Gopala Champu

35] Finding no other alternative, Kṛṣṇa, though fearing the glances of eyes, like being beaten with a stick, when the gopīs did not accept to be controlled, began playing his flute to control them.

[36] It will be said in this regard by the gopīs, “O pious mother Yaśodā, your son, who is expert in all the arts of herding cows, has invented many new styles of flute-playing.” (SB 10.35.14)

[37] First, with absorption, he played tunes on the flute in the company of Balarāma.

[38] When he would herd the cows in the forest potent with love, he would astonish his friends who were beyond material conception by joyfully playing his flute daily, displaying the highest excellence, along with Balarāma, who was decorated with most attractive qualities.

[39] The gopīs then had a full experience of Kṛṣṇa’s sphūrti.

[40] This occurred regularly since the nature of prema is that the sought object becomes its target from far off.

The logicians class arthāpatti (inference from circumstance) as part of inference. Thus one can easily infer that all the women were Kṛṣṇa’s lovers. ||39||

[41] The gopīs, whose hearts were inundated with prema, dried up because of suffering to attain Kṛṣṇa, but they did not pay attention to their suffering.

[42] There were Rādhā’s sakhīs like Viśākhā and Lalitā (also called Anurādhā) and Candrāvalī’s sakhīs like Śaibya and Padmā. Among them, they revealed their desires confidentially, expressing their fixed love. Though he was covered somewhat by association with Balarāma, they began describing Kṛṣṇa with incomplete words.

[43] Their song:

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, dressing up, sang skillfully with their friends.

They covered their pure heads with the best buds from the mango tree, which had been nourished by its sap. They were at the stage of new youth, expressed through the new buds. They had a strong desire for action.

They had lovely peacock feathers in their hair, along with gems. They appeared to be wearing a small portion of a cloud accompanied by constellations and a rainbow.

Their ears were wonderfully ornamented with fresh blue lotuses. The boys showed eagerness for the bees which asked, “What creeper is that?”

Twirling lotuses in their hands they displayed the highest attractiveness, attracting the bees with a pleasant shower of sweetness.

Their strong bodies were worshiped by the fragrance of their garlands, surrounded by the bees. They had an extraordinary dress in the form of the loud humming of bees.

One was white with blue cloth and the other was blue with yellow cloth. When they bring the cows to Gokula our distress will disappear. ||40||

[44] All became absorbed in Kṛṣṇa as he approached Gokula: “Ah! When we see the two brothers enter Vraja with their friends and cows, our eyes reach perfection. The younger brother has a lotus face, shining with a flute, with eyes which are the essence of all arts.” ||41||

[45] This is suggested:

When he goes about, frolicking and singing with his friends and the cows, his eyes with restless pupils, moving like pearls on a necklace, pierce our hearts. ||42||

Thus the eyes of a noble woman who is enchanted by the flute player who gives her bliss have reached perfection. ||43||

[46] Overcoming shyness to some extent to reveal his desire when he noticed the gopīs’ affection and having great intelligence corresponding to the strength of his pleasurable awareness of their feelings, while glancing at Balarāma, he then began improvising on his flute with amazing skill, increasing the beauty of the music at every moment, on the pretext of playing for only Balarāma. All the gopīs at once became enchanted.

[47] The women of Vraja, shy to reveal their love, describe Kṛṣṇa while indicating Balarāma.

Holding their sticks and ropes, wandering in various forests to herd the cows while playing their flutes, making the mountains move and the water motionless, they make lifeless entities manifest opposite qualities. ||44||

[48] The following is suggested:

Of the two who destroy everyone’s dharma, Kṛṣṇa completely uproots our sense of dharma. ||45||

[49] Thinking that by playing songs in this way everyone would become bewildered, Kṛṣṇa then considered:

[50] I desire that all of them will become bewildered and attracted, and especially Rādhā, just as the brāhmaṇa is special among the jīvas. I will endeavor to play the flute so that gradually bewilderment, attachment, or both will appear. This will occur by the appearance of the essence of notes most desired by the sense objects.

[51] Considering this, in order to carry out a test, he began bringing under control all animals. But he only managed to agitate the hearts of the gopīs (not control them.)

[52] First the cows reacted on hearing the flute.

Kṛṣṇa’s face showered nectar through the song of his flute and the cows drank it by their ears which served as their tongues. And their tongues became stunned, not able to taste grass: “Is this nectar? Can it not be tasted? To what can it be compared? What is the purpose of the nectar?” ||46||

[53] This is suggested:

On hearing the flute we and the cows attained the same state, but there is some difference. The cows at every moment gaze at his moon-like face but we do not know in which yuga we will gaze upon his face. ||47||

[54] On another day, playing another tune, he attracted and enchanted the other animals.

The animals and birds became so enchanted by the sound of the flute that it seemed as if they had been caged. ||48||

[55] This affected the gopīs.

