Hare Kṛṣṇa,

This chapter and lesson contain multiple layers of profound philosophical insights woven together.

There is an important lesson on how pride is not a desirable quality in bhakti. Srimati Radharani, like the other gopis, was also intoxicated with pride over Her good fortune on associating with Kṛṣṇa alone. This is when Kṛṣṇa disappeared to enhance the separation.

Another philosophical point that stands out it that “even though Kṛṣṇa is self-satisfied, He enjoyed with Radha because His own pleasure increases in Her company. In other words, Kṛṣṇa does not experience the same happiness in His own self-satisfaction as He does in association with Radhika… Kṛṣṇa takes great effort to eagerly enjoy with Radha because He does not obtain the same happiness from His inner self-satisfaction (atmarama)” (SB 10.30.34, Sārārtha-darśini). Similarly, we living entities can assist Kṛṣṇa in giving Him pleasure and enhancing His enjoyment. In the Vedas it is stated that the one becomes many (eko bahu syām). The Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself in various forms — viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva.

There is also a deeply rasik point where “Kṛṣṇa acted as He did to show rasikas (those who can understand and taste transcendental mellows) that the man becomes subservient in pleading for satisfaction and the woman responds by showing reluctance. This is all done for the nourishment of rasa.” (SB 10.30.34, Sārārtha-darśini).

“If both lovers show the same nature of being cooperative or uncooperative, there can be no tasting of rasa. Rasa becomes tasteful when it properly follows the emotions of the woman.” (SB 10.30.38, Sārārtha-darśini).

I think this is an important philosophical point to understand in order to appreciate the pastime of the rasa dance.

Then there is another key takeaway where Kṛṣṇa behaved the way He behaved in order to glorify the greatness of Radharani’s love for Him. Her love for Krsna does not diminish even when She feels separation from Him.

“These gopis have perceived the greatness of Radha’s good fortune when She is embracing Me. Now let the other gopis see the exceptional condition Radha attains in separation from Me.” (SB 10.30.38, Sārārtha-darśini)

I believe this is the same greatness of Radharani’s love that Kṛṣṇa wanted to taste in His incarnation as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

“Desiring to understand the glory of Rādhārāṇī’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, as the moon appeared from the ocean.”(CC Adi 1.6)

Then there is Kṛṣṇa’s masterstroke where He changed the gopis attitude and brought them all to the same level of mood to inaugurate the rasa dance.

“Let the subterranean fire of Radha’s separation from Me later ignite the flame of separation in all of them. Then, when Radha has experienced the fullness of both direct union and separation, this sweet mellow of conjugal love will have become complete. When by My expertise I have made Radha feel separation, then after My dispelling all Her pain of separation, all the gopis will share the same mood, and I will be able to properly inaugurate the rasa dance tonight. Otherwise, if I were to appear in front of the other gopis after having enjoyed privately with only Radha, their minds would not be settled.” (SB 10.30.38, Sārārtha-darśini)

“The nature of the conjugal rasa is that enmity and hatred among competitors turns into affection when they all experience the disturbance of separation from Kṛṣṇa. The scripture says in this regard: “separation reveals externally a spontaneous affection in their hearts.” (SB 10.30.40, Sārārtha-darśini)

Finally, there is beautiful evidence of the greatness of Srimati Radharani’s love where She pleads to Her Lord to save Her life, not for Her sake but rather for Kṛṣṇa’s. 

Radha: “But You are My dearmost (preṣṭha). I will feel Your unhappiness millions of times more than You. Even if I’ve already died, I still will not be able to tolerate the pain that even one spot on the nails of Your lotus feet may experience. Indeed, to prevent such pain I am ready to throw My life away millions and millions of times. Kindly show Yourself and drive away that unhappiness.” (SB 10.30.39, Sārārtha-darśini)

There is also a demonstration of Radha’s utter humility where She blames Herself for separating Kṛṣṇa from the other gopis.

“Neglecting all of You, who have thousands of times more love for Him than Me, and causing you to burn in the fire of separation from Him, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with Me alone…That was My hard-heartedness, for by saying this I have obtained such dishonor. In this way My mind fell into the greatest sorrow for two reasons (His wickedness and Mine). Radha thus exhibited enmity toward Her lover, humility before the gopis, and wretchedness toward Herself.” (SB 10.30.41, Sārārtha-darśini)

Finally, there is the philosophical point where the Vraja-gopis establish the philosophical conclusion that Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself according to His free will. He is fully independent and will reveal Himself only to the person whom He chooses. “In other words, only by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy can we see Him. By chanting His name, we will surely attain Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.” (SB 10.30.44, Sārārtha-darśini)

Therefore, the best we can do, whether in union or separation, is to chant the Holy Name of Sri Sri Radha Krsna (the Hare-Krsna mahamantra) while meditating on this beautiful and extremely deep pastime.

There are so many deep and spiritually nourishing conclusions in this chapter—each inviting us to ponder, reflect, and deepen our meditation on the Lord’s pastimes.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

“Remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet destroys everything inauspicious and awards the greatest good fortune. It purifies the heart and bestows devotion for the Supreme Soul, along with knowledge enriched with realization and renunciation.” (SB 12.12.55)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu further inquired, “Out of many types of meditation, which is required for all living entities?”

Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya replied, “The chief duty of every living entity is to meditate upon the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” (CC Madhya 8.253)

Krsna’s lotus feet are the perfect object of meditation because they sever the attachment to material life and fulfill the desires of the devotees. By chanting Krsna’s holy names one attains both peace and purity. One can then immediately take shelter of Krsna’s lotus feet by chanting His holy names. The Lord’s lotus feet symbolizes shelter because they protect the devotee from the dangers of material life.

“In the weakest stage of unmada, the gopis regain their self-awareness and inquire from the creepers and other unconscious living beings.” (SB 10.30.24: Sārārtha-darśini)

In the medium stage of unmāda there is imitation of the beloved’s behavior with some self awareness.  (SB 10.30.24: Sārārtha-darśini)

While the gopīs were thus imitating Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and asking Vṛndāvana’s creepers and trees where Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Soul, might be, they happened to see His footprints in a corner of the forest.  (SB 10.30.24: Sārārtha-darśini)

Even though not explicitly mentioned, I can ascertain that this state of the gopis when they meditate on Krsna’s lotus feet comprises the highest stage of unmāda.

The benefits of meditating on Krsna’s lotus feet are told throughout Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures:

“O lotus-eyed Lord, by concentrating one’s meditation on Your lotus feet, which are the reservoir of all existence, and by accepting those lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience, one follows in the footsteps of mahājanas [great saints, sages and devotees]. By this simple process, one can cross the ocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf.” (SB 10.2.30)

What is even more wonderful is that the dust of Govinda’s lotus feet is so sacred that even Brahmā, Śiva and the goddess Ramā take that dust upon their heads to dispel sinful reactions. “Blessed is the dust of Kṛṣṇa’s feet, for Brahma and Siva hold that dust on their heads in order to remove the sorrow they feel in separation from the Lord. Every evening at about five o’clock, Kṛṣṇa returns from the cow pastures with His cowherd boyfriends. At that time great demigods like Brahmā and Śiva come down from heaven to take the dust of Kṛṣṇa’s feet on their heads.” (SB 10.30.29: Sārārtha-darśini

At a sadhaka stage, it may be hard to remember and meditate on various symbols of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. But one can obtain the same benefits by chanting the Holy Name of the Lord.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu further advised Subuddhi Rāya: “Begin chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and when your chanting is almost pure, all your sinful reactions will go away. After you chant perfectly, you will get shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.” (CC Madhya 25.199)

[Isvara Puri to Lord Caitanya]: “‘Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.’” (CC Adi 7.73)

“May our minds be attached to the lotus feet of your Lord Kṛṣṇa, may our tongues chant His holy names, and may our bodies lie prostrate before Him.” (CC Adi 6.60)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa

“In four verses (19-22) Sri Sukadeva Gosvāmī describes how the gopis, who were totally absorbed in meditating upon and acting out Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, came under the sway of the saṇcāri-bhāva known as unmāda. Thus they lost their own self-awareness and totally identified themselves with Kṛṣṇa, exclaiming, “I am Kṛṣṇa and walk around with My arm resting on the shoulders of Subala. Just see My graceful actions!” (SB 10.30.19: Sārārtha-darśini)

I am not very familiar with the various phases of sañcārī-bhāva, so I looked it up. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura discusses this topic in detail in Jaiva Dharma. Below is a conversation in Chapter 27 entitled Rasa-Tattva.

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Vrajanatha: Prabhu, we have understood vibhava, anubhava and sattvika-bhavas, as well as the difference between sattvika-bhava and anubhava. Now please describe the vyabhicari-bhavas.

Gosvami: There are thirty-three vyabhicari-bhavas. Vi means ‘distinctly’, abhi means ‘towards’, and cari means ‘moving’. These thirty-three bhavas are called vyabhicari because they move distinctly towards the sthayibhava. They are also called sancaribhavas, because they are communicated through words, limbs and sattva and thus travel (sancarita) throughout the system.  They are like waves in the nectar ocean of the sthayibhava, for they rise up, causing it to swell, and then they merge back into the ocean again.

     The thirty-three sancari-bhavas are: 1) regret or indifference (nirveda), 2) despair (visada), 3) humility (dainya), 4) physical and mental debility (glani), 5) fatigue (srama), 6) intoxication (mada), 7) pride (garva), 8) suspicion (sanka), 9) fear (trasa), 10) agitation (avega), 11) madness (unmada), 12) confusion or absence of mind (apasmrti), 13) disease (vyadhi), 14) fainting or delusion (moha), 15) death (mrtyu), 16) laziness (alasya), 17) inertness (jadya), 18) bashfulness (vrida), 19) concealment of emotions (avahittha), 20) remembrance (smrti), 21) deliberation or reasoning (vitarka), 22) anxiety (cinta), 23) resolve or wisdom (mati), 24) fortitude (dhrti), 25) jubilation (harsa), 26) ardent desire (autsukata), 27) ferocity (augrya), 28) impatience and indignation (amarsa), 29) envy (asuya), 30) restlessness (capalyam), 31) sleep (nidra), 32) deep sleep (supti), 33) awakening (bodha).

