LOVE OF THE GOPIS

It is immaterial whether one believes or not that Radha and Krishna were Incarnations of God. One may believe (like the Hindu or the Christian) in God's Incarnations. Or one may not believe (like the modern Brahmos) in His assuming form, human or otherwise. But let all have a yearning for this Anuraga or intense love for the Lord. This intense Love is the one needful thing.

Speaking about the Gopis' love of God, the Master said to M., one of his disciples: M How wonderful was the intensity of their Love ! At the very sight of the Tamala tree, they were seized with the madness of Love (Premonmada). (For the dark colour of the Tamala tree reminded them of Sri Krishna). This was also the case with Gauranga, Looking at a forest before him, he thought it was Brindavan. Oh I If one is favoured with but a particle of this ecstatic love ! What a devotion ! This devotion they had not only brim-full but in overflowing superabundance.

The unflinching devotion (Nishtha) of the Gopis is wonderful. When the Gopis went to see Krishna in Mathura, they got admission into the audience chamber after begging the sentinel at the gate several times. But when they saw Krishna there, with a turban on, they bent their heads and began to whisper among themselves, " Who-is this turbaned man ? We won t talk with him lest we should be culpable of infidelity to our Krishna. Oh where is our Lord, that supremely Beloved, who wears yellow cloth and a crest of peacock tail! " Ah I mark the single-hearted devotion of the Gopis.

The devotion of the Gopis is Prema-bhakti (devotion of ecstatic Love). It is also called absolutely constant devotion (Avyabhicharini-bhakti), or passionate devotion (Nishtha-bhakti). And what is inconstant devotion (Vyabhicharini-bhakti) ? It is devotion blended with knowledge ; for instance, the knowledge, that Krishna has become all, that He is the supreme Brahman, that He is Rama, Siva and Sakti, that He is the Divine Energy, etc. But you will not find this element of knowledge mixed up with ecstatic Love. When Hanuman went to Dvaraka, he said that he would only see Sita and Rama. So Lord Krishna asked Rukmini to assume the form of Sita; otherwise Hanuman would not be reconciled. When the Pandavas celebrated the great Rajasuya sacrifice, Yudhish-thira was seated on the throne and all the kings prostrated before him, but Vibhishana among them said that he would not prostrate to anybody save Narayana. So the Lord Himself began to prostrate before Yudhishthira, whereupon Vibhishana, too, did obeisance to Yudhishthira falling flat and touching his crowned head on the ground.