; knowing them to
have arrived thus. This is elaborated by the words
beginning tatha: tyakta-sarvasah means those ladies
who have given up all hopes (and have come) simply
with the desire of seeing Himself (atmanah =
svasyaiva).

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Seeing them in such a

state, standing stunned with their platters of food
held in front of themselves, the seer of the
intelligence (drsam = buddhinam) of all.

25
Sridhara Svami: O fortunate ones, welcome to you.
May your coming be auspicious. This is explained:
because (yat = yasmat) by rejecting all
encumbrance, you have come with the desire to see
(Me); this is fitting for you.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: In the same way as (He

addressed) the gopis who came forward for the rasa
dance, He speaks to these ladies, who are full of the
highest pure love, with the words beginning
svagatam: “an auspicious welcome to you.” This is
because (yat = yasmat), rejecting even millions of
hindrances, you have come with the desire to see Us,
and this is indeed fitting for you. Because I, on the
other hand, can do nothing in reciprocation, this

13
situation is not at all fitting for Me. Such is the
implication. Therefore, what can I do for you? I can
simply remain your debtor. Consequently, O
fortunate ones, who are more greatly fortunate even
than Myself, please sit down. Please rest here for a
short while, for the purpose of taking My darsana.

26
Sridhara Svami: How this is fitting the Lord
describes in the verse beginning nanu. (Devotion) for
atma-priya, He, Myself, who is one’s soul and dear
one. Those who are kusalah, discriminating, and
therefore those who see their own (svasya =
atmanah) aim in life (artham = purusartham); they
perform devotional service suitably (yatha =
yathavat). How this is suitable is described the word
addha, meaning directly. The reason for this is
stated, that it is ahaituki and avyavahita, devoid of
the intent for fruitive results and therefore ceaseless.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: To fulfill t he desire in their

minds at that time, even though they possessed the
highest pure love, would not be conducive to the
fulfillment of the spiritual mood (rasa), and without
the proper fullness of rasa, the pastime becomes
shocking. Therefore, even thought the Supreme
Personality of Godhead was under the sway of their
pure love, and was intimating to them the conjugal
affection that arose from seeing the. Nevertheless,
suddenly within His mind His lila potency manifested
her influence that became to the cause His sending
them back to their homes. Although usually the
Lord’s opulence does not tend to manifest in the
presence of personalities who have pure ecstatic

14
love for Him, still for the purpose of keeping the
pastimes perfect, in order to increase the eagerness
of their feeling of separation, as well as to increase
their unalloyed love, it became manifest. Thus
subduing the Lord’s sentiment known as rati, it
caused the manifestation of His discrimination, and
thus the Lord, in response to such, spoke the two
verses beginning nanu. It is not only for your good
selves who have become attached to Me, but there
are many others who perform devotion, show love,
for Me, the Supreme Lord. Who are they? The expert,
clever. Their cleverness is stated by the words
beginning svartha-darsinah. IN this world, the idea is
those who effect their own benefit are called clever.
That devotion that is both ahaituki, devoid of
endeavor for one’s own fruitive benefit, and also
avyavahita, free from any other object such as jnana
or karma, both of which can stand in the way of
affection. The example of this is given, just as (one
has love) for one’s own dear one, for that which is
dear to oneself, one’s body, children, and so forth.

27
Sridhara Svami: The Lord establishes how the self
is dearer than everything else by the verse beginning
prana. Sva means one’s relatives, and atma means
the body; all of these (become dear) by the contact
of which, by being coverings of which, or else, by
rendering assistance to which (self).

Visvanatha Cakravarti: In order to inspire them

with intelligence, the Lord cites an example. In fact,
however, even more than the body and so on, which
are being used in the example, that which the

15
example refers to, the Supreme Soul, is more dear.
Thus the Lord enlightens them by logical argument
with the verse beginning prana. Sva means one’s
body, atma means the soul (jiva), by the contact,
relation, with which Supersoul (they become dear).
Tatah means “from the self.”

28
Sridhara Svami: Therefore (tat = tasmat), you have
achieved all success (krtarthah), now go (yata =
gacchata) to the sacrificial arena (deva-yajanam =
yajna-vatam). But, they may object, (if we are
successful, then why should we go? In reply to this
the Lord speaks the words beginning patayah. They
will accomplish (parayisyanti = samapayisyanti); in
other words (they should go back) out of mercy for
their husbands.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Because I am that very

Supersoul, as you have heard from the mouth of
Garga Muni, therefore I am always embracing your
bodies. Consequently you should go back to the
sacrificial arena. But, they may object, how can we
abandon You, the directly manifest Supersoul, and go
back to our homes? He replies to this with the words
beginning patayah. Parayisyanti means together with
you they will accomplish (their sacrifices). Because
these ritualistic activities of the satra sacrifice and so
forth are spoken by Me in the form of the Vedas, you
should go out of cooperation with duties meant for
Me. Even there, it is implied, you will see Me
physically manifest.