Some sancari-bhavas are independent (svatantra), and some are dependent (paratantra). There are two types of dependent sancari-bhavas: superior (vara) and inferior (avara). The superior category is also divided into two types, namely direct (saksat) and separated, or secondary (vyavahita). The independent sancari-bhavas are divided into three types: those that are devoid of rati (rati-sunya); subsequently contacting rati (ratianusparsana); and having a trace of rati (rati-gandha).

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Therefore, as we can see in this chapter “the internal love of the gopis had developed to the stage of unmāda, madness. While in the midst of searching for Kṛṣṇa, each of the gopis thought “I should take the opportunity to make myself appear like Kṛṣṇa and act out His pastimes so as to give some momentary pleasure to myself and these distraught gopis too.” !” (SB 10.30.14: Sārārtha-darśini)

These are highly elevated and deeply esoteric topics, far beyond the range of my experience or understanding. It is therefore best not to overanalyze them through my limited material intellect. Rather, I should try to grasp their essence—which, for me, lies in the gopīs’ complete absorption in Kṛṣṇa.

For a sādhaka like me, such single-minded absorption—by the causeless mercy of the Lord and His devotees—may gradually lead to the stage of bhāva. Only then will one become qualified to truly understand and experience the various stages and post-stages of sthāyi-bhāva.

The path to that stage lies in offenseless chanting the Holy Name of the Lord, for within that Name rests Kṛṣṇa-prema in its seedlike essence.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

Today marks the last day of Śrī Bhīṣma Pañcaka. The final five days of Kārtika, known as Bhīṣma Pañcaka, are especially recommended for reciting the prayers of Śrī Bhīṣmadeva (SB 1.9.32–42). While chanting these verses, I was particularly drawn to one prayer in which Bhīṣmadeva recalls the actions of the gopīs when Kṛṣṇa hid Himself from them.

He prays:

“Let my mind be fixed upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose motions and smiles of love attracted the damsels of Vrajadhāma [the gopīs]. The damsels imitated the characteristic movements of the Lord [after His disappearance from the rāsa dance].” (SB 1.9.40)

Srila Prabhupad explains in the purport, “Bhīṣma’s aspiration to remember the gopīs is a prayer to have their mercy also at the last stage of his life. The Lord is satisfied more when His pure devotees are glorified, and therefore Bhīṣmadeva has not only glorified the acts of Arjuna, his immediate object of attraction, but has also remembered the gopīs, who were endowed with unrivalled opportunities for rendering loving service to the Lord.”

Śrī Bhīṣmadeva teaches us the art of leaving the body at the time of death. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (First Canto), Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquires from Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī about what one should do at the moment of death.

“You are the spiritual master of great saints and devotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection for all persons, and especially for one who is about to die. (SB 1.19.37)

Please let me know what a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and also what he should not do. Please explain all this to me.” (SB 1.19.38)

In response, Sri Sukadeva Goswami replied, “The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (SB 2.1.5)

Bhīṣmadeva is a living example of this truth—showing us, through his own departure, how to remember Kṛṣṇa at life’s final moment.

“Bhīṣmadeva, as a pure devotee of the Lord, entered the spiritual realm in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets where the Lord in His eternal form of Pārtha-sārathi predominates over the unconditioned living beings who are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord. The love and affection which bind the Lord and devotee are exhibited in the case of Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva never forgot the Lord in His transcendental feature as the pārtha-sārathi, and the Lord was present personally before Bhīṣmadeva while he was passing to the transcendental world. That is the highest perfection of life.” (SB 1.9.44 Purport)

Therefore, by studying these chapters describing the gopīs’ separation from Kṛṣṇa, may we also become qualified to remember Him always in that same mood of loving separation.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

In his purport to the bhajan Hari Hari Biphale, Srila Prabhupada writes, “Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, saṅkīrtana movement, is nothing material. It is directly imported from the spiritual kingdom known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. So golokera prema-dhana. And it is not ordinary song. It is just the treasure of love of Godhead.”

I am unable to find exact reference, but I have heard that the Hare Krsna maha mantra appeared in the rāsa dance of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. This can also be derived from the below commentary by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur, “When Kṛṣṇa sang the word sunda, a gopi would reply singing the word sundara instead of sunda. When Kṛṣṇa sang the word kānte some gopi would sing kānta. In this way Kṛṣṇa’s girlfriends sang along with Him. Kṛṣṇa’s Vaijayanti garland is made from five different colored flowers, since the word vaijayantīṁ means “five colors.” (Sārārtha-darśini, SB 10.29.44)

If we replace the word kānte with Hare and kānta with Krsna, we get the couplet ‘Hare Krsna’. When this couplet is exchanged between Krsna and the gopīs eight times, it forms 16 words of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

This is just my realization. I could be wrong but it’s possible.

