Therefore bhakti is the cause of producing excellence among people, not austerity or knowledge. Though bhakti is the most excellent, it is not deemed so by the common people. Rrather they condemn it. In that position, it makes itself the most excellent, worshipable, the highest goal. Uddhava speaks about this with astonishment and hair standing on end in two verses. "Where are these women (being in a low position by being born as women and as cowherds), who are criticized for their conduct as being sinful because they wander around in the forest (vanacari)? Where is their mahabhava for Krsna the source of all expansions, superior (parama) to his other form such as lord of vaikuntha?" The use the word "where" (kva) twice indicates the impossibility of it existing. It seems most astonish that they could have such elevation, but on thinking a moment, it is not so astonishing. "Certainly (nanu), o mind, the lord gives to such persons as this, not just to perfected persons, but even to persons without philosophical knowledge of atma and Brahman (avidusah), the most auspicious thing, a taste of his love, along with liberation from material misery, which is not given even to all the liberated person, just as nectar (agada rajah) when drunk gives a special sweet taste along with giving relief from all disease, even to the ignorant persons. Why then should the Lord not give mahabhava, rare even to all devotees such as Narada, to these gopis who were perfect in bhakti, eternally perfect, the highest of all, the most knowledgeable of Krsna’s form, qualities, glories and sweetness, who engaged their own intelligence, senses, limbs, youth and ornaments in his service?. In Ujjvala Nilamani the characteristics of rudha bhava or mahabhava are described. There are three types of deviation (vyabhicara) according to three types of women. 1. the woman who enjoys with both her husband and illicit lover. She is condemned by society and scripture. 2. the woman who abandons her husband and enjoys only with her illicit lover. She is condemned by society and scriptures but because she dedicates herself to one man, is praised in rasa sastra. 3. the woman who gives up her husband and enjoys with the Lord as her illicit lover. Though this is condemned by the ignorant, it is praised by the wise, being accepted by society and scripture. Though this third type is not deviant at all, it is classed as vyabhicara or deviant because of resemblance. Thus the women of Vraja should be described as having a resemblance of deviant women, since they were of the third category.

Refuting the opinion about materialists in the previous verse, Uddhava now expressed contempt for the materialists in this verse in the first line. Nigṛhyānuyoge ca: the last vowel is optionally long (pluta) when it asserts something which has been refuted in order to criticize the opponent. (Pāṇini 8.2.94) For instance a person says “Scripture is not eternal.” After refuting this statement with proofs, the victorious person will utter with contempt. “You assert that scripture is not eternal!” (anityaḥ śabda ityāttha or anityaḥ śabda ity ātthā) This verse is like that. The conclusion is stated by criticizing the opponent. The second line says “On the one hand, they have mahābhāva for Kṛṣṇa, the supreme soul.” The first line then means “Therefore it is not possible that these women wandering in the forest are contaminated with impropriety.” As in the previous verse, the second half of the verse confirms the conclusion, following after the first half. The last line says that even an ignorant person who takes nectar develops a divine body. This arises from the Lord’s śakti. If the Lord gives benefit to ignorant people, how much more he must give to the gopīs! The statement in the first line mentioning low morality must necessarily be understood by the statement in the second line. If the gopīs had attained the highest level of mahābhāva for Kṛṣṇa how could they be situated on the lowest level? They have already been praised in the previous verse for having dedicated their bodies, efforts and love to Kṛṣṇa. yan-nāmadheya-śravaṇānukīrtanād yat-prahvaṇād yat-smaraṇād api kvacit śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate kutaḥ punas te bhagavan nu darśanāt By hearing or chanting your name, by offering respects to you, by occasional remembrance of you, even the dog-eater immediately becomes qualified for performing the soma sacrifice. O Lord! What then to speak of the person who sees you? SB 3.33.6 bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śva-pākān api sambhavāt Only by bhakti with full faith can the devotees obtain me, Paramātmā, the object of love. Bhakti fixed in me purifies even a dog eater of his low birth. SB 11.14.21 If there are such effects for these people, what can be said of the devotion of the gopīs! It is also said that Dhruva by his devotion turned his material body into a golden body. Uddhava of course would never use derisive language in referring to the gopīs since from beginning to end he adored the gopīs. Actually the gopīs did not deviate in behavior at all. Śukadeva presents the conclusion: gopīnāṁ tat-patīnāṁ ca sarveṣām eva dehinām yo ’ntaś carati so ’dhyakṣaḥ krīḍaneneha deha-bhāk Kṛṣṇa, appearing directly in this world, moves among the gopīs and their apparent husbands as well as the other inhabitants of Vraja, in his eternal spiritual body performing his pastimes. SB 10.33.35 Uddhava in this chapter has also stated described the Lord as akhilātmani and paramātmani. One should not fear that the gopīs have immoral natures. It will be said in verse 61 “The gopīs have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda.” This shows that they were by their nature