Shloka 21
Akrūra’s Mission: The Departure from Vraja and the Yamunā Vision of Viṣṇu-Ananta
क्रूरस्त्वमक्रूरसमाख्यया स्म न- श्चक्षुर्हि दत्तं हरसे बताज्ञवत् । येनैकदेशेऽखिलसर्गसौष्ठवं त्वदीयमद्राक्ष्म वयं मधुद्विष: ॥ २१ ॥
krūras tvam akrūra-samākhyayā sma naś cakṣur hi dattaṁ harase batājña-vat yenaika-deśe ’khila-sarga-sauṣṭhavaṁ tvadīyam adrākṣma vayaṁ madhu-dviṣaḥ
Ô Providence ! Bien que tu viennes sous le nom d’Akrūra, tu es en vérité cruel, car, tel un insensé, tu nous enlèves ce que tu nous avais donné : ces yeux avec lesquels nous avons contemplé, ne fût-ce qu’en un trait de la forme de Madhudviṣa, la perfection de toute ta création.
The gopīs did not care to see anything but Kṛṣṇa; therefore if Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, their eyes would have no function. Thus Kṛṣṇa’s departure was blinding these poor girls, and in their distress they berated Akrūra, whose name means “not cruel,” as cruel indeed.
FAQs
Because He gives them eyes to see Him and awakens intense love, yet He removes Himself from their vision—deepening the pain of separation (viraha) that is central to their devotion.
It is a wordplay: although the name Akrūra means “not cruel,” the gopīs feel that Kṛṣṇa’s departure—facilitated by the events involving Akrūra—makes the situation unbearably cruel for them.
It teaches that longing for God can intensify devotion: when spiritual consolation feels distant, one can transform that ache into steady remembrance, prayer, and deeper commitment rather than discouragement.