Shloka 31
Veṇu-gīta-āhvāna and the Gopīs’ Appeal: The Opening of Rāsa-līlā
गोप्य ऊचु: मैवं विभोऽर्हति भवान् गदितुं नृशंसं सन्त्यज्य सर्वविषयांस्तव पादमूलम् । भक्ता भजस्व दुरवग्रह मा त्यजास्मान् देवो यथादिपुरुषो भजते मुमुक्षून् ॥ ३१ ॥
śrī-gopya ūcuḥ maivaṁ vibho ’rhati bhavān gadituṁ nṛ-śaṁsaṁ santyajya sarva-viṣayāṁs tava pāda-mūlam bhaktā bhajasva duravagraha mā tyajāsmān devo yathādi-puruṣo bhajate mumukṣūn
Les gopīs dirent : Ô Tout-Puissant, il ne sied pas que Tu parles avec une telle cruauté. Ayant renoncé à tous les plaisirs du monde, nous sommes venues au refuge de Tes pieds de lotus. Ô Toi l’obstiné, ne nous rejette pas : nous sommes Tes dévotes. Comme l’Ādipuruṣa, Śrī Nārāyaṇa, répond aux dévots aspirant à la délivrance, réponds aussi à notre amour.
FAQs
It shows the gopīs’ complete śaraṇāgati: they renounce worldly sense-objects and take exclusive shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, begging Him not to reject devoted souls who have come only for Him.
Kṛṣṇa had spoken words that sounded rejecting, testing their resolve and purity of love. The gopīs respond that such harshness is unfitting because they have already left everything to seek only His shelter.
Prioritize devotional practice over fleeting distractions: keep your core commitments to prayer, chanting, and ethical living, and when faith is tested, reaffirm your chosen spiritual shelter rather than returning to old habits.