Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.65.9
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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gopyaḥ
—
the young cowherd girls
Plural of gopī. For Gauḍīyas the gopīs are the highest devotees, embodying mādhurya-rasa. Their questions in this scene are technical exemplars of vipralambha-bhakti.
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hasantyaḥ
—
smiling
Present participle of √has (to smile, laugh). Rūpa Gosvāmī classifies smiling-through-pain as a complex sāttvika display. The smile here is what conceals the inability to ask plainly.
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sandarśana
—
by the personal audience
Sam (together) + darśana (seeing). A full, direct seeing. The gopīs are honored to see Balarāma but the verse leaves silent that what they wished to see is His brother.
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kṛṣṇaḥ
—
Kṛṣṇa
From √kṛṣ (to attract). The All-Attractive. The gopīs say His name and the verse turns into vipralambha-mādhurya; in Gauḍīya analysis the very name carries the rasa.
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vallabhaḥ
—
the darling
From √vall (to embrace, be dear). The Caitanya-line's Vallabhācārya sub-sampradāya takes this very word as its emblem — Bhagavān as the beloved. The gopīs here speak it with cutting double meaning: He is their vallabha, made into the city women's vallabha.
According to the ācāryas, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s beloved girlfriends were smiling with divine madness, since they were feeling extreme unhappiness in separation from their beloved Kṛṣṇa. Lord Rāma deeply respected their great love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, His younger brother, and thus the term rāma-sandarśanādṛtāḥ carries the meaning that Balarāma honored the gopīs, as well as the given meaning, that they honored Him.
When the gopis smiled, it was a sign of their unmada, or madness in prema. Otherwise how would it it be possible for such extremely shy girls suffering such intense pain of separation from Krsna, smile in front of Baladeva? Baladeva, comprehending that it was a sign of their mahabhava, gave them great respect, rather than disregarding them. Thus they are described as being worshiped by him (adrtah), by his affectionate glance (rama sandarsana), as he understood that they were the dearmost of his younger brother, and were filled with love for Krsna. Honored by him, they asked, "Is Krsna happy there?" Balarama said, "How could he be happy there being separated from you?" They replied, "He has many beautiful women in the city. How could he suffer separation from us village girls? Certainly he must be happy."
The gopīs mentioned here are those who were dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. They would meet secretly together at all times in order to hear news of him. They went to Balarāma in a group to tell him to bring Kṛṣṇa as they had done when meeting Uddhava. Though they were still aggrieved, they laughed. This is a symptom of unmāda. They laughed in order to mock Kṛṣṇa. They inquired from his elder brother because of great longing for Kṛṣṇa who was also in a state of unmāda. According to Śrīdhara Svāmī they showed respect (ādṛtaḥ) on seeing Balarāma by offering obeisances. Or they were honored with the direct presence of Balarāma who was more intimate with Kṛṣṇa than Uddhava. This was better than previous internal sphūrtis. Though having full faith that Kṛṣṇa would return, they laughed with hatred because he had left them. Still, because of their natural pure prema, they just made the following inquire since he was their only happiness: Is he happy? “How can he be happy without you?” Having obtained city women, distant from country women, he can be happy. Or does he remember our worship, incidentally (anu), after associating with the city women?
Being respected with direct meeting with Balarāma, who gave joy to the people of Vraja, in cowherd dress (sandarśana), they were overjoyed. They smiled or laughed. Or though honored with a meeting with Balarāma, they did not smile. Because of intense lamentation their faces were unhappy. Kṛṣṇa is full of the highest bliss. He must be happy. Or he attracted all our hearts. “But how can he be happy without you gopīs?” He is the lover of the city women. Or he has city women as lovers. Having obtained city women, distant from country women, he can be happy.
- Through whom does Kṛṣṇa send me news of Himself when He seems silent?
- Am I willing to be the messenger of Kṛṣṇa's love to someone today?
When a woman who has loved deeply asks a brother-in-law 'how is he,' her smile is not happiness — it is the disguise prema wears when there is no other way to speak. The gopīs smile at Balarāma the way one smiles at an old wound.
My note
Source: vedabase.io