Text 39
śīghra āsiha, tāhāṅ nā rahiha cira-kāla
govardhane nā caḍiha dekhite ‘gopāla’
śīghra — as soon as possible; āsiha — return; tāhāṅ — there; nā rahiha — do not remain; cira-kāla — for a long time; govardhane — on Govardhana Hill; nā caḍiha — do not climb; dekhite gopāla — to see the Gopāla Deity.
“You should remain in Vṛndāvana for only a short time and then return here as soon as possible. Also, do not climb Govardhana Hill to see the Gopāla Deity.
In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura advises that one avoid remaining in Vṛndāvana for a very long time. As the saying goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” If one stays in Vṛndāvana for many days, he may fail to maintain proper respect for its inhabitants. Therefore those who have not attained the stage of spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa should not live in Vṛndāvana very long. It is better for them to make short visits. One should also avoid climbing Govardhana Hill to see the Gopāla Deity. Since Govardhana Hill itself is identical with Gopāla, one should not step on the hill or touch it with his feet. One may see Gopāla when He goes elsewhere.