Question asked by Choudhary Mr. Krishna Singh Nain (Kaithal / Kurukshetra, Haryana & London, UK) in BRVF – Followers – 1 group on WhatsApp —

Acarya Sri, sri-rama-krsna-gaurahari!

Sir, one query — The dvotion of Gopis had lust or not?

आचार्य श्री श्रीरामकृष्णगौरहरिः

श्रीमान जी एक प्रश्न – गोपियों की भक्ति में काम भाव था या नही?

Reply by Bhaktirasavedantapithadhisvara Acarya Sri RKDS ‘AV’ Gurupada —

A) Srimadbhagavata 7.1.31 (‘gopyah kamad bhayad kamso..’) asserts that out of lust or ‘kama’, the cowherd damsels were devoted to Sri Hari.

B) Sri Caitanya-caritamrta 1.4.164-184 (‘…..atmendriya-priti-vancha tara bali kama / krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare prema nama //……’) clearly shows the demarcation between the principles of mundane lust (laukika kama) and the divine love of God (bhagavat-prema).

C) According to Sri Bhaktirasamrtasindhu 1.2.285 (‘premaiva gopa-ramanam kama ity agamat pratham..’), just because the external acts of the erotic love of Gopis resembles the lustful affairs of mundane world, sometimes, this divine erotic love is designated as ‘kama’ or lust. However, internally there exists vast difference between the intentions of the mundane lust and those seen in the Gopis’ love.

D) According to the testimony of Krsna-yamala-mahatantram, there are two types of lust and their predominating deities, viz., the prakrta-kama and aprakrta-kama or the mundane and divine lust. The divine lust needed for erotic dalliance occuring between Vrajasundaris and Nandanandana is called alaukika-kamadeva. Its shadow is the laukika-kamadeva.

E) According to the Ujjvalanilamanih of Srila Rupagosvamipada, Sri Krsnabhajanamrtam of Srila Narahari Sarakar Thakur, Sri Gopipremamrtam of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarttipada and Sri Raganuga-vivrttih and Sri Vrajabhaktirasasiddhantasarasangrahah of Srila Rupa Kavisvara Gosvamipada (all classical medieval acaryas of Caitanyaite Vaisnavism), the purest selfless form of divine amorous love exists only in the cowherd milkmaids of Vraja and is named as ‘samartha-rati’. The love bore by Mithileshakumari Sita, Queens of Dvaraka, Laksmis in Golokadhama and Laksmidevi in Vaikuntha — all falls in the technical category of ‘samanjasa-rati’ and its variant affiliates like ‘samanjasa-praya’ etc. Though essentially mundane lust, because of its connection to Krsna, the mood of Kubja is known as ‘sadharani rati’. The first two types of ratis are products of the hladini-vrtti of the internal potency of Krsna. The third one seen in Kubja is mundane lust (arising from rajoguna or mode of passion) transformed to a celestial status.