Not hearing any answer the gopis thought, " Oh, why will this earth, an independent women, very proud, intoxicated with pastimes with the Lord ,whose body is marked with his symbols of flag, thunderbolt and ankusa, look upon us?" As they went forward they saw a doe and spoke to her. "O friend, wife of the buck, has Krsna come near his loved one, you (priyaya)? Though you are the wife of the buck, like us, you are dear to Krsna and Krsna is dear to you. Krsna has given you great bliss with a vision of his limbs such as face and arms. Having attained such bliss of the eyes, you follow him everywhere, and therefore Krsna is never falls from your vision (acyuta)." (drsam is plural rather the dual to show respect.) Seeing the doe go forward naturally, the gopis said, "This doe has seen Krsna. She seems to say, ‘Why should I speak, rather I will show you. Just follow behind me,’ while she moves forward and looks back at us. It seems she is the only merciful person in merciless Vrndavana." The gopis followed behind the doe, but not seeing where she had gone, then said, "Why can we no longer see the doe who was showing us where Krsna is?" In answer to this question one gopis said, "Krsna must be somewhere here. She has now become afraid of Krsna and she is hiding somewhere in order to deny that she has shown us the path." While the gopi was reasoning in this way, suddenly that gopi smelled a sweet fragrance. "Yes, yes! This is the fragrance of his body. The fragrance of his kunda flower garland tinted with the kumkuma due to contact with his beloved is spreading here." When the fragrance of their two bodies, the kumkuma and the kunda garland entered the gopis’ nostrils, they were able to verify Krsna’s whereabouts. "Though he is the enjoyer of all the gopis (kula pati) see how unjustly he has given them up and is enjoying with only one of us."

The following should be considered. With whom did Kṛṣṇa disappear? Later this is revealed, but now it is unclear. Śukadeva’s intention is as follows. Among all the various avatāras of the Lord I have attraction for Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. Among all the associates of the Lord I have attraction for the people of Vraja. Among the people of Vraja I have greater attraction for the gopīs. All know this secret. Among all the gopīs I have most attraction for Rādhikā. Everyone does not know this. The greater attraction is because of the greater excellence. I hesitate to reveal her directly but I wish to reveal my heart for fear of being miserly in giving knowledge. By revealing her through the words of her friends the secret will not be apparent. By disguised words, I will reveal the truth through the speech of her rivals. If I reveal her accidently because of my absorption, I will not speak her name directly. Not just her name, I will not utter the names of the other gopīs. I will also reveal the rasas by indirect expression, not by direct statement. If someone understands the real meaning, then it will be most astonishing. Therefore first he reveals Rādhā through her friend speaking. When the Lord disappeared taking her with him, her friends had some doubt. Though they went with the others, absorbed in searching for only Kṛṣṇa, and though they were in a state of unmāda, they remained in their own group, searching for the couple, desiring his appearance at a distance. While walking around they were able to have a vision momentarily even without seeing his foot prints (verses 32.33). The friends speak this verse. The sequence of verses indicate acceptance that Rādhā was with him. Their friendship with the couple and their desire to see them is also indicated. Probably (api) Kṛṣṇa came near you with his beloved. Or api can indicate a question: O friend, did Kṛṣṇa come near you with his beloved? “Since he wanders in the forest, is it surprising that he passed by us who live here?” But he was with his beloved. “That is astonishing.” On seeing him, there will spread amazing happiness in association with her. Your eyes and the eyes of others associated with you must have experienced great bliss, because your limbs are decorated with anubhāvas indicating bliss. Seeing him with her would produce much greater bliss. You should not hide this from us. Since we are his intimate servants, we can know everything about him by the fragrance carried by the breeze. The fragrance clearly comes from a garland smeared with kuṁkuma from her breast when there was intimate association between head of the dynasty and his beloved (kānta). We perceive this because of practice. Praise for the seer, the eye and the object seen indicates the friends’ joy. The word api shows great longing and sorrow, by expressing possibility. In addressing the wife of the deer, they praise the doe’s eyes. Patnī refers to a wife who takes part in sacrifice with her husband according to patyu no yajña-saṁyoge. (Pāṇini 4.1.33) The deer participates in the sacrifice, and his wife is addressed as patnī. Thus the wife of the deer, the seer, is praised. Acyuta has come close (upagataḥ). This is praise for the doe’s good fortune. By mentioning the beloved there is praise for the seer (the doe) and the object seen (Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā). Their limbs took on extraordinary features when they were together. This is praise for the eye, as is the statement “Great bliss for the eye spread out.” He does not fail to be with her (acyutaḥ). This is praise for what is seen. The word vaḥ (plural) indicates not only the doe but her companions of equal stature. Thus this is praise for the seers. The garland of kunda flowers, white and beautiful by nature, is praise as the object seen. It was tinged with kuṁkuma (praise for an object seen), from association with his beloved (praise for an object seen). Kula-pateḥ indicates praise for the lover seen. Iha (here) is praise for the place receiving the fragrance. The wind, combining with the fragrance, blows everywhere. The word gandha, combining with its modifiers, indicates praise for it.

The earth will not speak since, like Tulasī, she has the Lord’s affection and thus is a competitor, or she just does not want to speak. They then inquire from the doe, believing that she is a friend. O wife of the deer! You know about suffering in separation from a lover. Therefore please tell us. In great distress, in the distance, they see one doe. However dṛśām and vaḥ is in the plural, out of respect for her, since Kṛṣna has approached her. Or ena-patni in the singular refers to a class rather than an individual doe. Or out of many does, they ask the question to one only, who is the principal doe. Has he come here with some gopī? Did he give the greatest bliss to your eyes by showing his limbs? Otherwise you would not have such wide eyes, caused by happiness. He has given bliss greater than liberation (su-nirvṛtim). He must have revealed himself splendidly, otherwise you could not be so blissful. O friend! The doe is addressed as a friend because she has similar love of Kṛṣṇa, and she plays with the gopīs in the forest. You should not cheat us. Acyuta did not fail to distribute bliss, or he did not fail to come here. It seems they are familiar with his scent for they say that the wind is carrying his scent. It was previously said: upagīyamāna udgāyan vanitā-śata-yūthapaḥ mālāṁ bibhrad vaijayantīṁ vyacaran maṇḍayan vanam With the gopīs singing his praises, that leader of hundreds of groups of women sang loudly. He wandered in the forest wearing his Vaijayantī garland, beautifying the Vṛndāvana forest. SB 10.29.44 kaccit tulasi kalyāṇi govinda-caraṇa-priye saha tvāli-kulair bibhrad dṛṣṭas te ’ti-priyo ‘cyutaḥ O most kind Tulasī, to whom the feet of Govinda are so dear, have you seen that infallible one walk by, wearing you and encircled by swarms of bees? SB 10.30.7 Now he is wearing a jasmine garland. Thus he had three garlands. Or the vaijayantī garland was being worn and then he put on a tulasī garland when it appeared. Because the jasmine garland is beautiful in the moonlit night, he gave up the vaijayanti garland and put on the jasmine garland. Kula-pateḥ mean “of the king of Gokula, or the master of the gopīs.” Kṛṣṇa’s name is not directly mentioned out of shyness or cleverness. Having him alone as our master, we cannot maintain our lives in his absence. Therefore please quickly tell us. Or he is the master (pati) of persons who speak badly (kula). It is befitting that she is with such a person. They speak in hatred. Or he has associated with you (upagataḥ) and is still here. “Then search for him and find him.” He brought joy by his limbs. He has been seen by you, who are most fortunate. We cannot see him. “They are not here.” But the wind carries his fragrance.