गोप्यस्तपः किमचरन् यदमुष्य रूपं
लावण्यसारमसमोर्ध्वमनन्यसिद्धम् ।
दृग्भिः पिबन्त्यनुसवाभिनवं दुराप-
मेकान्तधाम यशसः श्रिय ऐश्वरस्य ॥
gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ
lāvaṇya-sāram asamorddhvam ananya-siddham |
dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam
ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śriya aiśvarasya ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.44.14; cited in Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.135; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 101, 183; Prīti Sandarbha: 99, 111; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.21.112)
“What austerity did the gopīs perform as a result of which they drink through their eyes his form which is the essence of loveliness, unequalled and unsurpassed, not accomplished otherwise, new at every moment, difficult to attain, and the ultimate reservoir of fame, splendor, and mastery?”
Commentary
aho kaṣṭam, alpa-puṇyā vayaṁ, yato’smābhir anavasare dṛṣṭo’yam, gopyas tu bahu-puṇyā ity āhus tribhiḥ—gopya iti | amuṣya śrī-kṛṣṇasya rūpam aṅgaṁ lāvaṇyena sāraṁ śreṣṭham | kiṁ ca asamordhvaṁ na vidyate samam ūrdhvam adhikaṁ ca yasya tat | tad api nānyenābharaṇādinā siddhaṁ kintu svata eva | aiśvarasyaiśvaryasya caikānta-dhāmāvyabhicāri-sthānam | īśvarasyeti pāṭhe amuṣya īśvarasyety anvayaḥ | evaṁ-bhutaṁ nityaṁ navīnaṁ rūpaṁ yā netraiḥ paśyantīti |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“Aho! Misery! We are of meager merit, since he is seen by us at an inopportune time [i.e., here at the wresting arena in Mathurā], whereas the gopīs are of great merit [since they could see him in secluded forests of Vraja]. This they described with three [verses]: gopyaḥ … [i.e., SB 10.44.14–16]. ‘His form’ (amuṣya rūpaṁ) that is, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s figure, is ‘excellent’ (sāram) by virtue of [its] ‘loveliness’ (lāvaṇya). Moreover, [it is] ‘unequalled and unsurpassed’ (asamordhvaṁ), meaning, [it is] that which has no equal (samam) or superior (ūrdhvam). And it is not accomplished (siddham) by means of another thing, such as ornaments, but rather [is accomplished] verily of its own accord [i.e., the loveliness and unparalleledness of his form are not effected by any externality to it, such as the ornaments upon it, but rather exist by virtue of his form’s own inherent characteristics]. And it is ‘the ultimate reservoir’ (ekānta-dhāma), that is, an invariable site, of ‘mastery’ (aiśvarasya—aiśvaryasya). In the [variant] reading Īśvarasya [in place of aiśvarasya], ‘“his” (amuṣya), Īśvara’s,’ [form] is the syntactical connection (anvaya). They [i.e., the gopīs] see by means of [their] eyes that form of such nature which is ever new [anusavābhinavaṁ].”
