Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.35.16-17
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Gopīs Remain Absorbed in Kṛṣṇa
“As Kṛṣṇa strolls through Vraja with His lotus-petal-like feet, marking the ground with the distinctive emblems of flag, thunderbolt, lotus and elephant goad, He relieves the distress the ground feels from the cows’ hooves. As He plays His renowned flute, His body moves with the grace of an elephant. Thus we gopīs, who become agitated by Cupid when Kṛṣṇa playfully glances at us, stand as still as trees, unaware that our hair and garments are slackening.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa’s lotus-petal-like feet bear distinctive emblems and relieve the ground’s distress from the cows’ hooves.
- Mother Yaśodā is no longer present as the gopīs confidentially describe their conjugal attraction to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. His playful glances leave them standing motionless and unaware of their loosening hair and garments.
- The statements in this chapter were spoken at various times and places. This is natural because the gopīs were always absorbed in thoughts of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, day and night.
Try this today
Pause once today to remember Kṛṣṇa walking through Vraja with His lotus-petal-like feet.
Ask yourself
What does the gopīs’ constant remembrance suggest about giving Kṛṣṇa a place in your day?
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.