FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.44.14

गोप्यस्तप: किमचरन् यदमुष्य रूपंलावण्यसारमसमोर्ध्वमनन्यसिद्धम् । द‍ृग्भि: पिबन्त्यनुसवाभिनवं दुराप-मेकान्तधाम यशस: श्रिय ऐश्वरस्य ॥ १४ ॥
gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ
[gopyas tapah kim acharan yad amushya roopam]
lāvaṇya-sāram asamordhvam ananya-siddham
[laavanya-saaram asamordhvam ananya-siddham]
dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam
[drigbhih pibanty anusavaabhinavam duraapam]
ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śriya aiśvarasya
[ekaanta-dhaama yashasah shriya aishvarasya]
gopyaḥ — the gopīs tapaḥ — austerities kim — what acaran — performed yat — from which amuṣya — of such a one (Lord Kṛṣṇa) rūpam — the form lāvaṇya - sāram — the essence of loveliness asama - ūrdhvam — not paralleled or surpassed ananya - siddham — not perfected by any other ornament (self-perfect) dṛgbhiḥ — by the eyes pibanti — they drink anusava - abhinavam — constantly new durāpam — difficult to obtain ekānta - dhāma — the only abode yaśasaḥ — of fame śriyaḥ — of beauty aiśvarasya — of opulence .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ
gopyaḥ
the gopīs
tapaḥ
austerities
kim
what
acaran
performed
yat
from which
amuṣya
of such a one (Lord Kṛṣṇa)
rūpam
the form
lāvaṇya-sāram asamordhvam ananya-siddham
lāvaṇya - sāram
the essence of loveliness
asama - ūrdhvam
not paralleled or surpassed
ananya - siddham
not perfected by any other ornament (self-perfect)
dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam
dṛgbhiḥ
by the eyes
pibanti
they drink
anusava - abhinavam
constantly new
durāpam
difficult to obtain
ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śriya aiśvarasya
ekānta - dhāma
the only abode
yaśasaḥ
of fame
śriyaḥ
of beauty
aiśvarasya
of opulence .
  • gopyaḥ — the gopīs
    Plural of gopī. The cowherd-women of Vraja — in Gauḍīya theology the topmost devotees of Bhagavān, holders of mādhurya-rasa. The Mathurā women's mention of them is the highest praise the chapter contains.
  • lāvaṇya - sāram — the essence of loveliness
    Compound: lāvaṇya (saline-sweetness, loveliness) + sāra (essence). Lāvaṇya is the term in Vaiṣṇava aesthetics for the indescribable shimmer of beauty beyond mere form. Sāra is its concentrated heart.
  • asama - ūrdhvam — unequaled and unsurpassed
    Compound: a (not) + sama (equal) + ūrdhva (higher). The technical negation used in śāstra to assert absolute supremacy. Gauḍīyas cite it for the principle that Kṛṣṇa-rūpa has no peer and no superior — not even other forms of Viṣṇu.
  • anusava - abhinavam — newer at each moment
    Compound: anusava (at every soma-pressing, every moment) + abhinava (new). Bhagavān's beauty is freshly arising; this is the doctrine of nityam abhinavam — the prema-object never becomes familiar. Mahāprabhu wept on this single word.
  • ekānta - dhāma — sole abode
    Compound: ekānta (one-pointed, exclusive) + dhāma (abode). His form is the only seat of beauty / fame / opulence. The Gauḍīya doctrine of source-supremacy: all śrī flows from this one form, none independently.
What austerities must the gopīs have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That form is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.

The word meanings and translation for this verse are from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 4.156) .

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
What austerities must the gopīs have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Kṛṣṇa's form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.
Commentary

