Shloka 28
अक्रूर-सत्कारः, मथुरायात्रा-विरहः, यमुनातटे दिव्यदर्शनम्, चतुर्व्यूह-नमस्कारः
अहो गोपीजनस्यास्य दर्शयित्वा महानिधिम् उद्धृतान्य् अत्र नेत्राणि विधात्राकरुणात्मना
aho gopījanasyāsya darśayitvā mahānidhim uddhṛtāny atra netrāṇi vidhātrākaruṇātmanā
Alas! After revealing to these gopīs the great treasure of His very presence, the Creator—seemingly devoid of compassion—has here torn away their eyes, so that they may no longer behold Him.
Sage Parāśara (narrating the gopīs’ lament to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna manifests to draw the Vraja-devotees into the highest prema-bhakti and to advance His larger līlā leading to the destruction of oppressive powers.
Leela: Moksha-dana
Dharma Restored: Establishing bhakti as the supreme means, showing that divine presence alone is the soul’s true wealth.
Concept: Having once tasted Bhagavān’s presence, separation (viraha) intensifies devotion and makes worldly supports feel unbearable.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Cultivate remembrance (smaraṇa) and kīrtana in times of absence or dryness, treating longing as fuel for steady practice.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is personally accessible and reciprocates with devotees; their real ‘treasure’ is communion with Him, not impersonal absorption.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
FAQs
It frames Kṛṣṇa as the supreme treasure—more valuable than any worldly good—so the gopīs’ grief becomes a theological statement about Bhagavān as the highest Reality and fulfillment.
Through the gopīs’ voice, fate is depicted as “without compassion,” emphasizing the human experience of loss; yet the narrative context uses that pain to deepen devotion and constant remembrance of the Lord.
Darśana of Kṛṣṇa is treated as salvific and supreme; even separation highlights His sovereignty, because the heart becomes fixed on Him alone—an essential Vaishnava bhakti principle.