Gopikas And Gopalas

27 May 1995, Summer Course 1995, Brindavan

Published English.

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Etti Vidyalu Jagatini Eruganatti Pakshi Jaatulu Pashuvulu Pramamaina Niyamamunu Booni Jeevincha Nerchiyunda Telivi Galigina Manujunaku Ee Telivi Lede! Although devoid of knowledge or education, birds and beasts Learn to live in accordance with the Divine Law. But man, despite his intelligence, does not have this sense!

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The body and the Indweller The organs of the body cannot work or even exist, independently. Their unity alone allows the body to be complete and to perform useful functions. When we understand this unity, we can know the Indweller of the body. The say,

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The body is a temple and the Indweller is the Eternal God.

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The forest fire As per their daily routine, and went to the forest with the and cows. After walking some distance, played His flute and the boys started singing, dancing and playing in the fields. The enjoyed themselves immensely in ’s company every day, forgetting their bodies, losing themselves in the melodious notes of His flute. This day they were so engrossed in His music that they forgot the cows and calves. When they came to their senses, the animals were nowhere to be seen.

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Each gopala ran in a different direction. All the surroundings were searched but the cows were not found. In panic, they ran deep into the forest. Finally they saw the cows grazing at a distance, surrounded by a huge forest fire. Smoke bellowed out of everywhere and nothing was visible clearly. The shouted, “! ! !” and ran there. By then the fire had engulfed them all. The were afraid for their lives. They couldn’t tell what might happen the very next moment. called out to the cows by their names, one by one. The cows heard His voice and responded, “, .” These cows had recognized . The cows had no knowledge or education. But identifying ’s voice as the sound of Divinity, they bolted in His direction.

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The were troubled by the fear of death. and went to them and said, “Do not fear. Why fear when we are here? You have walked long distances in search of the cows. You left familiar territory behind and ventured into the dense forest. You are tired. Close your eyes. Do not open them till we tell you.” The fire was very near them and the could feel the hot draft. But placing complete faith in , they closed their eyes. This was not new to . Their greatest virtue was to obey always. Not even once did the ever question or disobey . If said “do,” they did. If He said “go,” they went. No questions, no hesitation. That is why they lived in ’s permanent protection.

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After a few moments asked them to open their eyes. The felt a cool, refreshing breeze. “Where did the fire go?” they wondered. They saw their cows around them, safe and sound. They were back in the fields where they were last playing, singing and dancing. They thought deeply about this undeniable miracle. Unable to fathom the mystery, they said to , “O Lord ! Beginning-less and Endless One! Protector of the helpless! You are the Supreme Lord. We are fortunate to experience Your and wondrous powers.” Saying so, they fell at ’s Feet.

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But for how long? Only for a few minutes. Then they forgot the miracles. They asked their “dear friend” to join them in games! They stopped addressing Him as “Lord”. Notice, how bodily attachment is ready to spring on us every moment. When people see miracles, they think, “He is powerful.” The next minute, yielding to body attachment, they say, “He is an ordinary man.” In every ’s life, people alternate between human and divine perceptions of Him. Why? Men spend their lives in body-consciousness. Their goal is worldly life and they are incapable of understanding the Divinity that transcends their mundane existence. The also used to appreciate ’s strength and intellect, but not His Divinity.

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teaches As they passed days in this manner, decided to teach to the . “Their thoughts are limited to the world. They are not able to recognize Me as beyond the body, mind and intellect,” thought . The rainy season has just began. The blue sky was dark, laden with clouds. In some time, thunder and lightning began. looked at this scene and said, “You can see the unity of three in Nature today. O ! God is omnipresent like the infinite, blue sky. This Divinity (sky) is covered by the dark clouds of your ignorance (). Thunder () and the brilliant lightning () accompany this ignorance. This is the inner meaning of the rainy season. You cannot perceive Divinity since it is concealed by these three . The winds which brought the dark clouds will also scatter them in due time. Similarly, when your ignorance () turns into wisdom (), your darkness will be dispelled.”

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As lightning lies behind the screen of dark clouds, Wisdom () must underlie education.

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“Therefore, recognize the meanings of natural phenomena. Nature is your best teacher. As you observe Nature, realize that your body is also a part of it. Your vision is limited to the physical body but not the Divinity dwelling in it. The body is only the effect. is the cause. Don’t be blinded by the effect. See the cause.”

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“As is your sight, as is your aim, so the world will appear to you. Creation () is based on your vision (). None can change creation. That is why I ask you to change your vision. Meaning, as long as you consider yourself to be the body, you cannot perceive My reality. You call me ‘Gopala, Gopala’ and experience Me as your dear friend. But the body is only an instrument. Understand the Divinity within the body.” The went back and shared their miraculous experiences and ’s words of wisdom with everyone. In this manner, they experienced boundless bliss in ’s company daily.

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The priests and their wives One day the boys went very deep into the forest, searching for fresh, green pastures for their cows. At midday, they weren’t able to walk any more. The cried, “We’re hungry, , really hungry! Please arrange for some food.”

