Seven Kinds of Women in the Bhagavatam – 26 June 1997 France

Uttara Devi’s Hidden Desire / Narada Meets a Wealthy Brahmana – Brhad-Bhagavatamrta part 1 – France 26 June 1997

[Seven Kinds of Women in the Bhagavatam]

[Synopsis – Srila Gurudeva reveals that Uttara’s real desire in asking Pariksit Maharaja to speak the essence of Srimad-Bhagavatam was to hear the glories of the gopis. Srila Gurudeva differentiates the levels of prema amongst all the women in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and concludes that Uttara’s only desire was to be the gopis’ maidservant. Srila Gurudeva then speaks of how all the assembled rsis appointed Narada Rsi to find the highest devotee. He sets out on his search and first finds a wealthy brahmana in Prayaga who does devoted worship to Salagrama.]

Devotees should try to put tilaka on daily. Without tilaka the head is called smasambhumi, a crematorium. If you don’t have this tilaka and tulasi mala, then you are street dogs because anyone can come and shoot you. The Yamaduttas are always here and there searching for street dogs, those who are actually not doing bhajana. If there is a belt…These neckbeads are like a Krsna belt here, this threefold tulasi mala. If they will not see this anywhere, then they will at once attack and take their soul to hell. So, we should try to do this. All devotees. They will not see if you are Advaita-vamsa, Nityananda-vamsa, or any vamsa, or if you are a gosai. They will at once attack and take you. From tomorrow, those who are not wearing Vaisnava tilaka and kanti-mala should put it on.

Uttara, the mother of Pariksit Maharaja, told Pariksit Maharaja, “My dear son. I am a woman. I am not so intelligent. Please tell me the sum and substance of Srimad-Bhagavatam, so I can understand very easily.”

Pariksit Maharaja became so happy. He wanted to concentrate his mind on the lotus feet of Krsna, but [from the words of Uttara], he recalled and became so happy that he was reminded of the sweet pastimes of Krsna. “Such hidden things, like a treasure, I have remembered them all.” What did he remember? What was the aim of Uttara Devi? What did she want to hear? What hidden thing did she want to hear? Can you tell some outline? Very little.

[Devotee speaks]

Caitanya mahaprabhu rupasya anbhavat—what Rupa realized here was by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Here Sanatana Gosvami is thinking, “Rupa is also my siksa guru.” Rupa, more than anyone, knows Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s heart. Sanatana Gosvami is speaking like this. But what was that thing? A very mysterious hidden thing. She was a woman. Who? Uttara Devi was a woman. She wanted a special thing. We know that in Srimad-Bhagavatam there are so many women’s lives described there. First is Devahuti. She heard something from Kapila-deva. Then Kubja of Mathura and the yajna-patnis. Do you know the yajna-patnis? They are the wives of the brahmanas from Mathura. Then Satyabhama and Rukmini, the mahishis (queens) of Dvaraka. All of these women and the Yadava-patnis of Mathura. Also, Devaki and Yasoda. After that are the Vraja-gopis. Seven kinds of women have been characterized in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Among them, Devahuti is somewhat sankhya-yoga-misra-bhakti, yet this is okay. Why?

Satam prasangan mama virya samvido.

She followed that way. Her bhakti is okay, but tattva jnana is more prominent in that. For tattva jnana it has been said: jnane prayasam udapasya namanta (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.03)—it will come in an aisvarya mood, an opulence mood, and so it cannot control Krsna. So, it is rejected. She does not want to be like that. She wants something more. Kubja is not like a prostitute. She has never loved anyone except Krsna. Always Krsna. She has not loved another person. Only Krsna. The thing is her prema was somewhat selfish. She has some anyabilasa. What kind of anyabilasa? She saw Krsna and she was at once attracted. Before she had no love and affection for Krsna. After Krsna went, we don’t see anything. Her prema is sadarani (ordinary), but it has been taken in Srimad-Bhagavatam that she was like a preyasi. It is rejected here also because of some selfishness—anyabilasa is there. Then we come to the yajna-patnis. The yajna-patnis’ bhakti is certainly so admirable, so good, but they are brahmana-patnis. They are like guru-jana. Krsna cannot accept them like that. They will have to come in another birth in the guidance of gopis. They will have to be gopis, otherwise Krsna cannot accept them. So, it is also rejected. Uttara does not want this.

