Srimad Bhagavatam 11.12.12 | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Chennai | 11 June 2021
jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī
gopījana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī
yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana
yamunā-tīra-vana-cārī
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Jaya Prabhupāda Jaya Prabhupāda
Prabhupāda Jaya Prabhupāda
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 Chapter 12 Verse 12.
ŚB 11.12.12
tā nāvidan mayy anuṣaṅga-baddha-
dhiyaḥ svam ātmānam adas tathedam
yathā samādhau munayo ’bdhi-toye
nadyaḥ praviṣṭā iva nāma-rūpe
Synonyms
tāḥ — they (the gopīs); na — not; avidan — were aware of; mayi — in Me; anuṣaṅga — by intimate contact; baddha — bound up; dhiyaḥ — their consciousness; svam — their own; ātmānam — body or self; adaḥ — something remote; tathā — thus considering; idam — this which is most near; yathā — just as; samādhau — in yoga-samādhi; munayaḥ — great sages; abdhi — of the ocean; toye — in the water; nadyaḥ — rivers; praviṣṭāḥ — having entered; iva — like; nāma — names; rūpe — and forms.
Translation
My dear Uddhava, just as great sages in yoga trance merge into self-realization, like rivers merging into the ocean, and are thus not aware of material names and forms, similarly, the gopīs of Vṛndāvana were so completely attached to Me within their minds that they could not think of their own bodies, or of this world, or of their future lives. Their entire consciousness was simply bound up in Me.
Purport
The words svam ātmānam adas tathedam indicate that while for ordinary persons one’s personal body is the most near and dear thing, the gopīs considered their own bodies to be distant and remote, just as a yogī in samādhi trance considers ordinary things around his physical body or his physical body itself to be most remote. When Kṛṣṇa played on His flute late at night, the gopīs immediately forgot everything about their so-called husbands and children and went to dance with Lord Kṛṣṇa in the forest. These controversial points have been clearly explained in the book Kṛṣṇa, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. The basic explanation is that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything, and the gopīs are the Lord’s own potency. Thus there is no discrepancy or immorality in the almighty Personality of Godhead’s loving affairs with His own manifest potency, the gopīs, who happen to be the most beautiful young girls in the creation of God.
There is no illusion on the part of the gopīs, for they are so attracted to Lord Kṛṣṇa that they do not care to think of anything else. Since all existence is situated within the body of Lord Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss for the gopīs when they concentrate on the Lord. It is the nature of very deep love to exclude all objects except the beloved. However, in the material world, where we try to love a limited temporary object such as our nation, family or personal body, our exclusion of other objects constitutes ignorance. But when our love is intensely concentrated on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin of everything, such concentration cannot be considered ignorance or small-mindedness.
The example of the sages in samādhi is given here only to illustrate exclusive concentration on a single object. Otherwise, there is no comparison between the ecstatic love of the gopīs and the dry meditation of the yogīs, who merely try to understand that they are not their material bodies. Since the gopīs had no material bodies to become detached from and were personally dancing with and embracing the Absolute Truth, one can never compare the exalted position of the gopīs to that of mere yogīs. It is stated that the bliss of impersonal Brahman realization cannot be compared to even an atomic fragment of the blissful ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. Intimate attachment is like a strong rope that binds the mind and heart. In material life we are bound to that which is temporary and illusory, and therefore such binding of the heart causes great pain. However, if we bind our minds and hearts to the eternal Lord Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure and beauty, then our hearts will expand unlimitedly in the ocean of transcendental bliss.
One should understand that the gopīs were not in any way inclined toward impersonal meditation, in which one denies the reality of variegated creation. The gopīs did not deny anything; they simply loved Kṛṣṇa and could not think of anything else. They only rejected whatever impeded their concentration on Lord Kṛṣṇa, cursing even their own eyelids, which blinked and thus removed Kṛṣṇa from their sight for a split second. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that all sincere devotees of the Lord should have the courage to remove from their lives anything that impedes their progressive march back home, back to Godhead.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj:
Here’s another verse describing the love of the gopis. And like the previous verse, this is showing the unique position of the gopis. And here, what is described is their intense concentration on Krishna. And because of that, they were not aware of anything else. They weren’t aware of the bodies, they weren’t aware of the outside world. And the comparison is given with the sages in samadhi. And another comparison is given, rivers merging into an ocean. And when the rivers merge in the ocean, it looks as if they’ve disappeared. And when the yogi is in samadhi, then again, there’s disappearance of his identity. So this looks a little bit impersonal if we apply this to the gopis. The gopis, of course, were also concentrating like the yogis. But their concentration was much different. But because the yogis have some sort of intensity in the trance, the gopis are compared to them. Not mean that everyone should imitate the yogis.
We find elsewhere, when it’s describing absorption in the Lord, then examples are given of various devotees. And then it also gives the example of demons like Kamsa. So the big demons also concentrate on the Lord intensely. And they also attain the Lord. But such verses do not indicate that we should be like demons and concentrate on the Lord in hatred. So the demons are simply mentioned because their meditation was also intense.
