Seeing the nights of Sarad blossoming like jasmine flowers, Bhagavan also made up his mind to enjoy Love using the Maya as promised to the Gopis

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Raslila 

Suka Deva continued

As promised to Gopis, seeing the nights of Sarad blossoming like jasmine flowers, Bhagavan also made up his mind to enjoy Love using the Maya.

At that time Moon, the king of Stars, seemed to be smearing the face of western Horizon with reddish color with his hands which gave comfort all those who watched, like a beloved husband being seen after a long absence. Observing that the face of full moon resembling the Goddess of Fortune and the Kumuda flowers opening up to the rays of Moon, the Lord began to play the flute attracting the mind of all Gopis. Hearing that music which fortifies Love, Gopis whose hearts was seized by Krishna, moved on without noticing each other. Some who were in the middle of milking cows abandoned milking. Some who placed milk on the fire left without removing the fire. And some Gopis who placed the cakes of wheat flour for cooking also left similarly. Some were getting dressed. Some were attending to their children. Some were attending to their husbands. Some were eating their evening meals. Yet all of them left in a hurry as soon as the heard the song of flute. Some were stopped by their parents, some by their husbands some by their brothers and relatives. Yet enchanted by the music of Krishna, who stole their heart they all left refusing to turn back. Some who could not leave remained at home closed their eyes meditating upon Krishna. Their sins burnt up by the unbearable heat of separation, they obtained the joy of embracing Achyuta by meditation. Although he is the Paramaatman, they thought of him as their Lover and they gave their up bodies immediately counter acting all karmic bondage.

Raja Parikshit asked Suka Deva:

O Lord, the Gopis knew Krishna as their beloved, so how could they catch up in the material world free themselves of the material world.

Suka Deva continued

“Raja, this was talked before too. When Sisupala who hated Krishna achieved perfection by speaking abusively to Krishna, what to speak of the Gopis? The Bhagavan is without material passions, and he appears in his personal form only for the larger benefit of the humanity. Exhibiting the desire, anger, fear and affection, unity, friendship for the Hari they all achieve absorption in Hari. So you should not be astonished by Krishna, the master of all masters of mystic power, reciprocating the love of Gopis.”

Seeing that women of Vraja have arrived, Krishna the best of speakers spoke.

“Oh most fortunate Ladies! Welcome to you. What may I do to please you. Is everything going well in Vraja? Please tell me the reason for coming. The night is populated by fearsome creatures. Oh beautiful Ladies! You should not stay here. Please return to Vraja. Not seeing you, your mothers, fathers, sons, brothers will be searching. Do not create anxiety for your family members. You have seen the forest full of flowers made more beautiful by the full moon. You have also seen the night beautified by the trees with leaves trembling in the wind coming from Yamuna River. Therefore ladies please go back without delay. And you must serve your husbands. The children may be crying and in need of nourishment and the calves too. On the other hand perhaps you have come because of your love for me. If so it is fitting because all living beings have affection for me. Indeed the highest religious duty for a women is faithful service of one's husband without duplicity , welfare of the children and being good to the relatives of the husband ‘.

‘ Oh Ladies , unless If one has not fallen , a husband should not be rejected by those who desire a good station in this world , even if he is unfortunate , old , retarded , sickly , poor. The adulterous affairs for a woman coming from families are always condemned; they even bar her from heaven. The love for me arises by hearing, by seeing, by meditation and by chanting and not necessarily by the physical proximity. Therefore return to your homes “

Hearing this word spoken by Govinda, the Gopis felt thwarted in their strong desires, they experienced insurmountable anxiety

Keeping their faces downward out of sorrow, with their lips drying up, scratching the ground with their toes, with tears flowing from their eyes, they stood silently with excessive unhappiness. With their beloved addressing them as if he is not their beloved but just the opposite the Gopis who desisted from all material desires for the sake of Krishna, stopped crying. And wiping their eyes they spoke to Krishna with agitated voices.

“Oh Lord! You should not speak cruelly in this way. Oh Stubborn one! do not reject us who renounced completely all varieties of worldly pleasures to worship your feet . Please reciprocate our love just as Narayan reciprocates with those who seek liberation.”

“As a knower of Dharma you said following the husband, children and the relatives and friends are the duty of women. Let it be like that and let us follow the real objective of the instruction. For all living beings you are the closest relative. We are only following you the very soul of our souls. The intelligent people for their own self eternally follow you who are dear. Then what is the use of following husbands, children and relatives who only give trouble finally. Please be merciful. Please do not bring down our hopes. Our minds which were absorbed in household, our hands which were in household work were stolen away by you. Now our feet are not moving one step away from your lotus feet. How can we go back to Vraja, and furthermore what shall we do? Please pour the nectar of your lips on the fire generated within our hearts. If not we will consign our bodies within the fire of separation from you.”

“We the people, who dwell in the forest, were fortunate to touch your feet. From that moment we are unable to stand in the presence of any other man directly. We have approached the dust of your lotus feet for shelter. Therefore, Oh Vanquisher of all distress, please show us your mercy . Renouncing our homes, hoping to worship, we have approached your lotus feet.

Oh Jewel among men! Our hearts drawn to you with intense passion are waiting for your smiling and loving glances. Oh Krishna! Please grant us the opportunity to be your servants. Seeing your face covered by your hair, your beautiful earrings, your cheeks, your lips, your smiling glances, your mighty arms providing fearless protection, your chest looked upon only by Lakshmi, we must become your maids. “

‘Oh Lord! which woman of respected people from among the three worlds does not deviate from proper behavior completely bewildered by the beautiful music of your flute. In all the three worlds seeing your form is the cause of auspiciousness. Even trees, cows and deer are ever alert with excitement hearing the magic of your flute. Obviously you have taken birth as the remover of fear and distress among the people of Vraja, just like the supreme Deity is the protector of the abode of Devas. Kindly place your Lotus hand on the heads for your maids “.

Having heard such despondent expression from all of them, the Lord of all the Lords of mystic power, who is ever satisfied, mercifully satisfied the Gopis.

Together with all of them he performed generous activities making their faces blossom with his glances and generous smiles. He appeared splendid like moon among stars. Being sung about, he sang with hundreds of the women wearing a Vyjayanti flower garland and moved about beautifying the Vrindavan. Then he entered the banks of river with cool sands and made joyful by the fragrance of the lotuses carried by the wind with Gopis. There Krishna threw his arms around the Gopis touched them and embraced them there by them pleasing them.

In this way receiving special attention of Bhagavan the Gopis felt themselves to be special among all women on the earth. Seeing the intoxicated state of the Gopis because of the good fortune, in order to diminish it and show them a favor he immediately disappeared.

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Seeing the intoxicated state of the Gopis because of the good fortune, in order to diminish it and show them a favor he immediately disappeared.