adhunā tāsāṁ sarvatraiva sadā śrī-bhagavat-sandarśana-kīrtanādi-parama-sukhānubhava-māhātmyaṁ raṅga-bhūmau praviṣṭaṁ cāṇūreṇa saha niyuddhena krīḍantaṁ śrī-bhagavantaṁ dṛṣṭvā tatrāgatāḥ sarvā yoṣito mithaḥ pūrvavad āhuḥ—gopya ity-ādi-padya-trayam | tatra prathama-ślokena sadā śrī-bhagavad-rūpa-sandarśana-mahāsaubhāgyaṁ varṇayanti—‘gopyas tapaḥ kim’ iti | prasiddhaṁ yad yat tapaḥ, tasyaitādṛśaṁ phalaṁ na śrūyate | ataḥ kiṁ kīdṛśaṁ katarat vā tapaḥ kṛcchrādikaṁ, svadharmācaraṇaṁ vā, mānasaikāgryaṁ vā acaran kṛtavatyaḥ? yad yā iti yena tapaseti vā amuṣya śrī-nanda-nandanasya, tan-nāmāgrahaṇaṁ gauravādinā pūrvavad eva, rūpaṁ śrī-mūrtiṁ saundaryaṁ vā, dṛgbhiḥ māṁsa-cakṣurbhiḥ, pibanti rasanayā amṛtam iva netraiḥ sādaraṁ premṇā paramāsaktyā sākṣāt paśyanti | kathambhūtam? lāvaṇyena sāraṁ śreṣṭham | yad vā, jagati vartamānasya lāvaṇyasya sāro yasmin tat | kiṁ ca, asamordhvaṁ na vidyate avatāra-dṛṣṭyāpi avatāreṣu samam, avatāritvenāpi ūrdhvam adhikaṁ yasya tat | yad vā, na vidyate avatārāvatāry-ādiṣu samaṁ yasya tac ca tad ūrdhvaṁ ca | ata eva sarva-śreṣṭha-parama-kāṣṭhā-prāptam | tad api na anyena ābharaṇādinā siddham, kintu svata eva siddham | yad vā, ata eva na anyasmin kasmiṁścid anyadā vā kadācit siddham, yathoktam uddhavena tṛtīya-skandhe—‘vismāpanaṁ svasya ca saubhaga-rddheḥ paraṁ padaṁ bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇāṅgam’ iti | kiṁ vā, asyaiva vrajād anyatra na kutrāpi siddham sampannam | api ca anusavābhinavaṁ pratikṣaṇam eva nūtanavat pratīyamānaṁ tṛpty-anutpādaka-svabhāvakatvāt, sadā nūtana-vividha-mādhurī-bhaṅgy-ekāspadatvāc ca | yathoktaṁ māghe—‘kṣaṇe kṣaṇe yan navatām upaiti tad eva rūpaṁ ramaṇīyatāyāḥ’ iti | ata eva durāpaṁ gopī-vyatiriktānām aprāpyaṁ sākṣād-anubhavitum aśakyam ity arthaḥ | tāsām apāra-pāravaśyādinā tadīya-mahākautuki-svabhāvena ca durlabham eva vā | na kevalam evaṁ lāvaṇyādinā śreṣṭhatāṁ prāptaḥ, kintu parama-guṇādibhir apīty āhuḥ—yaśasaḥ sat-kīrter ekānta-dhāma avyabhicāri-sthānaṁ, tathā śriyaḥ mahālakṣmyāḥ, yad vā, sarva-śobhā-sampadaḥ, aiśvarasya aiśvaryasya bhaga-śabdādi-vācyasya | evam ākṛtyā prakṛtyā ca parama-saundaryam uktam | ‘īśvarasya’ iti pāṭhe amuṣya viśeṣaṇam | evam api bhakti-bhareṇeśvara-śabda-prayoga iti jñeyam | paśyantīti vartamāna-nirdeśena kadācid apy ayaṁ tāḥ parityajatīti tā vā vicchede api kadācid enaṁ na paśyantīti na hīti sūcyate | atas tā eva paramānirvacanīya-puṇyavatyaḥ, vayaṁ tv imaṁ paśyantyo’pi svalpa-puṇyā eva, yato’sthāne’navasare ca dṛṣṭo’yam asmābhiḥ | kiṁ cāsmākaṁ tādṛśa-premādareṇaiva tadīya-saundaryāmṛta-pānaṁ na kadācid api tathā sambhavatīti |
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.135)
“Upon seeing Śrī Bhagavān entering the arena and playing in combat with Cāṇūra, all the women present there [in Mathurā] now speak, like [they spoke] the previous [verse], the three verses beginning with gopyaḥ … [i.e.. SB 10.44.14–16] amongst one another about the greatness of their [i.e., the Vraja-gopīs’] experience of the paramount bliss of perception, praising (kīrtana), and so forth, of Śrī Bhagavān verily everywhere constantly. Therein, with the first verse [i.e., SB 10.44.14], they describe the [Vraja-gopīs’] tremendous fortune of constant perception of the form of Śrī Bhagavān. ‘What austerity did the gopīs perform?’ Such a result of those austerities which are well known is not heard of [i.e., that anyone would attain from the various types of austerities which we have heard the fortune that the gopīs have attained is totally unheard]. Therefore, what (kim) austerity (tapaḥ), meaning, [austerity] of what nature, or of what extent, did they perform (acaran): [they wonder whether it was] penance, or, observance of personal duty (svadharma), or one-pointedness of mind? Yad means which or austerity as a result of which. ‘His’ (amuṣya) means of the blessed Son of Nanda. The non-mention of his name is out of reverence and so forth [for him] just as previously [they did not mention his name directly in the earlier verses spoken by them]. ‘Form’ (rūpaṁ) refers to [his] blessed figure or [his] beauty. ‘With [their] eyes’ (dṛgbhiḥ) means with [their] eyes of flesh. ‘Drink’ (pibanti) means directly beheld adoringly with prema, that is, with paramount attachment, by means of the eyes, like nectar [is imbibed] by means of the tongue.
