tāḥ kiḿ niśāḥ smarati yāsu tadā priyābhir
vṛndāvane kumuda-kunda-śaśāńka-ramye
reme kvaṇac-caraṇa-nūpura-rāsa-goṣṭhyām
asmābhir īḍita-manojña-kathaḥ kadācit
tah -- those; kim -- whether; nisah -- nights; smarati -- He remembers; yasu -- in which; tada -- then; priyabhih -- with His beloved girlfriends; vrindavane -- in the Vrindavana forest; kumuda -- because of the lotuses; kunda -- and jasmines; sasanka -- and because of the moon; ramye -- attractive; reme -- He enjoyed; kvanat -- jingling; carana-nupura -- (where) the ankle bells; rasa-goshthyam -- in the party of the rasa dance; asmabhih -- with us; idita -- glorified; manojna -- charming; kathah -- topics about whom; kadacit -- ever.
Does He recall those nights in the Vrindavana forest, lovely with lotus, jasmine and the bright moon? As we glorified His charming pastimes, He enjoyed with us, His beloved girlfriends, in the circle of the rasa dance, which resounded with the music of ankle bells.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti gives the following deep realization about this verse: "The gopis knew that no place could be as beautiful as Vrindavana. Nowhere else in the universe could one find such a charming scene as the Vrindavana forest, which was scented with pious flowers and illumined by the full moon's light reflected from the serene waves of the sacred Yamuna River. No one loved Krishna as much as the gopis, and thus no one else could understand Him as well. The gopis rendered intimate service to Krishna that only they could perfect. Thus the gopis were distraught to think that Lord Krishna was bereft of Vrindavana and bereft of their service. Free of all material lust, they were overwhelmed with disappointment because they could not give Krishna happiness by their loving service. They simply could not imagine Krishna enjoying anywhere else as He did in Vrindavana in their company."
