Shloka 34
Gopī-Vipralambha: The Search for Kṛṣṇa and the Revelation of Divine Footprints
रेमे तया चात्मरत आत्मारामोऽप्यखण्डित: । कामिनां दर्शयन् दैन्यं स्त्रीणां चैव दुरात्मताम् ॥ ३४ ॥
reme tayā cātma-rata ātmārāmo ’py akhaṇḍitaḥ kāmināṁ darśayan dainyaṁ strīṇāṁ caiva durātmatām
Le Seigneur Śrī Kṛṣṇa se réjouit avec cette gopī, bien qu’Il soit ātmārata, ātmārāma, pleinement satisfait et entier en Lui-même. Ainsi, par contraste, Il révéla la misère des hommes livrés au désir et la dureté de cœur des femmes au mauvais esprit.
This verse directly refutes the superficial criticism materialistic people sometimes direct against Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. The philosopher Aristotle claimed that ordinary activities are unworthy of God, and with this idea in mind some people declare that since the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa resemble those of ordinary human beings, He cannot be the Absolute Truth.
FAQs
This verse states that Kṛṣṇa is ātmārāma and akhaṇḍita—fully complete and unaffected—so His loving pastimes are divine līlā, not actions born of personal need or lust.
While narrating Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa context, Śukadeva highlights a moral-spiritual contrast: ordinary lust makes one dependent and miserable, whereas Kṛṣṇa remains complete, using līlā to instruct conditioned souls.
It cautions that lust creates helpless dependence and suffering; cultivating devotion, inner contentment, and self-discipline helps transform desire into steadier, principled love.