VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 30
The Gopîs Search for Krishna Gone with Râdhâ
This chapter describes how the gopīs, tormented through the long night by separation from Kṛṣṇa, wandered like madwomen from forest to forest in search of Him.
When Śrī Kṛṣṇa suddenly disappeared from the arena of the rāsa dance, the gopīs, their minds fully absorbed in thoughts of Him, began looking for Him in the various forests. From all the moving and nonmoving creatures they asked for news of Kṛṣṇa's whereabouts. Finally they became so distraught that they began imitating His pastimes.
Later, while wandering in a corner of the forest, the gopīs saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa's footprints, which appeared mixed with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's. Seeing these footprints perturbed them greatly, and they declared that surely Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī must have worshiped Kṛṣṇa with unusual excellence, since She had been privileged to associate with Him in seclusion. Further along the path the gopīs came to a place where they could no longer see Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's footprints; they then concluded that Kṛṣṇa must have taken Rādhārāṇī onto His shoulders. In another place they noticed that Kṛṣṇa's footprints were showing only the toes, and thus the gopīs concluded He had been picking flowers with which to decorate His beloved. In yet another spot the gopīs saw signs that led them to imagine that Śrī Kṛṣṇa had been tying the locks of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's hair. All these thoughts brought pain to the gopīs' minds.
Because of the special attention She received from Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Rādhā began to consider Herself the most fortunate of women. She told Him that She could walk no further and that He would have to carry Her on His shoulders. But just then Lord Kṛṣṇa disappeared from Her sight. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, extremely troubled, then began looking everywhere for Him, and when She finally met Her gopī girlfriends She related to them what had happened. All the gopīs then went out to look for Kṛṣṇa in the forest, going as far as the moonlight reached. But in the end they were unsuccessful, so they went back to the shore of the Yamunā and simply sang Kṛṣṇa's glories in utter helplessness.
10.30.1
sahasaiva vrajāńganāḥ
atapyaḿs tam acakṣāṇāḥ
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When the Supreme Lord so suddenly disappeared were the young ladies of Vraja just as sorry not to see Him as she-elephants missing their bull.
10.30.2
gatyānurāga-smita-vibhramekṣitair
mano-ramālāpa-vihāra-vibhramaiḥ
(2) The smitten ones who in their hearts were overwhelmed by the movements, affectionate smiles, playful glances, charming talks and other games of enticement of the husband of Ramâ, enacted absorbed in Him each of those wonderful activities.
the following charming exchange between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs:
"Kṛṣṇa said to a gopī, 'My dear land lily, are you going to offer your honey to this very thirsty honeybee or not?'
"The gopī replied, 'My dear bee, the husband of the lilies is the sun, not the bee, so why are You claiming that my honey belongs to You?'
"But My dear lily, the very nature of you lilies is that you don't give your honey to your husband, the sun, but rather to your paramour, the bee.' The gopī, defeated by the words of Kṛṣṇa, laughed and then gave Him her lips as honey to drink."
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also describes the following conversation:
"Kṛṣṇa said to a gopī, 'Ah, I can understand that as you approached this nīpa tree standing here, you were bitten by an audacious snake. Its venom has already reached your chest, but since you are a respectable maiden you haven't asked Me to cure you. Still I've come, being merciful by nature. Now, while I massage your body with My hands, I'll chant a mantra to counteract the serpent's poison.'
"The gopī said, 'But, my dear snake charmer, no snake has bitten me. Go massage the body of some girl who actually has suffered a snakebite.'
" 'Come now, My dear respectable girl, from your trembling voice I can tell that you are experiencing a feverish reaction to poisoning. Knowing this, if I don't take care of you I'll be guilty of killing an innocent woman. So let Me treat you.'
"With this, Kṛṣṇa applied His fingernails to the gopī's chest."
10.30.3
gati-smita-prekṣaṇa-bhāṣaṇādiṣu
(3) The dear ones lost in the movements, smiles, beholding, talking and so on of their Beloved - who factually thus was speaking through the women their bodies - doing so intimated intoxicated by Krishna's ways: 'He's all in me!'
Spontaneously, the gopīs began moving like Kṛṣṇa: they smiled as He would smile, glanced boldly as He would and spoke as He would. The gopīs were completely absorbed in the existence of Kṛṣṇa and mad with love at their sudden separation from Him, and thus their dedication to Him attained absolute perfection.
