Verse Seven
gopya ücuù
akñaëvatäà phalam idaà na paraà vidämaù
sakhyaù paçün anuviveçayator vayasyaiù
vaktraà vrajeça-sutayor anuveëu-juñöaà
yair vä nipétam anurakta-kaöäkña-mokñam
gopya ücuù – the gopés said; akñanvatäm – of those who have
eyes; phalam – success; idam – this (beautiful sight of Çré Kåñëa
as He enters Våndävana with the cows and cowherd boys);
na – not; param – other (success of the eyes); vidämaù – we
know; sakhyaù – O friends; paçün – the cows; anuviveçayatoù –
entering one forest after another; vayasyaiù – with Their
friends of the same age; vaktraà – the sweetness of Their faces;
vrajeça – of Nanda Mahäräja; sutayoù – of the two sons Kåñëa
and Balaräma, or Kåñëa, the son of King Nanda, and Rädhikä,
the daughter of King Våñabhänu (in other words, Rädhä and
Kåñëa); anu-veëu-juñöaà – following behind and touching the
flute to His lips; yaiù – by which; vä – and; nipétam – drinking
(the nectar of Kåñëa’s sidelong glances); anurakta – filled with
love; kaöäkña – sidelong glances; mokñam – pouring on (smiles,
laughter and sidelong glances).
Translation
The gopés said to their most intimate friends, “O sakhés!
Just see! How can we find words to express the indescribable
fortune of one whose eyes behold the imperishable beauty of
the two sons of Mahäräja Nanda, Çré Kåñëa and Baladeva,
as They enter Våndävana with the cowherd boys and cows?
They hold Their flutes to Their lips and smile mildly while
lovingly showering sidelong glances upon us. At that time we
drink the sweetness of Their faces.”
The gopés, totally mad for Kåñëa, are filled with the deepest
sentiments of love. Without their grace it is impossible
to understand the words they speak to express the feelings
overflowing from their hearts. That is why Çréla Jéva Gosvämé,
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura and other commentators
have prayed to the gopés for their blessings. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé
has written in Vaiñëava-toñaëé (The Commentary that
Satisfies the Vaiñëavas):
yäñäà budhyate väg-artho yäñäm eva prasädataù
gopéù prapadye tä yäbhiù sa gambhéräçayo jitaù
“I take shelter at the lotus feet of the gopés. By their
mercy only can one understand the meaning of their words
in the Veëu-géta. What more can I say about their glories?
Even Svayaà Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa Himself, whose heart is
extremely deep, is constantly conquered by their love.”
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura has written in his
commentary Särärtha-darçiné (The Commentary that Reveals
the Essential Meanings):
veëu-näda-sudhä-våñöyä niñkramayyokti-mädhurém
yäñäà na päyayäm äsa kåñëas tä eva no gatiù
“The shower of nectar in the form of Kåñëa’s veëu-näda
made the gopés delirious, forcing them to come out of their
houses to drink the sweetness of His song. Those gopés are
our only refuge.”
In Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi-lélä 4.95) the beautiful
nature and form of the crown jewel of all gopés, Çrématé
Rädhikä, has also been described:
jagat-mohana kåñëa taìhära mohiné
ataeva samastera parä öhäkuräëé
“That very Çré Kåñëa, who attracts the entire universe
with His beauty, qualities, pastimes, nature, opulence,
sweetness and other aspects, is Himself attracted and
rendered helpless by the unparalleled and unsurpassed
love of Våñabhänu-nandiné Çrématé Rädhikä. She is the
most supremely accomplished of all in the art of love and
affection, the embodiment of mahäbhäva, and extremely
dear to Çré Kåñëa. Indeed, She is the Goddess of He who
is the God of the entire creation. Therefore, She is the
greatest of the great, surpassing all transcendental limits.”
Without Her causeless mercy, it is not possible to
understand the depth of Her moods and words. For this
reason the commentators have prayed to Her venerable lotus
feet for Her causeless mercy.
Hearing Kåñëa’s alluring veëu-näda, the gopés became
extremely restless in their desire to meet with Him.
Sitting in seclusion in their homes, they were discussing
the veëu-näda with their closest friends while looking with
great thirst towards the path Kåñëa took on His way to the
forest. As soon as they started to talk about the lovely melody
of the flute, they saw with their eyes of bhäva a vision of
Kåñëa’s enchanting form and were overwhelmed in love.
Their throats choked up, their hearts stopped beating, and
they stood silent for some time. After their bhäva was pacified
a bit, they patiently concealed their inner mood by indirectly
hinting at Kåñëa’s sweetness. They spoke with each other:
akñaëvatäà phalam idam na param vidämaù. “Dear sakhés,
you have chained yourselves in the net of household life
and are wasting your eyes and other senses that the Creator
has given you. You should try to escape from the prison of
your houses as soon as possible. Come running with us to the
Våndävana forest and there make your eyes, other senses and
your very lives successful by seeing something indescribable
and extraordinarily amazing.” With this intent the verse
akñaëvatäà phalam idam has been spoken.
