95- Gopi Vastra Haran and Shree Krishna’s Grace upon the Brahmin Wives

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that the gopis would daily speak among themselves of the many leelas of Shree Krishna, and in doing so, their minds would become completely absorbed in Him.

Then the season of Hemant (autumn) arrived. In its very first month, known as Margashirsha, the young maidens of Braj began the worship and sacred vow of Katyayani Devi. They sustained themselves only on havishyanna.

At dawn, as the eastern horizon slowly turned red, those unmarried girls would bathe in the waters of the Yamuna. On the riverbank itself, they would fashion a gentle image of the Devi from sand and worship Her with fragrant sandalwood paste, garlands of flowers, varied offerings, incense and lamps, small and large gifts, tender leaves, fruits, and grains of rice, offering all with devotion and faith.

They prayed, “O Katyayani! O Mahamaya! O Great Yogini! O sole sovereign of all! Please make Nandanandan Shree Krishna our husband. O Devi, we bow at Your feet.” Chanting this mantra, the young maidens worshipped the Devi with devotion and faith. (Bhagavat 10.22.4)

They lived with restraint, bathed according to rule, and worshipped the Devi every day. Their sole aim was the attainment of Shree Krishna. In this way, for an entire month, they worshipped Katyayani Devi with deep faith and devotion. Every morning before dawn, they would call one another by name, and hand in hand, singing aloud the names and leelas of Bhagwan Shree Krishna, they would go to bathe in the Yamuna.

One day, as usual, the gopis went to the banks of the Yamuna and, remembering the divine qualities of Shree Krishna, joyfully began to sport in the water. Bhagwan Shree Krishna, who knows the feelings within every heart, understood the pure intention of the gopis and their sacred aspiration. To bring their spiritual practice to fulfilment, He came to the bank of the Yamuna, lifted their garments, placed them upon a kadamba tree, and began speaking to them in a playful, light-hearted manner.

Because of this leela of Shree Krishna, the gopis felt shy, yet their hearts overflowed with love. Remaining in the water, they pleaded with Him to return their garments, saying that they were shivering from the cold. They declared themselves to be His maidservants and expressed their willingness to obey His command. 

Shree Krishna then said that if they truly wished to follow His instruction, they should come out of the water and take their garments themselves. Trembling with cold and covering themselves as best they could out of modesty, the gopis came out.

Seeing the purity of their feelings and the depth of their love, Bhagwan was pleased. He told them that bathing without garments was against the sanctity of a vow, and therefore, as an act of atonement, they should offer salutations to the Yamuna and to Varun deva. The gopis did exactly so, knowing well that by offering obeisance to Shree Krishna, all faults are removed.

When Shree Krishna saw that the gopis were obeying His command, His heart filled with compassion, and He returned their garments to them. The gopis put them on, yet their minds were completely bound to Shree Krishna. Standing there, they continued to gaze upon Him with a mixture of shyness and love.

Then Shree Krishna said that they had undertaken this vow with the desire to attain Him, and that their resolve would certainly be fulfilled. Those whose minds and very life-breath are surrendered to Bhagwan are not bound by worldly desires.

Finally, Shree Krishna instructed them to return to their respective homes and said that in the coming autumn nights, He would enter into His divine leela with them, which was the true fulfilment of their vow.

Shree Shukadevji tells Parikshit that, upon receiving Bhagwan’s command, the gopis did not wish to leave in their hearts, yet with great difficulty, they returned to Braj. All their desires had now been fulfilled.

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that one day Shree Krishna, along with Balaramji and the gopas, went very far from Vrindavan while grazing the cows. It was the height of summer, and the dense trees provided them with shade from the intense heat. Seeing this, Shree Krishna said to the gopas that the trees were extremely fortunate, because even while enduring hardship themselves, they always protected and benefited others. Their leaves, fruits, flowers, shade, and wood servedall living beings.

Shree Krishna explained that the true success of life lay in using one’s resources, discernment, speech, and actions for the welfare of others. Saying this, they reached the banks of the Yamuna. There, the cows were first given water to drink, and then everyone drank the cool, sweet, and pure water themselves.

At that time, some hungry gopas approached Bhagwan Shree Krishna and Balaramji and said, “Balaram, You are exceedingly mighty. O Shyamsundar, You have destroyed even the greatest of the wicked. Just like those demons, this hunger is causing us great distress. Therefore, You both should find some way to calm this hunger as well.”

Shukadevji says that upon hearing the prayer of the gopas, Devakinandan Shree Krishna, with the intention of showing mercy to the wives of the brahmins, suggested a means. He told them that nearby, some Veda-following brahmins were performing yajna with the desire of attaining heaven. He instructed the gopas to go to them, take the names of Shree Balaram and Shree Krishna, and ask for a little food.