10.30.4
(4) So all together singing aloud about Him, searched they like mad hither and thither in the forest and inquired they with the trees for the Original Personality present alike the sky inside and outside:
10.30.5
prema-hāsāvalokanaiḥ
(5) 'O as'vattha [holy fig tree], o plaksha [waved-leaf fig tree], o nyagrodha [banyan], have you seen the son of Nanda, who has gone away after He with His loving smiles and glances stole our minds?
10.30.6
kaccit kurabakāśoka-
rāmānujo māninīnām
(6) O kurabaka [red amaranth], as'oka, nâga, punnâga and campaka, have you seen passing by the younger brother of Balarâma who with His smile removes the pride of each girl that is too haughty?
10.30.7
saha tvāli-kulair bibhrad
(7) O sweet tulsî, loving Govinda's feet so much, have you seen our dearest Acyuta who carries you with swarms of bees around Him?
The ācāryas explain here that the word caraṇa is a term of respect, as in the expression evaḿ vadanty ācārya-caraṇāḥ. The bees humming around the garland worn by Śrī Govinda were attracted by the fragrance of the tulasī mañjarīs offered to Him. The gopīs felt that the trees had not replied because they were male, but that tulasī, being female, would sympathize with their plight.
10.30.8
(8) O mâlati, jâti, yûthikâ and mallikâ jasmine, have you seen Mâdhava pass by, with His touch giving you pleasure?
When even tulasī herself did not answer the gopīs, they approached the fragrant jasmine flowers. The gopīs, seeing the jasmine vines humbly bowing down, assumed that these plants must have seen Lord Kṛṣṇa and were therefore showing humility in their ecstasy.
10.30.9
(9) O cûta [mango creeper], priyâla, jambu [jackfruit], âsana, o kovidâra [mountain ebony], rose-apple, arka, bel-fruit, bakula [mimosa], and âmra [mango tree]; o kadamba and nîpa and who else of you who for the sake of others live here near the bank of the Yamunâ, please be so kind to tell us, bewildered of mind, the path that Krishna took.
he cūta is a mango creeper, whereas the āmra is a mango tree. He goes on to explain that the nīpa, though not a very prominent tree, bears large flowers, and that the gopīs' desperation to find Kṛṣṇa is clearly shown by the fact that they approached the insignificant arka plant.
"The nīpa is 'the dust kadamba,' and it has large flowers. The kadamba proper has smaller flowers and a very pleasant fragrance. The kovidāra is a particular kind of kañcanāra [mountain ebony tree]. Even though the arka plant is very insignificant, it always grows near Lord Gopīśvara [the Śiva deity in Vṛndāvana forest] because it is dear to him."
10.30.10
sparśotsavotpulakitāńga-nahair vibhāsi
(10) O earth, what austerity is it that you have performed to have been touched by Kes'ava's feet with a joy that made your bodily hair [her grasses and such] stand on end? Or do you maybe owe your beauty to the feet of Vâmanadeva [see 8.18-22] or are you so beautiful because you were trodden and embraced by the body of Varâha [3.13]?
'Perhaps the trees and plants [mentioned in the previous verses] did not hear our question because they were in trance, meditating on Lord Viṣṇu. Or perhaps, since they will not tell us where Kṛṣṇa has gone, they are hardhearted even though they live in a holy place. Anyway, what is the use of unnecessarily criticizing the residents of a holy place? We cannot tell if they really know where Kṛṣṇa has gone. So let us find someone who definitely knows where He is.' Thus the gopīs concluded that since Lord Kṛṣṇa had to be somewhere on the earth, the earth herself must know His whereabouts.
"Then the gopīs thought, 'Since Kṛṣṇa always walks on the earth, she is never separated from Him and thus cannot understand how much His parents, girlfriends and servants suffer in His absence. Let us ask her what austerities she has performed to gain the great fortune of being constantly touched by the feet of Lord Keśava.' "
10.30.11
kāntāńga-sańga-kuca-kuńkuma-rañjitāyāḥ
(11) O deer wife, o friend, have you encountered Acyuta with His Beloved here, who with all His limbs is a festival to your eyes; there's the fragrance in the air of the Master of the Gopîs His garland colored by the kunkuma of being in touch with the breasts of His Girlfriend.
