Five verses describe the outstanding glories of the gopis. The gopis alone, having mahabhava (rudha bhavah) which those striving for liberation (bhavabhiah), those who are liberated (munayah), and devotees such as myself (vayam ca) desire but cannot attain, have made a success of their birth (tanu bhrtah). For one who has attraction for things related to the lord (katha rasasya) , what is the use of the three births -physical, by upanayana, and by yajna-as a brahmana, or to be born as Brahma (brahma janmabhih), because attraction for topics of the Lord, and nothing else produces the highest qualities. Or, for one who does not have attraction for things related to Krsna, what is the use of his birth as a learned brahmana, for in the absence of attraction for the Lord and things related to the Lord, everything becomes fruitless.

Desiring to understand the meaning of his words, I surrender to excellent Uddhava, best of the devotees, who understood the greatness of the gopīs. “As a kṣatriya you should offer respects to the bodies of brāhmaṇas.” Fearing such bad ideas, Uddhava establishes in three verses that the gopīs have the most excellent bodies. First he establishes this by the fact that they manifest the greatest prema for the Lord in two verses. Only these gopīs(etāḥ), devotees of the Lord residing in Vraja at this time have the most excellent bodies on earth, which is ornamented with sādhana-siddhas and nitya-siddhas having bhakti endowed with various bhāvas for Kṛṣṇa who has descended as an avatāra. They should not be disrespected for being women. Why? They have, arising from rūḍha-bhava mahābhāva, directed towards the aṁśī of all forms (akhilātmani), who is thus suitable for these unconditional lovers, the highest among all beings by their very nature. They have mahābhāva for Govinda, attractive to all as the lord of Gokula, famous for unlimited form and qualities. He is indescribable, known only by direct perception. Therefore their bodies, bright with these bhāvas, are most excellent. The proofs will be shown later. For this purpose the greatness of their bhāvas is explained. What to speak of their bhāvas, just news about them is desired by those desiring liberation and those already liberated. We also, devotees who are eternally associated with him, desire this by seeing their greatness. What to speak of others even we do not attain it (though we desire it) since we do not attain experience of the special sweetness, the basis of those bhāvas. For one who has tasted the narrations of the infinite Lord, what is the use of taking birth as a high-class brāhmaṇa? Or, without that special bhāva, such bodies cannot be attained even by being born as brāhmaṇas. What is the use of a brāhmaṇa birth for a person who has no taste (arasasya) for topics about Kṛṣṇa, filled unlimitedly with the greatest sweetness (ananta)? Śrīdhara Svāmī also gives this as an alternative meaning. In the first meaning brahma-janmabhiḥ can also mean “What is the use of being born as Brahmā?”

Desiring to understand the meaning of his words, I surrender to excellent Uddhava, best of the devotees, who understood the greatness of the gopīs. These cowherd women living in Nanda’s Vraja have attained perfection of birth (tanu-bhṛtaḥ) by their wealth of sādhana on earth (bhuvi). They have developed special prema (ruḍha-bhāvāḥ) for Govinda, the supreme Lord, the antaryāmī of all beings. That prema ignores everything else, and is filled with indescribable gestures, transformations, pain, and greed, with special bhāvas that astonish the world. Sages and we also desies this but do not attain it. The gopīs are more glorious that persons desiring liberation, liberated persons and devotees. This type of birth is the best. There is no perfection in being born as the creator of the universe, which is considered topmost. Plural is used (janmabhiḥ) to indicate respect for Brahmā or to indicate many births of Brahmās. One gets greater results from hearing about Kṛṣṇa than from being born as Brahmā. Nikhlātmani can also mean the gopīs have rūḍha-bhāva or he who is dearest (ātmani) to all beings. No one else has such bhāva for him. Or what is the use of Brahmā’s birth, his form, his mentality etc. (ādibhiḥ). Plural is used for respect or to indicate the total. Or what is the use of Brahmā’s birth without such bhāva, if Brahmā does not have rasa (arasasya) for his topics? The gopīs with their bhāva which can be achieved by these topics are the best.