“Of what nature [is his form]? ‘Excellent’ (sāram) by virtue of [its] ‘loveliness’ (lāvaṇya). Alternately, [it is] that in which there is the essence (sāram) of the ‘loveliness’ (lāvaṇya) present in the world. Moreover, [it is] ‘unequalled and unsurpassed’ (asamordhvaṁ), meaning, even by means of looking to avatāras, it has no equal (sama) among avatāras, and it is that which has no superior (ūrdhva) even by virtue of being an avatārī [i.e., a source of avatāras, meaning, there is no other form equal to it even among the forms of avatāras and no form superior to it by virtue of being the form of an avatārī]. Alternately, that which has no equal and that has no superior among avatāras, avatārīs, and so forth [is the meaning]. Therefore, [it is] that which is possessed of the pinnacle of superiority to all. And it [i.e., the loveliness and unparalleledness of his form] is not accomplished (siddham) by means of another thing, such as ornaments, but rather is accomplished verily of its own accord [i.e., the loveliness and unparalleledness of his form are not effected by any externality to it, such as the ornaments upon it, but rather exist by virtue of its own inherent characteristics]. Alternately [the sense is as follows], therefore, [that loveliness and unparalleledness] is not accomplished in anyone else or anywhere else, as stated by Uddhava in the Third Canto [i.e., SB 3.2.12], ‘[To show the power of his own yogamāyā, he [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] assumed [that form of his] which is suited to human [-like] līlā,] Which is astonishing even to himself, which is the apogee of the excellence of loveliness, and in which the limbs are the ornaments of the ornaments [upon them].’ Alternately, [the meaning is that] accomplishment, meaning, possession of that [i.e., that loveliness and unparalleledness] specifically never occurs anywhere other than [in] Vraja.
“Furthermore, [his form is] ‘new at every moment’ (anusavābhinavaṁ), that is, perceived as though new verily at every moment on account of being naturally a non-producer of satiation and always being a unique abode of various new expressions of sweetness (mādhurī), as stated in the work of Māgha, ‘Verily that which attains newness at every moment is the characteristic of beauty.’ Therefore, [his form is] ‘difficult to attain’ (durāpam), meaning, unattainable—unable to be directly experienced—for those other than the gopīs, or, verily difficult to attain [even] for them because of their [i.e., the gopīs’] immense dependence and so forth [i.e., the circumstantial obstacles that often obstruct them from beholding Kṛṣṇa] and because of his greatly puckish disposition.
“[His form is] Not just in this way possessed of superiority by virtue of loveliness and so on, but rather also by virtue of paramount qualities and so on. Thus, they say [his form is] ‘the ultimate reservoir’ (ekānta-dhāma), that is, an invariable site, of fame (yaśasaḥ), that is, noble renown, of Śrī (Śriyaḥ), that is, of Mahālakṣmī, or, of the wealth of all splendor, and of ‘mastery’ (aiśvarasya), meaning, the ‘mastery’ (aiśvaryasya) that is the referent of the word bhaga and so on [i.e., that which is alluded to by the term Bhagavān]. In this way, paramount beauty in figure and nature is described.