"The gopīs spoke to a doe, 'O friend, wife of the deer, from the bliss in your clear eyes we can tell that Śrī Kṛṣṇa has expanded your joy with the beauty of His limbs, His face and so forth. You are eager to realize the ecstasy of seeing Kṛṣṇa, and thus your eyes are following Him. In fact, He is never lost to you.'
"Then the gopīs, seeing the doe continue to walk in her natural way, exclaimed, 'Oh, are you telling us that you have seen Kṛṣṇa? Look! As this deer walks she constantly turns her head back to us; as if to say, "I will show Him to you; just follow me and I will show you Kṛṣṇa." In this merciless Vṛndāvana, she is the only merciful person.'
"As the gopīs follow the doe they happen to lose sight of her, and they cry out, 'Oh, why can't we see the deer who is showing us the way to Kṛṣṇa?'
"One gopī suggests that Kṛṣṇa must be somewhere in the vicinity and that the deer, being afraid of Him, must have hidden herself to avoid the possible mistake of revealing His presence. Conjecturing in this way, the gopīs detect a fragrance that has by chance blown their way, and they repeatedly declare with great joy, 'Yes! Yes! This is it! By Kṛṣṇa's physical contact with His girlfriend, His jasmine garland was smeared with the kuńkuma powder on Her breasts, and the fragrances of all these things are reaching us.' Thus the gopīs smelled the aroma of the two lovers' bodies, of Kṛṣṇa's jasmine garland, and of the cosmetic powder on the breasts of His lover."
10.30.12
rāmānujas tulasikāli-kulair madāndhaiḥ
anvīyamāna iha vas taravaḥ praṇāmaḿ
(12) O trees, when Râma's younger brother passed by, with His arm placed on the shoulder of His sweetheart, holding a lotus and with the tulsî flowers swarming with bees following blindly of intoxication - did He with His loving glances acknowledge your bowing down?
The gopīs saw that the trees, bent over with abundant fruits and flowers, were offering obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa. The gopīs supposed Kṛṣṇa must have recently passed that way, since the trees were still bowing down. Because Śrī Kṛṣṇa had left the gopīs to go with His favorite consort, they were jealous and thus imagined that He had become fatigued from His loving affairs and was resting His left arm on the soft shoulder of His beloved. The gopīs further imagined that Kṛṣṇa must have been carrying a blue lotus in His right hand to drive away the bees eagerly trying to attack His beloved's face after smelling its aroma. The scene was so beautiful, the gopīs imagined, that the maddened bees had left the tulasī garden to follow the two lovers.
10.30.13
apy āśliṣṭā vanaspateḥ
bibhraty utpulakāny aho
(13) Let's ask these creepers, even though they embrace the arms of their master tree; they sure must have noticed the touch of His fingernails, just see how their skins erupt with joy!'
The gopīs reasoned that the creepers would not show signs of rapture merely by physical contact with their husband, a tree. Thus the gopīs concluded that although the creepers were embracing the strong limbs of their husband, they must have been touched by Lord Kṛṣṇa as He moved through the forest.
10.30.14
kṛṣṇānveṣaṇa-kātarāḥ
(14) The gopîs thus speaking madly got, distraught in their search for Krishna, fully immersed in Him, to which each of them acted out a pastime of their Lord of Fortune.
10.30.15
padāhan śakaṭāyatīm
(15) One of them as Krishna drank with another one as Pûtanâ like an infant from her breast, while another acting for the cart was kicked over by the foot of another gopî crying [see chapters 10.6 and 7].
10.30.16
daityāyitvā jahārānyām
(16) One gopî acting for Krishna was carried away by another gopî imitating a Daitya [Trinâvarta, see 10.7] while yet another one crawling about was tinkling with her anklebells as she dragged her feet. 10.30.17
vatsāyatīḿ hanti cānyā
(17) Two as Krishna and Râma and some acting like the gopas killed one doing Vatsâsura while another one with one more did Bakâsura [see 10.11]. 10.30.18
kṛṣṇas tam anuvartatīm
(18) Just like Krishna calling for the cows far away was one, who playing in imitation vibrated a flute, by the other gopîs praised with 'Good so!'
10.30.19
calanty āhāparā nanu
(19) One of them walked about with her arm placed over a shoulder and declared: 'Look, I am Him, moving so graciously!' and was thus keeping her mind on Him.
