FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.37

యా మయా క్రీడతా రాత్ర్యాం వనేఽస్మిన్వ్రజ ఆస్థితా: । అలబ్ధరాసా: కల్యాణ్యో మాపుర్మద్వీర్యచిన్తయా ॥ ౩౭ ॥
yā mayā krīḍatā rātryāṁ
[yaa mayaa kreedataa raatryaam]
vane ’smin vraja āsthitāḥ
[vane ’smin vraja aasthitaah]
alabdha-rāsāḥ kalyāṇyo
[alabdha-raasaah kalyaanyo]
māpur mad-vīrya-cintayā
[maapur mad-veerya-chintayaa]
yāḥ — which women mayā — with Me krīḍatā — who was sporting rātryām — at night vane — in the forest asmin — this vraje — in the village of Vraja āsthitāḥ — remaining alabdha — not experiencing rāsāḥ — the rāsa dance kalyāṇyaḥ — fortunate mā — Me āpuḥ — they achieved mat - vīrya — upon My valorous pastimes cintayā — by concentration .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yā mayā krīḍatā rātryāṁ
yāḥ
which women
mayā
with Me
krīḍatā
who was sporting
rātryām
at night
vane ’smin vraja āsthitāḥ
vane
in the forest
asmin
this
vraje
in the village of Vraja
alabdha-rāsāḥ kalyāṇyo
āsthitāḥ
remaining
alabdha
not experiencing
rāsāḥ
the rāsa dance
kalyāṇyaḥ
fortunate
māpur mad-vīrya-cintayā
mā
Me
āpuḥ
they achieved
mat - vīrya
upon My valorous pastimes
cintayā
by concentration .
  • rātryām vane — at night in the forest
    Locative: rātryām (in the night) + vane (in the forest). The very setting of the rāsa-līlā — a specific spatiotemporal location that Gauḍīyas regard as the apex of Kṛṣṇa-līlā: śarat-pūrṇimā in Vṛndāvana.
  • vraje āsthitāḥ — remaining in Vraja
    Locative + past participle. The verb āsthitāḥ — 'kept in place,' restrained. They could not move, yet they reached Him. The verse is the doctrinal warrant for sthira-deśa-bhakti.
  • kalyāṇyaḥ — fortunate
    From kalyāṇa (auspicious). Kṛṣṇa names them blessed despite their physical absence from the līlā. Gauḍīyas note: bhāva is internal; geography is incidental.
  • mat-vīrya-cintayā — by concentration on My valorous pastimes
    Compound: mat + vīrya (potent acts) + cintayā (by reflection). Cintā as meditation — the gopīs reached Him by cintā alone. This verse founds the Gauḍīya practice of līlā-smaraṇa as a complete sādhana.
Although some gopīs had to remain in the cowherd village and so could not join the rāsa dance to sport with Me at night in the forest, they were nonetheless fortunate. Indeed, they attained Me by thinking of My potent pastimes.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Although some gopīs had to remain in the cowherd village and so could not join the rāsa dance to sport with Me at night in the forest, they were nonetheless fortunate. Indeed, they attained Me by thinking of My potent pastimes.
Commentary

This verse raises as proof Krsna's personal presence when some gopis were locked in their houses by their husbands on the night of the rasa dance, as described in a previous verse. "Some gopis did not attain the rasa dance with me, as I engaged in amusements (kridata maya) on the night of the rasa lila in Vrndavana. Why was that? Because they remained in Vraja; being kept forcibly in their houses by their husbands (vraje asthitah). Though they wanted to die because their desires were not fulfilled and they experienced great pain in separation from me, they attained auspiciousness (kalyanyah); that is, they remained alive. By thinking of the rasa dance and other pastimes of mine, they attained me. Situated in their houses in Vraja, they were with me, because I personally appeared in their houses. After that, on other nights, they also were able to attend the rasa dance on the bank of the Yamuna."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He gives proof of his statement in this verse. In the prakaṭa Vṛndāvana (vane ’smin) during the night, some did not attain the rāsa dance with me as I danced since they were kept in Vraja. They attained me, my famous form as Kṛṣṇa, by the power of their thinking of my unprecedented qualities, in aprakaṭa Vṛndāvana. O fortunate ladies (kalyāṇyaḥ)! You will directly attain me, but not by giving up your bodies. (SB 10.29.11)

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

“We cannot believe you.” While I played in that forest (suggesting that his mind is always thinking of that), some gopīs remained in Vraja. That forest also suggest the gopīs quickly went there. But non attainment of the rāsa dance did not happen (mā āpuḥ). By thinking of the rāsa dance they attained me because they were fortunate to be your friends (kalyānyaḥ). This illustrates the power of meditating on me. You should have faith in this.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses

Some gopīs were prevented from joining the rāsa — locked in by family, unable to slip out. Kṛṣṇa says they too attained Him, simply by thinking of His pastimes. The verse is a doctrinal cornerstone: smaraṇa alone, without external sevā, suffices for the highest rasa.

The gopīs who could not come

Bhāgavatam 10.29 records that some gopīs ran out into the forest to join the rāsa; others, restrained by elders, husbands, or sleep, could only think of Him. The Bhāgavatam declares these confined gopīs also achieved Him.

Gauḍīyas read this as the founding text of mānasī-sevā — mental service. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī's whole literary career is an elaboration of this principle: when the body cannot enter Vraja, the mind can.

📝 My note

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