Overwhelmed with intense grief at their separation from Lord Krishna, the Gopis began to sing as follows:—
By Thy birth in the kingdom of Vraja, it has been highly blessed. That is why the Goddess Lakshmi has begun to dwell here eternally. We are all Thy slaves and are roaming here and there in the forest in quest of Thee. Pray reveal Thyself unto us who are living only for Thy sake. We are wandering in the forest seeking Thee in every direction.
O Lord! The Bestower of supreme enjoyment, O bestower of boons! We are Thy servants. Is this not really killing when you disappoint us after piercing our heart, with the shaft of your eyes which rob the beauty of the full-blown autumnal lotus in a lake?
O best of men? Thou hast saved us repeatedly from the destruction caused by the poisonous water of the Yamuna, from the Rakshasa Agha who had assumed the form of a huge serpent, from the winds and the rains, from lightning and thunder and wild fire, from demons like Arista and Vyomasura, and from all sources of fear.
Thou art surely the son of Yasoda. Thou art the witness of the inmost hearts of all corporeal beings. Implored by Brahma, thou hast appeared in the line of the Satvatas for the protection of the universe.
O beloved one, O foremost of the Vrishnis! Place on our heads Thy gracious and lotus-like palm which bestows all boons, with which thou holdest the Goddess Lakshmi and with which thou givest assurance of safety to those who, being afraid of the fearful Samsara, seek refuge under Thy feet.
O Thou allayer of affliction of the people of Vraja! O mighty hero! O beloved Lord whose smiles put down the pride of Thy devotee! O friends! We are Thy servants. Please
accept us and show us poor women Thy charming and lotus-like face.
Place on our bosom Thy lotus feet that remove the sins of those who prostrate themselves at Thy feet, that are merciful even unto the beasts that live upon grass, that are being served constantly by Lakshmi, that are the repository of all prosperity and that had been placed on the hood of the serpent Kaliya. May Thou be pleased to place Thy feet on our bosom and remove the affliction and burning of our heart.
O Lord of lotus eyes! O gracious hero! Pray comfort us who are swooning for Thee, with Thy charming speech which is most delightful even to the wise and with the elixir of Thy eyes.
The nectar of Thy stories is life to the distressed. It is highly praised by wise men and devotees. The sweet and sacred account of your life destroys all sins and bestows all
blessings the moment it is heard. It brings solace to every heart. Those who sing them and celebrate them do the greatest act of charity on earth.
O deceitful one! O darling! Thy smiles, Thy hearty laugh, Thy loving looks, Thy captivating sports, most delightful to contemplate on, Thy promises of love all have gone deeply into our heart. These are agitating our minds.
O Lord! Thy feet are as tender as the lotus. When Thou goest out of Vraja to graze the cows, we feel troubled at heart to think that they may be hurt by hard stones, pointed
grass and thorns.
O hero! At the close of the day, Thou art often seen with Thy face like unto a lotus, overhung with dark curly hair and sprinkled with the dust raised by the hoofs of the cows. Thy sight, then, kindles the fire of love in our hearts and rouses the desire to meet Thee.
O giver of delight! O Lord who removes the distress of people! Place on our bosom Thy lotus feet which fulfil the desires of those who prostrate themselves at Thy feet, which
are adored by the lotus-born deity (Brahma), which enhance the beauty of the ground on which they are placed, which ought to be meditated upon in times of distress and
danger, and which bestow peace to those who serve them.
O hero! Permit us to drink the nectar from Thy lips which excites desire in our hearts, which destroys all grief, which the flute full of Thy voice enjoys in full measure, which
makes us forget every other form of attachment and which is capable of destroying all low passions and lust from the mind.
When Thou goest away to the forest during the day, a moment appears to us like an age without Thy sight. When we see Thy beautiful face graced with ringlets of hair, we
begin to curse the dull-witted Brahma for creating eyelids which by their fall every now and then interrupt our vision.
O Achyuta! We have abandoned our husbands, sons, relatives, brothers and friends and have come to Thee. Thou knowest the reason of our coming to Thee. We have been charmed by the melodious music of Thy divine flute.
O deceiver! Whoever else, save Thee, would ever desert women who have trusted Thee? O beloved one! having remembered Thy sweet smiling face, Thy affectionate
glances, the beauty of Thy broad chest, the abode of Sri Lakshmi, we are burning with desire and our hearts are becoming enchanted.
O darling! Thy birth is for removing the misery of those who dwell in Vraja and also for the well-being of the universe. Our heart is pining for Thee. O Lord! Do not be miserly.
Grant us who cherish only Thee, at least a little of that balm or remedy which will surely kill all the pain in our heart.
O beloved! Thou walkest in this dreary forest with those graceful, delicate lotus feet, which we very gently place on our hard bosom, lest we should pain them. O Lord! Our
whole life is centred in Thee. Thou art our very life. Are not Thy feet now pained with gravels? Our mind reels to think that Thy tender feet may be hurt by the hard gravels
which are strewn on the ground of this forest.