Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.39.28
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesTheir True Desire Is Kṛṣṇa's Association
“Let us directly approach Mādhava and stop Him from going. What can our family elders and other relatives do to us? Now that fate is separating us from Mukunda, our hearts are already wretched, for we cannot bear to give up His association even for a fraction of a second.”
What the purport teaches
- The gopīs propose approaching Kṛṣṇa, pulling at His clothes and hands, and insisting that He leave the chariot and stay.
- Some fear that their relatives will discover their secret love and abandon them. Others feel they have nothing to lose now that Kṛṣṇa is leaving.
- Even punishment seems bearable if Kṛṣṇa remains in their village. They imagine staying alive on remnants of His food brought by their girlfriends.
Try this today
Set aside one small convenience today to make time for remembering Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What does their willingness to endure hardship reveal about their desire for Kṛṣṇa's association?
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.