following the best path. One should not criticize them for being women, since Lakṣmī is also a woman. The word imāḥ (those women) in the present verse should not be taken in a derogatory sense since in verse 61 the gopīs when being praised by Uddhava are addressed as āsām (possessive form of imāḥ). Describing the gopīs as “wandering in the forest” is not a criticism for that forest is most fortunate, for Brahmā says tad bhūri-bhāgyam iha janma kim apy aṭavyām: my greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula. (SB 10.14.34) The comparison in the last line is partial. If an ignorant person takes nectar he develops a divine body. The nature of nectar comes from the nature of the Lord. The nature of the Lord produces all good effects even in an ignorant person. What effects are produced then in the gopīs who had the highest knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities? The gopīs had all good qualities since it is stated that they were worthy of worship as stated in the second line: they had mahābhāva for Kṛṣṇa. The word vyabhicāra in the verse does not refer to prostitutes but to the vyabhicārī-bhāvas such as envy, which appear in parakīya-bhāva. Kāvya-prakāśa says: sañcāryāder viruddhasya bādhsyoktir guṇāvahā Mentioning contrary emotions such as vyabhicārī-bhāvas, when they are described as suppressed, produces excellence. tiṣtḥet kopavaśāt prabhāva-pihitā dīrghaṁ na sā kupyati Can she be angry, using magic to remain invisible? She cannot remain angry for long. Vikramorvaśīya 4.9 Thus vyabhicārī-bhāvas are temporary. The meaning of the verse can be taken according to the following rule. Nirdeṣam vināpy uttarā pratipattiḥ pūrvāṁ badhate: the later statement negates the previous unless there are specific indications otherwise. Since there are no indications, there is no contradiction in the verse. Another meaning is as follows. “You are very elevated. Why do you desire their bhāva?” This verse answers. They are women, soft in nature and body. Verse 61 shows their astonishing behavior even though they were women. The phrase imāḥ striyaḥ (these women) indicates that they were the most exalted women. They wander in Vṛndāvana, the place of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, a worthy shelter. This shows the gopīs’ greatness. They reside in an exalted place taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa. By deep attachment to him, their emotions become disturbed. And by that, they become contaminated. What are we in comparison to the gopīs with natural love? Though we also take shelter of Kṛṣṇa we are on a lower level. Ah! If we do not desire such exalted love then we are the lowest. With great astonishment his hairs stand on end and he makes gestures. The cause is explained. The highest level of mahābhāva called rūḍha-bhāva is seen in the gopīs for Kṛṣṇa, most rare to experience in his present form (krṣṇe), though he is available for all those who have the highest unconditional prema (paramātmani). We do not have even a speck of such bhāva. One should not say that they do not have such affection for him, or that he does not have such affection for them. The Lord shows this affection for even ordinary people with the greatest friendliness. What to speak of having affection for the gopīs! Certainly (nanu) the Lord awards the best to even the ignorant person, who does not know the Lord’s glories, who imitates (anu) worships of him. In humility, Uddhava compares himself to such ignorant persons. He awards to the ignorant the best benefits—such as seeing the Lord-- immediately (sākṣāt). How much more he awards to the gopīs absorbed in the highest levels of his greatness because of realizing the highest level of his sweetness.

An unqualified person like me can gain their association only by the special mercy of the Lord. These women whose glories have been described (imāḥ) are wanderers in the forest. Or they wander in the Lord’s (a) forest, Vṛndāvana. They wander there with prema for him. Since he in verse 61 aspires for the gopīs love, it is unsuitable that he calls them vyabhicara-duṣṭāḥ: contaminated with bad conduct. This is not possible for these women worthy of the highest respect. Therefore the meaning is this. What use are persons like me, contaminated by not doing proper actions? Or vayam (we) can be taken from the previous verse. We are contaminated. Plural is used to indicate others similar to oneself. In great astonishment with hairs standing on end, gesturing, he speaks. There should be mahābhāva for the supreme Lord Kṛsṇa to the highest degree (param) for persons like me. Or they are women, and thus cannot approach the Lord out of shyness, but persons like me being male, attained the Lord in Mathurā. They wander in the forest whereas I live in the city. But such women have the outstanding quality of astonishing mahābhāva. Persons like me are contaminated with offense to Kṛṣṇa (vyabhicara-duṣṭāḥ). Association with such persons is very rare, since they are so outstanding. Imāḥ indicates that they have a great position. Nanu indicates astonishment, doubt or certainty. The Lord awards visibly (sākṣāt) or with obstacles the highest benediction to persons ignorant of the glories of bhakti but who worships him sincerely, or who worships even in imitation, since he is the Lord, independent or since he is my master, most merciful, Kṛṣṇa. An example of giving benefit to a person who serves in ignorance, and ābhāṣa of service, is given. A version with nu instead of nanu is a mistake in printing. Nectar taken even unknowingly or by smelling or touching (upayuktaḥ) has effect. Though I did not know the glories of Kṛṣṇa or the gopīs, my contact with them has taken place by the influence of his association.