What more? Then there is Satyabhama and Rukmini, the queens of Dvaraka. They are really so beautiful, resembling the gopis, but their love and affection is aisvarya-misra (mixed with the mood of opulence). Aisvarya means full of opulence. They always serve Krsna in all ways but with opulence, folding their hands and with some fear. Krsna is happy with this prema, but He will not be attracted or controlled. This prema is called samanjasa because it is divided into so many fractions. It is not full prema. How is it divided? They used to love Krsna, only Krsna, but after that ten sons came and their prema was divided into eleven. One part for Krsna and the other parts for each, each person. So, Krsna only got one tenth. There was one daughter also, so it was divided into twelve. Also, they had their father-in-law, mother in-law, their many relatives, many house works, tasks, jobs, and many things to look after, and so their prema was divided into so many fractions. Krsna only has a little. By this prema, Krsna cannot be satisfied and cannot be controlled. Also, it was mixed with some aisvarya-jnana. Like a dasi. It has been called madhurya-rasa svakiya, but yet it is like Sita Devi, or like others, but somewhat superior.

This is also rejected. Then, there is Devaki and Yasoda. They have affection like a mother. Then the Yadava-patnis. They are greedy to take the foot dust of the gopis. They admire them, but it is just like the same case of Satyabhama, Rukmini and all the queens. Still they are always admiring the gopis.

eta param tam bhu gopa vadhu govinda eva akhilatma rudha bhava

This Earth’s life is successful because the gopis are there. The gopis are the most dear among all the preyasis. Uddhava says, “Narada wants, Sankara wants, but they cannot have this type of prema.”

nayam sriyo ’nga u nitanta-rateh prasadah
svar-yositam nalina-gandha-rucam kuto ’nyah
rasotsave ’sya bhuja-danda-grhita-kantha-
labdhasisam ya udagad vraja-vallabhinam

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.47.60

[When Lord Sri Krsna was dancing with the gopis in the rasa-lila, the gopis were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful according to material estimation?]

Here are the glories of the gopis. Uddhava is saying, “The gopis are most dear to Krsna. They can control Krsna. Even Yasoda could not have that kind of prema, though she is vatsalya-mayi. She used to control Krsna, she bound Krsna, but she does not have prema like this.

How is this prema? In the rasa-mandala, at that time, all the gopis were dancing and doing kirtan and singing. The ankle bells of the gopis went here and there. Krsna collected them and took all the ankle bells and tied them to the lotus feet of the gopis. He told them, “Oh you are tired? Sweat is coming.” He took His pitambara and wiped their mouths. Has He done this for Satyabhama or Rukmini? Never. The gopis can show mana, but if sometimes Satyabhama and Rukmini has mana, Krsna will become angry and He may tell them, “You should go out of My palace.” Only by threatening they become pacified. The gopis are most superior. In the rasa, Krsna took His arms around the neck of the gopis. A child wanting something from his mother puts his arms around his mother’s neck and says, “Oh mother, give me that, give me that.” Then the mother gives something. So here Krsna is begging for something. What? Pranaya, prema. He is begging from the gopis, “Don’t give Me up.” Like a child He has put His arms around the gopis and begged for something. What was He begging for? He wanted to taste the prema of the gopis. Krsna became a garland around the neck of the gopis and thus decorated the gopis’ necks. He has not done this for anyone else—for the Dvaraka mahishis or for anyone. He has not done this.