10.30.20
ity uktvaikena hastena
yatanty unnidadhe 'mbaram
(20) 'don't you fear that wind and rain, your deliverance has been arranged by Me' thus spoke one with one hand managing to lift up her upper garment [like it was Govardhana Hill, see: 10.25].
10.30.21
āruhyaikā padākramya
śirasy āhāparāḿ nṛpa
(21) O master of men, one that climbed on top of another one declared with her foot on her head: 'O wicked snake, go away, I have taken birth as the one to chastise the envious!' [see 10.16]
10.30.22
tatraikovāca he gopā
dāvāgniḿ paśyatolbaṇam
cakṣūḿṣy āśv apidadhvaḿ vo
(22) Then one said: 'O gopas, see the forest fire so fierce; quickly close your eyes, I'll arrange for your protection as easy as that!'
10.30.23
haiyańgava-muṣaḿ tv iti
(23) One slender gopî tied up by another gopî with a flower garland said: 'There You are, I bind You to the mortar, You potbreaker and butterthief!' and with that spoken covered one her face and beautiful eyes pretending to be afraid.
10.30.24
evaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ pṛcchamānā
vrṇdāvana-latās tarūn
vyacakṣata vanoddeśe
(24) This way engaged and asking everywhere in Vrindâvana the trees and the creepers where He was, saw they at one spot in the forest the Supreme Soul His footprints:
10.30.25
nanda-sūnor mahātmanaḥ
lakṣyante hi dhvajāmbhoja-
vajrāńkuśa-yavādibhiḥ
(25) 'Indeed these are clearly the footprints of the son of Nanda as evidenced by the flag, the lotus, the thunderbolt, the barleycorn and the elephant goad [see footnote*].
"In the following verses the Skanda Purāṇa states the particular places on His feet where Kṛṣṇa carries the mark of the flag and also other marks, and the reasons for these marks:
dakṣiṇasya padāńguṣṭha-
'At the base of the large toe on His right foot, the unborn Lord carries the mark of a disc, which cuts down the six [mental] enemies of His devotees.'
madhyamāńguli-mūle ca
dhyātṛ-citta-dvirephāṇāḿ
lobhanāyāti-śobhanām
'At the bottom of the middle toe of that same foot Lord Acyuta has a lotus flower, which increases the greed for Him in the minds of the beelike devotees who meditate on His feet.'kaniṣṭha-mūlato vajraḿ
'At the base of His small toe is a thunderbolt, which smashes the mountains of His devotees' reactions to past sins, and in the middle of His heel is the mark of an elephant goad, which brings the elephants of His devotees' minds under control.'
bhoga-sampan-mayaḿ dhatte
'The joint of His right large toe bears the mark of a barleycorn, representing all kinds of enjoyable opulences.'
"The Skanda Purāṇa also states,
'A thunderbolt is found on the right side of His right foot, and an elephant goad below that.'
"The ācāryas of the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya explain that since the particular feet under discussion are Lord Kṛṣṇa's, we should know that the thunderbolt is at the base of His small toe and the elephant goad below the thunderbolt. An elephant goad on the heel belongs rather to Lord Nārāyaṇa and other viṣṇu-tattva expansions.
"Thus the Skanda Purāṇa describes six marks on Kṛṣṇa's right foot — the disc, flag, lotus, thunderbolt, elephant goad and barleycorn. And the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī mentions even more marks-a vertical line beginning at the middle of His foot and continuing as far as the juncture between His big toe and second toe; an umbrella below the disc; at the base of the middle of His foot, a group of four svastikas in the four cardinal directions; at the four points where each svastika meets the next, four rose apples; and in the middle of the svastikas, an octagon. This makes eleven marks on Kṛṣṇa's right foot."
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī describes the marks on Kṛṣṇa's left foot as follows: "At the base of the large toe is a conchshell with its mouth facing the toe. At the base of the middle toe are two concentric circles, representing the inner and outer sky. Below this mark is Cupid' s unstrung bow, at the base of the bow is a triangle, and surrounding the triangle is a group of four waterpots. At the base of the triangle is a half-moon with two more triangles touching its points, and below the half-moon is a fish.
"All together, then, there are nineteen distinguishing marks on the soles of Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet."
