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'GOpikA geetham and GOpikA monOharan'

From the Bhakti List Archives

Subadra Vasudevan • February 24, 1999 


Dear bhAghavadhOthamAls,
                                          My humble obeisance to the
devotees of the Lord.What is so special about the GOpis, how could they
ever win so many luarels.SrimadBhAgavatham tells as a way of enchantment
about the GOpis, right from the day  SriKrishnA is born.All the GOpis of
VrindAvan come to know that SriKrishnA is born.The entire 'vrajA' is
rejoicing that a child is born unto their household,admiring the
'athbudham bAlakam' as a 'kishOra ramyam'.
The GOpis were just normal women leading very normal life-selling the
curd,churning the buttermilk,sweeping the stable, washing the cows, yet
the 'God mad 'women, every act of them was like a consecration.One
day,SriKrishnA asks them, in a way of being the sheriff's son,'are you
all well, is there enough water supply,food, are the cows hale and
healthy'.The GOpis  brush it aside pleading to SriKrishnA 'please uplift
us from the mire of existence'.And now starts the 'GOpikA geetham' which
is not an 'entertainment' but an 'enlightenment'.A moment of pride
touches the GOpis, SriKrishnA disappears, the GOpis tell in profound
terms their inability(kArpanyam,akinchanyam) SrikrishnA appears.The
GOpis then proceed to sing
'nakalu gOpikA KrishnA nandanO bhavAn' about the 'Parathatvam'.
Could it be true that SriKrishnA had a preference for the GOpis.Even our
AzhvAr would say,
'ninna pAda panghayam nirandharam ninnaipadhAgha Nee ninaika vEnum'
It isn't enough if AzhvAr alone thinks continuously about Him,PerumAl
also should acknowledge it.(Like,I can always tell the names of famous
personalities and claim to know them,but, of what use will be  my claim,
unless the famous also accept the claim).About  SriKrishnA's prefernce
for the GOpis,Sri Bhattadri will tell languishngly,
mama kalu bhalighEhe yAchanam jyAthamAstham
dathi ghrutam ahara thattvam chArunA chO ranEna'
With Bali SriKrishnA decides to beg because he is the 'mahA' bali but
with the GOpis HE simply decides to steal their hearts-'chArunA
chOranEna'.As the GOpis sing the GOpikA geetham SriKrishnA came- came
ravishigly dressed, in a bewitching fashion to steal  their  hearts.When
SriKrishnA leaves the 'gOkulam' He never cared to return the stolen
property.Here lies the 'charama slokA's artham-once the 'prapathi' is
done, that surrendered soul belongs to Him'.When UDhavA comes to
BrindAvan the women ask him 'does SriKrishnA still remembers us all' to
this UDhavA says 'SriKrishnA remembers you all the time' (this is the
'palan or fruit' of 'prapathi')
UDhavA sees that the GOpis life( even in SriKrishnA's absence ) is like
an yag*nA-remembering, thinking, thanking, being with the
Lord,'KrishnavratA Krishnam anusmarantha:', practising the presence of
the Lord to the utter effacement of 'ego'.For the GOpis 'ego' is
unknown, they are the simple, bucolic women-'idakai valakai ariyA
Aachiyar' to whom Sri KrishnA Himself came.So
'andha NArAyananE indha AaichiyarkEdhAn tandhAn parai'.Who else is
worthy of the 'parai' granted by NArAyanan.
SriAndAl thiu adigalE charanam,
With highest regards,
Subadra