Shloka 35
Uddhava Meets the Gopīs: Bhramara-gītā and Kṛṣṇa’s Message of Separation
यथा दूरचरे प्रेष्ठे मन आविश्य वर्तते । स्त्रीणां च न तथा चेत: सन्निकृष्टेऽक्षिगोचरे ॥ ३५ ॥
yathā dūra-care preṣṭhe mana āviśya vartate strīṇāṁ ca na tathā cetaḥ sannikṛṣṭe ’kṣi-gocare
Ist der Geliebte fern, geht der Geist der Frau umso mehr in ihn ein; doch ist er nahe vor den Augen, ist das Herz nicht in gleicher Glut gesammelt.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, the same holds true for men, who become more absorbed in thinking of a beloved woman when she is far away than when she is present before their eyes.
FAQs
This verse highlights how separation can intensify absorption in the beloved—illustrating the gopīs’ viraha-bhakti, where remembrance of Kṛṣṇa becomes all-consuming.
Their sharp words are expressions of overwhelming love and pain in separation; by addressing the bee as Kṛṣṇa’s messenger, they reveal the depth of their exclusive attachment.
When direct inspiration feels distant, increase remembrance—hearing, chanting, and contemplating the Lord—so the mind stays absorbed even without immediate emotional “nearness.”