10.30.26
anvicchantyo 'grato'balāḥ
vilokyārtāḥ samabruvan
(26) Guided by the various footprints following His trail noticed the girls to their dismay that they all the way were accompanied by the footprints of one of them, upon which they said:
10.30.27
(27) 'And to whom of us belong these footprints next to the ones of the son of Nanda; over whose shoulder has He as a bull with a she-elephant placed His arm?
10.30.28
anayārādhito nūnaḿ
(28) He must have been perfectly venerated [ârâdhitah, see Râdhâ] as the Supreme One Lord and Controller by Her since Govinda so being pleased has turned us down and taken Her separate.
that the word ārādhitaḥ refers to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. He comments, "The sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī has tried with all endeavor to keep Her name hidden, but now it automatically shines forth from the moon of his mouth. That he has spoken Her name is indeed Her mercy, and thus the word ārādhitaḥ is like the rumbling of a kettledrum sounded to announce Her great good fortune."
Although the gopīs spoke as if jealous of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, they were actually ecstatic to see that She had captured Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes the following detailed description of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's footprints, as given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Śrī Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: "At the base of the large toe of Her left foot is the mark of a barleycorn, below that mark is a disc, below the disc is an umbrella, and below the umbrella is a bracelet. A vertical line extends from the middle of Her foot to the juncture of Her large and second toes. At the base of the middle toe is a lotus, below that is a flag with a banner, and below the flag is a creeper, together with a flower. At the base of Her small toe is an elephant goad, and upon Her heel is a half-moon. Thus there are eleven marks on Her left foot.
"At the base of the large toe of Her right foot is a conchshell, and below that a spear. At the base of the small toe of Her right foot is a sacrificial altar, below that an earring, and below the earring a spear. Along the base of the second, third, fourth and small toes is the mark of a mountain, below which is a chariot, and on the heel is a fish.
"Thus all together there are nineteen distinguishing marks on the soles of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's lotus feet."
10.30.29
(29) O girls, how sacred the particles of dust of Govinda's lotusfeet that by Brahmâ, S'iva and Ramâdevî [Lakshmî] are taken on their heads to dispel the sins.
each day in the late afternoon, as Kṛṣṇa returned from the cow pastures with His cowherd boyfriends, great demigods like Brahmā and Śiva would come down from heaven and take the dust of His feet.
Great personalities like the goddess Ramā (the wife of Viṣṇu), Śiva and Brahmā are not at all sinful. But in the ecstasy of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness they feel themselves fallen and impure. Thus, desiring to purify themselves, they blissfully take the dust of the Lord's lotus feet on their heads.
10.30.30
yaikāpahṛtya gopīnām
na lakṣyante padāny atra
(30) For us are these footprints of Her more then unsettling because who of us gopîs was taken aside to enjoy Acyuta's lips in seclusion? Look, here we don't see Her feet, the blades of grass and sprouts must have hurt the soles of Her tender feet so that Her Love lifted His Sweetheart up.
10.30.31
bhārākrāntasya kāminaḥ
atrāvaropitā kāntā
(31) Carrying His sweetheart pressed the footprints much deeper, just see o gopîs, how, burdened by the weight, our so intelligent object of desire Krishna has placed His girlfriend down to pick some flowers.
even though Śrī Kṛṣṇa was not officially married to Rādhārāṇī, He had in fact made Her His bride in the Vṛndāvana forest.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the gopīs use the word kāminaḥ here to indicate the following thoughts: "We actually love Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but still He has rejected us. Therefore His private dealings with Rādhārāṇī prove that this young prince of Vraja has carried Her away because of lust. If He were interested in love, He would have accepted us instead of that cowherd girl Rādhārāṇī."
These thoughts reveal the mood of the gopīs who are rivals of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Of course, the gopīs who are Her direct allies were jubilant to see Her good fortune.
10.30.32
atra prasūnāvacayaḥ
prapadākramaṇa ete
paśyatāsakale pade
(32) And see these half footprints here; to gather flowers for His Sweetheart made the Beloved this imprint standing on His toes.
10.30.33
keśa-prasādhanaḿ tv atra
(33) Further to arrange the design of Her hair sat the affectionate one with His longing girl down precisely here in order to make for His Beloved from the flowers a crown.'