29

16
Sridhara Svami: Nr-samsam means harsh, and
nigamam means the promise “My devotee never
perishes,” or else nigama means the Vedas, in the
statement na sa punar avartate (“He never returns
to this world”). Cast upon your feet means given
even neglectfully. Showing great respect, in order to
bear them upon our hair—in other words, in order to
become Your maidservants.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The wives of the

brahmanas speak just as the gopis, possessing the
highest manifestation of pure love, spoke at the
beginning of the rasa dance, with the verse
beginning maivam. Nr-samsam means harsh, and
nigamam means the promise “My devotee never
perishes,” or else nigama means the Vedas, in the
statement na sa punar avartate (“He never returns
to this world”). And You should also render true Your
own words, which serve as nigama, “However they
surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.”
“But,” the Lord may reply, “the material
identification that you good ladies have of being
members of the brahmana community is impossible
to give up,” to which they reply, “We have come to
Your lotus feet, even though You are a cowherd boy,
in order to become Your servants. And no one, if he
maintained a false identification as a member of the
brahmana community, could speak like this, so
therefore please ascertain from our words that we
have no presumption of caste.” That is their idea.
“But,” the Lord may reply, “I am a cowherd boy
and My proper maidservants and darlings are the
cowherd girls. There are indeed many such gopis.”

17
 Wives: True, let them be so. Let them shine
forth. If you are embarrassed in front of your
relatives to make brahmana ladies Your
maidservants, then how can we cause
embarrassment for You? We will not go to Your
village, but rather we will remain in Vrndavana like
presiding deities of the forest. We simply desire to
become all-successful by the faintest trace of
connection with You.
These ideas they state as follows: We, will rather
remain at a distance, and will take the tulasi leaves,
which are padavasrstam, which are fallen from Your
feet, or which become crushed by the contact of the
feet of the girlfriends being embraced by You and
thus fall from beneath Your resting place. These
tulasi leaves being given mercifully to us by Your
maidservants, we will carry upon our heads. In other
words, we have no desire to become Your intimate
girlfriends or Your maidservants, which is very
difficult to achieve.
“But,” the Lord may question, “then what will
your family members say?” To this they reply with
the words beginning ati-langhya.

30
Sridhara Svami: Furthermore, they will not accept
us. O chastiser of the enemies, O subduer of lust,
greed, sin, and so forth. Of (us who) have thrown
their bodies at the tips of Your feet (prapadayoh =
pada-agrayoh), there is no goal, even attainment of
heaven, so therefore (tat = tasmat), please bestow
the status of servitude (upon us).

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Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, ever since
we have begun to hear about Your beauty, qualities,
and sweetness from the mouths of the womenfolk of
Your village—the flower ladies, betel nut sellers, and
so forth—beginning from our very youth, from that
day forward we have felt ecstatic love for You and
have been indifferent to our household duties. Seeing
us as if deviant, and having doubts about us, our
husbands and others have avoided practically all
dealings with us. This they speak with the words
beginning grhnanti. Sutah means sons who already
have wives, and anye refers to neighbors, and so
forth. Thus out of great agitation, they are crying and
placing their heads upon the tips of His feet; they are
offering obeisances. In this way, with choking voices,
they speak the words beginning tasmat. Please
bestow upon us the benediction that we may not
have any other destination. O chastiser of the
enemies, please subdue all of these difficulties that
obstruct us from obtaining You.

31
Sridhara Svami: Advised (upetah = anujnatah) by
Me. Showing the demigods, as witnesses, the Lord
speaks the words beginning deva api.

Jiva Gosvami: Being advised or else made

agreeable by Me. Vah means you. Because they also
(the demigods) know that I am the Supreme Lord.
After all, those demigods, rendered witnesses by
those brahmanas in their sacrificial performances,
will show agreement with Me. In other words, if
they’re asked, they will give the opinion that I am the
Supreme Lord.

