10 Sep 2024
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God
1. Is it correct to say that a Gopi is anyone, who hides his/her real devotion towards God? Is Sthitaprajna also a Gopi?
[Ms. Swathika & Smt. Priyanka asked: Paadanamaskaaram Swami, In discussion with Swathika about the Gopikas, certain doubts came up between us as listed below. Please give us clarification on these points. Is it correct to say that a Gopi is anyone, who hides their real devotional feelings towards God? If yes, can Sthitaprajnas be called as Gopis because they hide their real love for God and do their duties and not every Gopika is a Sthitaprajna?]
Swami replied:- It is correct to say that any devotee including Sthitaprajna is Gopi if he/she hides his/her devotion to God from the family members provided the family opposes such devotion. Generally, opposition to the devotion comes when the devotion is on the human form of God since the sacrifice is consumed by the receiving God. If God is in the form of a statue or photo, the opposition will not be much because the sacrifice is not consumed by the receiving God. When you offer food etc., to God in human form, the offered item is enjoyed by God and will not return back to the devotee. If God is in the form of statue or photo, the offered item is not enjoyed by God and hence, returns back to the devotee. Due to this difference between an alive human form and inert forms, the family members of the devotee oppose the worship to the human form of God. This opposition brings conflicts between the devotee and family. But, if the devotee is damn sure about the reality of the human form of God, the devotee will hide his/her worship to the human incarnation from the family members. This is not a sin because the devotee is not cheating his/her family since he/she is worshipping the really relevant (to humanity) human form of God since this is Nivrutti (Spiritual Life), which is far greater than Pravrutti (Justified Worldly Life).
If the devotee is offering materials to a prostitute without the knowledge of the family, it becomes a sin since it is Dushpravrutti (Unjustified Worldly Life), which is far lower than Pravrutti. If the family is atheistic, it will oppose both types of worship. If the family is theistic believing in energetic incarnations and past human incarnations represented by statues and photos, it will not oppose the worship of the devotee towards statues and photos since there is no financial loss to the family. Even if the family is theistic, it will oppose the worship to the human form of God to prevent its financial loss. If the family also believes the human form of God, there is no opposition from the family in which case the devotion of the devotee need not be hidden from the family. This practical problem comes for every devotee because both the contemporary human incarnation and sacrifice of fruit of work are very important concepts. Sacrifice of money (Karma Phala Tyaaga) alone is the proof of true love and this fact is well proved in Pravrutti also. When this fact is applied to Nivrutti, then only the entire difficulty comes because God is considered as an outsider for all practical purposes. Only in prayers we show climax love to God, which is out and out false!
2. Does being a true Gopi have nothing to do with gender since any gender is female only with respect to God (Purusha)?
[Can we say that being a true Gopi has nothing to do with being a male or a female since any gender is a female only with respect to God (Purusha) and can have climax devotion for God and they can hide their feelings within them while doing their duties? In this regard, is it correct to say that King Janaka is also a Gopika apart from being a Sthitaprajna?]
Swami replied:- Gopi has nothing to do with gender since any devotee hiding his/her devotion to the contemporary human incarnation of God is called Gopi. The very meaning of the word ‘Gopi’ is that Gopi is the devotee hiding his/her love for God Krishna or any human form of God (Gopayati sva kuṭumbāt mānuṣāvatāra Bhagavat prema iti Gopī). Hence, it is not correct to fix Gopi to sweet devotion only in which mind, word and body are offered to God. The Monkeys fighting war on the side of Rama offered their bodies to God even for torture and death and this is far far greater than the Gopika offering her body to God and getting some pleasure also in return. Moreover, sacrifice of fruit of work is the real proof of true love in any bond. Almost all Gopikas passed in the test of bond with spouse, but, only twelve Gopikas passed all the three tests to reach Goloka. These twelve Gopikas only passed the other two tests (tests of bonds with money and children) and they also passed the test of bond with spouse by dancing with God Krishna. Apart from spouse-test, passing in the money-test and the children-test was the main deciding factor.
