SB 10.47.21

SB 10.47.21

Devanagari

अपि बत मधुपुर्यामार्यपुत्रोऽधुनास्ते स्मरति स पितृगेहान् सौम्य बन्धूंश्च गोपान् । क्व‍‍चिदपि स कथा न: किङ्करीणां गृणीते भुजमगुरुसुगन्धं मूर्ध्‍न्यधास्यत् कदा नु ॥ २१ ॥

Verse text

api bata madhu-puryām ārya-putro ’dhunāste smarati sa pitṛ-gehān saumya bandhūṁś ca gopān kvacid api sa kathā naḥ kiṅkarīṇāṁ gṛṇīte bhujam aguru-sugandhaṁ mūrdhny adhāsyat kadā nu

Synonyms

api certainly ; bata regrettable ; madhu puryām — in the city of Mathurā ; ārya putraḥ — the son of Nanda Mahārāja ; adhunā now ; āste resides ; smarati remembers ; saḥ He ; pitṛ gehān — the household affairs of His father ; saumya O great soul (Uddhava) ; bandhūn His friends ; ca and ; gopān the cowherd boys ; kvacit sometimes ; api or ; saḥ He ; kathāḥ talks ; naḥ of us ; kiṅkarīṇām of the maidservants ; gṛṇīte relates ; bhujam hand ; aguru su — gandham — having the fragrance of aguru ; mūrdhni on the head ; adhāsyat will keep ; kadā when ; nu maybe .

Translation

O Uddhava! It is indeed regrettable that Kṛṣṇa resides in Mathurā. Does He remember His father’s household affairs and His friends, the cowherd boys? O great soul! Does He ever talk about us, His maidservants? When will He lay on our heads His aguru-scented hand?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O Uddhava! It is indeed regrettable that Kṛṣṇa resides in Mathurā. Does He remember His father's household affairs and His friends, the cowherd boys? O great soul! Does He ever talk about us, His maidservants? When will He lay on our heads His aguru-scented hand? KB 10.47.21 “Please let Me know how Kṛṣṇa is faring in Mathurā. Tell Me if He still remembers His foster father, Nanda Mahārāja, His affectionate mother, Yaśodā, His cowherd friends and His poor friends like us, the gopīs. I am sure He must sometimes sing about us, who served Him just like maidservants, without any payment. Is there any possibility that Kṛṣṇa will come back and place His aguru-scented hand on our heads? Please put all these inquiries to Kṛṣṇa.”

