Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.29.19
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyKṛṣṇa’s Words Both Tease and Enchant
“This night is quite frightening, and frightening creatures are lurking about. Return to Vraja, slender-waisted girls. This is not a proper place for women.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa tells the gopīs that the night and forest are dangerous and that they should return to Vraja. In this reading, He continues to tease them.
- The purport explains that the Sanskrit also permits the opposite meaning: the night is auspicious, and they should remain with Him without fear.
- Kṛṣṇa thus simultaneously teases and enchants the gopīs. His words hint at His own eagerness for their company.
Try this today
Reread Kṛṣṇa’s words once, then read their alternative meaning in the purport.
Ask yourself
How does the purport help me see affection beneath Kṛṣṇa’s apparently discouraging words?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.