'GOpikA geetham and GOpikA monOharan'

[Guest guest]

Dear bhAghavadhOthamAls,

My humble obeisance to the

devotees of the Lord.What is so special about the GOpis, how could they

ever win so many luarels.SrimadBhAgavatham tells as a way of enchantment

about the GOpis, right from the day SriKrishnA is born.All the GOpis of

VrindAvan come to know that SriKrishnA is born.The entire 'vrajA' is

rejoicing that a child is born unto their household,admiring the

'athbudham bAlakam' as a 'kishOra ramyam'.

The GOpis were just normal women leading very normal life-selling the

curd,churning the buttermilk,sweeping the stable, washing the cows, yet

the 'God mad 'women, every act of them was like a consecration.One

day,SriKrishnA asks them, in a way of being the sheriff's son,'are you

all well, is there enough water supply,food, are the cows hale and

healthy'.The GOpis brush it aside pleading to SriKrishnA 'please uplift

us from the mire of existence'.And now starts the 'GOpikA geetham' which

is not an 'entertainment' but an 'enlightenment'.A moment of pride

touches the GOpis, SriKrishnA disappears, the GOpis tell in profound

terms their inability(kArpanyam,akinchanyam) SrikrishnA appears.The

GOpis then proceed to sing

'nakalu gOpikA KrishnA nandanO bhavAn' about the 'Parathatvam'.

Could it be true that SriKrishnA had a preference for the GOpis.Even our

AzhvAr would say,

'ninna pAda panghayam nirandharam ninnaipadhAgha Nee ninaika vEnum'

It isn't enough if AzhvAr alone thinks continuously about Him,PerumAl

also should acknowledge it.(Like,I can always tell the names of famous

personalities and claim to know them,but, of what use will be my claim,

unless the famous also accept the claim).About SriKrishnA's prefernce

for the GOpis,Sri Bhattadri will tell languishngly,

mama kalu bhalighEhe yAchanam jyAthamAstham

dathi ghrutam ahara thattvam chArunA chO ranEna'

With Bali SriKrishnA decides to beg because he is the 'mahA' bali but

with the GOpis HE simply decides to steal their hearts-'chArunA

chOranEna'.As the GOpis sing the GOpikA geetham SriKrishnA came- came

ravishigly dressed, in a bewitching fashion to steal their hearts.When

SriKrishnA leaves the 'gOkulam' He never cared to return the stolen

property.Here lies the 'charama slokA's artham-once the 'prapathi' is

done, that surrendered soul belongs to Him'.When UDhavA comes to

BrindAvan the women ask him 'does SriKrishnA still remembers us all' to

this UDhavA says 'SriKrishnA remembers you all the time' (this is the

'palan or fruit' of 'prapathi')

UDhavA sees that the GOpis life( even in SriKrishnA's absence ) is like

an yag*nA-remembering, thinking, thanking, being with the

Lord,'KrishnavratA Krishnam anusmarantha:', practising the presence of

the Lord to the utter effacement of 'ego'.For the GOpis 'ego' is

unknown, they are the simple, bucolic women-'idakai valakai ariyA

Aachiyar' to whom Sri KrishnA Himself came.So

'andha NArAyananE indha AaichiyarkEdhAn tandhAn parai'.Who else is

worthy of the 'parai' granted by NArAyanan.

SriAndAl thiu adigalE charanam,

With highest regards,

Subadra