Purport

The translation and word meanings for this verse are taken from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 6.68) . Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī writes very poetically, with deep spiritual insight, about the emotions expressed in this and the previous nine verses. He interprets Rādhārāṇī’s feelings as follows: Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī thought, “Since Kṛṣṇa was once satisfied in Vraja but left for Mathurā City, won’t He also develop a desire to leave that place and go somewhere else? Mathurā is so close to Vṛndāvana that it’s possible He may even come back here. “Kṛṣṇa is the son of a respectable gentleman, Nanda Mahārāja, so He must be staying in Mathurā because of His sense of obligation to His father, who authorized His going there. On the other hand, while Nanda’s whole life is dedicated exclusively to Kṛṣṇa, Nanda is so innocent that he allowed himself to be tricked by the Yadus, who brought Kṛṣṇa to Mathurā. Kṛṣṇa must be thinking, ‘Alas, alas! Since even My father could not bring Me back to Vraja, what can I do to return there?’ Thus Kṛṣṇa must be impatient to come back here, and so He has sent you, a messenger. “It is only because Nanda is so innocent that he allowed his son to leave. If Nanda had allowed Kṛṣṇa’s mother, the queen of Vraja, to do so, she would have climbed onto Akrūra’s chariot and, holding her son by the neck, gone off to Mathurā with Him, followed by all the gopīs. But this was not possible. “Ever since Kṛṣṇa left, Nanda has been stunned by separation from Him, and Nanda’s treasury rooms, storehouses, kitchens, sleeping quarters, opulent houses and so on are now vacant. Unswept and uncleansed, they are littered with grass, dust, leaves and cobwebs. Does Kṛṣṇa ever remember His father’s houses? And does He sometimes remember Subala and His other friends, who are now lying stunned in other neglected houses? “The women in Mathurā who now associate with Kṛṣṇa cannot know how to serve Him in the way that pleases Him most. When they see He is not satisfied and ask how they can make Him happy, does He tell them about us gopīs? “Kṛṣṇa must tell them, ‘You city ladies cannot please Me as much as the gopīs of Vraja. They are most expert in stringing flower garlands, perfuming their bodies with ointments, playing various rhythms and melodies on stringed instruments, dancing and singing in the rāsa performance, displaying their beauty, charm and cleverness, and skillfully playing at questions and answers. They are especially expert in the pastimes of meeting one’s lover and showing jealous anger and other signs of pure love and affection.’ Surely Kṛṣṇa must know this. Therefore He’ll probably tell the women of Mathurā, ‘My dear women of the Yadu clan, please go back to your families. I no longer desire to associate with you. In fact, I’m going back to Vraja early tomorrow morning.’ “When will Kṛṣṇa speak like this and come back here to place His hand, fragrant with aguru, on our heads? Then He will console us, saying, ‘O beloveds of My heart, I swear to you that I will never abandon you again and go elsewhere. Indeed, I have not been able to find anyone in all the three worlds with even a trace of your good qualities.’” Thus Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī interprets the feelings of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The ācārya further explains that the present text displays the speech called sujalpa, as described by Rūpa Gosvāmī: yatrārjavāt sa-gāmbhīryaṁ sa-dainyaṁ saha-cāpalam sotkaṇṭhaṁ ca hariḥ pṛṣṭaḥ sa sujalpo nigadyate “When, out of honest sincerity, a lover questions Śrī Hari with gravity, humility, unsteadiness and eagerness, such speech is known as sujalpa. ” ( Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi 14.200) Concluding this section of Chapter Forty-seven, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that there are ten divisions of divine madness ( divyonmāda ), which are expressed by the ten divisions of citra-jalpa, or variegated speech. Such divine madness is shown in the special pastime of bewilderment, which is itself part of the supreme bliss, mahā-bhāva, of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The ācārya quotes the following verses from Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi (14.174, 178-80) to explain these ecstasies: prāyo vṛndāvaneśvaryāṁ mohano ’yam udaṣcati etasya mohanākhyasya gatiṁ kām apy upeyuṣaḥ bhramābhā kāpi vaicitrī divyonmāda itīryate udghūrṇā citra-jalpādyās tad-bhedā bahavo matāḥ preṣṭhasya suhṛd-āloke gūḍha-roṣābhijṛmbhitaḥ bhūri-bhāva-mayo jalpo yas tīvrotkaṇṭhitāntimaḥ citra-jalpo daśāṅgo ’yaṁ prajalpaḥ parijalpitaḥ vijalpo ’jjalpa-saṣjalpaḥ avajalpo ’bhijalpitam ājalpaḥ pratijalpaś ca sujalpaś ceti kīrtitaḥ “It is virtually only within the princess of Vṛndāvana [Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī] that the ecstasy of bewilderment arises. She has attained to a special stage of this bewilderment, a wonderful state that resembles delusion. Known as divyonmāda, it has many aspects, which come and go unsteadily, and one of these manifestations is citra-jalpa. This talk, induced by Her seeing Her beloved’s friend, is filled with covered anger and comprises many different ecstasies. It culminates in Her intense, anxious eagerness. “This citra-jalpa has ten divisions, known as prajalpa, parijalpa, vijalpa, ujjalpa, saṣjalpa, avajalpa, abhijalpa, ājalpa, pratijalpa and sujalpa. ” Finally, some authorities say that Kṛṣṇa Himself, eager to drink the sweetness of His beloved’s speech, assumed the form of the messenger bee.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"Oh, in my madness I have been talking, but did not ask the questions I should have." With repentence she spoke with respect. "Is the noble son in Mathura now? Just as he left Vraja, will he also leave Mathura? " By this she hints that he may develop the desire to come here, because it is not so far from Mathura. She did not ask if he was happy there, but simply asked if he were there. This revealed her thoughts. "Because he was cheated by the Yadus, the son of noble, devoted Nanda, suffering there in remembrance of our love, is residing there in great difficulty. He is thinking, 'Even my father cannot bring me to Vraja. By what means can I go to Vraja?' Not tolerating his own delay, he has sent you here as a messenger. Therefore there is no fault if he is still in Mathura, because he is the son of Nanda. Nanda is noble, simple minded, and without keen foresight of the consequences. Who could know that such a father could leave such a son and return to Vraja empty handed? If she had known, the queen of Vraja Yasoda would have climbed up on Akrura’s chariot, sat there, hugging her child, and gone off to Mathura. The gopis would have followed after him. The father's good nature has been the cause of our