Draupadi as sister tore her new sari for the sake of God Krishna while all the romantic bonds were running in all directions for a piece of cloth! King Janaka is also Gopi, worshipping Shri Rama. A Sthitaprajna controls the middle step called emotional theoretical devotion even though the first step (Spiritual Knowledge) and the third final step (Practical Devotion) are very intensive. The intensity of the practical devotion gives the intensity of reality of theoretical devotion and in this process, the theoretical devotion need not be intensive, which brings madness in the devotee. The intensity of spiritual knowledge and the intensity of practical devotion are important and are also directly proportional to each other. The middle theoretical devotion need not be very intensive and little intensity of theoretical devotion is sufficient to transform the spiritual knowledge into practical devotion. Hence, theoretical devotion must be controlled beyond certain limits and such control avoids madness so that the climax devotee can remain as Sthitaprajna without becoming mad so that he/she can continue the service to God.
3. Is it correct that there are other Gopikas in Goloka, who loved God Krishna as brother or friend and not as lover or husband?
[You said that mother Yashoda is also one of the Gopikas in Goloka and that her intensity of love was equal to Radha's. Is it also correct that there are other Gopikas in Goloka, who loved God Krishna as their brother or friend and not as lover or husband?]
Swami replied:- True love is always decided by the sacrifice of fruit of work, which is highlighted by the Veda and the Gita to a very great extent. The form of the bond (to love God as father, brother, son, husband, darling, master, preacher (Guru) etc.,) depends upon the personal psychology of the devotee. The form of the sweet has no value and only the weight of sugar (true practical love proved by the sacrifice of fruit of work) decides the value of the sweet. Sweet devotion was treated as the highest since God granted Goloka to the Gopikas because surrender of body, word and mind shows complete dedication. Test with spouse was also conducted based on this concept. Hence, sweet devotion was considered as climax by God and this path was treated as the best path, no doubt, but it is actually one of the best paths only. There are other alternative best paths because sweet devotion is not possible in all cases. Sacrifice of fruit of work is the main deciding factor of true love. Sweet devotion alone did not take Gopikas to Goloka. Sacrifice of fruit of work decided the final result of pass apart from sweet devotion. Hence, the surrender of body in sweet devotion can be done in alternative ways in the case of i) devotees loving God in various forms (father, brother etc.,) other than sweet devotion and ii) devotees having no opportunity to surrender their bodies like Gopikas (ex:- males, other old ladies etc.,). Surrender of body does not mean only sexual activity as done by Gopikas, any other activity of body as service can also stand as an alternative phase.
Monkeys surrendered their bodies in war to fight on the side of God Rama and they were prepared to undergo terrible torture and even death of their bodies. This surrender of bodies of monkeys is far far greater than the surrender of bodies by Gopikas to God getting pleasure in sex instead torture and death. Hence, sweet devotion is one of the best ways and need not be the only best way. Of course, the twelve Gopikas not only passed in the test of the other two bonds (by sacrificing butter to God Krishna without complaining to His mother), but also offered their bodies for torture and death by jumping into fire on hearing that God Krishna left this world. The twelve Gopikas reached Goloka not merely by sex with God Krishna, but also by all other types of sacrifices. Hence, devotees liking other forms of bonds with God and passing in all the tests of sacrifice also reached Goloka. In fact, Goloka is the biggest world containing several regions like the University containing various departments. From each department of the university, a gold medalist reaches a specific region of Goloka.
Sweet devotion is a specific region (specific department) of Goloka occupied by twelve gold medalists (Gopikas) and Radha is head of that region (department). This region of sweet devotion (department) was first created by God Krishna only. One shall not misunderstand the sanctity of this department since Gopikas were the highest Sages involved in penance for God for millions of births and God Krishna is the highest complete human incarnation. Based on this department only, the bond with spouse (Daareshanaa) was considered to be one of the three strongest bonds (Eshanaatrayam). The test of bond with spouse need not be mandatory for every soul. If such test is essential, the soul will take the final female birth and will be tested by God. Goloka is a very big world containing many regions. The twelve Gopikas along with Radha are placed in one region. In other regions, other types of devotees are placed.