Vṛndāvana broadcast the glories of the earth, for here Kṛṣṇa personally played while marking the land with his lotus feet. By the sound of his flute the peacocks danced and the wild animals became civilized. Vṛndāvana had become a dancing arena. ||49||

[56] This is suggested:

We do not have the capacity to attain the good fortune of Vṛndāvana. We worship the peacocks because of their good fortune at every moment. The domestic animals in the house are worthy of worship. We are more condemned than the animals since they can freely see Kṛṣṇa, whereas we cannot even see his shadow. ||50||

[57] Apart from the domestic animals, on another day the deer became controlled by his flute. The gopīs described this in a similar manner:

How amazing! The does gather with the bucks and though of low intelligence, surpass you in their worship. Hearing the flute, they go towards Kṛṣṇa, and, stunned by his beauty, worship him with the corners of their eyes with great love. ||51||

[58] This also is suggested:

We who are women by birth are respected by the respectable. Our husbands live in Vraja famous for love of Kṛṣṇa. But the does are not like us. They go with their husbands towards Kṛṣṇa. We are so sinful! We cannot be equal to the does. ||52||

[59] On another day, the birds became transformed. This was described by the gopīs.

We know for certain the birds in this forest are sages and Kṛṣṇa is their guru. It cannot be otherwise. He has done this astonishing thing. They are all absorbed in listening, maintaining a vow of silence. ||53||

[60] They also suggested this despondently:

Since he and they are dwelling here as sages, it is not proper that our desires can be fulfilled. ||54||

[61] On another day the devatā women became enchanted. The gopīs described this:

When his flute attracted all the divine airplanes, on encountering the attractive skill of his flute with playful form, the devatā women became enchanted. “What is this that I hear and see everywhere?” They were not aware whether their ornaments and hair had fallen askew or not. ||55||

[62] This is suggested:

The devatā women have so easily attained this state. But what is our state, the state of depraved women of Vraja? ||56||

[63] Thus living beings lost consciousness and inanimate things became conscious. Surpassing mountains in their motionless state, though they were superior to inanimate objects, the gopīs were difficult to attract.

[64] The gopīs considered the nature of the river.

Hearing the flute, the river stopped, overcome with bewilderment. Its waves swelled, the water trembled, and shouted through the calls of swans. It became insane. It approached Kṛṣṇa in the distance and with its waves as hands, offered lotuses to his lotus feet. ||57||

[65] This is suggested:

The rivers, wives of the ocean, quickly go to meet him, overcoming the rules. We are not so fortunate. The rivers have easily accrued pious credits. We cannot compare to them at all. We must become detached from happiness and distress. ||58||

[66] On another day they described the clouds:

The clouds are not only his friend because of their similar color, but they are also beneficial to all beings. Kṛṣṇa nourished the cloud by the mallāra-rāga on his flute, and the cloud relieves him of the heat by placing its shadow over him. ||59||

[67] This is suggested:

Though the clouds are inanimate and are floating above everyone, because they have prema within, they serve Kṛṣṇa by their water and shade. We are unfortunate. We surrender to him, accept him as the protection of our lives and give him all respect. But without service to him our lives are useless. ||60||

[68] Ah! Even the pile of rocks, the mountain, has attained happiness:

Govardhana is clearly the best servant of Kṛṣṇa, for when he climbs the mountain with Balarāma while playing the flute, it serves him along with the cows and his friends continuously with elegant shoots sprouting by the touch of his lotus feet and by the waterfalls. ||61||

Not only do the hairs of Govardhana stand on end. Please listen to something else astonishing. If you do not believe it, look at another mountain. Becoming most affectionate for Kṛṣṇa, on hearing the sound of the flute, it becomes smooth so that at every moment it can witness the main markings on his feet. ||62||

[69] This is hinted:

If one desires to attain the feet of great souls by impudence, one will develop respect for them by good fortune. ||63||

[70] Thinking of the gopīs’ mood in not attaining Kṛṣṇa and identifying with their insane condition, with agitated heart and compassion, Madhukaṇṭha, with choked throat, covered his face with his cloth and began weeping profusely, making his grief visible to all. He then recited an unrestrained poem written by Rādhā.

The flute has good fortune because, being a male, giving up all shyness that the gopīs have, it continually touches Kṛṣṇa’s lips and makes sounds. Because of that sound, which emanates from his lips with joy, the rivers swell. And the bamboos on its bank shed tears in the form of honey. ||64||

[71] This is hinted:

I pray for the body of a bamboo flute, not the body of a respectable woman. Kṛṣṇa, attracted with eagerness, with great affection, will play the flute. This experience is impossible in any other body. As a flute, with the ebbing of consciousness, I will forget who I am. But Kṛṣṇa will know that I have become a piece of wood because of my suffering in separation. ||65||

[72] Then Rādhā thought to herself:

O makara earring! You kiss his cheek. Flute! You taste his mouth. O garland! You embrace all his limbs. That is proper for you. You are beyond fault. Ah! I am deprived of this desired object by criticism which considers rules. ||66||

Flowers, pearls and diamonds do not leave his chest. What are we women, controlled by passion in comparison to them? ||67||

If Śyāma did not associate with others, I would not be disturbed. Without fear, he embraces his friends. How can I tolerate it? ||68||

[73] When the song of Kṛṣṇa’s flute spread out with a heart-touching rāga, an indescribable confusion subdued the inhabitants of Vraja and produced obstacles (increase in desire).

[74] This will be the subject tomorrow. Folding his hands he said, “O Rādhā! No one can know the endeavor that your lover makes for you since it is internal.” ||69||

[75] When the lengthy topic was completed, all returned to their houses.

[1]A sphūrti is a temporary appearance of the form of the Lord though he is actually present somewhere else.