“In the [variant] reading Īśvarasya [in place of aiśvarasya], [it, i.e., the word Īśvarasya is] a qualifier of ‘his’ (amuṣya). Even in this case, the usage of the word Īśvara is to be understood to be because of an abundance of bhakti [on the part of the women of Mathurā who are speaking]. ‘They [i.e., the gopīs] see’ [i.e., ‘they drink’ (pibanti)]—by means of the specification of the present tense [in this verb in the verse], that he never abandons them [i.e., the gopīs], or, that it is certainly not that even in separation they do not see him, is indicated. Thus, verily they are possessed of supremely ineffable merit (puṇya), whereas we, even though we are seeing him, are verily of meager merit since he is seen by us at any inopportune place and time [i.e., here in Mathurā at the wresting area in the midst of a fight rather than in the secluded forests of Vraja where the gopīs have the fortune to see him]. Furthermore, drinking the nectar of his beauty specifically with the adoration of such prema [as the gopīs have for him] is also never possible for us [since we lack such superlative prema as is found in the gopīs].”
hanta hanta mahāsukṛtina eva vraja-bhūmiṣūtpadyante teṣv api gopī-janāḥ atiśreṣṭhā ity āhuḥ—gopya iti | kim acarann iti bho sakhyas tat-tapaḥ yadi yuyaṁ sarvajñasya kasyacin mukhāt jānītha tadā brūta yathā tad evāsmin janmani kṛtvā vraja-bhūmau gopyo bhavema yat yatas tā amuṣya-rūpaṁ saundaryāmṛtaṁ pibanti vayan tu mathurāsthā asya parābhava-viṣaṁ pītvā ānakha-śikhaṁ jvalāma iti bhāvaḥ | tāsāṁ dṛgbhiḥ pānasyaiva tādṛśaḥ tapaḥ phalam uktvā svāṅgair āliṅganādes tv anirvācya-hetukatvaṁ jñāpitam | kiñ cāsya rūpe lāvaṇyam adhikaṁ vartata ity ata upādīyate iti na vācyaṁ, kintu lāvaṇya-sāraṁ lāvaṇyasyāpi yaḥ sāras tat svarūpam evaitat | nanu svarlokādibhyo’pi nyūne bhūrloke’smiṁś ced evaṁ rūpaṁ dṛśyate tarhi sarvataḥ śreṣṭhe mahāvaikuṇṭha-loke ito’py adhika-madhuraṁ śrī-nārāyaṇasya rūpaṁ bhaved iti tatrāhuḥ—asamordhvam etad-rūpasya samam eva rūpaṁ kvāpi nāsti kim utādhikam iti bhāvaḥ | nanu tarhi kṛṣṇenaitad-rūpaṁ kutaḥ sakāśāt prāptaṁ tatrāhuḥ—ananya-siddham asminn etat svābhāvikam ity arthaḥ | nanv evam apy etad-rūpaḥ tāḥ sadaika-rūpatvena paśyanti cet tadāpi tāsāṁ nāsakṛc camatkāraḥ syāt tatrāhuḥ—anusavābhinavaṁ pratikṣaṇa-nūtanam | evañ cet tarhi tatraiva gatvā anya-deśīyabhir api strībhiḥ sukhenāyaṁ dṛśyatām ity ata āhuḥ—durāpaṁ lakṣmyāpi durlabham | nanu bhavatu nāmāsya saundaryopādhika eva sarvotkarṣaḥ | śrī-nārāyaṇādau tu bhaga-śabda-vācyaṁ ṣaḍ-aiśvaryam adhikaṁ vartate, tatrāhuḥ—ekānteti | yaśa ādy upalakṣitānāṁ ṣaṇṇām eva bhagānāṁ ekānta-dhāma atiśayitam āspadam aiśvarasya aiśvaryasya | īśvarasyety api pāṭhaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“‘Alas! Alas! Only the greatly meritorious (mahāsukṛtinaḥ) are born in the land of Vraja, and even among them, the gopīs are the very best.’ In this manner, they [i.e., the women of Mathurā] say gopyaḥ … [i.e., they speak this verse]. What [austerity] did [the gopīs] perform? O friends! If you have come to know [what] that austerity [is] from the mouth of some all-knowing person, then tell [us] so that we can do that in this birth and become gopīs in the land of Vraja [in our next birth] since (yad) they [i.e., the gopīs] drink his form, that is, the nectar of [his] beauty, whereas we situated in Mathurā drink the poison of his [impending] defeat [in combat with Cāṇūra] and