4. If the answer to question 3 is yes, then is it correct to say that crossing the three strongest worldly bonds is not a required criterion for Gopikas?
[If the answer to question 3 is yes, then is it correct to assume that crossing the three strongest worldly bonds (Eṣaṇātrayam) is not a required criteria for Gopikas, who loved Krishna as brother or friend or son since they need to be tested for bond with husband?]
Swami replied:- The test of bond with spouse is not an essential test because when the divine personality of God appears on the earth, anybody will pass this test. Although all the Gopikas passed this test, all of them could not reach Goloka since they failed in the other two tests (joint test of bonds with money and children). The test of the bond with spouse cannot be done in the same birth if God is loved in other forms like father, brother etc. If such a soul requires the test of bond with spouse as per the opinion of the omniscient God, such test will be conducted in another birth if her bond with spouse is really stronger than that of God. As per Sage Ashtaavakra, for a realised and climax devoted soul, all these temporary worldly bonds are unreal and only the permanent bond of God-devotee is real.
In the unreal cinema (unreal world), Sage Ashtaavakra says that the mother of a soul in this birth becomes wife of that soul in the next birth! This shocking example is given only to say that all the temporary worldly bonds are perfectly unreal. Except this intention, there is no other bad intention. In one old cinema, a hero and heroine acted as husband and wife. In the latest cinema, the same hero and heroine act as son and mother since the heroine looks older than hero quickly. Moreover, Gopikas (Sages) themselves selected God in the darling bond (Sages approached God Rama in female forms for hugging) since God does not select the devotee in any specific bond. God sees only the weight of true love in any bond and does not see the form of bond.
5. Is it correct to say that a soul may like a certain relationship in the beginning but finally rises to a state where all relations are God alone?
[Some Gopikas chose to love Krishna as a lover or husband and after it started out this way, eventually Krishna became their everything, where all relations became Krishna only. For example, Krishna only was their mother, father, husband, friend and everything. So, is it correct to say that a soul can pick whatever relation they want with God but ultimately the devotion needs to rise to an extent where all relations are found in God alone? But, in some cases like mother Yashoda for example, she loved God strictly as son only. So can we say this totally depends from case to case or a soul's choice only and it's not possible or correct for every soul to think of God as all relations?
At Your divine lotus feet, Swathika & Priyanka]
Swami replied:- i) When the bond with God becomes all bonds, it means that all the worldly bonds are defeated by the bond with God. As such, any temporary worldly bond is unreal since it did not exist in the past (previous birth) and will not exist in the future (next birth). That which is temporary is always unreal as per the logic of Shankara (Yadanityaṃm tat kṛrutakaṃm hi loke). Hence, this temporary bond is unreal at present (present birth) also. Hence, any worldly bond is unreal in past, present and future. Only the bond with God is real provided the devotee selects the bond. Therefore, the bond formed with God alone is real whereas all the other worldly bonds are unreal. Sage Ashtaavakra says that mother in the present birth becomes wife in the future birth since any worldly bond is unreal. Hence, if Yashoda had a very strong bond with her spouse, God Krishna would not mind testing that bond in the next birth.
ii) God decides whether the specific worldly bond of a specific devotee is to be tested or not because God knows the strength of every worldly bond of every soul. The omniscient God decides whether all the three bonds or two bonds or one bond or no bond is to be tested in the case of every devotee. In the case of Gopikas, He tested all these three bonds since candidates appearing for examination are many and God knows that the candidates going to pass are very few. The omniscient God conducted all the three tests for all the Gopikas so that no Gopika (sage) would misunderstand God to have reasonless partiality on any specific devotee. If the devotee to be tested is only one, the omniscient God may conduct the tests or may not conduct the tests since God knows whether that candidate will pass or fail. The case of Gopikas revealed the whole procedure of all the three tests so that the total concept is presented in the spiritual knowledge.
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