Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.47.16
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Pain Behind Refusing Reconciliation
“Keep your head off My feet! I know what you’re doing. You expertly learned diplomacy from Mukunda, and now you come as His messenger with flattering words. But He abandoned those who for His sake alone gave up their children, husbands and all other relations. He’s simply ungrateful. Why should I make up with Him now?”
What the purport teaches
- Rādhārāṇī rejects the bee’s apparent attempt at reconciliation. She says it has learned diplomacy and flattering speech from Mukunda.
- She recalls that the gopīs gave up children, husbands and other relations for His sake alone. Feeling abandoned, She questions why She should reconcile with Him.
- The purport calls this sañjalpa: speech that reproaches the beloved’s perceived ungratefulness with deep irony and insulting gestures. It also conveys a perception of hardheartedness, hostility and lack of love.
Try this today
Spend one minute rereading the words “for His sake alone” and reflecting on the devotion they express.
Ask yourself
How does remembering the gopīs’ dedication help me hear the pain in this verse?
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.