Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 9.150
The Mystery of the Gopīs’ Love
“ ‘Once Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa playfully manifested Himself as Nārāyaṇa, with four victorious hands and a very beautiful form. When the gopīs saw this exalted form, however, their ecstatic feelings were crippled. A learned scholar, therefore, cannot understand the gopīs’ ecstatic feelings, which are firmly fixed upon the original form of Lord Kṛṣṇa as the son of Nanda Mahārāja. The wonderful feelings of the gopīs in ecstatic parama-rasa with Kṛṣṇa constitute the greatest mystery in spiritual life.’”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa playfully manifested the very beautiful form of Nārāyaṇa with four victorious hands. Yet seeing that form crippled the gopīs’ ecstatic feelings.
- Their feelings are firmly fixed upon the original form of Kṛṣṇa as the son of Nanda Mahārāja. Even a learned scholar cannot understand this ecstatic love.
- Their ecstatic parama-rasa with Kṛṣṇa constitutes the greatest mystery in spiritual life. The purport identifies this as a verse spoken by Nārada Muni in Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s drama Lalita-mādhava-nāṭaka.
Try this today
Pause over the words “firmly fixed upon the original form of Lord Kṛṣṇa” and reflect on their meaning.
Ask yourself
How does this verse invite humility about understanding the gopīs’ love?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.