Hare Kṛṣṇa,
In this lesson, the emphasis is on attaining a spiritual body to serve Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana. An example provided is that of personified Upaniṣads who, by worshiping the Lord on the path of spontaneous love, attained the lotus feet of Vrajendra-nandana, the son of Nanda Mahārāja. (CC Madhya 8.223). The point is that a devotee, eager to return home to serve the Lord directly, must continuously serveKṛṣṇa during this life in a particular ecstasy (as a servant, friend, father or mother). The devotee, upon giving the material body, attains a suitable spiritual body to serve Kṛṣṇa in terms of his particular attachment. In the same way, one who wants to serve Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love can also attain a body under the guidance of the gopīs. The most vivid example in this connection is those saintly personalities known as śrutis, who represent the Upaniṣads. These śrutis understand that without serving Kṛṣṇa and following in the footsteps of the gopīs there is no possibility of entering the kingdom of God. Therefore they engage in spontaneous loving service unto Kṛṣṇa and follow in the footsteps of the gopīs. (CC Madhya 8.223 Purport).
The mention of the personified śrutis reminds me of a beautiful glorification of the Holy Name. In the first verse of Sri Namastakam, Srila Rupa Goswami write,
nikhila-śruti-mauli-ratna-mālā-
dyuti-nīrājita-pāda-pańkajānta
ayi mukta-kulair upāsyamānaḿ
paritas tvāḿ hari-nāma saḿśrayāmi
O Hari-nama! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being worshiped by the glowing radiance emanating from the string of gems known as the Upanisads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls, such as Narada and Sukadeva. O Hari-nama! I take complete shelter of You.
I see a correlation between the śrutis’ glorification of the Holy Name and their desire to follow the gopis (assuming these are the same set of śrutis engaged in both).
Another theme that comes across in this lesson is the quality of spontaneous love of God (raganuga-bhakti) to enter Goloka Vṛndāvana.
Text 226: “The word ‘aṅghri-padma-sudhā’ means ‘associating intimately with Kṛṣṇa.’ One can attain such perfection only by spontaneous love of God. One cannot obtain Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana simply by serving the Lord according to regulative principles.
SB 10.9.21: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the son of mother Yaśodā, is accessible to those devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.
CC Madhya 8.228-229: Therefore one should accept the mood of the gopīs in their service. In such a transcendental mood, one should always think of the pastimes of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. After thinking of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and Their pastimes for a long time and after getting completely free from material contamination, one is transferred to the spiritual world. There the devotee attains an opportunity to serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa as one of the gopīs.
Therefore, a devotee must obtain a spiritual body to be elevated to the spiritual world. It is thus important to give up material desires and render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. When the spiritual body, mind and senses are completely purified, one can render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His consort.
“When one is thus spiritually situated, he no longer thinks of his own personal sense gratification. This spiritual body is called siddha-deha, the body by which one can render transcendental service unto Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. The process is that of engaging the transcendental senses in loving devotional service. This verse specifically mentions, sakhī-bhāve pāya rādhā-kṛṣṇera caraṇa: only transcendentally elevated persons in the mood of the gopīs can engage in the service of the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” (CC Madhya 8.229 Purport)
Therefore, the constant chanting of the Holy Name is extremely important for sadhakas to transform our consciousness from material to spiritual. Combined with this, one must follow in the footsteps of the gopīs (or their incarnations in the material world like the Goswamis) and serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa through the process of spontaneous service.
“Those attracted by the conjugal love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa must follow in the footsteps of the gopīs. Only then is it possible to enter into the Lord’s service in Goloka Vṛndāvana and directly associate with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” (CC Madhya 8.230 Purport)
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Krsna Katha 