What to speak of Srimati Radhika? How high is She? She has so much high-class love and affection for Krsna, that even Satyabhama, Rukmini, and the wives of the Yadavas in Mathura wanted to take the foot dust of Krsna; that dust that was taken from the body color of the gopis. Understand? They wanted to take the foot dust of Krsna, but what kind of dust? Mixed with the color of the gopis, the gopis’ kumkum. It should be mixed with that. That they wanted to take on their head. They want to be decorated by this. Also, they glorified the gopis like Prabhodananda Sarasvati has spoken:

yat-kinkarisu bahusah khalu kaku-vani
nityam parasya purusasya sikhanda-mauleh
tasyah kada rasa-nidher vrsabhanu-jayas
tat-keli-kunja-bhavanangana-marjani syam

[O daughter of Vrsabhanu Maharaj, O ocean of rasa! The supreme Bhagavan, the source of all avataras who wears a peacock feather in His hair falls at the feet of your maidservants and propitiates them with many humble and grief-stricken words to be allowed entrance into Your kunja where You engage in playful, amorous pastimes. If only I could become one stick in the broom used by Yoursakhis to clean Your delightful grove, I would consider my life a success.]

He is saying that, “I bow down to the palya-dasis of Srimati Radhika because they are standing at the door of the kunja, where Srimati Radhika is laying down in mana. She has told Her sakhis, ‘Don’t let Krsna come in here. He will come in any way, but don’t let Him come to Me.’ ”

Krsna came and was begging for their mercy, “I should be permitted to go see Radhika.” But they checked Krsna there. Krsna was begging and doing pranamas to the gopis. “I want to meet with Her.” They are not giving the order to meet with Srimati Radhika. Who is Krsna? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He is begging permission from the gopis and they are not giving permission.

Prabhodananda Sarasvati prays, “I want to be a broomstick that will be used in sweeping the kunja of Srimati Radhika. My life will then be successful.”

Knowing all these things, Uttara heard the glories of the gopis from Sukadeva Gosvami, but she was not satisfied. She wanted to hear all of these glories of the gopis and she wanted to be a palya-dasi of the gopis. How can this be? She wanted to hear all these things. The greed was there, and her question was there; that she wanted to be the maidservant of the gopis. She wanted to hear all these things because she was a woman. She could not be a friend, she would not like to be a friend of Krsna. She could not take the mood of Kubja or Devahuti and she could not take the mood of the Dvaraka Mahishis because they are also wanting the foot dust of the gopis. Uddhava? Never. Yajna-patnis or brahmana-patnis? Krsna cannot accept them because they are the wives of his guru. Maiya Yasoda? She is a mother. She does not have as much love as the Vraja-gopis. Uttara wanted to know how to be a maidservant of the gopis. This was the question that was really in her heart. Really her heart was wanting to hear all these things. She was a very qualified devotee, otherwise she could not have asked such a good question. Pariksit knew and he told her the things that not just anyone can hear from the ears. Very secret things, but yet he told his mother. We will discuss all these things later on.

Her question was, “I want to be like a gopi and serve Radha-Krsna Conjugal, especially bending towards Srimati Radhika.” She wanted to hear all these things. This is the essence of the whole Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam has appeared in this world to glorify Krsna? Never. Only to glorify the gopis, and especially to glorify Srimati Radhika. Krsna prema-prayojana and prema is situated in Srimati Radhika’s mahabhava and all. Uttara wanted to hear all these things. This was the question about hidden secret things.

You should give him medicine. Twinkling, twinkling.

[Devotees laugh]

All should be careful not to sleep. If you will sleep, you will lose and never in your life you will have this. Never. Try to take everything and note it down here in your heart forever and be a very qualified devotee.

Carefully. Their life will be successful. It is in the style of a very sweet story, but the effect of the fruit of this is so high. Easily a man hearing from beginning to end can decide what kind of greed we should have. He will never fall down from siddhanta and devotional life.