Lament of the cowherdesses - part 2
The gopis’ pride
Krishna granted ‘saameepya’ (physical proximity) to his special devotees, the gopis. It is said that when Krishna chided the gopis for running to him to savour the nectar of his flute’s melody, neglecting or abandoning their duties, the gopis said, we are so much into you, O Krishna, even when we serve our husbands, or parents-in-law or our children, we offer the service to you only. Pleased by the answer, Krishna obliged them with ‘Jala-kreeda,’ gambolling with them in water.
The gopis, though no ordinary women, were not immune to human frailties like pride. They began to nurse the idea that it was Krishna who could not do without them, and it was he who was attracted to them.
If there is one quality of his devotees that the divine abhors, it is pride. He goes to any lengths to rid them of their pride. And that is what Krishna did. He disappeared from their sight.
When the gopis saw that Krishna was not to be seen anywhere, they also realised that along with Krishna, one among them was also missing. This caused distress to the gopis who were envious that the missing gopi could be with Krishna.
The lone gopi with whom Krishna remained, became giddy with pride that she was the ‘chosen one.’ She demanded that Krishna carry her on his shoulders. As Krishna obliged, her ego inflated multi-fold. Even as she was gloating, riding on Krishna, he disappeared in an instant and she landed unceremoniously on the ground.
The gopis who came in search of her were relieved to find the gopi all alone and were glad that all of them were sailing in the same boat. The initial relief that Krishna was not with their missing friend quickly turned into dismay. As Krishna’s absence became obvious, they became desperate and distraught.
The gopis’ realisation
The gopi who had been dropped to the ground told the rest that it was not their beauty, youth or charm that attracted Krishna, but it was their devotion, lack of ego and sense of surrender. The second those qualities were replaced by pride, Krishna disappeared.
Mere mortals spend lifetimes after lifetimes without seeking out Krishna or noticing his absence, yet the gopis found even a few hours of separation unbearable.
The gopis broke out into a spontaneous song (a melodious wail), an outpouring of love and pain of separation, not consciously composed, famously called the Gopi-geethe.
The gopis’ realisation
Srimad Bhaagvatha, authored by Veda Vyaasa, contains 12 main divisions called skandaas. It has a total of 335 chapters and 18,000 verses. The original composition is in Sanskrit. The 12 skandaas of the Bhaagvatha are referred to as the various limbs of the Lord. The popular 10th canto (Dashama-skanda), which contains more than 4000 verses, is said to represent the Lord’s face, and the Gopi-geethe (which appears within this) is his smile.
The Srimad Bhaagvatha contains numerous ‘geethes’, including Bramhara geethe, Avadhuta geethe, Rudra geethe, Venu geethe, Vana geethe and Bhikshu geethe. But the ‘Gopi-geethe,’ with its 19 verses, is the most precious of all.