Now coming to the realization about pride. I do not think the pride of the gopīs is any material pride. This is because, as we have studied in the previous verses of this chapter, whatever little material impurity was left in some of the gopīs have been cleansed by the separation caused by Yogamāyā. Therefore, there is no possibility for the gopis to have any material pride.

This pride is also another play of Yogamāyā.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains, “The following situation was manifested by Kṛṣṇa’s līlā-śakti for the purpose of enhancing the sacred rapture in accordance with the logic presented in Bharata Muni’s Nāṭyaśāstra: “Just as one cannot redden cloth or some other object without the use of red dye, in the same way the happiness of conjugal love (sambhogaḥ) cannot reach its fullness without the experience of separation (vipralambhena).” (Sārārtha-darśini, SB 10.29.47)

Yogamāyā instilled some transcendental pride in the gopis. Each felt proud because no one else in the world had attained a hero like Krsna, and no gopīon the bank of the Yamuna had attained such great fortune as themselves.

“After having obtained the respect of Kṛṣṇa, the original form of the Personality of Godhead, who is the best among all men, and because of being able to enjoy intimately with Him, each gopi became proud thinking, “I am the most fortunate woman on the surface of the earth.” (Sārārtha-darśini, SB 10.29.47)

Srila Jiva Gosvami also explains in his Laghu Vaisnava Tosani commentary, “Pride is the sancari-bhava of the sthayi-bhava, their special prema (madhura-rasa). It sustains and gives excellence to rasa.”

This is the special lila enacted by Yogamāyā to produce some separation and to give the gopis the highest rasa. Separation produces the highest prema. It will be explained later in Chapter 32

nāhaṁ tu sakhyo bhajato ’pi jantūn
bhajāmy amīṣām anuvṛtti-vṛttaye
yathādhano labdha-dhane vinaṣṭe
tac-cintayānyan nibhṛto na veda

“But the reason I do not immediately reciprocate the affection of living beings even when they worship Me, O gopīs, is that I want to intensify their loving devotion. They then become like a poor man who has gained some wealth and then lost it, and who thus becomes so anxious about it that he can think of nothing else.”

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

This lesson beautifully captures the gopīs’ fervent prayers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, beseeching Him to accept their devotion. A characteristic of a pure devotee is that he or she becomes an expert poet, for bhakti naturally blossoms into aesthetic expression. The gopīs’ use of vivid and meaningful metaphors to communicate their longing reveals both their literary genius and their unparalleled depth of love.

For example, they say ,”At the very beginning of our youth when we first caught sight of You, the seed of this creeper of our hopes, known as bhāva, was sent by Your lotus-like eyes (aravinda-netra) and entered through the openings of our eyes to become planted in the field of our hearts. This creeper of desire grew by the process of hearing about Your qualities and seeing Your beautiful form.” (SB 10.29.33, Sarartha Darsini)

Their love (bhava) in their hearts is pictured as a flourishing vine born from the seed of Krsna’s glance, watered by the process of hearing and remembrance about His qualities and seeing His beautiful form. How poetic!

The best metaphor I find in this lesson is the one below.

“With the sound of the flute You have entered our hearts through our ears and awakened the dormant fire of our desire. Then with the ghee of Your smile and the honey of Your glance, as well as with the wind of the flute’s melodious song, You inflamed that fire, threatening to devour our life airs. Therefore if You are afraid of the sinful reaction for starting such a fire, You should extinguish it. After all it is no labor for You to either incite it or extinguish it, since it is Your smiling glance which inflames that fire, and the nectar of Your lips that puts it out. Both these things reside in Your moon-like face. We have often seen the play of this mischievous prince, lighting and extinguishing fires. It is not just today that You are playing the game of starting fires.” (SB 10.29.35, Sarartha Darsini)

This same principle finds its perfect expression in the saṅkīrtana-yajña, the congregational chanting of the Holy Name.

Symbolically, the flute represents the divine sound vibration, analogous to the mahā-mantra in saṅkīrtana. The śabda-brahma (transcendental sound) enters through the ear and penetrates the heart, awakening the soul’s dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. Just as the gopīs’ hearts blazed with divine longing upon hearing the melody of Kṛṣṇa’s flute, our hearts too are spiritually kindled by the vibration of His holy name. In the same way that Kṛṣṇa’s smile, glance, and flute-song serve as ingredients that intensify the gopīs’ inner fire of love, the fire of saṅkīrtana-yajña within our hearts is fueled by repetition, attentiveness, devotion, and pure pronunciation of the Holy Name. And just as the gopīs pray for the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lips to extinguish the fire of desire burning within their hearts, the chanter likewise prays for the nectar of the Holy Name to cool and cleanse the fire of material desires smoldering in the heart since time immemorial.