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smiled, “Foolish boys! When you have the All-Powerful Lord following your every step, why are you worried about hunger? and I are with you, don’t fear. Some priests are performing a nearby. Go there and tell them I sent you. Tell them you are hungry and they will feed you.”

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The went to the priests and pleaded for food. The said, “How can we feed you before completion of the ? After the , we will eat. Then we will feed all those who helped us in the ceremony. Only then, we can give you the leftovers. You must wait till then.” The waited for a long time and couldn’t bear their hunger any more. They grew weak and couldn’t walk. Dragging themselves, they somehow returned to and . They said, “! We told them that even You and were hungry, but they ignored us.”

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laughed and asked them, “Friends, who did you ask?” They replied, “We asked the priests.” said, “O innocent ones! It is the mother who knows the hunger of her child, not the father. There is no use pleading with the priests. 34 They are busy in , without . They only care about and their meanings. They overlook God who is the embodiment of all . Go to the wives of these , who are cooking food for the right now.”

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The said, “Impossible, ! We have no energy to walk even a step.” replied, “You must go back. Get up, and I will give you the strength to walk.” The never disobeyed in anything, anyway. If He said “walk,” they walked. Owing to such total submission, they never experienced sorrow in their lives and obtained the bliss of ’s daily company.

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The went to the wives of the priests. These pure ladies had heard much of and , but had never seen the brothers.

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The used to ridicule as a “cowherd” and never allowed their wives to visit . The priests were limited to rituals, but their wives had great devotion. The said, “Mothers! We are , sent by and .”

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The ladies were ecstatic, “The Lord Himself is here! Where are the divine and ?” The said, “They are at some distance from here. They are tired and hungry, like us. They told us to ask you for food.” As soon as they heard this, the ladies collected all their pots and filled them with food. They carried some vessels and handed some to the , and hurried toward the pastures. They didn’t think of the or their husbands’ anger... nothing!

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They came to and . They saw Him reclining and playing on the flute. The notes of the flute wafted into their hearts and awakened devotion. They forgot themselves and walked forward unmindful of their bodies. As they drank the divine of and , their minds overflowed with bliss. The only word they uttered was “, , .” They made everyone sit down and served food. Even the cows were served!

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Meanwhile the priests completed the and noticed the absence of their wives—and the food! The priests were hungry also. They ran in search of their wives. They came upon the eating food along with and . And they saw their own wives gazing at and with unblinking eyes. The rushed there and started slapping and pulling at their wives. But the ladies were oblivious to their husbands. They did not feel any physical pain. They were totally immersed in the Bliss of the Lord’s company.

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Soon and let their divine effulgence shine on the priests also. The priests recognized the brothers’ Reality and fell at their feet: “For whose Grace we initiated this , the goal of this , that Divine Lord is in front of us in human form! —You are the who is the fruit of all . But we are indeed the greatest sinners. We performed this for You but we were not able to dedicate it to You.”

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“Even during normal meals, we offer food to You. But today, in a sacred , we attempted to eat after refusing You! We are the most abject sinners, the most unfortunate people. and consoled the and blessed them and their wives profusely. Then, while the stood watching, gave to the and their wives as Lord .

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Conquer attachment It is difficult for worldly people to recognize God in human form. Of what use are education, scholarship in or the merit of ? Those who do not grasp the truth, behave foolishly in spite of learning. We should find ways to purify our minds. When does the mind become pure? When attachment () and ego () are uprooted. How can we give up attachment and ego? Attachment presents never-ending attraction towards objects. But it is very easy to renounce! Simply think: “Everything belongs to God. Nothing is mine.” This is the way to transcend attachment.

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Yes, you can say, “My home, my land, my wife, my child, my wealth, my cattle, my cars” and so on, but keep in mind: They are for use only, not for ownership. They are God’s property. You must part with everything at death. That is why the says: Responsibility is yours, not the right. People forget responsibilities and fight for rights. No one has a right in this world. When you do your duty, rights follow automatically. So, gradually decrease the idea of “mine.”

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If you use objects as you please, you could misuse God’s property. Use the world to engage in constructive actions, to walk the path of Truth. God’s command () is that God’s property should not be misused.

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The devotion of was always surrounded in by the and the . Of these, the were slightly mad! What kind of madness? Divine madness! But people attribute wrong intentions to their love and distort the meaning of the . When left for good, He was five years old. Some say that and the engaged in amorous sports. Is it possible for such meaningless stories to be true? The said: “O ! Your flute is most enchanting. Your words are life to us. Sing for us, talk to us!”

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Paata Paadu Maa Krishna! Paluku Teneloluku Natula Maatalaadu Maa Mukunda Manasu Teeraga!

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Sing for us, our ! With your words sweet as honey. Talk to us, our , Till our hearts are full!