So the same may also be said here. The gopis compared to yogis because in our material world, the yogis are considered to be great examples of concentration of mind. However, this is maybe somewhat superficial because the object of meditation is different in the yogis. The yogis experience the bliss of Brahman. And the gopis are experiencing the wonderful form and pastimes of Krishna. So that is quite different. So therefore, the comparison is partially true, but we cannot therefore equate the gopis with the yogis.
And of course, what the yogis are concentrating, what are they concentrating on? Ultimately, it is no form, no qualities, no activities. So the intensity of concentration, the object of concentration is quite different. But the similarity is that the yogis forget external world and their bodies and the gopis also forget their bodies and external world. The gopis forget because of their prema. The sages forget because of Brahman. So therefore, there is similarity and there is also difference.
This example of the rivers merging in the ocean is often given. When the rivers go in the ocean, then we don’t see the Ganga or the Yamuna or the Kaveri or anything. It’s all ocean. So, the gopis, when they were absorbed in prema and rasa, then they forgot all about their names and their relationships etc. But this does not mean that the gopis merged into Krishna.
So of course, the example ultimately comes from the Upanishads. There are similar statements about rivers merging into the ocean. And again, the idea is that some of the qualities seem to disappear at that time. So we can explain that in terms of, yes, names and forms disappear for the devotee when he is absorbed in the Lord. But that means that material names and forms disappear. So in this way, there is some sort of disappearance, but it’s a disappearance of material qualities for the gopis.
Now we may argue that the gopis don’t have material bodies. So how do they forget their bodies are not material? So it’s not that they completely forget, but in pastimes they have a certain type of identity. So they are cowherd girls. And they live with their husbands and they have the in-law, parents etc. So when they remember Krishna, then they forget all of this. But of course, even that is not material, that even the obstacles are spiritual.
So the gopis are a little bit different from the example given of people who are doing sadhana in the material world and get to a high level of bhakti and forget their material bodies. So they forget certain aspects of their spiritual identity. So this is to glorify the intensity of prema, of the gopis. Because of the intensity of their love, then these particular symptoms manifest. So just as the previous verse pointed out unique qualities of the gopis, so this verse also shows their unique qualities.
So Krishna Himself noted this intense love. We see that the other associates in Vrindavan do not forget their identities. So the gopis are quite unique. And therefore Krishna tells the gopis that your dedication is so much, you’re willing to sacrifice everything for Me, get everything, that I cannot repay you. I cannot forget all my relationships, give up all relationships as you do. So this of course is a part of pastimes. They’re not in the material relationships they have with their husbands, parents, etc, is not material. But this is an arrangement of the Lord, but they forget those restrictions and they overcome those obstacles to please Krishna.
So because of that complete dedication, Krishna is also completely dedicated to the gopis. And He’s able to express this nicely to Uddhava. As I mentioned the other day, Uddhava was very qualified to receive this knowledge. He can appreciate the exalted position of the gopis. So in this way Krishna Himself is glorifying the gopis. So when we see these verses, we should also understand the exalted nature of that love. At the same time, we should not attach any material ideas to that love. At the same time, we should not attach any material ideas to that love. It’s the highest love, it’s most intense love, it’s also the purest love.
So therefore, the gopis are faultless. So that is how we accept the gopis. From the material point of view, we can criticize. Why did they give up their family and why did they give up their husbands? But that’s also explained. In one sense, they are eternally the consorts of Krishna. So their apparent marriage with husbands and their families etc are, is a yogamaya. And ultimately, they are there simply to stimulate the gopis’ love for Krishna.
So there are many different obstacles to prema. There may be physical obstacles. Such as Krishna going to Mathura or Dwaraka. Or Krishna going out into the fields in the day time. But more difficult obstacle is the obstacle of attachments. More difficult obstacle is the obstacle of family attachment. So the gopis overcame that family attachment. They did not think of that at all. In fact, they did not even think of their own bodies.
So this shows the intensity of their love. But we can’t even compare it to material attachment to family. But it is somewhat similar. We see in the material world, people are attached to their families. So, the process is spiritual and the family is much different. So the attachment is ultimate. And the attachment to family that they overcome is an obstacle created by yogamaya. And this shows the intensity of the gopis’ love.
Hare Krishna!
Q & A :
1.) Hare Krishna Maharaj, dandavat pranam. Maharaj, you mentioned about Krishna mentioning to Gopis that the magnitude of love which gopis had for Krishna, Krishna was not able to repay at that point of time. Maharaj, Acharyas are also mentioning that Mahaprabhu, when He appeared, His mood of bhava, Radha bhava, Mahabhava, He separated Himself to taste the separation, what Gopis went through when they were separated from Krishna. In one sense can we say that Mahaprabhu’s appearance was in one sense to repay that debt to gopis by separating Himself and feeling that separation for Krishna.
Well, I have never seen it explained that way. The debt is that He cannot give up what they give up. He cannot give up what they give up. He does not give up Yasoda and Nanda. Whereas the gopis forget about their parents and their in-laws and everything. So to that extent He cannot repay them [Laughs], respond, He cannot respond equally to them.