The rest of the lesson centers on the gopīs’ heartfelt prayers for eternal service at the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

The gopis said, “In this way You have made us Your lovers, but we desire simply the service of Your lotus feet… Just as Laksmi desires to give up her position as the dearmost to become Your menial servant, we feel likewise. Giving up all embarrassment, we desire to join Your servants like Raktaka, Patraka and others in massaging Your feet. Similarly, we are ready to accept positions lower than our own, like the Pulindas (aboriginal women) of Vrndavana, who rub the blades of grass tinged with the red kunkuma from Your feet on their foreheads.” (Sārārtha-darśini; SB 10.29.37)

The Vraja-gopis said, “Giving up our families, we desire to be Your servants like the devotees of Narayana. As You are similar to Narayana, You should be pleased with us… You should simply grant us the position of Your maidservants, rather than the status of wives.” (Sārārtha-darśini; SB 10.29.38)

Similarly, we chant the Holy Name in a prayerful mood, beseeching the Lord to kindly engage us in His service. It is most wonderful that Śrīla Prabhupāda rendered the meaning of the mahā-mantra in the very mood of the gopīs — as a heartfelt plea for loving service to the Lord.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

So many realizations emerge from this lesson.

First, Kṛṣṇa concludes His Bhagavad-gītā instructions to Arjuna by urging us to abandon all varieties of religion and simply surrender unto Him (BG 18.66). Yet when the gopīs actually gave up all their dharmas—their duties to husbands, children, parents, and society—and took exclusive shelter of Kṛṣṇa, He spoke to them in an apparently unfavorable way. This illustrates the profound test of pure love that Kṛṣṇa sometimes places before His dearest prema-bhaktas.

How heart-rending is this prayer of the gopīs—every word echoing the depth of their love and separation from Kṛṣṇa.

“”Krsna,” they said, “You are very cruel! You should not talk like that. We are full-fledged surrendered souls. Please accept us, and don’t talk in that cruel way. Of course, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and You can do whatever You like, but it is not worthy of Your position to treat us in such a cruel way. We have come to You, leaving everything behind, just to take shelter of Your lotus feet. We know that You are completely independent and can do whatever You like, but we request You, don’t reject us. We are Your devotees. You should accept us as Lord Narayana accepts His devotees. There are many devotees of Lord Narayana who worship Him for salvation, and He awards them salvation. Similarly, how can You reject us when we have no other shelter than Your lotus feet?” (Kṛṣṇa Book, Texts 28-32)

What this teaches me is that surrendering to Kṛṣṇa is only the beginning; many higher peaks of bhakti still await to be scaled.

Besides all this, what especially drew me into deep meditation were the final two paragraphs of the lesson, which state that “the experience of devotion in separation does not cover any of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities. Devotion in union… reveals only those qualities of Kṛṣṇa which manifest His tasty sweetness (madhurya). Since direct association with Kṛṣṇa is like the nectar-rays of the moon, that intoxicating nectar covers Kṛṣṇa’s opulence (aisvarya).” (Text 32: Sārārtha-darśini)

At first, I reasoned that if love in separation is considered higher and deeper than love in union, then shouldn’t Kṛṣṇa’s opulence (aiśvarya) also be covered during separation? Do devotees experiencing love in separation concern themselves with Kṛṣṇa’s aiśvarya—His majesty and divine power—or is their consciousness absorbed solely in His sweetness (mādhurya)?

But after reading these paragraphs several times with deeper attention—and with the help of Mukunda Prabhu’s kind clarification—I finally understood that what Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura wrote makes perfect sense.

“The pain experienced by the premi-bhakta during separation from Kṛṣṇa (viraha) burns with more brilliance than millions of sunrays.”

• The way I understand this is that this pain burns away everything material and illuminates the heart completely. In that blazing light of separation, the devotee perceives every quality of Kṛṣṇa with unmatched clarity. When the devotee feels Kṛṣṇa’s absence, love intensifies to its purest form. In that state, the devotee realizes not just Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness (as a cowherd boy, lover, friend), but also His full divinity and majesty (as the Supreme Lord, Bhagavān).
• In short, separation expands perception — nothing is hidden.

“Devotion in union (sambhoga), on the other hand, is more pleasure-giving than millions of nectar-filled moonbeams, and reveals only those qualities of Kṛṣṇa which manifest His tasty sweetness (madhurya). Since direct association with Kṛṣṇa is like the nectar-rays of the moon, that intoxicating nectar covers Kṛṣṇa’s opulence (aisvarya).

• Union gives immense bliss  like “millions of nectar-filled moonbeams”. In intimate union, the devotee forgets Kṛṣṇa’s Godhood; they only see their beloved.
• Mature love (prema) in Vraja makes the devotee forget Kṛṣṇa’s divinity — they see only their beloved cowherd boy.
• “But in a case when even in union or meeting with Kṛṣṇa His opulences remain revealed, we must assume that the devotee’s love is not yet mature.”
• Sri Damodarashtaka 3: “By such childhood pastimes as this He is drowning the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy, and is revealing to those devotees who are absorbed in knowledge of His supreme majesty and opulence that He is only conquered by devotees whose pure love is imbued with intimacy and is free from all conceptions of awe and reverence. With great love I again offer my obeisances to Lord Damodara hundreds and hundreds of times.”
• Thus, union gives more pleasure but less revelation; separation gives more revelation but less pleasure.

