Gopis of Braj – Our ideal on the path of devotion

We all need an ideal in order to be inspired.  Who should be our ideal on the path of devotion? The Saints and scriptures unanimously declare that the Gopis of Braj are the acharyas of Bhakti.  Bhakti manifested in total and to the highest extent in the in the Gopis of Braj.

Uddhav said in the Srimad Bhagavtam:

Vande Nanda Brajastri Nam, Pada Renuma Bhikshanushaha,

Yasam Hari Katho Geetam, Punati Bhuvana Trayam.

(63rd Verse, 47th Chapter, 10th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam)

I offer my respects, my obeisance to the dust of the lotus feet of the Gopis, the glories of whose devotion is purifying the three worlds!

Shree Krishna himself said:

Na Tata Me Priyatamo, Brahma Rudrascha Parthiva,

Na Ca Lakshmi, Na Catma Ca, Yatha Gopi Jano Mama

(Adhi Purana)

He says, “Shankar, Brahma, Maha Lakshmi, I Myself are not as dear to me as the Gopis of Braj are!”

So, why is the devotion of the Gopis of Braj so highly acclaimed? The reason is that, ‘selfless love’ manifested to the highest extent in the devotion of Gopis.  ‘Selfless’ here means that the Gopis never had even the slightest tinge of desire for their own happiness. Their only goal was to make Shree Krishna happy.

‘Selflessness’ is a crowning virtue on the spiritual path because it leads to the attainment of the highest stage of bhakti.  There are different stages of bhakti.  What we are doing presently is called Sadhana Bhakti or preparatory devotion.  When it matures, we receive Bhav Bhakti by the grace of our Guru.  Further, when Bhav Bhakti is also perfected, we will get the divine power of God called Prema Bhakti.  However, even after Prema Bhakti, there are many different categories all the way up to Mahabhav Bhakti which is the highest stage of bhakti.  It is possible to attain this highest stage of bhakti only through selfless devotion to Shree Krishna.  This stage was attained by the Gopis of Braj who were perfected in the highest extent of selfless love for their soul beloved – Shree Krishna.

When Shri Krishna had left Vrindavan for Mathura, the Gopis did not go and meet Him. The reason they didn’t go to Mathura was that they thought, “If Shri Krishna wanted to meet us, if He gets happiness in meeting us, He would have surely come back to Vrindavan to see us.  The fact that He did not come back means that He does not want to meet us.  Therefore, we will not go to Mathura to see Him just for the sake of our own happiness. We will keep His happiness as our only goal.”

Although the Gopis experienced a tremendous amount of misery and pain of separation from not being able to be with Shri Krishna, they did not waver from their desire for His happiness alone and not for their own.

Therefore, to remain inspired on the path of selfless devotion to God we must look up to the Gopis of Braj.  Like the Gopis we too should strive to have only one thought in our mind – “Tatsukha Sukhitvam”.  Which means to be happy in the happiness of Shri Krishna alone.