burn [in sorrow] from nails to crown [i.e., from the tips of our toes to the crowns of our heads]. This is the purport. By describing the result of such austerity as being specifically drinking [in the beauty of his form] with their eyes, embracing [him] and so forth with their own limbs’ being of an ineffable cause [beyond even that austerity which was the cause of drinking in his beauty with the eyes] is indicated. Furthermore, it should not be said that [his form] is described [by them] because an abundance of loveliness exists in his form. Rather, this [form of his] is ‘the essence of loveliness’ (lāvayaṇa-sāram) meaning, the essential nature of the essence (sāra) even of loveliness [itself].
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, when his form is seen to be such on this plane of Earth (Bhūloka) below even Svargaloka and other [highly regarded] planes, then the form of Śrī Nārāyaṇa in the plane of Mahāvaikuṇṭha superior even to those [aforementioned higher planes] shall be of greater sweetness.’ To this, they say, ‘unequalled and unsurpassed’ (asamorddhvam), meaning, there is no form equal to this form anywhere, much less one superior [to it]. This is the purport.
“[Another objection is raised:] ‘Well, then from whom was this form attained by Kṛṣṇa?’ To this, they say, ‘not accomplished otherwise’ (ananya-siddham), meaning, this [form] is inherent in him [i.e., he possesses this form by virtue of his own essential nature and not by having acquired it from anyone or anything external to himself]. This is the meaning.
“[Another objection is raised:] ‘Well, even in that case, if they see this form at all times within uniformity [i.e., in the same manner all the time], then their astonishment shall not occur continuously.’ To this, they say [his form appears to them to be] ‘new at every moment’ (anusavābhinavam).
“[Another objection is raised:] ‘If that is the case, then women even from other countries would go there specifically [i.e., to Vraja] and behold him with bliss [and it is well known no women have ever actually done that]. Thus, they say [his form is] ‘difficult to attain’ (durāpam), meaning, difficult to attain even for Lakṣmī.
“[Another objection is raised:] ‘Well, let his verily exceeding beauty be excellent above all. In Śrī Nārāyaṇa and so forth, however, the six aiśvaryas, the referent of the word “excellence” (bhaga) [in the name Bhagavān], exist in greater measure.’ To this, they say [his form is] ‘the ultimate reservoir of fame, splendor, and mastery (aiśvarya)’ (ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śriya aiśvarasya), meaning, [his form is] the [all-] exceeding abode verily of the six excellences (bhagas), the indicators of which are the ‘fame’ (yaśas) and so forth [mentioned in the verse]. ‘Mastery’ (aiśvarasya) means aiśvaryasya, and Īśvarasya is another reading [i.e., the sense is that his form is the all-exceeding abode of fame, splendor and mastery (aiśvarasya—aiśvaryasya), or, that the form of he, Īśvara, is the all-exceeding abode of fame and splendor, which in either case indicates that Śrī Kṛṣṇa possesses to an unparalleled extent the six bhagas, syn., aiśvaryas, that are the essential characteristics of Śrī Bhagavān, and thus Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate manifestation of Śrī Bhagavān, which is to say, he is Bhagavān himself (svayam) and superior to Śrī Nārāyaṇa].”