2.) Maharaj, you mentioned that the prema of gopis is much intense that it overcomes whatever role they play in their pastimes. However when they come and take the role of Acharyas in Caitanya lila, we see till the end of their role, they play, they don’t exhibit symptoms of overcoming their temporary identity and exhibit their real identity, is that an arrangement of the Lord?
In Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, we see that the aspect of Krishna is hidden. So, Lord Caitanya does not display Himself as Krishna or God. Gadadhara does not display himself as Radha. So, they are all playing the role of human beings. So, yeah, in the sense they all cover up their identities to some degree. However certain qualities do manifest and by those qualities we can identify who they were in Krishna’s pastimes.
3.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. This question is from a devotee about madhurya rasa. To practice madhurya rasa, does the person necessarily need to be in a female body. We understand Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited madhurya rasa. Are there other devotees in male body who were in madhurya bhava? Thank you, Hare Krishna.
Yeah, well the Goswamis were manjaris, that’s obviously also there. And we find that in Puri we have Lalita and Visakha there in the form of Ramananda Raya and others, Swarupa Damodara and others. So, in other words, as far as sadhakas are concerned, it doesn’t matter what body they have in the material world, they can cultivate a relationship as a gopi or whatever, spiritual identity. But that’s not attached, it’s not related.
4.) Can we say that the bhauma Vrindavan where Krishna takes birth and performs lila in the material world is more glorious than the spiritual Goloka Vrindavan itself? Because a devotee with vatsalya rasa is able to see baby Krishna and a devotee is able to see chivalrous lila of killing demons in bhauma Vrindavan. Whereas in the spiritual world, Goloka, Krishna is in pauganda stage only and not as a child and chivalrous pastimes are not available.
Vishwanath Cakravarti mentions that some people say that the pastimes of Krishna in the material world are more attractive for that reason. However, in the spiritual world, though Krishna doesn’t go through different ages, those who are in vatsalya rasa see Him still as if He were a small child. Just as when Nanda and Yasoda met Krishna and Balarama at Kurukshetra, they treated them like small children and they put them on their laps. So in the spiritual world, things are not limited like this world.
5.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Maharaj, this is regarding a question on the Rasa-lila pastime. Is thatsome of the cowherd girls for some reason may be, I think this is reference to Laghu Vaishnava Toshani wherein it is mentioned that some of the gopis were not able to join the Rasa-lila with Krishna for some reason. So, Maharaj the question is, is it possible that some of the gopis can have Rasa-lila directly in the unmanifest Goloka without participating in the earthly Gokul?
Those gopis are mentioned in the Bhagavatam. So they were prevented from going to the Rasa-lila. But they are described as being sadhaka devotees. They had not reached the right qualification for joining Krishna directly. And thus, by that separation from Krishna, they burned up the last impurities and they attained qualification.
6.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Do the gopis remember their family relations again when they go back after the Rasa dance?
Of course, because [Laughs] again the next evening they have a Rasa-lila and they have to stick on their families [Laughs].
7.) Maharaj, gopis left their families to serve Krishna. By reading such topics, some may do the same, leaving their families or not obeying their parents and tell everyone that Krishna is their lover. We also have seen there are some extreme cases where they only want Krishna as their lover or husband. This is creating disturbances to the family members. How to tell women who want to follow gopi or Mirabai, example is not proper, because when they read such scriptures, they want to follow this. How did the family members in Vrindavan were able to digest this as their young daughters, even wives, leaving family to associate with the Lord?
We cannot really compare the Gopis to rejecting their family members and a person in the material world rejecting their family. The gopis are perfected. The person in the material world is doing sadhana. Gopis don’t have material bodies. And these so-called obstacles they explained are arrangements of Krishna. The obstacles in the material world are created by maya. And karma. So, o course, if one is very, very qualified, one can give up one’s family. But that is very rare. So the normal case is that we don’t encourage that. And to think one is on that level it’s due to pride.
8.) The confidential reasons for Lord Caitanya’s appearance are mentioned in Caitanya Caritamrta Adi lila. Through which pastimes did Lord Caitanya demonstrate that He fulfilled these objectives during His manifest pastimes?
Well, there is no particular pastime. But we can say that, when He was in Puri and He was in various ecstatic ecstasy. Those will illustrate these, the three reasons. The greatness of Radha’s love, what she experiences in Krishna, etc.
9.) In our Acharya’s disciplic succession, we see that before the appearance of Madhavendra Puri, the madhurya rasa was not very elaborately discussed or even the manifestation was only very prominent in the appearance of Madhavendra Puri. Was that a reason because Mahaprabhu was going to appear and that was a precursor? Or was that the reason to glorify Madhavendra Puri’s exalted position as a devotee of the Lord?
We can say it is an arrangement of the Lord just as when Krishna appeared, then He told the devatas to appear within the Yadu dynasty.
Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!!! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj ki jai!!! His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!! Nitai Gaura premanande Hari Haribol!!!