Devanagari
ता मन्मनस्का मत्प्राणा मतर्थे त्यक्तदैहिका: ।
मामेव दयितं प्रेष्ठमात्मानं मनसा गता: ।
ये त्यक्तलोकधर्माश्च मदर्थे तान्बिभर्म्यहम् ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
tā man-manaskā mat-prāṇā
mat-arthe tyakta-daihikāḥ
mām eva dayitaṁ preṣṭham
ātmānaṁ manasā gatāḥ
ye tyakta-loka-dharmāś ca
mad-arthe tān bibharmy aham
Synonyms
tāḥ
—
they (the gopīs )
;
mat
—
absorbed in Me
;
manaskāḥ
—
their minds
;
mat
—
fixed upon Me
;
prāṇāḥ
—
their lives
;
mat
—
arthe — for My sake
;
tyakta
—
abandoning
;
daihikāḥ
—
everything on the bodily platform
;
mām
—
Me
;
eva
—
alone
;
dayitam
—
their beloved
;
preṣṭham
—
dearmost
;
ātmānam
—
Self
;
manasā gatāḥ
—
understood
;
ye
—
who (the gopīs, or anyone)
;
tyakta
—
giving up
;
loka
—
this world
;
dharmāḥ
—
religiosity
;
ca
—
and
;
mat
—
arthe — for My sake
;
tān
—
them
;
bibharmi
—
sustain
;
aham
—
I .
Translation
The minds of those gopīs are always absorbed in Me, and their very lives are ever devoted to Me. For My sake they have abandoned everything related to their bodies, renouncing ordinary happiness in this life, as well as religious duties necessary for such happiness in the next life. I alone am their dearmost beloved and, indeed, their very Self. I personally sustain such devotees, who for My sake give up all worldly duties.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The minds of those gopīs are always absorbed in Me, and their very lives are ever devoted to Me. For My sake they have abandoned everything related to their bodies, renouncing ordinary happiness in this life, as well as religious duties necessary for such happiness in the next life. I alone am their dearmost beloved and, indeed, their very Self. I personally sustain such devotees, who for My sake give up all worldly duties.
KB 10.46.4
“The gopīs are always absorbed in thoughts of Me. They have dedicated body, desire, life and soul to Me. I am anxious not only for the gopīs but for anyone who sacrifices society, friendship, love and personal comforts for Me. It is My duty to protect such exalted devotees.
Purport
Here the Lord explains why He wants to send a special message to the
gopīs.
According to the Vaiṣṇava
ācāryas,
the word
daihikāḥ,
“related to the body,” refers to husbands, children, homes and so on. The
gopīs
loved Kṛṣṇa so intensely that they could think of nothing else. Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa maintains ordinary devotees engaged in
sādhana-bhakti,
devotional service in practice, He will certainly maintain the
gopīs,
His most exalted devotees.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"These gopis have their minds fixed on me (mat manaska). I am their very life (mat prana). They have given up all bodily connections such as husbands, sons, mothers, fathers, sleeping, eating, drinking etc. (tyakta daihikah). They think of me, not as their husband, but as their beloved (dayitam). Not only as their beloved, but as the dearmost. Not only I am the dearmost, but they think of me as their very selves, and as the Paramatma. As I, their soul, am living here in Mathura, they believe that their souls have left their bodies and only by the power of my yogamaya energy are they still living. I protect those devotees practicing sadhana bhakti who give up all considerations of etiquette for my sake. What to speak then of these gopis?"
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
In regards to delivering the message to the gopīs, first he describes the gopīs’ general condition in order to then speak of the cause, by describing their particular condition in two verses. Through three descriptive phrases he says that except for him they are indifferent to the unlimited goals of dharma, to their bodies and to other people. Concerning their bodies they have given up husbands, children, eating and drinking. They have dedicated their minds to me. Thus they have no interest in external sense enjoyment. They take me as their very life. Thus they have no interest in internal objects of enjoyment. It is said:
bhoktṛtve sukha-duḥkhānāṁ puruṣaṁ prakṛteḥ param
They say that ātmā, superior to prakṛti, is the cause of enjoyment and suffering of the jīva. SB.26.8
Thus mad-arthe (for me) indicates that since all material enjoyment is ultimately caused by ātmā, they have become indifferent to ātmā, their selves. The cause of their sacrifice is then stated. They take me as their beloved in their minds. They do not take external objects as dear. More than that, they take me alone as most dear (preṣṭham). They do not take internal objects such as prāṇa as dearest, since in my absence they have no interest in these things. They take me alone, and not their own ātmās, as their dearest self since in my absence they consider their ātmās completely vacant. They experience no pleasure within their ātmās for any other being in my absence. By these three phrases he indicates to Uddhava that they take Kṛṣṇa alone as their husband. They do not consider those who are said to be their husbands to be their real husband.
The gopīs will say api bata madhu-puryām ārya-putro ’dhunāste: it is indeed regrettable that Kṛṣṇa, our husband, resides in Mathurā. (SB 10.47.21) This line is included in many versions, but Śrīdhara Svāmī does not seem to accept it since he does not explain the difficult phrase ārya-putraḥ.
I will support those persons who give up regard for dharma and people for surrender to me. This is a general statement (including not only the gopīs), to express his obligation to support anyone without regard for their qualification, if they renounce for his sake. The word ca indicates the gopīs who have given up even their lives for him.
Or man-manaskā can mean “those who are in my mind at all times.” Mat-prāṇā means “those who are my life” since they have given up everything related to their bodies. The cause of giving up everything is stated. They take me as most dear, as their very selves. If I am obligated to anyone (ye) who renounces for me, what to speak of the gopīs? Though I am the object of meditation for Brahmā, I support them within (bibharmi), or meditate on them. Ādi Purāṇa says:
bhaktā mamānuraktāś ca kati santi na bhūtale
kintu gopījanaḥ prāṇādhika piryatamo mama
There are many devotees and persons attracted to me on earth, but the gopīs are dearer to me than my life.
Because their suffering enters my mind I always feel pain. Or I protect even those whom the gopīs reject such as their husbands, those nourishing their bodies by eating and those women who are chaste and shy. Thus I should protect the gopīs.