Krishna Feels Indebted to Gopis

Krishna Feels Unable to Repay the Spotless Love of Gopis

Lust leads to fruitive activity for sense gratification. But, the Gopis, however, simply wanted to satisfy Krishna’s senses, and thus they completely gave up the conventional path of social restriction, not caring for their relatives or the chastisement of their husbands. They gave up everything for the satisfaction of Krishna, showing their strong attachment to Krishna to be as spotless as washed white cloth.

 

It is said that when conjugal affection between a lover and beloved comes to the point of being destroyed and yet is not destroyed, such a relationship is pure love, or prema. In the material world, it is not possible to find this kind of love, for it exists only between Krishna and His intimate devotees, such as the gopis. The sentiment between the gopis and Krishna was so strong that it could not be destroyed under any circumstances. Krishna praises the gopis’ pure love in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.32.22)

“My dear gopis, I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless services, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshipped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore, please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.”

***

Srila Prabhupada in Purport to Narada-Bhakti-Sutra, Sutra 7