Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.35.26
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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vraja-striyaḥ
—
the women of Vraja
Compound: vraja (Vraja) + striyaḥ (women). Śuka deliberately uses 'women of Vraja' rather than only 'gopīs' — including the elder gopīs, the mothers, all the women who participate in this sustained kīrtana. Gauḍīyas note: the whole feminine collective of Vraja is engaged in continuous kṛṣṇa-kīrtana.
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kṛṣṇa-līlā-anugāyatīḥ
—
continuously chanting the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa
Compound: kṛṣṇa-līlā (Kṛṣṇa's pastimes) + anu (along, continuously) + gāyatīḥ (singing). Anugāyana — the continuous singing that the Six Gosvāmīs prescribed as the practice for kīrtanīyas. The gopīs originate the form.
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remire
—
they enjoyed
Perfect of √ram (to delight, to find joy). The same root that names Rāma and rasa. Even in separation, the gopīs ramire — they delight. Vipralambha-rasa, Gauḍīyas teach, contains its own pleasure; this verb proves it textually.
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tat-cittāḥ tat-manaskāḥ
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their hearts absorbed in Him, their minds absorbed in Him
Compound: tat (Him) + cittāḥ (hearts); tat (Him) + manaskāḥ (minds). The doubled phrase is the technical signature of complete absorption — what Kṛṣṇa Himself calls man-manā in BG 9.34. The gopīs achieve it spontaneously through song.
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mahā-udayāḥ
—
experiencing a great festivity
Compound: mahā (great) + udayāḥ (rising, festivity, upsurge). Udaya literally means 'rising' — as of the moon, the sun, or a festival's tide. The gopīs' interior life is in continuous mahā-udaya, a tidal swelling of joy. The chapter ends where it began — in song — but the duḥkha of verse 1 has become udaya.
This verse definitely confirms that the so-called pain of the heartbroken gopīs is actually great spiritual bliss. On the material platform, pain is pain — period. But on the spiritual platform, so-called pain is simply a different variety of spiritual ecstasy. In the Western countries, people take pleasure in mixing different flavors of ice cream to produce wonderful combinations of flavor. Similarly, on the spiritual platform Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His devotees expertly mix the flavors of spiritual bliss, and thus every day was a treat for the gopīs. Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-fifth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Gopīs Sing of Kṛṣṇa as He Wanders in the Forest.”
O Pariksit, the gopis minds had concentrated on Krsna, and Krsna’s mind was centered on them. Because Krsna and his beloved gopis were mutually visaya and asraya, they concentrated their minds on each other. Thus, because they continually relished each other at every moment both in separation and meeting through their minds, it is said in this verse that they enjoyed (remire) the separation during the day. Prema has two states : union and separation. Though the person absorbed in Krsna appears to suffering in separation, actually he has attained the highest state of bliss internally. In this way the highest degree of prema is manifest.
This is the conclusion. O king! He pacifies Parīkṣit, overcome with prema on hearing the gopīs’ song. During the days, filled with separation, they became filled with bliss because they were absorbed in Kṛṣṇa whose nature was the highest bliss. Though they suffered separation (evam) they also experienced bliss by singing about him. Or, in this way (evam) using other songs, they experienced bliss. They desired consciousness of him alone by singing, by absorbing their consciousness and minds in him. They experienced the highest perfection (mahodayaḥ) because he made his appearance when they sang in this way. By his special appearances later, their enjoyment of his love became special. Because he is kind (vatsala), he makes his appearance. This causes direct enjoyment. They enjoyment increases in accordance with his appearances. Previously during separation, because he appeared in their minds, there was partial enjoyment. Thus they enjoyed (remire) at all times, even in separation.
This is the conclusion. O king! He pacifies Parīkṣit, overcome with prema on hearing the gopīs’ song. They sang about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, the form of highest bliss: his pastimes are also the form of the highest bliss. In the daytime, a time of suffering, the gopīs became happy (remire) because their minds were absorbed in him. Or in the manner just described, they became happy or they sang many pastimes like this (evam). Because their hearts and minds were absorbed in him, they suffered in prema at all times. By singing about his pastimes Kṛṣṇa directly appeared to them (mahodayāḥ). They sang when he returned at the end of the day. By singing of his form and pastimes and absorbing their hearts in him, at the end of the day he manifested himself as if in person, though he was not present. At night however they directly saw him and experienced happiness. In talks to gain relief from the pain during the day, this is not mentioned. Or they passed the day in singing constantly. In the night they became happy by directly seeing him. By singing in this way, they became happy with directly seeing him (mahān). There are three verses for each pair, describing morning, noon and afternoon pastimes. One pair of verses is directed to Yaśodā. One pair of verses describes their own position. At the very end there is one pair of verses expressing joy on his coming. The song is thus twelve pairs. Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Thirty-fifth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Gopīs Sing of Kṛṣṇa as He Wanders in the Forest." 10.36: The Slaying of Ariṣṭā, the Bull Demon verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3-4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22-23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 Chapter Summary This chapter describes how Kṛṣṇa killed Ariṣṭāsura and how Kaṁsa reacted when he learned from Nārada that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were the sons of Vasudeva. The demon Ariṣṭa wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, and thus he assumed the form of a huge bull with sharp horns. Everyone in Kṛṣṇa's cowherd village became terrified when Ariṣṭāsura approached it, but the Lord pacified them, and when the bull demon charged Him He seized him by the horns and threw him about six yards. Though weakened, Ariṣṭa still wanted to attack Kṛṣṇa. Thus, dripping with sweat, he charged the Lord once again. This time Kṛṣṇa grabbed his horns, threw him to the ground and thrashed him like a pile of wet clothing. The demon vomited blood and gave up his life. Then Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, while being honored by the demigods and cowherd boys, returned to the village. A short time later Nārada Muni, the great sage among the demigods, came to see King Kaṁsa. He informed the King that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were not Nanda's sons but rather Vasudeva's. It was out of fear of Kaṁsa that Vasudeva had put the two boys under Nanda's care. Furthermore, said Nārada, Kaṁsa would meet his death at Their hands. Kaṁsa shook with fear and anger when he heard all this, and in great agitation he began thinking of how to destroy Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. He called for the demons Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika and instructed them to kill the two brothers in a wrestling match. Then he spoke to Akrūra, who was expert at executing his duties. Taking Akrūra by the hand, Kaṁsa persuaded him to go to Vraja to bring the two boys to Mathurā. Akrūra agreed to carry out Kaṁsa's order and then returned home.
- Where have you treated spiritual longing as a problem to solve rather than a flavor to savor?
- Could a day of constant kṛṣṇa-kathā actually be your festival rather than your duty?
Śuka closes the chapter as he opened it — the women of Vraja pass the daytime continuously singing Kṛṣṇa-līlā, hearts absorbed in Him, minds absorbed in Him, the days transformed from duḥkha into mahā-udaya, a great festival. Song does not pass the time; song converts time into Kṛṣṇa.
My note
Source: vedabase.io