But the gopis are an exception!

• The gopīs’ prema is so refined that even within union they feel the imminent pain of separation (“He might leave us soon! He will reject us!”).
• I believe this mood of anxious love makes their heart ultra-sensitive and transparent, allowing them to perceive Kṛṣṇa’s complete greatness (aiśvarya) without diminishing their sweetness (mādhurya).
• Their love is so pure that it can contain both intimacy and awareness of His majesty simultaneously — something impossible for less advanced devotees.
• As HG Mukunda prabhu so beautifully said in the Whatsapp channel, “In the case of Radha and Gopis separation it is unlike any other separation at that time they think  . “ Oh Krishna! You are celebrated as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart yet you are very cruel by breaking our hearts by not giving us your association”. So their statements about his Aisvarya are born from intense Prema in separation not from belief that he is God.” (Thank you, Mukunda prabhu!)

This means that when love is perfect – like the gopīs’ – it can reveal the highest possible experience of both sweetness and majesty together. The more the gopīs perceive Kṛṣṇa’s greatness (not in awe, but in love), the more it reflects the immensity of their affection. Their love is not lessened by realizing His divinity — it deepens their longing and heightens their sweetness.

Overall, I feel deeply grateful to study such profound and esoteric subject matter in the association of advanced Vaiṣṇavas and to gain even a slight glimpse into the gopīs’ prema-bhakti. Thank you all for enriching my understanding and experience.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta (Antya 17.44), “Kṛṣṇa’s speech is far sweeter than nectar. Each of His jubilant words is full of meaning, and when His speech mixes with His smile, which is like camphor, the resultant sound and the deep meaning of Kṛṣṇa’s words create various transcendental mellows.”

In Laghu Vaisnava Tosani, Srila Jiva Goswami’s commentary on these set of verses explains that Krsna’s playful words (vācaḥ peśaiḥ) are of two types: skillful presentation of words (śābdhika) and changing the meaning of the sentence (ārthika). “Use of words” refers to moving his eyebrows, eyes and face while smiling and speaking joyful words easy to understand, with the graceful placement of syllables. “Play on meaning” refers to verses which are used as ornaments to intensify the emotions of rasa. Statements suggesting “indifference” is one aspect of “play on meaning.”

Śābdhika words particularly express real emotions. Among the ārthika expressions, those which show feigned indifference are meant to increase the gopīs’ longing for him, and are not real indifference, for it has already been said that in the autumn Kṛṣṇa desired to enjoy and that he played on his flute to attract the gopīs (verses 1 and 3). It is only playing with words and not the actual meaning. The mind thinks one thing and the words express another thing. This creates despair in their strong desire for him.

Indifference is commonly observed in worldly love, yet in Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes it functions as an uddīpana, a stimulus that intensifies the ecstatic mellow (rasa).

Thus, we see that Kṛṣṇa’s instructions to the gopīs contain both śābdhika (literal) words and ārthika (implied or hidden) meanings. In effect, two conversations unfold simultaneously — one expressed outwardly through Kṛṣṇa’s words, and another, subtler one revealing His innermost desires.

But how are we to reconcile this? Srila Prabhupada reconciles this beautifully by explaining, “Krsna is the supreme speaker; He is the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita. He can speak on the highest elevated subjects of philosophy, politics, economics–everything. And He also spoke before the gopis who were so dear to Him. He wanted to enchant them by word jugglery.”

Next, a statement of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura that caught my attention is, “Contrariness, difficulty of attainment and rejection by women, I consider Kāmadeva’s greatest weapons.” (Priti-sandarbha Anuccheda 279)

So I think both indifference and contrariness go together (or mean the same thing). Someone please correct me if I am wrong!!!

For example, the verses in this lesson (17-27) shows Krsna’s external indifference or contrariness.

Kṛṣṇa speaks in progressive contrariness (vāmya-bhāva): (1) He greets them politely (“O most fortunate ladies, welcome.”), (2) He pretends concern (“This night is quite frightening, and frightening creatures are lurking about. Return to Vraja..”), (3) He uses social pressure (“Your families are certainly searching for you.”), (4), He moralizes (“O chaste ladies, serve your husbands and give milk to your crying babies and calves.”), (4) Finally, He warns them (“Adultery brings ruin, difficulty and fear.”)

These (contrariness or indifference) kindle longing, imagination, and emotional tension — the fuel (uddipana) of romantic rasa. When love meets resistance, it becomes more intense. Every obstacle Krsna places only deepens the gopis’ prema and surrender. The gopīs’ love is so pure that even Kṛṣṇa’s apparent rejection becomes an ornament that enhances their prema.

In simple terms, Krsna is beautifully setting up the stage for the rasa dance with His words of indifference and contrariness.

