Gopi-gita (3): Cause of Gopis’ Lamentation, SB 10.31.1-2

This audio is included in the following series of lectures:

Topics

• Note: Abrupt start
• In the first verse of the Gopi-gita, the gopis told Krsna, We have been searching for You, unable to bear the pain of separation from You and burning in the fire of amorous desires. 'Krsna responded by asking, 'What unhappiness or calamity have I caused you?'
• Srila Gurudeva narrated verse 2 of the Gopi-gita where, the gopis say, You are not merely making us unhappy; You are killing us. Weapons are not the only means by which one kills. There are other means as well. Here the gopis recited 'sarad-udasaye sadhu-jata-sat': O Krsna, master of amorous pleasure, O bestower of benedictions, we are Your unpaid maidservants. You are killing us by the glance of Your eyes, that steal even the proud beauty of the whorl of supremely enchanting, high-born lotuses that blossom exquisitely in ponds during the autumn season. Is killing by a glance not considered murder in this world?
• Meaning of 'drsa' refers to Krsna’s glance. The gopis says to Krsna, 'You are killing us simply by Your being surata-natha.
• Srila Gurudeva explained the meaning of surata-natha here: The immaculate, loving pastime of the hero (nayaka) and
• the heroine (nayika) in their solitary meeting is called surata. Su means ‘special,’ and rata means ‘intermingling with great attachment.’ The intermingling of the transcendental nayaka and the nayika is so complete and so extraordinary that they truly become one; any difference between them becomes indiscernible.
• Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura describes this pristine surata-lila in Surata-kathamata and also in Sri Sankalpa-kalpa-druma.
• Meaning of 'sarad udasaye sadhu-jata': sarat means ‘the autumn season,’ the season in which this pastime took place. Ud means ‘water,’ and asaye means ‘reservoir of water,’ such as a pond, lake, river, or ocean. In this context, udasaye means ‘lake.’ During sarat, the best of seasons, the water in the lakes is clean and pure. The word sadhu in this verse means ‘pure, sacred, and possessing all kinds of virtue.’ If a man has taken birth in a good family, a family of sadhus, we can generally conclude that a son or daughter born to him will also have a pious nature.
• The gopis say, 'Your eyes possess the wealth of beauty that they stole from the petals of the lotus. But Your eyes have an extra magic that makes them unique, which is that they can steal the qualities of something just by looking at it. You simply glanced at the lotus, and in doing so, You took away its loveliness. In this way, You left the lotus reduced in magnificence, while the beauty of Your eyes increased. This way, you also steal our hearts.
• The gopis said to Krsna: In this way, through Your eyes, You begged us for something, we became maddened, and ever-new waves from the ocean of transcendent prema then arose in our hearts. Simply because of the way You glanced at us and expressed Your desire for surata, we became Your unpaid maidservants. You accomplished this by glancing at us from the corner of just one of Your lotus eyes. When just one of Your eyes can so expertly express Your intention, what would have happened if You looked at us with two eyes?
• We have become Your unpaid maidservants because Your eyes begged for our hearts. You have not begged, but Your eyes begged, again and again, and we fell silent.
• Srila Gurudeva explained the meaning of surata-lila here. The gopis said to Krsna, "You beseeched us for the precious gift of surata, and in doing so, You also created a wish for surata in our hearts. But now You have taken away our wealth, our most precious treasure. We request that you come and cast just one glance upon us. And when You do, we pray that You will return to us all the valuable treasures You stole."
• Meaning of 'nighnato'.