Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.29.45-46
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Shares Affectionate Pastimes with the Gopīs
“Śrī Kṛṣṇa went with the gopīs to the bank of the Yamunā, where the sand was cooling and the wind, enlivened by the river’s waves, bore the fragrance of lotuses. There Kṛṣṇa threw His arms around the gopīs and embraced them. He aroused Cupid in the beautiful young ladies of Vraja by touching their hands, hair, thighs, belts and breasts, by playfully scratching them with His fingernails, and also by joking with them, glancing at them and laughing with them. In this way the Lord enjoyed His pastimes.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs went to the bank of the Yamunā, where the sand was cooling.
- The wind, enlivened by the river’s waves, carried the fragrance of lotuses. This was the setting for the Lord’s pastimes.
- Kṛṣṇa embraced the gopīs and awakened their romantic love through affectionate touches, playful joking, glances and laughter.
Try this today
Read these verses attentively as a small act of devotional service, noticing the setting and the Lord’s affection.
Ask yourself
How does this description help you appreciate the personal affection in Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes?
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.