destruction. "Does Krnsa remember all the houses of Nanda? When the cheater Vasudeva snatched away the son of simple hearted Nanda, Nanda returned to Vraja and remained in a stunned state. Does Krsna sometimes remember those rooms, the storeroom, the kitchen, the bedroom, which now are empy, uncleaned, and filled with grass, dust, leaves and spider webs? Does he remember his friends like Subala who now remains stunned in other houses? "Sometimes, when other women cannot please him by their service, and they cannot understand how to make him happy, and they ask what will make him happy, does he speak about us servants to them? Does he say,'You cannot please me as do my gopis in Vraja, in stringing flower garlands, smearing ointments, putting on ornaments, preparing betel nut, playing the vina, creating wonderful melodies and beats, in singing and dancing, in beauty and youthfulness, in exchanging questions and answers, in union, and in all the stages of prema, sneha, mana and pranaya. Oh Yadu women, therefore you should go to your husbands. I do not need you at all. I will go to Vraja tomorrow morning.' "Saying this, when will he come here, when will he hold our heads in his arms, fragrant with aguru. He will console us saying, 'O gopis dear to my life, I make this vow before you. I will never give you up and go elsewhere. I have not found even a particle of anyone like you in the three worlds.' The first line of the verse shows simplicity. The second line shows gravity in not mentioning oneself, the third and fourth line show humility, unsteadiness and eagerness. This verse is an example of sujalpa. "Sujalpa refers to asking about Krsna with simplicity, gravity, humility, unsteadiness and eagerness." These ten types of divya unmada or transcendental madness are together called citra jalpa. These ten types of madness appear in Radha in her manfestation of mohana, the most excellent part of mahabhava. "Mohana arises primarily in Radha, and reaches an indescribable state, resembling delusion. It is then called divyonmada. It has many varieties such as udgirna and citrajalpa. This ecstatic talk, induced by seeing a friend of ones beloved, and filled with covered anger, culminates in extreme eagerness. The ten types of citra jalpa are: prajalpa, parijalpa, vijalpa, ujjalpa, sanjalpa, avajalpa, abhijalpa, ajalpa, pratijalpa and sujalpa." Some say that Krsna assumed the form of the bee in order to drink the sweetness of Radha’s citrajalpa.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Ah! What have I been saying? I have not asked what I should have asked. Finally with sincerity, gravity, humility, fickleness, and longing, with tears and choked voice she inquires from Uddhava. Api indicates a question. This should be understood for all the statements in the verse. O messenger (bata)! By convention ārya-putra refers to the son of the elderly Nanda. But he is actually our husband. The perception of other persons being our husbands is only an appearance. No one in any other place has had the bhāvas that we experienced for him from his childhood. It was said: iti gopyo hi govinde gata-vāk-kāya-mānasāḥ kṛṣṇa-dūte samāyāte uddhave tyakta-laukikāḥ The gopīs, whose words, bodies and minds were fully dedicated to Govinda, put aside all their regular work now that Kṛṣṇa’s messenger, Uddhava, had arrived among them. SB 10.47.9 In addressing Kṛṣṇa as ārya-putra, Rādhā shows straightforwardness or sincerity. Is he now in Mathura? First she asks this question, since there has been no news of him for a long time and as well she had heard that he had gone far away to the gurukula. On hearing this, out of pain, she asks this question first. Now she does not put on a pretense of anger. Nanda also did not ask this question. No news was heard because it was forbidden. He lived in Avantī secretly performing gāyatrī puraścaraṇa. He feared Jarāsandha and others would attack Mathurā if they learned he was absent from Mathurā. He also worried that the people of Vraja would be in great sorrow if they heard he was far away. Not knowing he had gone elsewhere, in asking the question she expresses censure. This indicates her gravity (gāmbhīrya). “O lady! He is living there happily.” Fearing such an answer, she asks, “Does he remember his parents and others in Vraja?” Dissatisfied with her previous question she asks many questions in succession. Included in that question is a question about the houses of Vraja. He now lives in Mathurā, and will stay in that attractive place a long time, or is delayed there. But he is the only cause of living for the people of Vraja. Does the son of Nanda remember the houses of his father since he was born there? There were many houses because Nanda, going here and there in Vraja, built many houses in various places for the joy of his son, or because there were many palaces in Nandīśvara. The word “houses” indicates the places of various pastimes in which his mother and father cared for him during his infancy. Does he remember his relatives (bandhūn) such as Upananda and the cowherd boys like Śrīdāmā? Does he, the friend of Śrīdāmā, or the master of us gopīs, at some time or somewhere (kvacit) talk about us, since we are qualified by being his servants, having rendered him much service? This indicates humility (dainyam). Kathāḥ is in the plural because there are many servants in Vraja and many details in each topic. The topics were compositions with many incidents of various types. Another version has kathām in the singular. When will he place his arm, fragrant with aguru, on our heads? She experiences the fragrance by intense meditation. This indicates her absorption in longing. Placing his arm on their heads to remove all obstacles indicates humility as his servants. This shows fickleness (cāpalam). By asking when this will happen, with the expression of uncertainty, she shows great despondency. The word nu indicates conjecture. After considering she remains uncertain. This shows the height of the greatest longing. By addressing Kṛṣṇa as ārya-putra she established herself as his wife. However later in the verse she thinks of herself as a servant, out of humility and lowness. However she is actually his wife. Similarly the unmarried gopīs said: nanda-gopa-sutaṁ devi patiṁ me kuru te namaḥ O great potency of the Lord, O possessor of great mystic power and mighty controller of all, please make the son of Nanda Mahārāja my husband. SB 10.22.4 śyāmasundara te dāsyaḥ karavāma tavoditam O Śyāmasundara, we are your maidservants and must do whatever you say. SB 10.22.15 Kālindī says ahaṁ tad-gṛha-mārjanī: Now I am engaged as a sweeper in his palace. SB 10.83.11 Bata can also indicate lamentation. Why is he still in Mathurā? He should not stay there forever, but should come here quickly since he is Nanda’s son (ārya-putra). His friends are all of good quality (saumya-bandhūn), and thus should be remembered.