Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.39.28
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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mukunda - saṅgāt
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from association with Mukunda
Saṅga — the technical word for spiritual association. The gopīs name their relation as sat-saṅga of the highest order — and even half a nimeṣa's separation from it is unbearable.
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nimiṣa - ardha
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half a blink
Nimiṣārdha — the smallest unit of viraha-time. Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Śikṣāṣṭaka 7 uses the same metric: yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa — 'a moment feels like an aeon.'
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kula - vṛddha
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family elders
The social authority they would normally fear. By dismissing it ('what can they do?') the gopīs cross the line into pārakīya-bhāva — the love that defies kula-dharma for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, which Gauḍīyas hold supreme.
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mādhavam
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Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)
Madhu-pati, lord of sweetness. Naming Him Mādhava in the very breath of proposing physical interception — they will lay hands on the chariot of sweetness itself.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī describes what the gopīs thought: “Let us go right up to Kṛṣṇa and pull at His clothes and hands and insist that He get down from His chariot and stay here with us. We will tell Him, ‘Don’t bring upon Yourself the sinful reaction for murdering so many women!’” “But if we do that,” said other gopīs, “our relatives and the village elders will discover our secret love for Kṛṣṇa and abandon us.” “But what can they do to us?” “Yes, our lives are already wretched now that Kṛṣṇa is leaving. We have nothing to lose.” “That’s right. We will remain in the Vṛndāvana forest just like presiding goddesses, and then we can fulfill our true desire — to stay with Kṛṣṇa in the forest.” “Yes, and even if the elders and our relatives punish us by beating us or locking us up, we can still live happily with the knowledge that Kṛṣṇa is residing in our village. Some of our girlfriends who are not imprisoned will cleverly find a way to bring us the remnants of Kṛṣṇa’s food, and then we can remain alive. But if Kṛṣṇa is not stopped, we will certainly die.”
After discussing everything thoroughly, the gopis attained the highest state of ecstasy. "Coming close to the charioteer, we will stop it with our hands and garments. We will also stop it using words such as, "O dear one, please step down from the chariot so that you do not commit the crime of killing thousands of people." "Seeing our foolishness, people will laugh at us, and our secret will be public. Seeing all this, our friends will also reject us. They can do nothing for us, who have become separated from Krsna. If we stop Krsna from going to Mathura, and are rejected by friends, then we will live like forest deities in Vrndavana. Thus our desires will all be fulfilled. Or if we are punished or kept in our houses, we will happily maintain our lives by his chewed tambula and old garlands obtained by friends. If we do not stop him, then we will certainly die."
From infancy we have accepted him in our minds with dedication. He also has accepted us in this way. He should be our husband. Now he is rejecting us and going away. How can we stop him? Who will restrain us? That is expressed in this verse. Giving up shyness and become bold we will come close to him (sam--upetya). We will immediately stop him by grabbing his hand. “How can you accept him independently without the permission of your parents?” He is Mādhava, husband of Lakṣmī (mā). Secretly she has accepted him also. You cannot question whether it is proper conduct. This will be established later in verse 31. “Seeing your audacity, the elders will punish you.” Seeing our boldness even though confirming our secret attraction, what can the elders who institute dharma as well as husbands and others bound by affection, do to us? By our unavoidable karma (daivena), from first seeing him (mukunda-saṅgāt), our hearts have detached (vidhvaṁsita) from body and house and miserable because of not attaining him. “Then it is better that you separate from him according to your karma. Give up you eagerness to associate with him now.” In fear they say “We cannot give him up for a second.” “Will they not do anything to you?” Because of our attraction to Mukunda, they cannot do anything, since he frees us from all troubles (mukunda). But because of association with him as Mādhava, by fate, we have been destroyed and are miserable. Because of his association as Mukunda, we have found it hard to separate from him for even a moment. If we prevent him from going, and if we are rejected by the elders, then we will surrender to the forest like forest spirits and serve him happily. If we are punished and are locked up, then seeing him leave, we will die in happiness. If we cannot prevent him from going, we will die. The others can do nothing. Thus we should attempt to stop him.
Gving up shame and being bold, coming to him, we will stop him by holding his hands and clothing. He is going to protect the Yadus, having been born in the Madhu dynasty (mādhavam). He is attached to performing pastimes with madhura-rasa (mādhavam). We will stop him because what attachment do we have for husbands and friends, and elders following dharma? “Will they give up peace and to this for me?” We cannot give up he who gives the highest bliss and is most beautiful (mukunda) for even half a moment, even if it is ordained by the creator. Therefore we are miserable. Or we have been destroyed and our hearts are miserable because we cannot give him up for half a moment. A long separation will kill us. We have no relationship to the elders. All this has become insignificant by having a relationship with Mukunda. “Disregard for elders will produce infamy and a bad future life.” That is fate. There is nothing more miserable than giving up Mukunda. Why think about it?
Like village wives who, having exhausted lament, decide to walk straight to the chariot and stop it bodily — 'what can our family elders even do to us?' The gopīs propose direct action. Their hearts cannot bear the half-second separation, let alone the journey to Mathurā.
My note
Source: vedabase.io