Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.14
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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śriyaḥ ekānta-vallabham
—
the exclusive lover of the goddess of fortune
Sub-compound from synonyms. Ekānta (exclusive, one-pointed) + vallabha (beloved). Lakṣmī is the original ekānta-vallabhā — yet the gopīs hold Acyuta the way even She cannot. Gauḍīyas: mādhurya in Vraja surpasses opulent love in Vaikuṇṭha.
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kāntam
—
as their lover
Kānta = beloved/lover, specifically the male beloved. Rūpa Gosvāmī's technical term for the nāyaka in śṛṅgāra. Here applied directly to Kṛṣṇa by Śuka — Gauḍīya licence for kānta-bhāva is right in the text.
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vijahrire
—
they took pleasure
Reduplicated perfect of vi-√hṛ (to sport, dally). Vihāra = līlā in its specifically erotic register. Gauḍīyas: the verb is the operative one — what looks like enjoyment is technical vihāra of Bhagavān with His hlādinī-śakti.
In this way, other gopis also , according to their individual inclinations, enjoyed with Krsna. The wives of Kaliya said that Lksmi performed penances to attain Krsna but could not attain him (sb 10.16.36). Uddhava also says that Laksmi could not get the same mercy as they gopis achieved. (sb10.47.60) The Brhad Bhagavatamrta says that Laksmi, seeing Krsna’s beauty, became attracted, performed penances, but could not attain him. From these verses it must be concluded that Laksmi did not attain Krsna. Therefore the phrase sriyah ekanta vallabha cannot mean "Krsna who was the dear lover of Laksmi." Instead the meaning is as follows. The gopis, attaining Krsna, the most desirable (kanta), enjoyed with him, with their arms encircling his neck, just as Laksmi enjoys with Narayana, who holds her to his chest. Or the phrase is acceptable if we understand that Krsna is one with Narayana, so therefore his is dearmost of Laksmi
The gopīs had attained Acyuta, who does not to manifest greatness in his form and qualities. His rareness is described. Lakṣmī holds him dearer (vallabham) than the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. yad-vāṣchayā śrīr lalanācarat tapo vihāya kāmān su-ciraṁ dhṛta-vratā The goddess of fortune performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and taking austere vows. SB 10.16.36 But she did not attain him. The gopīs attained him as their lover (kāntam). Or, they attained him, their sole beloved (ekānta-vallabham), who was the object of desire of Lakṣmī (śrīyaḥ kantam). Not only did they attain him, but he put his arms around their necks, not able to bear separation from them. In the great bliss of prema, they glorified him, and played. Thus they are shown to be greater than Lakṣmī. This is also shown by Uddhava: nāyaṁ śriyo ’ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ’nyāḥ rāsotsave ’sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha- labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-vallabhīnām When Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs in the rāsa-līlā, the gopīs were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful according to material estimation? SB 10.47.60
The gopīs had attained Acyuta, their lover, who does not fail to manifest greatness in his form and qualities. His rareness is described. Lakṣmī holds him dear (vallabham). Or they attained Acyuta, the lover of Lakṣmi and the only dear one (vallabham) of themselves. Having attained him, they were considered greater than Lakṣmī. That is shown in the second line. Uddhava says: nāyaṁ śriyo ’ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ’nyāḥ rāsotsave ’sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha- labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-vallabhīnām When Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs in the rāsa-līlā, the gopīs were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful according to material estimation? SB 10.47.60
Lakṣmī is Bhagavān's exclusive consort — yet here She watches the gopīs claim Him in a way She herself never has. The rāsa surpasses Vaikuṇṭha in intimacy, because in Vraja the formal protocols dissolve into mādhurya.
Bhāgavatam records that Lakṣmī performed tapas to enter the rāsa, but was not admitted — gopī-bhāva cannot be earned by Vaikuṇṭha-protocols. She remained at the periphery as Bilvavana-devī.
Gauḍīyas use this story to underline 10.33.14: the gopīs have Acyuta as ekānta-vallabha in a way that even Śrī cannot. Vraja-mādhurya is the supreme rasa, beyond Vaikuṇṭha-aiśvarya.
My note
Source: vedabase.io