The kåñëänuräginé vraja-ramaëés, who know only Kåñëa and
who are themselves the essence of His life, were engaged in
talking with their confidential friends about the enchantingly
sweet sound of the flute. But then a vision of Kåñëa’s charming
form came in their hearts, rendering them unable to reveal their
innermost feelings. Even in front of their dearest sakhés, who as
their alter egos had the very same desires, they were hesitant to
reveal their feelings of love for Kåñëa and their anxiety to meet
with Him. Therefore, in order to hide their prema for Him,
they described not only Kåñëa’s beautiful form but Balaräma’s
beauty as well. By doing this their innermost feelings – their
intimate relationship with Kåñëa and their eagerness to meet
with Him – were not disclosed to others. But it was not possible
to hide their deep affection for Kåñëa from their similar-hearted
priya-narma-sakhés. Being influenced by shyness, self-control
and other such qualities which naturally accompany prema, they
continued their attempt to hide the feelings in their hearts but
were not successful.
The vraja-ramaëés, consumed with love for Kåñëa, began
telling their sakhés in sweet gentle voices, “For one who
eyes, this vision is the sole purpose and perfection of those
eyes. Dear sakhés, beyond this there is nothing.” Helplessly
melting in prema, the gopés forgot to tell for what purpose the
eyes exist and were only able to say that this is the success
of the eyes. They were incapable of mentioning the beauty,
qualities and other special endearing aspects of the object
that was making their eyes worthwhile. Being thoroughly
astonished and wonder-struck, they were only able to hint,
“This is it... There is nothing more.”
After regaining their composure, they continued: paçün
anu-viveçayator vayasyaiù. “Sakhé! Çré Kåñëa and Baladeva enter
one forest after another, surrounded by Their innumerable
cowherd friends of the same age, such as Çrédämä, Subala and
Madhumaìgala. They follow behind the cows‚ driving them
towards Våndävana while calling out sweet words containing
many secret signals. Only those eyes are successful that have
tasted the sweetness of the lotus faces of the sons of the king of
Vraja, Vrajaräja-nandana Çré Kåñëa and Balaräma. The eyes of
those who have not received the fortune of tasting this nectar
are useless. The Creator has made their eyes in vain.”
It is stated in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä 2.29):
vaàçé-gänämåta-dhäma, lävaëyämåta janma-sthäna
ye nä dekhe se cända vadana
se nayane kiba käja, paòuka tära muëòe bäja,
se nayana rahe ki käraëa
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, deeply absorbed in the loving
moods of Çré Rädhä, cried bitterly to Çré Räya Rämänanda
and Svarüpa Dämodara, “The lotus face of our beloved
Vrajendra-nandana Çré Kåñëa defeats the beauty of millions
upon millions of moons. That face is the glowing reservoir of
complete, nectarean loveliness and the abode of the ambrosial
songs of His flute. The eyes of those who have not seen this
moon-like face are useless. Their heads should be struck with
a thunderbolt. What is the necessity of such useless eyes?”
Various commentators have offered many different
explanations of the phrase vrajeça-sutayoù, and a few of
their deliberations are given here. The gopés are calling
both Kåñëa and Baladeva vrajeça-sutayoù, the sons of the
king of Vraja. Despite not being a son of Vrajaräja Nanda,
Balarämajé is also called vrajeça-suta because, according to
the Hari-vaàça Puräëa, His father Çré Vasudeva was also the
master of large herds of cows: vasudeva iti khyäta goñu tiñöhati
bhütale. Therefore, he can also be called vrajeça. Vasudeva was
famous in Vraja-maëòala as such, and that is why it is not
improper to call his son vrajeça-suta. According to another
explanation, Baladevajé was born in Nanda’s Vraja, and from
the time of His birth Nanda Mahäräja had brought Him up like
his very own son. Because Nanda and Yaçodä affectionately
raised Him, no one can deny that He is their son.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.5) describes that after Kåñëa’s
birth Vrajaräja Nanda, the king of Vraja, went to Mathurä
to pay taxes to Kaàsa. There he met the respected Vasudeva
who said to him:
bhrätar mama sutaù kaçcin mäträ saha bhavad vraje
tätaà bhavantaà manväno bhavadbhyäm upalälitaù
“Brother Nanda! It is a great joy to know that you have
been blessed with a son in your advanced age [after age
fifty]. My son, together with His mother, is also living in
your home. You care for Him with much love and affection,
and therefore He sees you as His father.”
These words spoken by Vasudevajé further confirm
Baladeva as vrajeça-suta. When Balarämajé came from
Dvärakä to console the Vrajaväsés, He offered praëäma to
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