The ācāryas explain that Śrī Kṛṣṇa wanted to decorate Rādhārāṇī's hair with the forest flowers He had collected. Therefore They sat down together facing the same direction, with Rādhārāṇī between Kṛṣṇa's knees, and Kṛṣṇa proceeded to arrange Her hair with flowers and make a flower crown for Her, coronating Her as the goddess of the forest. Thus the romantic young boy and girl played and joked together in Vṛndāvana.
10.30.34
ātmārāmo 'py akhaṇḍitaḥ
strīṇāḿ caiva durātmatām
(34) [S'rî S'uka said:] 'He, even though He by the Soul was perfectly contented and in Himself complete, had a good time with Her and thus demonstrated the state of being fallen typical for people in love, as also the self-centered of its femininity.
This verse directly refutes the superficial criticism materialistic people sometimes direct against Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. The philosopher Aristotle claimed that ordinary activities are unworthy of God, and with this idea in mind some people declare that since the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa resemble those of ordinary human beings, He cannot be the Absolute Truth .
But in this verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī emphatically points out that Lord Kṛṣṇa acts on the liberated platform of spiritual self-satisfaction. This fact is indicated here by the terms ātma-rata, ātmārāma and akhaṇḍita. It is inconceivable to ordinary people that a handsome young boy and a beautiful young girl enjoying romantic conjugal affairs in the forest moonlight can be engaging in pure activity, free from egoistic desire and lust. Yet while Lord Kṛṣṇa is inconceivable to ordinary persons, those who love Him can easily realize the absolute, pure nature of His activities.
One may argue that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and that therefore the devotees of Kṛṣṇa are only imagining the Lord's activities to be pure. This argument ignores many significant facts. For one, the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, of developing love for Kṛṣṇa, demands that a devotee strictly follow four regulative principles: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication and no eating of meat, fish or eggs. When one is freed from material lust and rises to the liberated platform, beyond material desire, one realizes the absolute beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This process is not theoretical: it has been practiced and completed by many thousands of great sages, who have left us their shining example and their brilliant teachings concerning the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Certainly beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, real beauty is perceived by the soul's eye and not by the lusty eye of the material body. Therefore the Vedic literature repeatedly stresses that only those freed from material desire can see the beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa with the eye of the pure soul, anointed with love of Godhead. It may finally be noted that upon realizing the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa one becomes free of all tinges of sex desire, a state of mind that can hardly result from meditating upon material sexual affairs.
One final note: The conjugal pastimes of Kṛṣṇa perfectly round out His qualification as the Supreme Absolute Truth. The Vedānta states that the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, so certainly the Absolute cannot lack any of the beautiful things of this world. It is only because romantic affairs exist in a pure, spiritual form in the Absolute that they can manifest in a perverted, material form in this world. Thus the apparent beauty of this world is not to be absolutely rejected; rather, beauty should be accepted in its pure, spiritual form.
Since the beginning of time men and women have been inspired to poetic rapture by the art of romance. Unfortunately, romance in this world usually leads to crushing disappointment, brought about by a change of heart or by death. Thus although we may at first find romantic affairs beautiful and enjoyable, they are eventually spoiled by the onslaught of material nature. Still, it is unreasonable to totally reject the concept of romance. Rather, we should accept conjugal attraction in its absolute, perfect, pure form, as it exists within God, without a tinge of material lust or selfishness. That pure conjugal attraction — the supreme beauty and pleasure of the Supreme Truth — is what we are reading about here in the pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
10.30.35-36
ity evaḿ darśayantyas tāś
cerur gopyo vicetasaḥ
vihāyānyāḥ striyo vane
.(35-36) This way thus showing for which gopî Krishna had abandoned the other women, the other gopîs who completely bewildered wandered in the forest, thought She therefrom of Herself: 'With Me as the best of all women, is He, rejecting the gopîs that are lead by lust, accepting Me as His Beloved!'
10.30.37
tato gatvā vanoddeśaḿ
(37) Going then to that spot in the forest said She, getting proud, to Krishna: 'I cannot move on, please carry Me to wherever You want'.
10.30.38
tataś cāntardadhe kṛṣṇaḥ
sā vadhūr anvatapyata
(38) Thus addressed said He to His Beloved: 'Climb on my back' and with these words Krishna disappeared to the pain of His consort.