"Those who have accrued heaps of pious activities are born in the land of Vraja! Among them, the gopis are the best." That is expressed in this verse. "What austerities did the gopis do? If anyone is omniscient, then please tell us what austerities they performed. We will perform the same austerities and be born as gopis in Vraja. They drink the nectar of his beauty while we at the arena drink the poison of his injury. We sit here, filled with fever from the tips of our nails to the tips of our hair." By mentioning that as a result of austerities they could see the beauty of Krsna’s form, they also indicate that it resulted in being embraced by his arms, which could not be expressed in words on that occasion. "One should not say that he was most excellent because of his superior beauty. Rather, the essence of all beauty was his svarupa (lavanya saram)." "As the earth seems inferior to svara loka, when we see his form it just appears to be the best. But if we go to Mahavaikuntha, we will understand that the form of Narayana is much more sweet." To answer this the women say, "This form of Krsna is unequalled (asamordham). There is no form beyond this." "From who did Krsna receive this form?" They answer, "From no one. This form is intrinsic to him (ananya siddha)." "That may be so, but if these women constantly see this one form, it will no longer be so amazing after some time." They answer, "His form becomes newer at every moment. It is forever increasingly amazing." "Then other people can come to Vraja and see this form at leisure." "But this form is also not available even to Laksmi. " "Let that be. His beauty is his super excellent quality. But Narayana and others are more endowed having six opulences." "Krsna is the shelter of all these opulences.(ekanta dhama) such as fame."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

How unfortunate we must be since we have not seen him (as described in the previous verse.) The following verse also refers to the gopīs. There is no avatāra equal to him, what to speak of being superior to him. The gopīs drink that form out of thirst as if it were nectar. That form is constantly fresh (anusavābhinavam). The form constantly increases in novelty with appearance of prema arising from the manifestation of the increasingly beautiful form. That form, the supreme ālambana, belonging to the Lord (īśvarasya is sometimes seen instead of amuṣya) endowed with all wealth, fame and beauty, is extremely rare for Lakṣmī and others. His beauty cannot even be described since when the writer begins to write, he becomes bewildered. The previous verse could also indicate the good fortune of all the inhabitants of Vraja whereas this verse indicates the good fortune of the gopīs. Some women with the highest skills speak this pleasing statement in words pleasing even to Śukadeva. What worship of the Lord (tapaḥ) did the gopīs perform to get this result which is beyond words and minds? If you know, then we are also eager to perform this worship. What austerity did they perform? They did not perform austerity, since austerity alone cannot yield such results. He can appear in this way only for his eternal consorts. That is because this is the supreme form. They cannot have done austerities because with their eyes they drink the form of he who cannot be described even when present before him (amuṣya). That form has the highest beauty in each limb. Though they drink continually, the sweetness does not diminish. By hinting at their thirst, Śukadeva compares that form to an ocean of nectar. If seeing him gives such an experience, what will embracing him do? What is the beauty of that form? It is the best part of all shining beauty (lāvaṇya-sāram), or that form is most intense with beauty. “The Lord has unlimited appearances in this world. They are also like this.” This form is unequalled. “If this form does not exist elsewhere, how did he attain it?” He has this form by his nature, eternally (ananya-siddham). Fame, beauty and power indicate all six of his qualities as Bhagavān. He is the eternal shelter (ekānta-dhāma). “If the gopīs see this one form at all times, they will not feel astonishment at all times.” That form is increasingly fresh. “If that form is in Vraja, others can also see it.” It is rarely seen, since others do not have such prema. That form appears to the gopīs because of their fixed absorption. It will not manifest in any other condition.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
Concepts
Avatara
What austerities the gopīs must have performed to always drink the nectar of Kṛṣṇa's form — the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence, self-perfect and ever-fresh. Intimate access rests on hidden tapasya.
Reflection Questions
  • What hidden tapasya could you begin that would underwrite future intimacy?
  • Where do you envy access without honoring the discipline behind it?

The gopīs drink His beauty with their eyes the way a thirsty traveler drinks from a spring — but the spring renews itself every morning, and the drink never satisfies, never sates, never ends. Mādhurya-rasa is the only thirst that grows by being met.

Caitanya's hidden Vraja-experience

Mahāprabhu in Gambhīrā, late in His life, would weep continuously while reciting verses like this one — verses where the gopīs are praised for drinking Kṛṣṇa's beauty. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta records that He would enter such intense gopī-bhāva that His limbs would lengthen, His joints disjoin, and only Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāmānanda Rāya could draw Him back.

Gauḍīyas regard this verse as one of the seed-verses of mādhurya-rasa: the women of Mathurā, lamenting, accidentally enunciate the doctrine that Mahāprabhu Himself came to taste.

📝 My note

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