Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 19
Gopī-gīta: The Song of the Gopīs in Separation
Viraha-bhakti
यत्ते सुजातचरणाम्बुरुहं स्तनेषु भीता: शनै: प्रिय दधीमहि कर्कशेषु । तेनाटवीमटसि तद् व्यथते न किंस्वित् कूर्पादिभिर्भ्रमति धीर्भवदायुषां न: ॥ १९ ॥
yat te sujāta-caraṇāmburuhaṁ staneṣu bhītāḥ śanaiḥ priya dadhīmahi karkaśeṣu tenāṭavīm aṭasi tad vyathate na kiṁ svit kūrpādibhir bhramati dhīr bhavad-āyuṣāṁ naḥ
O dearly beloved, Your lotus feet are so tender that, fearing they may be hurt, we place them gently upon our breasts. Our very life rests in You; thus, as You roam the forest paths, our minds grow anxious—will pebbles and stones wound those delicate feet?
The translation of this verse is from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s English rendering of Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 4.173) .
FAQs
It portrays the gopīs’ tender concern that Kṛṣṇa’s delicate lotus feet—once carefully placed on their breasts—might be hurt as He walks in the forest among thorns and stones, revealing their intimate, selfless love.
They recall moments of closeness in Vraja to express the depth of their separation (viraha) now; the memory becomes a way to serve Kṛṣṇa through loving चिंता (anxious care) for His comfort.
It teaches bhakti as practical, selfless concern for the Lord—shifting focus from one’s own pain to the well-being of Kṛṣṇa, expressed through remembrance, prayer, and loving service.