Text 4
tā man-manaskā mat-prāṇā
mat-arthe tyakta-daihikāḥ
mām eva dayitaṁ preṣṭham
ātmānaṁ manasā gatāḥ
ye tyakta-loka-dharmāś ca
mad-arthe tān bibharmy aham
tāḥ — they (the gopīs); mat — absorbed in Me; manaskāḥ — their minds; mat — fixed upon Me; prāṇāḥ — their lives; mat-arthe — for My sake; tyakta — abandoning; daihikāḥ — everything on the bodily platform; mām — Me; eva — alone; dayitam — their beloved; preṣṭham — dearmost; ātmānam — Self; manasā gatāḥ — understood; ye — who (the gopīs, or anyone); tyakta — giving up; loka — this world; dharmāḥ — religiosity; ca — and; mat-arthe — for My sake; tān — them; bibharmi — sustain; aham — I.
The minds of those gopīs are always absorbed in Me, and their very lives are ever devoted to Me. For My sake they have abandoned everything related to their bodies, renouncing ordinary happiness in this life, as well as religious duties necessary for such happiness in the next life. I alone am their dearmost beloved and, indeed, their very Self. I personally sustain such devotees, who for My sake give up all worldly duties.
Here the Lord explains why He wants to send a special message to the gopīs. According to the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, the word daihikāḥ, “related to the body,” refers to husbands, children, homes and so on. The gopīs loved Kṛṣṇa so intensely that they could think of nothing else. Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa maintains ordinary devotees engaged in sādhana-bhakti, devotional service in practice, He will certainly maintain the gopīs, His most exalted devotees.