Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.8.51

tato bhaktir bhagavati

putrī-bhūte janārdane

dampatyor nitarām āsīd

gopa-gopīṣu bhārata

SYNONYMS

tataḥ — thereafter; bhaktiḥ bhagavati — the cult of bhakti, devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; putrī-bhūte — in the Lord, who had appeared as the son of mother Yaśodā; janārdane — in Lord Kṛṣṇa; dam-patyoḥ — of both husband and wife; nitarām — continuously; āsīt — there was; gopa-gopīṣu — all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, the gopas and the gopīs, associating with Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā and following in their footsteps; bhārata — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of the Bhāratas, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead became the son of Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā, they maintained continuous, unswerving devotional love in parental affection. And in their association, all the other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, the gopas and gopīs, developed the culture of kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

PURPORT

Although when the Supreme Personality of Godhead stole the butter, curd and milk of the neighboring gopas and gopīs this teasing superficially seemed troublesome, in fact it was an exchange of affection in the ecstasy of devotional service. The more the gopas and gopīs exchanged feelings with the Lord, the more their devotional service increased. Sometimes we may superficially see that a devotee is in difficulty because of being engaged in devotional service, but the fact is different. When a devotee suffers for Kṛṣṇa, that suffering is transcendental enjoyment. Unless one becomes a devotee, this cannot be understood. When Kṛṣṇa exhibited His childhood pastimes, not only did Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā increase their devotional affection, but those in their association also increased in devotional service. In other words, persons who follow the activities of Vṛndāvana will also develop devotional service in the highest perfection.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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