“O lion among men! By being close to you, the strongest, why should we fear?” Fearing such a response he answers. To the unmarried gopīs he says “Your mothers, fathers and brothers will be looking for you.” To the married gopīs he says “Your husbands and sons will look for you.” It will be established later that this talk is only for joking however. The word ca indicates all those people mentioned and hi means certainly. Even if one among them sees you with me, both the married and unmarried among you will have shame and fear. Do not cause fear for myself and for your relatives by staying here. Or another meaning is as follows. The gopīs say “O most intelligent one! They will not come into this inaccessible forest. If they do come, they will not see us.” He responds with this verse. Do not cause fear in your relatives when they become disturbed on not finding you, for the well bred are affectionate to their friends. (SB 11.2.6) You should return out of affection for them. Or the previous and present verse may be explained as follows. Fearing the gopīs will say, “O Kṛṣṇa with fixed vows! Being by your side, we do not have fear,” he closes his eyes and speaks with gestures. Women should not remain near me since I am a brahmacārī from birth. There is no fault in staying with very young girls or elders, but you are now in your youth, O women with slender waists! “You are a great deceiver. You associate with us plentifully in Vraja.” But not here (iha) in the forest, and not in the night! He makes a face to show the fault. Now I will be defamed by association with you. You must return. “But you are well respected. No one will even know. Do not fear defamation.” Then Kṛṣṇa speaks the present verse. Your relatives, not seeing you, will search for you. And coming here they will see you. Do not create fear for my relatives by getting me defamed. Actually he speaks in this way, creating fear in them, in order to take them to a place deeper in the forest from where he first played his flute. Another meaning is “You should not be afraid of your relatives coming here. They will search and not see you in the darkness of the deep forest.” They will not see you even after thoroughly searching. Therefore do not fear your relatives.” The word hi is used for emphasis.

“O lion among men! By being close to you, the strongest, why should we fear?” Fearing such a response he answers. Mothers are mentioned first because of their great affection. But they cannot wander about in the forest much. Thus fathers are mentioned. They will search out of affection and fear of defamation of the family. Without differentiation of married women, if mothers and fathers are lax, then persons who act like sons will search, because of shame at the fault of their “mothers.” They may not search to hide the illicit act of their mothers or to avoid seeming to be too bold, or being very young, would not be able to wander in the forest. Brothers would then search out of great affection. They may also desist out of shame or for other reasons. The husbands would then search, because they share the faults of their wives. In the list the later ones mentioned are more excellent for searching. Among them the husbands would necessarily come. Or some mothers which search for some daughters, some fathers would search for their dauthers etc. according to who was in the house. Or for any of the reasons mentioned, in some cases mothers would search, or in some cases fathers would search. All of them, not seeing the women in the house or forest, would seach, going here and there. Hi indicates conjecture. If they should come here and see you at my side, you and I would have shame and fear. Do not create fear for me or you family members by staying here. Or “O knower of the great mantra! They will not come to this inaccessible forest. Even if they come they will not see us.” He then speaks in response. Do not create worry for your relatives who are in anxiety about your safety from tigers and other animals, when they realize you are not at home. You should return home out of affection for them. Sādhavo bandhu-vatsalāḥ: cultured people are affectionate to relatives. Or not seeing me (mā), they will search only for you (vaḥ). “O fearless lion! Let them search and let them find us. So what?” You have produced (akṛdhvam) fear in your relatives. The past tense is used to indicate that it would necessarily happen. If you do not return, you will be known as independent and full of fault. Or “O person with great vows! Being at your side, we will not have fear.” Fearing such a statement he speaks while closing his eyes and gesturing. (verse 19) Women should not remain here (iha) at my side. I avoid association with women since I am a brahmacārī from childhood. Even if they are young or old, association with women should not occur. But you have arrived at the age of new youth. O beautiful women! “You are really deceptive. You associated with us in your homes many times.” In the lonely forest (iha) at this time in the evening, there is fault. He makes a face. By association with you I will be defamed. You must go away. “O famous one! No one will know. Do not fear defamation.” But your mothers and fathers will search for you. (present verse) Certainly they will come and see you. Do not create fear in my friends by having me break my vows. Or your (vaḥ) mothers and fathers, fearing that you have left the house and come to me, and not seeing me anywhere, being close by, will search. Coming here, seeing me with you, you will produce fear for my friends who will be angry with you for destroying my fame. Actually he spoke in this way, instilling fear of their elders, to take them far away to a secret place. Or by a play on words, he made them lose fear of their relatives, with indifference to them. Hi means certainly. As if blind, they will search and not see you, though they will look in many places. That is certain (eva). Or hi means although. Though they will not see you will they find you? No. Do not have fear from relatives. Be indifferent to them.