I think this is the best I would understand this lesson with my limited material faculty.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

Śrī Parīkṣit Mahārāja said: O sage, the gopīs knew Kṛṣṇa only as their lover, not as the Supreme Absolute Truth. So how could these girls, their minds caught up in the waves of the modes of nature, free themselves from material attachment? (SB 10.29.12)

When Parīkṣit Mahārāja heard that some of the gopis, simply by concentrating on Kṛṣṇa as their paramour, became freed from all contamination of material birth and death, he said, “The gopis did not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They accepted Him as a beautiful boy and considered Him to be their paramour. So how was it possible for them to get freed from the material condition just by thinking of a paramour?“

Parīkṣit Mahārāja’s question was very intelligent. He asked: If thinking of Kṛṣṇa can free one from material bondage, why doesn’t thinking of other beloveds (who are also Brahman – qualitatively same as the Supreme Lord) yield the same result? This question was raised to protect innocent people from being misled by imitators of God.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī rebuked Parīkṣit affectionately, pointing out that the answer had already been given earlier—even Kṛṣṇa’s enemies like Śiśupāla attained liberation by constantly thinking of  Him. The “earlier” referred to here by Śukadeva Gosvāmī is in reference to the beginning chapters of Canto 7 where Parīkṣit Mahārāja asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī about the so-called partiality of the Lord. Parīkṣit Mahārāja’s inquiry was that the Supreme Lord took Indra’s site and killed the demons – Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa. Why was the Lord partial in this case? Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied that a similar question was asked by Yudhisthira Maharaja to Narada Muni when he witnessed Sisupala immediately attaining liberation after being killed by Krsna in the rajasuya-yajna.

This discussion brings back the topic of the power of absorption that I wrote about in the second forum post. Śiśupāla was liberated when Kṛṣṇa killed him because his mind was constantly fixed on Kṛṣṇa through envy. This reveals Kṛṣṇa’s nature as Hṛṣīkeśa (the master of senses) and Adhokṣaja (beyond material perception). Kṛṣṇa’s form and body are non-different from His Supreme spiritual essence; He is imperishable, immeasurable, and free from matter. Even the Lord’s killing is an act of mercy and deliverance.

Liberation or perfection comes from absorption of consciousness in Kṛṣṇa, regardless of the emotional flavor (rasa).

“The Vraja-gopis and others worshiped Kṛṣṇa with a mood of lust (kāma); Sisupala worshiped Kṛṣṇa with a mood of anger (krodha); Kamsa, a mood of fear (bhayam); Nanda Maharaja, a mood of parental love (sneha); the self-satisfied sages, a mood of oneness (aikya); the Vrsnis, Pandavas and others, a mood of friendship (sauhrdam). In whichever mood they worshiped Sri Kṛṣṇa; they realized the respective eternal pastimes of the Lord. “(SB 10.29.15: Sārārtha-darśini)

We saw similar theme and verses in the 7^th Canto where Narada Muni said:

“Therefore by enmity or by devotional service, by fear, by affection or by lusty desire — by all of these or any one of them — if a conditioned soul somehow or other concentrates his mind upon the Lord, the result is the same, for the Lord, because of His blissful position, is never affected by enmity or friendship.” (SB 7.1.26)

“Many, many persons have attained liberation simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa with great attention and giving up sinful activities. This great attention may be due to lusty desires, inimical feelings, fear, affection or devotional service. I shall now explain how one receives Kṛṣṇa’s mercy simply by concentrating one’s mind upon Him.” (SB 7.1.30)

“My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, the gopīs by their lusty desires, Kaṁsa by his fear, Śiśupāla and other kings by envy, the Yadus by their familial relationship with Kṛṣṇa, you Pāṇḍavas by your great affection for Kṛṣṇa, and we, the general devotees, by our devotional service, have obtained the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.” (SB 7.1.31)

The example given is that “a grassworm confined in a hole of a wall by a bee always thinks of the bee in fear and enmity and later becomes a bee simply because of such remembrance. Similarly, if the conditioned souls somehow or other think of Kṛṣṇa, who is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, they will become free from their sins. Whether thinking of Him as their worshipable Lord or an enemy, because of constantly thinking of Him they will regain their spiritual bodies.” (SB 7.1.28-29)

“The conclusion is that if one somehow or other becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa or attracted to Him, either because of His beauty, quality, opulence, fame, strength, renunciation or knowledge, or even through lust, anger or fear, or affection or friendship, then one’s salvation and freedom from material contamination is assured.” (Texts 12-16: Kṛṣṇa Book)

“Sukadeva Gosvami therefore assured King Pariksit that he should always rest assured that one attracted by Krsna attains liberation from material bondage because Kṛṣṇa is the transcendental master of all mystic power.” (Texts 12-16: Kṛṣṇa Book)

When will I ever attain the state of constant remembrance of Kṛṣṇa — when my mind becomes a river flowing ceaselessly toward His lotus feet, untouched by the banks of worldly distraction?

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Kṛṣṇa,

Writing this forum post has not been easy, as the subject is profoundly deep and multi-layered. I found myself wrestling to grasp the essence and inner flow of these two verses. At last, I felt inspired to contemplate more closely on why some of the gopīs had to undergo a period of purification before joining Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the divine Rāsa dance.

