Though Sukadeva knew this was not Pariksit’s question, he made a pretense of scolding him, saying "Are you so foolish to ask such a question? Previously in the seventh canto I have told you that Sisupala attained liberation though he had hatred of the Lord. If he could attain sayujya mukti with that unfavorable attitude, what can we say the gopis attained if they approached Krsna with love?" Hrsikesa (master of the senses) has special significance in this verse. Appearing spontaneously by his causeless mercy, though he is not visible to Brahma and others, making himself visible to the senses of the lowest people on the earth planet by his inconceivable power, in order to deliver them, he shows his remarkable mercy. If he has such mercy to the most fallen, what can we say about (kim uta) those who are objects of affection for that person who is beyond the senses (adhoksaja). Why did Sukadeva reject the recent example of Aghasura in Vrndavana and instead raise an example from later pastimes in Mathura? There is a secret concerning this. Sukadeva was giving a hint to Pariksit by raising this story of Sisupala. Like the gopis who were kept in their houses, Sisupala, at the removal of his guna maya body, attained by the curse because of his extreme materialistic illusion, asuumed his eternal spiritual body as an associate of the Lord. "By the cakra of Visnu the sins of Dantavakra and Sisupala were removed." In other words, by the cakra, their sins were removed rather than being killed, and they attained their positions as attendants of the Lord (siddim gatah). "Jaya and Vijaya after many days as a result of meditating on Krsna s their enemy again attained positions as servants of Narayana." (sb 7.1.47)

Śukadeva endowed with all qualities and powers (śrī) then spoke. Understanding Parīkṣit’s intention of raising doubts to cheat the materialists, Śukadeva takes the opportunity to scold the materialists with slight anger, using unclear words. Śukadeva had already explained the attainment of becoming an associate of the Lord again (siddhim gataḥ). vairānubandha-tīvreṇa dhyānenācyuta-sātmatām nītau punar hareḥ pārśvaṁ jagmatur viṣṇu-pārṣadau These two associates of Viṣṇu—Jaya and Vijaya—by meditation with intense, continuous hatred of the Lord, entered Kṛṣṇa, and then again went to the side of the Lord as his two associates in Vaikuṇṭha. SB 7.1.47 Śiśupāla attained the Lord again along with his spiritual qualities which had remained latent until his hatred for the Lord disappeared. Similarly the gopīs who made Kṛṣṇa their constant object of affection (adhokṣaja-priyāḥ) attained the Lord along with their spiritual qualities with the manifestation of their increasing prema. When I said that the gopīs gave up their bodies made of guṇas (verse 11), I meant that on attaining their spiritual bodies externally and internally by the potency of the svarūpa-śakti of the Lord, they gave up material bodies endowed with material qualities like beauty. There is also an answer to the second meaning of Parīkṣit’s question. According to the principle that I respond according to the worship (BG 4.11), I reveal to those gopīs qualities that they aspire for and not other qualities, though I possess all qualities. Because of their absorption in bhakti, the Lord’s śaktis reveal these qualities at the appropriate time even though they are not deliberately sought. Otherwise the devotees fixed in the Lord’s sweet qualities would not be able to attain him from far away. Please hear an example using kaimutya (quoting an extreme). Even Śiśupāla who hated the Lord attained him by absorption, what to speak of the gopīs? If the Lord did not respond in this way, Śiśupāla could not attain liberation or powers in the spiritual world when he passed out of his body. The two names of the Lord mentioned in this verse Hṛśīkeśa (lord of the senses) and Adhokṣaja (beyond the senses) indicate that he is the cause of liberation and manifests powers in the spiritual world. The names indicate that, without the devotees depending on gaining knowledge of the Lord, his qualities are revealed for perfection of the devotees.

Śukadeva was like parrot endowed with wealth (śrī-śukaḥ), and spoke a little unclearly out of anger. This should also be considered concerning later verses. He knew that Parīkṣit understood his words very well but using his question as an oppoenrtunity, directing himself to sceptics, he answered as if in anger. Śiśupāla hated Kṛṣna, the most beneficient, since he gives power to the senses to operate (hṛṣīkeśam), or how is most beautiful, having hair (keśa) shining like rays or like fine grass (hṛṣī). Though he hated such a Kṛṣṇa, Śiśupāla attained a spiritual body of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Or he achieved liberation, attaining again a body of an associate, which he desired. Previously I related that to you in the Seventh Canto. What then can be said about attaining liberation for the gopīes dear to the son of Yaśoda, who was as if reborn under the axel of the cart (adhokṣaja)? They accepted giving up their bodies out of fear of separation from their beloved, though this is not desired by the devotees. There is another meaning. Śiśupāla achieved his desired perfection. But the gopīs dear to Kṛṣṇa attained eternal union with him because of fear of separation. What else can be said? Thus giving up their bodies out of fear of pain in separation is rejected. Śiśupāla achieved perfection after three births according to the curse of the Kumāras. What then can be said of the gopīs achieving perfection by being dear to Kṛṣṇa? They attained spiritual bodies of eternity, knowledge and bliss, not merging in Brahman with no forms. The gopīs achieved that perfection. They accepted giving up their bodies out of fear of separation, caused by intense prema. It was said that devotees find it unsuitable to accept a body beyond the guṇas. That is a particular bhāva, by thinking with humility. The great devotees, not considering this the highest, are not too pleased with it since it lacks special transformations of prema. But it is not a fault for the gopīs whose minds were highly elevated with affection. There is a third meaning. Though he hated the Lord, Śiśupāla attained his goal of again being the Lord’s associate. He attained the Lord in his general form as bhagavān (hṛṣīkeśam). But the gopīs attained him in a special form (adhokṣaja). They, endowed with the the sweetest prema (priyāḥ) for Kṛṣṇa, the avatarī with great sweetness, attained the perfection of pastimes of prema in Vraja, like other gopīs. I said that they gave up their bodies, but you can understand the real meaning.