God and the Gopīs - The Supreme Perfection of Pure Devotion
In the spiritual realm, the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees takes on infinite, beautiful varieties. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that among all these transcendental exchanges, the loving affairs between Lord Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs (the cowherd girls of Vṛndāvana) represent the absolute highest echelon of pure, unmotivated devotion.
Topmost Devotees of the Lord
The position of the gopīs is unparalleled throughout the entire cosmic manifestation. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that Kṛṣṇa Himself acknowledges that these simple village girls are far dearer to Him than the most powerful demigods or even the goddess of fortune, because they have surrendered their hearts completely to Him.
- In the Adi Purana the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself says: Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the goddess of fortune and even My own self are not as dear to Me as the gopis.
- The Supreme Lord, who can award liberation to anyone, showed more mercy toward the gopis than to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva or even the goddess of fortune, who is His own wife and is associated with His body.
- They had spontaneous love for the Lord, and thus He became their heart and soul, and the gopis also became the heart and soul of the Lord.
- Among the gopis of Vrndavana, Srimati Radharani and another gopi are considered chief. But when we compare the gopis, it appears that Srimati Radharani is most important because Her real feature expresses the highest ecstasy of love.
Spiritual Nature of Parakīya-Rasa
To the mundane observer, the pastimes of the Lord and the gopīs might mistakenly appear as ordinary material romance. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that this relationship is completely devoid of material lust; it is the flawless, selfless exchange of the Lord's internal spiritual potency.
- The lusty affairs of the gopis actually constitute the topmost love of Godhead because the gopis never act for their own personal satisfaction. They are simply pleased by engaging other gopis in the service of the Lord.
- The pure love of the gopis has become celebrated by the name ‘lust.' The dear devotees of the Lord, headed by Sri Uddhava, desire to taste that love.
- The gopis are predominated expansions of the internal potency, and therefore the Lord's participation in the rasa-lila dance is never to be considered like the mundane relationship of man and woman.
- We cannot understand the affairs of the spiritual world on the basis of our experience in the material world. The Lord's pastimes with the gopis are therefore misunderstood by mundane scholars and word-wranglers.
The Supreme Enjoyer
God is often perceived solely as a creator or a strict judge, but His original, most intimate form is quite different. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that the true definition of the Absolute Truth is the supremely attractive, ever-youthful boy who has nothing to do but eternally dance and enjoy with His beloved gopīs.
- Our definition of God is, na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8). "He has nothing to do." This is God. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." He is simply enjoying, dancing with the gopis, that's all.
- Although the Lord is one in His various forms (advaitam acyutam anadim), still His form as the young enjoyer of the gopis and companion of the cowherd boys (kisora-murti) is the most perfect form.
- I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of laksmis, or gopis - Brahma-samhita 5.29.
- In Vrndavana the conjugal love of the Lord is not with His married wives but with His girlfriends, the gopis. Conjugal love with the gopis is called parakiya-rasa.
Ultimate Standard of Worship
The ultimate goal of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to bring conditioned souls to the highest standard of love. The ācāryas emphasize that the absolute perfection of spiritual life is to follow in the footsteps of the gopīs, just as the great saints and authorities have recommended.
- We must always think of Krsna, just like the gopis. The Krsna consciousness of the gopis was perfect because they had no desire other than to try to please Krsna. That is perfection.
- Lord Caitanya approved the relationship of the gopis with the Lord as supreme. Herein (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.4.10) the Lord's attitude towards Uddhava was more intimate than with Maitreya Muni.
- It is said by Srinivasacarya that the six Gosvamis were always merged in thoughts of the activities of the gopis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also recommended the gopis' method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead as superexcellent.
- The six Gosvamis are honored all over the three worlds, and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krsna.
Conclusion
As Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully concludes, the relationship between God and the gopīs is the zenith of spiritual realization. It completely shatters the mundane conception of a distant, inactive God, revealing Kṛṣṇa as the supreme enjoyer who is eternally captivated by the unalloyed, selfless affection of His highest devotees. Far from being a display of material lust, the rāsa-līlā and the parakīya-rasa represent the pure, dynamic exchange of the Lord's internal potency (hlādinī-śakti). Because the gopīs, headed by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, possess no desire other than to please the transcendental senses of Kṛṣṇa, they are glorified above all other living entities. By faithfully following the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and absorbing oneself in the mood of the six Gosvāmīs, any sincere practitioner can learn to properly worship the Lord and ultimately aspire to taste this supreme perfection of pure devotion.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God and the Gopis. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.