When the previous state of unmada with minds became absorbed in Krsna slackened, they began to discuss about Krsna (tad alapa). "O asvattha tree, have you seen Krsna?" In the medium state of unmada, they began to imitate his pastimes (tad vicesta), such as one gopi imitating Krsna drinking milk. In a full state of unmada, identifying with Krsna (tad atmika) one gopi said, "I am Krsna, see the way I walk." In this way they forgot their identities and merged with Krsna’s identity. Under the influence of previous impressions they began to sing about Krsna’s qualities in loud voices ( as is described in the fourth verse) "Wherever we go to find Krsna, he flees away from there. Why should we give him difficulty in running through the forest? Without his wish, we cannot attain him. In order to illustrate the sruti statement ‘he reveals himself to that person to whom he shows mercy’ (yam evaisa vrnute tena labhya) , he will reveal himself by his mercy. We can attain his mercy by chanting his name." In order to reveal this fact, they all returned to the bank of the Yamuna where they had previously associated with him, and began to chant his name (krsna jaguh).

Thinking of him they thought, “Let us give up searching for him on these paths, since we are an obstacle to his appearing. This bank of the Yamunā is near and the sound will spread far without hindrance. Assembling together and going there, we will loudly sing plaintive songs and Kṛṣṇa will quickly come out of compassion.” They again came to the bank of the Yamunā because they were absorbed in Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāḥ).

Again they came to the bank. Having given us up here, perhaps he has come here to pacify us. Or in absence of seeing him, they wanted to see the place where he had played with them. Thus it is said that they thought of Kṛṣṇa, who attracts the heart and gives the highest bliss (kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāḥ). They gathered together there, thinking “He has come here” or thinking of his pastimes there. They sang loudly, so that Kṛṣṇa would hear or out of the nature of separation. Na duḥkhaṁ pañcabhiḥ saha: there is no suffering in the company of five people. They sang about Kṛṣṇa, the form of the highest bliss. Their prāṇas did not leave their bodies because of their singing. They desired that he come. No other desire was there and this desire for him to come did not disappear. They desire only to see him, with great pain in separation. That is signified by the word āgamana (coming).

Thinking of him they thought, “Let us give up searching for him on these paths, since we are an obstacle to his appearing. This bank of the Yamunā is near and the sound will spread far without hindrance. Assembling together and going there, we will loudly sing plaintive songs and Kṛṣṇa will quickly come out of compassion.” They again came to the bank of the Yamunā because they were absorbed in Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāḥ). Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A . C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirtieth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Gopīs Search for Kṛṣṇa." 10.31: The Gopīs' Songs of Separation verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 Chapter Summary This chapter relates how the gopīs, overwhelmed by feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, sat down on the bank of the Yamunā and began praying for His audience and singing His glories. Because the gopīs had dedicated their minds and very lives to Kṛṣṇa, they were beside themselves with the transcendental pain of separation. But their crying, which appears like evidence of misery, actually shows their exalted state of transcendental bliss. As it is said, yata dekha vaiṣṇaver vyavahāra duḥkh/ niścaya jāniha sei paramānanda sukh: "Whenever one sees a Vaiṣṇava acting unhappy, one should know it for sure that he is actually experiencing the highest spiritual bliss." Thus each of the gopīs began addressing Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa according to her individual mode of ecstasy, and they all prayed for Him for His mercy. As the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa spontaneously arose in the minds of the gopīs, they sang their song, which relieves the agony of those suffering from the burning pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa and which bestows supreme auspiciousness. They sang, "O Lord, O lover, O cheater, when we remember Your smile, Your loving glances and Your pastimes with Your boyhood friends, we become extremely agitated. Remembering Your lotus face, adorned with locks of blackish hair smeared with the dust of the cows, we become irrevocably attached to You. And when we remember how You followed the cows from forest to forest with Your tender feet, we feel great pain." In their separation from Kṛṣṇa the gopīs considered a single moment an entire age. Even when they had previously seen Him they had found the blinking of their eyelids intolerable, for it blocked their vision of Him for a fraction of a second. The ecstatic sentiments for Lord Kṛṣṇa that the gopīs expressed may appear like symptoms of lust, but in reality they are manifestations of their pure desire to satisfy the Supreme Lord's spiritual senses. There is not even the slightest trace of lust in these moods of the gopīs.