19
Visvanatha Cakravarti: You have pure love for Me,
and inasmuch as you are dedicated to My happiness,
you should not do something that is against My
intentions. Do not force yourself like this, but rather
return to your homes. The Lord having spoken thus
they reply, “O topmost of learned personalities, we
are women from aristocratic families who even the
sun does not touch. We have transgressed orders,
neglecting them as insignificant, and have gone out
of our village and come away at such a distance,
coming to the proximity of Your good self, who is
well-known throughout Vraja as being licentious. If
we try to return there again, they, our husbands and
others, will not even allow us to enter the village, but
out of anger will kill us. Of this we are sure.
In reply to this, the Lord speaks the words
beginning patayah. They will not feel inimical against
you (vah = yusmabhyam); they will not see any fault,
that is to say, they will not suspect anything amiss.
Rather, your husbands and other relatives and all the
other people I am unable to translate the rest of this
sentence. The idea is that this is because they will
understand that I am the Supreme Lord, since even
the demigods are made to stand witness by them in
their Vedic performance of sacrifice; if inquired of
about this matter they will agree with your good
selves (anumanvate = anumamsyante). That I am
the Lord of all, even the most wise, the demigods,
are in agreement with. They do not have any
disagreement.

32

20
Sridhara Svami: Nevertheless we cannot leave You,
they may say, to which the Lord replies with the
words beginning na. Pritaye means “for happiness”
and anuragaya means “for the increase of affection.”
Anga-sangah means bodily association.

Jiva Gosvami: But, they may question, then we are

going to have Your physical association? In reply to
that, Krsna say that in this, the birth of a brahmana,
for you good ladies to have bodily association with
Me will not make people happy (pritaye = sukhaya),
and certainly will not make them attracted.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Then will our desire ever

be fulfilled or not? Since you are asking this with your
tearful sidelong glances, I will reply. Please hear this.
Thus the Lord speaks the words beginning na.
Pritaye means “to effect loving feeling,” and also to
increase attraction. Rather, the eagerness brought
about by separation from Me will increase to its
greatest extent your attraction; thus is the Lord’s
implication. (Tat means tasmat).

33
No commentary.

34
Sridhara Svami: Anasuyavah means not seeing
fault.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Thus addressed, they’

understanding the idea of Sri Krsna, went away,
whereas the gopis, on the other hand, at the
beginning of the rasa dance, even after

21
understanding what the Lord had in mind, remained.
Therefore we should understand that in pure love of
Godhead, there is never any loss.

35
Sridhara Svami: “Her body” means the body that
belonged to him (her husband); giving that up on
that spot she achieved the Supreme Lord with her
transcendental body (caitanyena).

Jiva Gosvami: Yatha-srutam means that in just that

manner she achieved Him. That, we should
understand, is in His unmanifest pastimes.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: There, in the sacrificial

arena, one out of all of them, who was left behind.
Therefore, being kept back with special force, she
gave up the material body which is one’s bondage to
material activity, but she did not (give up) the body
which is based on attachment to pure love of
Godhead; rather that spiritual body was at that time
manifest by her full-blown desire, her great
eagerness in separation, and was hidden away by
the Supreme Lord, who manifested Himself to her.
Thus given that body, which was purely spiritual and
which could not be seen by anyone, she quickly went
away from that place and obtained the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The word
karmanubandhanam can be explained as expressing
the futility (of material existence). Moreover, what is
the amazement that they gave up their husbands
and so forth, who are the repositories of “mineness”?
One of them gave up even the very body that is the
repository of “I-ness” and went forward to meet her

22
beloved Krsna. In order to show the power of love of
Godhead, the mercy of the Supreme Lord made that
one lady, at the time of their going forth to meet
Him, give up the body that is one’s bondage to
material activity, and arrange for her to receive her
spiritual body, which is one’s connection with pure
love of Godhead. At that time, she (the Lord’s
potency of mercy) made the karmanubandha bodies
of all of them—in line with the logic of the touchstone
—purely spiritual bodies that were premanubandha.
Thus from that day forward, they had no more
contact (?) with their own husbands. In this way,
what is impossible for the mercy of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead? Since even though this one
of the ladies was superior in one aspect, the other
ones must each be superior in other particular
aspects; thus because we cannot ascertain from the
statements of the devotional revealed scriptures
what their hierarchy is, we cannot speak on this
matter. After all, all of them achieved the mercy of
the Supreme Lord, as described in the words krpa-
siddha yajna-pati-vai-rocani-sukadevayah: “Those
who became perfect by receiving the Lord’s mercy,
such as the wives of the brahmanas, the son of
Virocana (Bali) and Sukadeva.”

