Hare Kṛṣṇa,
In this lesson, a particular section stood out for me.
“The śrutis attained the highest platform of desire fulfillment. Upon seeing Kṛṣṇa enjoying with the gopis, the śrutis thought, “When will we become Vraja-gopis and offer the kunkuma-tinged shawls from our breasts as seats for Kṛṣṇa?” The Brhad-Vamana Purana says the śrutis, following in the footsteps of the gopis, executed severe austerities in order to attain bodies of gopis. Therefore the śrutis, or personified Vedas, prayed in the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.87.23) as follows: “The women of Vraja attained the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet after having their intelligence vanquished by the sharp poison of His beautiful serpentine arms. By following in their footsteps, we too will become gopis and serve Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.” (SB 10.32.13: Sārārtha-darśini)
I looked up SB 10.87.23 for further explanation of this verse. Fortunately, there is an extensive purport to this verse. I would like to quote a few excerpts from the purport.
“Speaking for themselves, however, the personified Vedas here state that they would prefer to develop love of Godhead by learning to emulate the favorable surrender of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s confidential devotees, especially the young gopīs of Vraja. Though they appeared to be simple women attracted conjugally to the Lord’s physical beauty and strength, the goddesses of Vraja exhibited the highest perfection of meditation. The śrutis wish to become just like them.
In this regard, Lord Brahmā relates the following historical account in the supplement to the Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa:
“The infinite world of spiritual bliss is called Vaikuṇṭha. There the Supreme Truth lives, being glorified by the personified Vedas, who are also present there.”
“Once, after the Vedas had elaborately praised Him, the Lord felt especially satisfied and spoke to them in a voice whose source remained invisible: ‘My dear sages, I am very satisfied with you. Please ask of Me some benediction that you secretly desire.’”
“The śrutis replied, ‘We have developed the desire to become like the cowherd women of the mortal world who, inspired by lust, worship You in the mood of a lover.’”
“The Lord then said, ‘This desire of Yours is difficult to fulfill. Indeed, it is almost impossible. But since I am sanctioning it, your wish must inevitably come true.’”
“‘When the next Brahmā takes birth to faithfully execute his duties of creation, and when the day of his life called the Sārasvata-kalpa arrives, you will all appear in Vraja as gopīs.’”
“‘On the earth, in the land of Bhārata, in My own district of Mathurā, in the forest of Vṛndāvana, I will become your beloved in the circle of the rāsa dance.’”
“‘Thus obtaining Me as your paramour, you will all gain the most exalted and steadfast pure love for Me, and in this way you will fulfill all your ambitions.’”
“Lord Brahmā said: After hearing these words, the śrutis meditated on the Personality of Godhead’s beauty for a long time. When the designated time ultimately arrived, they became gopīs and obtained the association of Kṛṣṇa.”
Regarding the development of bhakti, Lord Kṛṣṇa further states in the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (Uttara 4) “By remembering Me, one who is impure becomes pure. By remembering Me, one who follows no vows becomes a strict follower of vows. By remembering Me, one who is desireless develops desires [to serve Me]. By remembering Me, one who has studied no Vedic mantras becomes an expert knower of the Vedas.”
And here is the key takeaway:
“All honest Vaiṣṇavas, however, join in adhering to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, always meditating with pleasure on His infinitely wonderful, variegated spiritual qualities. In the words of the śruti-mantras, yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas/ tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṁ svām: “To that person whom the Supreme Soul chooses, He becomes attainable. To that person the Supreme Soul reveals His personal form.” (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23 and Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3)
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī concludes with the prayer, “O Lord, loving remembrance of Your lotus feet is very rarely achieved. Please, O Nṛhari, somehow arrange for me to have that remembrance day and night.”
So the key takeaway point is man proposes; God disposes. All our desires can be fulfilled by the Supreme Lord. True intelligence is what best to desire. Here the personifies srutis were not carried away by the desires of mystic yoga or attaining Brahman. They rather preferred to associate with Krsna as the gopis. This is precisely the mood that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to give us,
“I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs.” (CC Madhya 13.80)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 