10.30.39
dāsyās te kṛpaṇāyā me
(39) 'O Master, o Lover, o Dearest, where are You, where are You? O mighty armed One, please My friend show Yourself to Me, Your wretched maidservant!'
"Rādhā says, 'My Lord, I am being burned in the great fire of separation from You, and My life air is about to leave My body. Even with the greatest endeavor I cannot maintain My life. But You are the Lord of My life, and so You can quickly save Me simply by glancing upon Me. Please do so immediately. I beg You to save My life, not for My sake but rather for Yours. After giving up all the other gopīs, You've brought Me so far to a secluded place in the forest just to enjoy special pleasure with Me. If I die You will not be able to find conjugal happiness anywhere else. You will remember Me and thus lament in Your sorrow.'
"Kṛṣṇa replies, 'So let Me become unhappy. What does that matter to You?'
" 'But You are most dear to Me. 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. So kindly show Yourself and drive away that unhappiness.'
" 'But if Your life air is on the verge of leaving Your body, what can I do to stop that?'
" 'Simply by the touch of Your arms, which are a medicinal herb with the power to revive the dead, My body will return to its healthy, normal condition, and My life air will automatically come back and remain in My body.'
" 'But You know the forest path Yourself without My help, so why did You order Me, the king's son and a very young and gentle boy who is to be respected? Why did You command, "Take Me wherever You wish"? Why do You anger Me like this?'
"Rādhā cries out, 'Please show Yourself to Your wretched maidservant. Be merciful to Me! Be merciful! When I ordered You, I was overcome by sleepiness. I was so tired from playing with You. Therefore please excuse what Your poor servant said. Please don't be angry. It was only because You treated Me like such a close friend, though I am unworthy, that I spoke like that to You.'
" 'All right, My love, I am very pleased with You, so please come to Me.'
" 'But I've been blinded by lamentation. I can't see where You are. Please tell Me where You are.' "
10.30.40
anvicchantyo bhagavato
mārgaḿ gopyo 'vidūritaḥ
(40) S'rî S'uka said: 'The gopîs not far away following the trail of the Supreme Lord discovered their unhappy friend in a state of being bewildered about Her separation from Her Beloved.
10.30.41
(41) To their utter amazement heard they Her saying that She had received Mâdhava's respect but that He also because of Her being demanding had let Her down.
10.30.42
jyotsnā yāvad vibhāvyate
tato nivavṛtuḥ striyaḥ
(42) They thereupon entered as far as the light of the moon permitted into the forest, but finding themselves in the dark desisted the women.
The gopīs entered a part of the forest so dense that even the light of the full moon couldn't penetrate it. This scene is also described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:
praviṣṭo gahanaḿ kṛṣṇaḥ
nivartadhvaḿ śaśāńkasya
"One gopī said, 'Kṛṣṇa has entered such a dark part of the forest that we cannot possibly see His footprints. Therefore let us turn back from this area, which even the light of the moon cannot reach.' "10.30.43
nātmagārāṇi sasmaruḥ
(43) Absorbed in Him, discussing Him, imitating Him and filled with His presence simply singing His qualities they no longer remembered their homes [see also 7.5: 23-24].
10.30.44
(44) Turning back to the bank of the Yamunâ meditated they, all singing together, on Krishna, eagerly awaiting His arrival.'
As stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.23), yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyaḥ: "The Supersoul can be realized by that person whom He chooses." Thus the gopīs fervently pray that Kṛṣṇa come back to them.
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Thirtieth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Gopīs Search for Kṛṣṇa."
Footnote:
* In the Skanda Purâna is found an explanation of these [in total nineteen] marks: 'At the base of the large toe on His right foot, the unborn Lord carries the mark of a disc, which cuts down the six [mental] enemies of His devotees. At the bottom of the middle toe of that same foot Lord Acyuta has a lotus flower, which increases the greed for Him in the minds of the beelike devotees who meditate on His feet. At the base of His small toe is a thunderbolt, which smashes the mountains of His devotees' reactions to past sins, and in the middle of His heel is the mark of an elephant goad, which brings the elephants of His devotees' minds under control. The joint of His right large toe bears the mark of a barleycorn, representing all kinds of enjoyable opulences. A thunderbolt is found on the right side of His right foot, and an elephant goad below that.' see the Vedabase of 10.30: 25 for further info.
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