19.210

pati-sutanvaya-bhratr-bandhavan

ativilanghya te ’nty acyutagatah

gatividas tavodgita-mohitah

kitava yositah kas tyajen nisi

SYNONYMS

pati—husbands; suta—sons; anvaya—family; bhratr—brothers; bandhavan—friends; ativilanghya—without caring for; te—Your; anti—dear shelter; acyuta—O infallible one; agatah—have come; gati-vidah—who know everything of our activities; tava—of You; udgita—by the singing flute; mohitah—being attracted; kitava—O great cheater; yositah—beautiful women; kah—who; tyajet—would give up; nisi—in the dead of night " ’Dear Krsna, neglecting the order of our husbands and sons, family, brothers and friends and leaving their company, we gopis have come to You.

You know everything about our desires.

We have only come because we are attracted by Your supremely musical flute.

However, You are a great cheater.

Who else would give up the company of young girls like us in the dead of night?’

PURPORT

This verse, quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.31.16), describes how the gopis exposed themselves for Krsna’s enjoyment in the dead of night.

The gopis approached Krsna to enjoy themselves with Him in the rasa dance.

Krsna knew this very well, but He was superficially trying to avoid them.

He is therefore addressed by the gopis as kitava, a great cheater, because He first attracted them to come dance with Him, and yet when they actually came, neglecting the orders of their friends and relatives, He tried to avoid them by giving them good instructions.

These cunning instructions were too much for the gopis to tolerate; they therefore had a right to address Krsna as kitava, a great cheater.

They were all young girls, and they had come to Him to be enjoyed.

How could He avoid them? The gopis therefore expressed great disappointment in this verse.

They came voluntarily, but Krsna was so cunning that He wanted to avoid their company.

The gopis’ lamentation was certainly very appropriate, and in this way Krsna tested their sincerity.