"I have given up my control of the universe and the quest for future liberation. But now, how can I get the dust of the feet of the inhabitants of Vraja?" Thinking thus, Brahma speaks with certainty. "Let me have good fortune. May you be pleased to cast your merciful glance upon me. (tad bhuribhagyam) What is that good fortune? --To be born as a blade of grass in Vrndavana (iha atavyam), to be touched by the feet of your dear cowherd friends of Vraja." "O Brahma, give up such an unusual obsession, and pray for something more suitable to you!" "Then let me be born at the edge of Gkula as a stone slab or piece of cloth, to take the dust from the feet of one of your menial sweepers." "But Brahma, what is the reason for such glorification of the inhabitants of Vraja? Do you not have shame as worshipable creator of the universe to bathe in the dust of the lowly sweeper?" "But they have taken as their very life (jivitam) the most beautiful (bhagavan), with smile (mukha) like a jasmine (kunda) flower (mukunda). Without you they perish, because they have such unprecedented love for you. You are all in all (nikhilam), without which eating and drinking have no meaning. Even now, the srutis are searching for the dust from their feet, without success. I should be more ashamed than the Vedas with my little prayers. O lord, let that be. Previously I prayed with vaidhi bhakti. Now I pray to be immersed in the ocean nectar of raganuga bhakti, having become the loyal follower of the inhabitants of Vraja."

Praising the great glory of the inhabitants, Brahmā develops humility and indicates that, being counted among them, he boldly desires service at his feet. Then he prays, greatly respecting the dust from the devotees’ feet. The word iha (here) indicates that he rejects the five types of liberation since they are unfavorable for service. My liberation is my birth in Vraja (iha). In Vaikuṇṭha there is sālokya etc. but in Mathurā there are forests such as Gokula where there is grass and dirt. There I can be covered in the dust from their feet with an internal desire for service to Kṛṣṇa. He wants a bath because he is greedy for perfection of all his limbs. Or, “Why do you not pray for birth as a cowherd directly?” Bhagavān, the life of the people of Gokula, is impossible to attain by one’s own efforts since he is the supreme. He is attained as the giver of liberation, Mukunda, not the giver of bhakti-yoga. But Kṛṣṇa’s devotees in Vraja cannot live for a moment without bhakti-yoga. Thus the name Mukunda is uttered out of the greatest prema. How should I attain Kṛṣṇa who is so unapproachable by other methods and has prema difficult to attain? Since you have appeared, your foot dust is directly visible to the Upaniṣads now. How can one estimate the glory of that dust? Its glory has no end. Śruti says yato vācaḥ nivartate: words cannot describe him. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.4.1) But it is not proper for me to pray for the dust of your feet to you--whose knowledge is rare in the Vedas, which gives me all its knowledge. What to speak of praying to be born as a cowherd endowed with prema, serving your lotus feet. The people of Vraja have been praised from verse 31. How much more glory should Nanda and Yaśodā have! With the intention of praising Nanda and Yaśodā, because of shame and fear of his offense, he did not mention Kṛṣṇa’s friends in the beginning or Kṛṣṇa’s powers in making the forms of the boys, but first spoke about the mothers who derived great bliss because of his hiding the boys.

With a desire for bhakti like that of the people of Vraja or with a desire to serve their lotus feet, Brahmā now in five words rejects five items including liberation which are unfavorable for this type of bhakti. With the word janma (birth) he rejects liberation, with the word iha (here) he rejects Svarga. With the word kim api he rejects being a brāhmaṇa. With the word aṭavyām (in the forest) he rejects Mathurā. With the word gokule he rejects Tapovana and other forests. Kim api indicates he could be some low grass. That grass reaches perfection by being bathed in Kṛṣṇa’s foot dust—from head to foot. Or out of greed, bathing indicates that all his limbs should be successful. Or bathing in the dust only once is indicated. This dust is full of all holy places. Kṛṣṇa’s foot dust is sought –but not attained --by the śrutis at this time (adyāpi) when he appears in the world. Brahman is praised as the feet of the Lord in the śrutis. Brahma pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā: brahman is the base. (Taittirīya Uapnisad; 2.5.1) Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam: the wise see the supreme place of Viṣṇu. (Kaṭha Upanisād 1.3.9) However the śrutis recommend karma and jṣāna. If the śrutis had actually attained Kṛṣṇa, which means giving up those sādhanas on attaining the goal, they should not have advised jṣāna or karma by praising them. The Lord gives persons like me rare bhakti (mukundaḥ). He reveals all his powers (bhagavān). He is the life all all beings in Gokula. They cannot live without him even for a moment. This indicates the highest prema. “Why should one pray to be born as some being among the inhabitants of Vraja? Why not pray to be a cowherd directly?” He alone is the life of all of them. It is unsuitable for me to pray for the dust of your feet, which is rare for even the śrutis which give all knowledge and are most ancient like me. What to speak of praying for birth as a cowherd, who control your lotus feet by their great prema.