Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.11.7
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Supreme Lord Follows the Gopīs’ Wishes
“The gopīs would say, “If You dance, my dear Kṛṣṇa, then I shall give You half a sweetmeat.” By saying these words or by clapping their hands, all the gopīs encouraged Kṛṣṇa in different ways. At such times, although He was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, He would smile and dance according to their desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands. Sometimes He would sing very loudly, at their bidding. In this way, Kṛṣṇa came completely under the control of the gopīs.”
What the purport teaches
- The gopīs encouraged Kṛṣṇa to dance by offering half a sweetmeat or clapping their hands.
- Although He was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa smiled and danced according to their desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands.
- Sometimes He sang very loudly at their bidding. In this way, Kṛṣṇa came completely under the control of the gopīs.
Try this today
Read this scene aloud once, giving attention to Kṛṣṇa’s smile and His response to the gopīs.
Ask yourself
What touches you about the supremely powerful Lord smiling and following the gopīs’ wishes?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.