Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.26.13
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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dustyajaḥ
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impossible to give up
Dus (hard) + √tyaj (to give up). The gopas confess the very condition Gauḻīyas seek through sādhana — anurāga so fixed it cannot be removed. Their question is theological: how have we, with no practice, been granted what yogīs labor lifetimes for?
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anurāgaḥ
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loving affection
Anu (continually) + rāga (attachment, color). Anurāga in Rūpa Gosvāmī's taxonomy is the stage just before mahābhāva — love that intensifies even in repeated contact. The gopas' word choice is precise.
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vraja-okasām
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of the residents of Vraja
Vraja + okas (dwelling). The Bhāgavatam's name for the eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa's pastoral pastime. Gauḻīyas regard them as nitya-siddhas — never bound, always in rasa, even when they think themselves ordinary.
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autpattikaḥ
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natural
From utpatti (origin) — 'from the source, innate.' The gopas locate Kṛṣṇa's love as not learned, not earned — congenital to Him. This is exactly the Gauḻīya sense of svābhāvika-prema, eternal and uncaused.
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tanaye
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for the son
Locative of tanaya. Even mid-question the gopas call Him 'your son' to Nanda — vātsalya does not break, even when theology trembles. This is the chapter's heart-note.
The very word kṛṣṇa means “the all-attractive one.” The residents of Vṛndāvana could not give up their constant love ( anurāga ) for Lord Kṛṣṇa. Their attitude toward Him was not particularly theistic, because they were unsure whether He was God or not. But He attracted all their love precisely because as God He is the all-attractive person, the supreme object of our love. The cowherd men also asked, “How is it that young Kṛṣṇa feels such constant love for us?” In fact the Supreme Lord loves all living beings, who are eternally His children. At the end of the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa dramatically declares His affection for Arjuna and urges Arjuna to reciprocate that love by surrendering to Him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa, states, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ : “My Lord, You are so merciful toward Me, but I am so unfortunate that love for You has not awakened within Me.” ( Śikṣāṣṭaka 2) In this statement Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also uses the word anurāga. Our misfortune is that we cannot reciprocate the anurāga, or loving affection, that the Lord feels for us. Although we are infinitesimal and insignificant and the Lord is infinitely attractive, somehow we do not give Him our love. We must accept responsibility for this foolish decision, since to surrender to God or not is the essential expression of our free will. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement provides an efficient, systematic program to help conditioned souls revive their original, blissful consciousness, which is love of God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The intricacies of Kṛṣṇa consciousness are so wonderful that even Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates, the residents of Vṛndāvana, are astonished by them, as shown by these verses.
The wonderful activities of the child were shown as evidence that he is God. In this verse they speak to show how they are all united in their devotional feelings towards Krsna. "Though he is your child not ours, our attraction to him is very strong. Not only do we have parental affection for him, not only do the boys have friendly affection for him, and not only to all the male and female animals and birds of the forest have affection for him, but that affection is increasing in newer ways at every moment. We cannot give up that affection because it is natural. And even though we now see that he has the qualities of God, we cannot give up that attraction. One has more affection for ones own body than wealth and children, and more affection for ones soul than ones body, and more affection for paramatma than ones own soul. Thus Krsna must be paramatma. Such affection could not be possible if he were a mere human. But if you concede that he is paramatma, then how is it possible for paramatma to have such natural attraction towards the inhabitants of Vraja and the animals of the forest, for paramatma is self satisfied. Being self-satisfied, he should be indifferent to everything. He would not have such attraction to us who are absorbed in material life."
We cannot give up your son even if we consider all the factors. There is natural attraction to him. This is true for all the people of Vraja. The attraction that we have for Kṛṣṇa who attracts all hearts and is most beautiful cannot be given up. The attraction of him for us is natural, starting from Kṛṣṇa’s birth, though we are unqualified. We have attraction for him. This is praise since he has all wonderful qualities. Perhaps he is the ātmā of all beings. He is the soul and we are the body.
They discusses among themselves. They address Nanda with great affection, explaining their great affection for Kṛṣṇa. If he is the Lord, even then by his show of powers, our bhakti increases. Natural anurāga arises with restriction of fear and respect. Though we directly witness his powers we cannot give up affection for him, because it is natural (autpattikaḥ), like heat arising from fire. Inferring he is the Lord by protecting us from danger, the affection should decrease. All of us (naḥ), from infants to elders experience this. We cannot give up attraction to he who attracts everyone’s heart with his beautiful form, even though we are the most fallen, and offensive (asmāsu). How is this? He is not Nārāyaṇa, the source of avatāras and he is not some avatāra. He is completely different by his special, remarkable form as a child with sweetness and power. He must be an ocean of inconceivable greatness, some great person. The truth is this. He is both avatārī and avatāra, endowed with unlimited powers while performing extraordinary childhood pastimes. He is most inconceivable, having contrary qualities. He is a special form of Bhagavān. O Nanda, always full of joy! He is your son. You have great fortune! Your name is suitable since you are always blissful because of such a son.
A traveler arrives at a strange village and within an hour cannot remember any other home — the food tastes like his own, the children climb him, the elders call him son. The gopas describe Kṛṣṇa's affection for them and theirs for Him in exactly these terms: it is not built; it was already there.
My note
Source: vedabase.io