36
Visvanatha Cakravarti: In the phrase bhagavan
api, by the word api we can explain that she gave up
her body and the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Govinda, in order to give pleasure to her (gah), all of
her senses, was invisibly obtained by her at that
time. And thus it is concluded from such that by the

23
word eva is indicated that the food was inadequate
for the cowherd boys.
By the word prabhuh is expressed that
nevertheless, He caused all of their bellies to be
completely filled. In the word gopakan, the suffix ka
expresses compassion, and by the word ca we can
deduce that even though not desiring to eat, He
nevertheless ate. His lack of desire is because of His
pain of remorse due to the nonfulfillment of the
desire of the ladies who had pure love for Him, which
was His own fault.

37
Sridhara Svami: Anusilayan means imitating. In the
word go-gopa-gopinam, the sixth case (genitive) is
used to express the object of the sentence. Pleasing
them rupa-vak-krtaih, with His beauty, His words and
His activities or pastimes. In order to give pleasure to
them, He enacted His enjoyment.

Jiva Gosvami: All of these activities of His were

performed for the purpose of giving pleasure to the
inhabitants of Sri Gokula, as stated by the verse
beginning evam.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: He did not gratify the

wives of the brahmanas in this manner, but He did
gratify thus the wives of the cowherd men, as stated
by the verse beginning evam. Lila-maya-nara-vapur:
because His potency known as lila is more venerable
than all His other potencies such as that of His every
wish coming true, since if He gave sensual pleasure
to the wives of the brahmanas, then the proper
balance of His pastimes would not be there, such is

24
the reason (why He did not do so). Anusilayan means
“following”; and in the word go-gopa-gopinam, the
genitive case expresses the object of the sentence.
We should understand that the word gopyah here
refers to the young cowherd girls, because the gopis
(who are elderly and) who have maternal affection
for Him do not fit in this context and because such
mention of them would not be at the proper time.
Giving pleasure with His beauty, His words, and
activities or pastimes, He enjoyed. The implication,
refuting the opinion that prior to the rasa dance He
did not enjoy together with the young goddesses of
Vraja, is that to the contrary there are many other
such pastimes of Vraja that have not been
mentioned by me (Sukadeva).

38
Sridhara Svami: How (the brahmanas)
remembered is stated: Because we violated (ahanma
= hatavantah) the supplication of the two Lords of
the universe who were acting in imitation of human
society, therefore we have committed a sinful
offense. They were remembering in this manner.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The verse beginning

athanusmrtya: It should be understood that heir
coming to their senses and becoming remorseful is
by the good fortune that their wives obtained. The
manner of their remorse is stated: Because (yat =
yasmat) we violated the supplication of Them, even
though They are the two Lords of the universe, thus
we have become sinful. What manner do the two of
Them appear in? They deceive men, ourselves, the
idea being that They were not trying to cheat us

25
when They begged for food from us (even though we
were fooled in thinking that They were).

39
Sridhara Svami: And then, as the brahmanas were
considering their wives as if gurus and condemning
themselves as being devoid of devotion for the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, (Sukadeva
Gosvami) speaks the verse beginning drstva.
Alaukikim means transcendental to this world.

40
Sridhara Svami: The birth which is threefold—
seminal, brahminical, and sacrificial. Vrata refers to
celibacy. Both activities (kriya = karmani) and
expertise, or else kriya-daksyam can be taken as one
word (meaning expertise in activities). The word dhik
expresses “to hell with the good birth and so forth,”
everything, of us who are inimical to the
transcendental Lord. In these words they condemn
themselves.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: To hell with our birth,

which is threefold—seminal, brahminical, and
sacrificial, and everything else—our vow of
brahmacarya and our fruitive activities, our regular
and special ritualistic performances. Those,
ourselves, who are inimical to Sri Krsna, the
transcendental Lord.

41
Visvanatha Cakravarti: For the yogis, those who
are accomplished in the astanga-yoga system, what
to speak of karmis such as ourselves. Even though

26
spiritual masters, instructors in the aims of life, for
other men, we are bewildered in our own interest by
the influence of maya.