It appears that there were two groups of gopīs. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa played His enchanting flute that night, one group immediately rushed to join Him in the Rāsa dance, while the others were restrained by their husbands, brothers, fathers, and family members. Those who were unable to go experienced an unbearable agony of separation from Kṛṣṇa, their beloved Lord.

For those gopīs who could not go to see Kṛṣṇa, intolerable separation from their beloved caused an intense agony that burned away all impious karma. The intense agony purified them completely. All inauspicious things were removed from the gopis’ hearts by enduring the suffering of intense separation from Kṛṣṇa. And all their auspicious karmic reactions were removed by their blissfully embracing Kṛṣṇa in meditation. Having thus destroyed all their prarabdha karmas (manifest acts caused by previous deeds), the gopis thought of Kṛṣṇa as their paramour, attained the Paramatma and gave up their bodies. This is explanation for materialists.  (SB 10.29.10-11 Sārārtha-darśini)

However, Srila Sukadeva Goswami explains the internal confidential meaning for devotees.  By meditation on Kṛṣṇa the gopis experienced both meeting and separation, unlimited happiness and distress. The intense pain caused by intolerable separation from Kṛṣṇa removed all the inauspiciousness from within the gopis. Their separation purified their hearts, and through meditation they directly experienced Kṛṣṇa’s presence, achieving pure prema (love) — a far higher state than mere liberation.

“The gopis directly achieved the supreme goal of prema (paramatma) by thinking of Kṛṣṇa as their illicit lover.” ((SB 10.29.10-11 Sārārtha-darśini)

There is also a special display of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy and the divine arrangement of Yogamāyā behind these events. My understanding is that Yogamāyā orchestrated the situation so that some gopīs were temporarily held back to complete their purification. When their love became fully matured and their bodies completely spiritualized, Yogamāyā then allowed them to join Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Rāsa dance—perhaps on another night. Others who still retained a trace of material identification were further purified through the intense fire of separation before they too were granted Kṛṣṇa’s association. These restrained gopīs were not nitya-siddha gopīs but muni-cārī gopīs. As we learned in the previous lesson, such gopīs are sādhana-siddha devotees—those who attained perfection through practice. Having once been in touch with the material world, they still carried a subtle layer of material contamination, which Yogamāyā compassionately removed before allowing them to participate in the divine Rāsa dance.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives a relatable analogy. A tree has many mangoes — some fully ripe, some ripening, some still raw. The fully ripe ones are immediately ready for the king to taste (these are the eternally perfect gopīs). The partially ripe ones need a few more days of sun (these are the sādhana-siddha or muni-cārī gopīs, purified by separation). In time, all become perfect and offered to the King — Kṛṣṇa.

As for the “giving up the body” mentioned in the lesson, the “body” (deha) mentioned in the verse means their material, guṇa-maya (mode-based) body, not their actual life. They didn’t die; rather, their spiritual bodies emerged fully — like iron becoming red-hot in fire and taking on the fire’s nature.

The main takeaway I received from this profound and intricate lesson is that separation from Kṛṣṇa serves as one of the greatest instruments of purification. The fire of separation burns away all traces of material attachment, leaving only pure longing for His divine association. Through deep meditation on Kṛṣṇa, the gopīs experienced direct spiritual union with Him within their hearts. This realization beautifully aligns with the message that Uddhava later conveys on behalf of Kṛṣṇa to the gopīs in the Tenth Canto (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.34–37).

“But the actual reason why I, the beloved object of your sight, have stayed far away from you is that I wanted to intensify your meditation upon Me and thus draw your minds closer to Me.”

“When her lover is far away, a woman thinks of him more than when he is present before her.”

“Because your minds are totally absorbed in Me and free from all other engagement, you remember Me always, and so you will very soon have Me again in your presence.”

“Although some gopīs had to remain in the cowherd village and so could not join the rāsa dance to sport with Me at night in the forest, they were nonetheless fortunate. Indeed, they attained Me by thinking of My potent pastimes.”

There are other similar verses in Srimad Bhagavatam.

SB 10.14.8: My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.

SB 11.14.19: My dear Uddhava, just as a blazing fire turns firewood into ashes, similarly, devotion unto Me completely burns to ashes sins committed by My devotees.

SB 11.2.42: Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things — these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.

Across these verses, the Bhāgavatam teaches that separation from Kṛṣṇa is not punishment — it is the fire of purification that burns away karma and ego. Union through remembrance in separation (smaraṇa-sambhoga) is spiritually superior to physical proximity. Pure love (prema) reaches its highest intensity only in separation — as shown by the gopīs, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and great devotees like Uddhava and the residents of Vṛndāvana.

Reflecting on this, I am deeply moved by how the Lord uses both union and separation to uplift His devotees. What appears as distance is actually His tender arrangement to purify the heart and deepen our love for Him. Just as the gopīs’ separation became the gateway to their highest realization, our own moments of longing and helplessness can become sacred opportunities to remember Kṛṣṇa more intensely. May we learn to welcome such moments—not with despair, but with faith that the Lord is working within our hearts, refining our love and drawing us ever closer to His eternal embrace

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!