Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.65.14
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesSeparation Reveals the Gopīs’ Deep Love
“Why bother talking about Him, dear gopī? Please talk of something else. If He passes His time without us, then we shall similarly pass ours [without Him].”
What the purport teaches
- The gopīs ask to speak of something other than Kṛṣṇa, saying they will pass their time without Him.
- Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains their hidden meaning: Kṛṣṇa spends His time happily without them, but they are most unhappy without Him.
- They feel that in separation they neither live nor die. They see this as the fate Providence has written for them and wonder what remedy there can be.
Try this today
Read the gopīs’ words slowly, then spend a quiet moment remembering their longing for Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What do the gopīs’ words reveal about how deeply they depend on Kṛṣṇa?
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.