Shloka 33
Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā
कुर्वन्ति हि त्वयि रतिं कुशला: स्व आत्मन् नित्यप्रिये पतिसुतादिभिरार्तिदै: किम् । तन्न: प्रसीद परमेश्वर मा स्म छिन्द्या आशां धृतां त्वयि चिरादरविन्दनेत्र ॥ ३३ ॥
kurvanti hi tvayi ratiṁ kuśalāḥ sva ātman nitya-priye pati-sutādibhir ārti-daiḥ kim tan naḥ prasīda parameśvara mā sma chindyā āśāṁ dhṛtāṁ tvayi cirād aravinda-netra
O our true Self, eternal beloved, the wise fix their love upon You, knowing You as the real Ātman and everlasting lover. What need have we of husbands, children, and kin who only bring distress? Therefore, O Supreme Lord, be gracious; O lotus-eyed one, do not cut down our long-cherished hope of Your company.
FAQs
It teaches that the truly wise place their deepest loving attachment (rati) in Kṛṣṇa, seeing worldly ties as ultimately sorrow-giving compared to the soul’s eternal relationship with the Lord.
In the context of Kṛṣṇa’s call, the gopīs contrast temporary, duty-bound worldly bonds with the soul’s longing for Bhagavān; such bonds can obstruct divine love and thus become sources of anguish when they separate one from Kṛṣṇa.
It points to prioritizing devotion internally—keeping hope and love fixed on God—while performing family and social duties as service, not as the ultimate shelter for the heart.