42
Sridhara Svami: Just see that unlimited love,
devotion, which has broken (avidhyat = acchinat).

Visvanatha Cakravarti: These women whose gurus

we are, in the roles of their husbands, fathers-in-law
and so forth, have become all-successful, whereas
we remain fallen in the pit of darkness. With this idea
in mind, they speak the verse beginning aho. Such
loving sentiment the extent (anta = iyatta) of which
is inconceivable by us (durgama). Just see their pure
love for Krsna, revealed by their transcendental
symptoms: faltering words such as “O pleasure of my
life, O Krsna,” trembling, tears, hair standing on end,
discoloration of their complexion and so forth.
But, it may be objected, it is not fitting for
women to have love for someone other than their
husband, and the brahmanas reply to this by the
word jagat-gurau; it is by imitation of Him that the
status of being spiritual master on the part of their
husband is enjoined, so what is there to say in the
case of Him who is directly (that Absolute Truth).
That loving sentiment which has immediately broken
(avidhyat = sadyah ciccheda) the bonds of death.
“Known as household life”: “Now we see not
even a trace of attachment on their part for home,
husband, children, and so forth. Therefore from this
day on they are our spiritual masters.” From this it is
understood that from this day these ladies, who had
transcendental attachment to Krsna, are considered

27
worshipable by them and are no longer thought of in
their minds as their wives.

43-44
Sridhara Svami: Dvijati-samskarah means
brahminical initiation, and kriyah means such rituals
as chanting Gayatri at the junctures of the day and
so forth. Indeed, we can surmise, there is no cause
for their transcendental attraction to Sri Krsna, which
the brahmanas state in the verse beginning nasam.
By the word yogesvaresvara is indicated that He
alone knows the cause of devotion to Him, and He
alone arranges this, n other person. Thus the original
reason (for the wives developing devotion to Krsna),
that of their associating with the ladies of Vrndavana
—the flower ladies and so on—who were declaring
the beauty and qualities of Krsna—is not mentioned
by them (the brahmanas), because they were not
aware of this. Such is the idea of Sri Sukadeva.

45
Visvanatha Cakravarti: Where, on the one hand, is
the mercifulness of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and where, on the other hand, is the
cripple-hearted condition of us? This they describe in
the verse beginning nanu.

46
Visvanatha Cakravarti: Otherwise, apart from His
causeless mercy, what purpose at all would He, who
is full in all desires, have with us? This begging for
food on the part of the Supreme Controller is
certainly an imposture, by which (we are) ridiculed.
Or else, therefore, this is a showing of contempt

28
(vidambanam = tiraskara) upon us (asmat-
karmakam) by the Supreme Lord (isasya = isa-
kartrkam).

47
Sridhara Svami: Giving up her own faults, her
fickleness, pride, and so forth (apavarga = tyaga).

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, the Lord may object, it

is because of being disturbed by hunger that I
requested food, rather than this being mercy, and
neither am I full in all desires, because otherwise, I
wouldn’t be tending the cows. In reply to this, they
speak the verse beginning hitva. Repeatedly (asakrt
= muhuh muhuh) sri, the goddess of fortune
(sampat-laksmi) giving up her own fault of fickleness,
rejecting her particular fickleness. And still His
engaging in begging and so forth bewilders such
persons as ourselves; in this way they refute the
possible contention that He is not the Supreme Lord.

48-49
Visvanatha Cakravarti: They elaborate on their
bewilderment in the verse beginning desah.

50
Visvanatha Cakravarti: Very agitated because of
their offense, they offer obeisances with the verse
beginning namah.

51
Visvanatha Cakravarti: Sized by feelings of
extreme humility, they begged for forgiveness from

29
the Supreme Lord, by the verse beginning sa vai.
Atikramam means offense.

52
Sridhara Svami: Na cacalan means they did not go
to take the darsana of the two of Them.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, if may be inquired,

why did they not at that very moment go there to the
asokavana and spend some time (with Him), or else
go to Vraja to take shelter of the Supreme Lord? This
is replied to by the verse beginning didrksavah. At
that time, because of being filled with sorrow and
remorse, and because they could not come to a
consensus, they did not go to the asoka forest, and
even if after a while in the evening, they came to the
concerted opinion that they should go to Vraja, still
they did not go. By the word ca, even if they were to
go, fault could be ascribed to them (?). The reason
for this spontaneously arose simultaneously in the
minds of all of them, as Sukadeva Gosvami states by
the words kamsad bhitah. “If Kamsa is told by His
spies about our activities, then this very day he will
take away our lives”; in this way they were agitated
by fear. Thus the fact that the fear of being killed,
being rejected, and so forth by their husbands and
others did not obstruct the brahmanas’ wives in their
taking the darsana of Krsna is based on their mature
pure love. On the part of the brahmanas, on the
other hand, this is merely a shadow of fear
concocted in their minds, and still it checks them;
thus we should understand that the reason for this is
the maya of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

30