Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 10 Chapter 6 Verses 39-40

Canto 10: The Summum Bonum | Chapter 6: The Killing of the Demon Pūtanā

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.6.39-40

payāḿsi yāsām apibat

putra-sneha-snutāny alam

bhagavān devakī-putraḥ

kaivalyādy-akhila-pradaḥ

tāsām avirataḿ kṛṣṇe

kurvatīnāḿ sutekṣaṇam

na punaḥ kalpate rājan

saḿsāro 'jñāna-sambhavaḥ

SYNONYMS

payāḿsi — milk (coming from the body); yāsām — of all of whom; apibat — Lord Kṛṣṇa drank; putra-sneha-snutāni — that milk coming from the bodies of the gopīs, not artificially but because of maternal affection; alam — sufficiently; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; devakī-putraḥ — who appeared as the son of Devakī; kaivalya-ādi — like liberation or merging into the Brahman effulgence; akhila-pradaḥ — the bestower of all similar blessings; tāsām — of all of them (of all the gopīs); aviratam — constantly; kṛṣṇe — unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; kurvatīnām — making; suta-īkṣaṇam — as a mother looks upon her child; na — never; punaḥ — again; kalpate — can be imagined; rājan — O King Parīkṣit; saḿsāraḥ — the material bondage of birth and death; ajñāna-sambhavaḥ — which is to be accepted by foolish persons ignorantly trying to become happy.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the bestower of many benedictions, including liberation [kaivalya], or oneness with the Brahman effulgence. For that Personality of Godhead, the gopīs always felt maternal love, and Kṛṣṇa sucked their breasts with full satisfaction. Therefore, because of their relationship as mother and son, although the gopīs were engaged in various family activities, one should never think that they returned to this material world after leaving their bodies.

PURPORT

The advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is described herein. Kṛṣṇa consciousness gradually develops on the transcendental platform. One may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme personality, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme master, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme friend, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme son, or one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme conjugal lover. If one is connected with Kṛṣṇa in any of these transcendental relationships, the course of one's material life is understood to have already ended. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9), tyaktvā dehaḿ punar janma naiti mām eti: for such devotees, going back home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Na punaḥ kalpate rājan saḿsāro jñāna-sambhavaḥ. This verse also guarantees that devotees who constantly think of Kṛṣṇa in a particular relationship will never return to this material world. In this material world of saḿsāra, there are the same relationships. One thinks, "Here is my son," "Here is my wife," "Here is my lover," or "Here is my friend." But these relationships are temporary illusions. Ajñāna-sambhavaḥ: such a consciousness awakens in ignorance. But when the same relationships awaken in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one's spiritual life is revived, and one is guaranteed to return home, back to Godhead. Even though the gopīs who were friends of Rohiṇī and mother Yaśodā and who allowed their breasts to be sucked by Kṛṣṇa were not directly Kṛṣṇa's mothers, they all had the same chance as Rohiṇī and Yaśodā to go back to Godhead and act as Kṛṣṇa's mothers-in-law, servants and so on. The word saḿsāra refers to attachment for one's body, home, husband or wife, and children, but although the gopīs and all the other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had the same affection and attachment for husband and home, their central affection was for Kṛṣṇa in some transcendental relationship, and therefore they were guaranteed to be promoted to Goloka Vṛndāvana in the next life, to live with Kṛṣṇa eternally in spiritual happiness. The easiest way to attain spiritual elevation, to be liberated from this material world, and to go back home, back to Godhead, is recommended by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: kṛṣṇera saḿsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra. One should give up all sinful activities and remain in the family of Kṛṣṇa. Then one's liberation is guaranteed.

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