Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.43
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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vṛndāvane
—
in the Vṛndāvana forest
Locative of Vṛndāvana — the forest of Vṛndā (basil), Kṛṣṇa's līlā-bhūmi. Gauḍīyas regard the earthly Vṛndāvana and Goloka-Vṛndāvana as non-different — the place that the Six Gosvāmīs recovered in the 16th century.
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kumuda-kunda-śaśāṅka-ramye
—
lovely with lotuses, jasmine, and the moon
Compound (contiguous chain): kumuda (night-lotus) + kunda (jasmine) + śaśāṅka (moon) + ramye (lovely). The three-fold whiteness of the rāsa-night. Gauḍīyas note: each element corresponds to a stage of mādhurya — kumuda's night-blooming, kunda's fragrance, śaśāṅka's cooling light.
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rāsa-goṣṭhyām
—
in the party of the rāsa dance
Compound: rāsa + goṣṭhyām (in the gathering). The rāsa-goṣṭhī — the inner circle of the dance. Gauḍīyas note this is the topmost līlā in all Vaiṣṇava literature.
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kvaṇat-caraṇa-nūpura
—
with jingling ankle-bells
Compound: kvaṇat (jingling) + caraṇa (foot) + nūpura (ankle-bell). The acoustic signature of the rāsa. The bells' kvaṇa is half the dance's music; the gopīs remember it by sound.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī gives the following deep realization about this verse: “The gopīs knew that no place could be as beautiful as Vṛndāvana. Nowhere else in the universe could one find such a charming scene as the Vṛndāvana forest, which was scented with pious flowers and illumined by the full moon’s light reflected from the serene waves of the sacred Yamunā River. No one loved Kṛṣṇa as much as the gopīs, and thus no one else could understand Him as well. The gopīs rendered intimate service to Kṛṣṇa that only they could perfect. Thus the gopīs were distraught to think that Lord Kṛṣṇa was bereft of Vṛndāvana and bereft of their service. Free of all material lust, they were overwhelmed with disappointment because they could not give Kṛṣṇa happiness by their loving service. They simply could not imagine Kṛṣṇa enjoying anywhere else as He did in Vṛndāvana in their company.”
"O dear gopis! What is the use of criticizing Krsna and the women of Mathura with crooked words? Why don’t you instead speak about other people's good qualities?" "By our misfortune Krsna may forget us, but how can he forget the place where he lived?" In this way some gopis speak while crying. "He enjoyed with his dear gopis at the rasa arena in pleasant Vrndavana, which resounded with the sounds of ankle bells, whose river banks were filled with the white splendor of lotus, jasmine and moonlight. His attractive conversations were praised by the heavenly women riding in their airplanes. Do the vile women of Mathura know any such conversations with him? Where is there such a river bank in Mathura? Where else is the music, song and dance so pleasing to Krsna? Who in Mathura knows how to make the crowns, unguents, garlands, and betel nuts preparations? By remaining in Mathura, Krsna's happiness has completely disappeared. We will die just thinking of his lack of bliss. If there were some woman in Mathura like us who could please him, then he could enjoy with her dancing, playing the flute, and other pastimes. If we heard that such a woman existed, then we could remain in Vrndavana happily, even though separate from him." This is the implication of their words.
Ah! Does he remember us after obtaining the city women? Does he ever remember the nights of the rāsa dance? The meaning is this. He, who is now the ruler, is the subject of attractive talks (such as verse 39) which are now worshipped by us gopīs, who are now like starving beggars. They do not directly mention his name because they worry that this will make him appear insignificant. Does he remember those (tāḥ) nights? Those nights are different from the present and past nights. Because there were so many nights like this, it is impossible to forget them. Does he remember those nights sometime? In those nights, in Vṛndāvana, pleasant with lotus and jasmine flowers and the moon, at that time (tadā) he enjoyed with some gopīs who were dear to him. They could not become unhappy like us whom you now see. He enjoyed playing in the gathering, attractive with the sound of ankle bells, with all those women who were similar to us.
Ah! Does he remember us after obtaining the city women? Does he ever remember the nights of the rāsa dance? This describes their qualification to be remembered by him. The plural is used to indicate that the gopīs were innumerable. He enjoyed on those nights in playing during the dance while our and his ankle bells jingled. Or he was the subject of attractive talks in gatherings of gopīs after the dance. The gopīs were the proper assistants. Vṛndāvana was the place. The autumn season with lotuses was the proper time. The ankle bells jingled while engaged in pastimes or while dancing. He spoke attractively when they requested him (īḍita). This was the proper cause for his enthusiasm. Or does he remember those nights in which he enjoyed with us, whom he accepted as lovers (priyabhiḥ). The devatās appeared on vehicles at that time and praised him (īḍita) with songs attractive to him and the world, speaking about his cleverness. That should also be remembered. Or being the subject of attractive praise by the city women, does he remember those nights? The talks also praised those nights.
- What sensory details of past devotional events do you still carry?
- Where could re-entering those details be its own meditation?
'Does He remember those nights — moonlight on lotus and jasmine, our ankle-bells, His pastimes?' The verse becomes the catalogue of paradise: nights, flowers, moon, music, dance. Gauḍīyas treat it as a meditation-template for śrī-rāsa-pañcādhyāyī (10.29-33).
SB 10.29-33, the five-chapter rāsa-pañcādhyāyī, narrates the autumn full-moon night when Kṛṣṇa multiplied Himself to dance with each gopī. Caitanya-caritāmṛta records that Mahāprabhu heard these chapters chanted continuously in His final years.
This verse is the gopīs' own memory-aloud of that same night. The verse is the rāsa, refracted through viraha.
My note
Source: vedabase.io