asam aho carana-renu-jusam aha syam
våndavane kim api gulma-latausadhinam
ya dustyajam sva-janam arya-patham ca hitva
bhejur mukunda-padavim srutibhir vimrgyam
Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.47.61)“The gopis of Vrndavana have given up the association of their husbands, sons and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and they have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Krsna, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vrndavana, because the gopis trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet.”
Among all the residents of Vrndavana, Yasoda Maiya and Nanda Baba are the most revered, and more than them, any gopi. There are millions of gopis – sakhis, nitya-sakhis, prana-sakhis, and prestha-sakhis – and all are so much greater and more favorable to Krsna than Yasoda. Yasoda gives Krsna her breast milk and feeds Him, and takes Him in her lap to sleep, serving Him all the time. But sometimes Krsna thinks, “This is an obstacle.” This makes it difficult for Me to be with the gopis.” If He sees any gopi, He will somehow give an excuse to His mother and try to go there. So, how favorable are the gopis!
Amongst all the gopis, Radhika’s eight sakhis are more favorable. Among them, Lalita and Visakha are more favorable, and among them, Lalita is still more favorable. Among all the sakhis, Srimati Radhika is the most favorable (anukula) to Krsna. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir-uttama. The bhakti-anusilana of Srimati Radhika (the favorableness of Radhika’s bhakti) is the best of all. We will have to decide this way.
No one has heard these truths before. We will have to take these ideas.
Vrndavana: November, 1994