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Veda Saaramanta Teerchi, Nada Brahmamuganu Maarchi, Venuvandu Tirugabosi, Gaanaroopamuganu Maarchi. Paata Paadu Maa

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! Take the essence of the , Change it into , Fill your flute with this sound, And convey it to our hearts as music. Sing for us, our !

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—The are infinite.

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The prayed: “How can we read the ? We are women and illiterate, at that. Give us the essence of the through your music.” Now, in this Summer Course, after the guest lecturers speak in the morning, the students summarize those speeches in the evening. In the same way, the wanted a summary of the from !

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Sabda Brahma Mayi, Charaachara Mayi, Jyotir Mayi, Vaang Mayi, Nityananda Mayi, Paratpara Mayi, Maaya Mayi, Srimayi.

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Therefore, is the very form of (sound).

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The pined for for many years, for their entire lives. knew their pain of separation, their yearning. He sent to convey His message of consolation to them. All the collected around to listen to ’s message. “What does say? When is He coming to give us His ?” they asked.

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said, “Mothers! has sent a letter for you.” Students should clearly understand the pure and divine feelings of the . “Here is the letter sent by . One of you please read it aloud to the others,” said . had no education. In those days women were not sent to school. Only one of them knew a little bit of reading. When asked to read it, she declined. When students listen to her reply, they can imagine her sacred devotion.

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She said, “! I cannot read that letter. Our bodies and minds are burning in the fire of separation. If I touch that letter, it might catch fire. It is not proper for us to burn the words written by God.” Another gopika said, “We have been crying endlessly. When I set eyes on the words written by our dear , all our agony will emerge as tears. The tears will fall on the paper and smear the words. So I cannot read it, either.”

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What intense devotion they had! himself read ’s letter aloud. “O ! Don’t feel sad. I am in you, with you, around you all the time. I am not separate from you. I am not an outsider, I am your —Resident of your heart. I am your very own. My messenger will tell you about and . Listen to and practice his teachings.”

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The heard ’s teachings and said, “We do not need your . We need merger () with ! Your will not quench our thirst of separation ()! We cannot absorb your words. We have only one mind, not multiple minds like clever people. Our mind followed to .” recognized their onepointedness.

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When got ready to depart from , each gopika came to him and gave heart-rending messages for :

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“All of is parched dry! Come back and make the flowers bloom again! The sky of our hearts is dark, clouded by separation. Scatter these clouds and let us bask in Your company! Our life is like a garland bereft of flowers. Come back, collect us as flowers and wear us around Your neck!”

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If scholars paid attention to the sanctity and depth of ’ feelings, they would not relegate them to a worldly level. were actually perfected . They had attained absolute control over the senses and purity of mind in past births. To accuse them of bad character is nothing short of a crime. The hearts of students are polluted by cheap movies. No, do not allow such impressions to form. The hearts of the and were immaculate. They did not desire anything worldly at all! recognized this truth. When he returned, he extolled their virtues to without end.

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Attalu Mottukunna, Mari Bhartalu Kattulu Nooruchunna Norettaru Kopagincharu Etakegaru, Bheetilaboru Gopikal Pottamulandu Chittaruvula Reeti Vaarilonunde Krishnudu

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Their mother-in-laws may scream, husbands may threaten, They do not answer back, get angry, go away or become afraid. Like a portrait on paper, is imprinted in their hearts.

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said, “, You are imprinted in the consciousness of the . It is not possible for anyone to separate You from their hearts. I have not seen devotees like them anywhere in the world. I went to teach them wisdom but instead, they taught me devotion! , all of us are deluded by Your physical form, but it is the alone who have realized Your Divinity.”

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Once upon a time, went to the and and said, “How fortunate you all are! You obtained Lord , who is beyond the reach of and sages. The sacred proximity that you enjoyed is unattainable even after countless and good deeds. You played with Him and sang with Him as friends for many years and earned His Grace. Truly, you are blessed! You are not ordinary souls. You are - Do not forget this truth.

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Do not lose When God assumes a human form, He does not become limited or lower in any sense. Do not be deluded by such doubts. Think about the golden opportunity at hand and make all possible efforts to earn His Grace and Blessings. This chance will never come again.

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Chikkina Sai Ni Vakkaleyaka Chakka Chesukondi, Poyina Chikkadu ee Partheesuni Paada Seva Yandi, Bhaktini Icchi Sakti Lo Munchi Mukti Jerchunandi, Eka Manasu To Nammi Sai Ni Enchi Koluvabondi, Itarula Maatalanimpuga Nammi Kompa Teeya-kandi.

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You have found . Now bring Him near, do not neglect Him. Once lost, the chance to serve the Feet of the Lord of will never come again. He bestows devotion, immerses you in strength and takes you to Liberation. With a one-pointed mind, have faith in and worship Him. Do not ruin your destiny by giving ear to others’ words.

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But you should not love with any expectation in mind. Prayer with expectation is like a business deal. Do not pray with conditions: “Lord, I will break two coconuts for You if You fulfill my wish!” Strive to experience at least one-thousandth of the devotion of the and .