SB 10.39.17 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

गतिं सुललितां चेष्टां स्‍निग्धहासावलोकनम् । शोकापहानि नर्माणि प्रोद्दामचरितानि च ॥ १७ ॥ चिन्तयन्त्यो मुकुन्दस्य भीता विरहकातरा: । समेता: सङ्घश: प्रोचुरश्रुमुख्योऽच्युताशया: ॥ १८ ॥

Verse text

gatiṁ su-lalitāṁ ceṣṭāṁ snigdha-hāsāvalokanam śokāpahāni narmāṇi proddāma-caritāni ca cintayantyo mukundasya bhītā viraha-kātarāḥ sametāḥ saṅghaśaḥ procur aśru-mukhyo ’cyutāśayāḥ

Synonyms

gatim — the movements ; su — lalitām — very charming ; ceṣṭām — the activities ; snigdha — affectionate ; hāsa — smiling ; avalokanam — the glances ; śoka — unhappiness ; apahāni — which remove ; narmāṇi — the joking words ; proddāma — mighty ; caritāni — the deeds ; ca — and ; cintayantyaḥ — thinking about ; mukundasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa ; bhītaḥ — afraid ; viraha — because of separation ; kātarāḥ — greatly distressed ; sametāḥ — joining together ; saṅghaśaḥ — in groups ; procuḥ — they spoke ; aśru — with tears ; mukhyaḥ — their faces ; acyuta — āśayāḥ — their minds absorbed in Lord Acyuta .

Translation

The gopīs were frightened at the prospect of even the briefest separation from Lord Mukunda, so now, as they remembered His graceful gait, His pastimes, His affectionate, smiling glances, His heroic deeds and His joking words, which would relieve their distress, they were beside themselves with anxiety at the thought of the great separation about to come. They gathered in groups and spoke to one another, their faces covered with tears and their minds fully absorbed in Acyuta.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The gopīs were frightened at the prospect of even the briefest separation from Lord Mukunda, so now, as they remembered His graceful gait, His pastimes, His affectionate, smiling glances, His heroic deeds and His joking words, which would relieve their distress, they were beside themselves with anxiety at the thought of the great separation about to come. They gathered in groups and spoke to one another, their faces covered with tears and their minds fully absorbed in Acyuta. KB 10.39.17-18 They all remembered the characteristics of the Personality of Godhead, how He moved within the area of Vṛndāvana and how, with joking words, He attracted all their hearts. Thinking of Kṛṣṇa and of their imminent separation from Him, the gopīs assembled together with heavily beating hearts. They were completely absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa, and with tears falling from their eyes, they spoke as follows.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In this way they spent the night experiencing various sancari bhavas such as fainting (murccha), the waves of prema. Gaining external consciousness through the strength of the sancari bhava of anxiety over whether they would see him again, they gathered in the early morning in front of Nanda’s door in great longing, and all being afflicted with the coming separation, began discussing in a group. Those gopis who feared even a moment’s separation, were now afflicted with an approaching lengthy separation. When all the different groups joined together, they began conversing.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Then what happened? Affected by their great anxiety, they gathered in front of his door with great longing, and in grief began crying and lamenting. They remembered him as he departed and returned with longing from the forest. They remembered his various pastimes with his friends. They remembered his smiling glance toward them with deep affection. His walking, his pastimes and his smile were all playful (sulalitam). The affix su in sulalitam indicates that his playful acts were most excellent. They knew them but could not explain them. When he glanced at them with affection they did not believe him. He then joked with them. This removed their sorrow. In his jokes he hinted at meeting them, and with jokes, took them to the groves and had intimate pastimes with them out of deep anurāga. They began to think, “He will now leave us.” They experienced regret. Their faces became covered with tears, for they feared even a moment’s separation from him. But they became most agitated with the upcoming great separation, for he was fixed in his resolve (acyuta). They were attached to him in spite of this. But he also was fixed in not giving them up. Though they met together they still had different groups. They then spoke with great suffering (pra—ucuḥ). They spoke as one person since they were one at heart. Sometimes they would hear the words of the chief gopī and agree with everything she said because of reverence, similar feelings and satisfaction. Their lamentation continued from the time of the announcement in the evening until he departed.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Two verses describe how they gathered together crying in lamentation, to cancel the separation. They remembered his gait, like that of an intoxicated elephant. This was most beautiful. The phrase sulalitam can modify the other words in the sentence also. The description is representative of his other actions as well. His acts were heroic feats like killing Pūtanā (ceṣṭam). These are acts involving the whole body. Or it can refer to his manifestation of qualities like mercy. His glance was endowed with a charming smile. This indicates his sweetness. His jokes (words) completely removed all lamentation—dissatisfaction and regret or fear of their husbands. His pastimes such as the rāsa dance were most astonishing (proddāma). These pastimes also removed all lamentation (ca). Thus his qualities, form, words and pastimes were all sweet. He bestowed the highest bliss (mukundasya) through his gait, qualities, etc. By their nature, they were afraid of separation. Now however, they were pained at the approaching separation. Previously they gathered in their separate groups but now they all gathered together. They spoke (procuḥ) in pitiful voices which would break wood or stone. Because they were weeping, their faces were covered with tears because they had taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, who never deviates from his qualities of favoring the suffering souls. Will he come back at some time because of our painful cries, since he favors the miserable? Or “In travelling one should feel it is auspicious and not cry in lamentation.” Our discrimination has disappeared because our hearts have been permanently stolen by him (acyuta). Or they became lost in thought about the present instructions since their minds did not deviate (acyuta) from Kṛṣṇa or his gait etc. Or their fixed minds were the cause of continuously thinking of him and all other actions mentioned in the verse.