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that the gopas went to the brahmins' sacrificial enclosure, offered full prostrations, and humbly conveyed that Shree Krishna and Balaram were hungry, requesting a little cooked rice. 

However, the brahmins were so deeply entangled in ritual actions and in their desire for heavenly rewards that they ignored the request altogether. They considered Shree Krishna to be an ordinary human being and showed Him no reverence. In truth, the very Bhagwan who pervades all as yajna, as the deities, as the patron of the yajna, and as Dharma Himself was standing there asking for food, yet out of ignorance, the brahmins failed to recognise Him.

When the brahmins neither said “yes” nor “no,” the gopas lost all hope. They returned and narrated everything exactly as it had happened to Shree Krishna and Balaram.

Hearing their words, Shree Krishna laughed gently. He explained to the gopas that in the world, failure occurs again and again, and one should not become disheartened by it. By continuing to make sincere efforts, success is surely on the way.

Since no food had been received from the brahmins, Shree Krishna then told the gopas to go to the wives of the brahmins and ask them for food, taking the names of Ram and Shyam, for their hearts were deeply absorbed in Shree Krishna.

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that the gopas went to the wives of the brahmins and humbly conveyed that Shree Krishna and Balaram had come from far away while grazing the cows and were feeling hungry. The moment they heard this, the brahmin women became filled with joy and loving agitation, for they had long been listening to the leelas of Shree Krishna and had cherished a deep longing for His darshan.

Taking delicious food with them, and even though their husbands and family members tried to stop them, they set out towards Shree Krishna. In the forest by the banks of the Yamuna, they saw Shree Krishna and Balaram seated among the gopas. Having already enshrined Shree Krishna within their hearts, now seeing Him with their own eyes, they felt inwardly fulfilled. Immersed in love for Him, the restlessness of their hearts was soothed.

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that Bhagwan is the witness of the feelings and intellect of all beings. When Shree Krishna saw that the wives of the brahmins had abandoned their husbands, families, and worldly bonds and had come to Him solely out of a desire for His darshan, He was pleased and spoke to them affectionately.

Shree Krishna said that desireless and guileless love is the true mark of wisdom. Those who understand their real welfare love Bhagwan just as one loves the most beloved, without any desire, fear, or hesitation. Since life, mind, intellect, and all dear objects of the world are dear only because of the Paramatma, there can be nothing dearer than Bhagwan Himself.

Bhagwan praised their love, yet He also explained that since they had now attained His darshan, they should return to their sacrificial enclosures, for householders complete their sacrifices only together with their wives.

The wives of the brahmins replied, “O Antaryami Shyamsundar, these words of Yours seem filled with hardness. You should not speak so. The Shrutis declare that one who attains Bhagwan once does not return again to worldly life.”

They said that abandoning all worldly relations and commands, they had come solely to take refuge at the feet of Shree Krishna. Now their husbands, families, and relatives would no longer accept them. Therefore, they had completely surrendered themselves to Shree Krishna and prayed that He arrange matters so that they would not have to seek refuge anywhere else, for apart from Shree Krishna, they had no other shelter.

Shree Krishna said, “O devis, your husbands, sons, mothers, fathers, and brothers will not reject you. What to speak of them, the entire world will honour you. You have now become Mine, united with Me. See, even the devas are affirming My words.”

Shree Krishna explained that true attainment of Him does not come through physical proximity, but through the complete surrender of the mind. Therefore, He instructed them to return and keep their minds firmly established in Bhagwan, and He assured them that they would soon attain Him fully.

Shukadevji says that upon receiving Bhagwan’s command, the wives of the brahmins returned to the sacrificial hall. The brahmins saw no fault in their wives and, together with them, completed the sacrifice. One brahmin had forcibly restrained his wife from going. She meditated within her mind upon that very form of Shree Krishna whose qualities and leelas she had long been hearing. Deep in meditation, she mentally embraced Bhagwan and thus attained the divine state.

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that Shree Krishna first satisfied the gopas with the food brought by the wives of the brahmins, and only afterwards did He Himself eat. In this way, performing His leelas in a human-like manner, He gave joy to the cows, the gopas, and the gopis through His beauty, sweetness, speech, and actions, and He Himself relished the nectar of their love.

Later, when the brahmins learned that Shree Krishna and Balaram were Bhagwan Himself, they were overcome with deep remorse. They realised that by disregarding Bhagwan’s command, they had committed a grave mistake. Seeing the love for Bhagwan in their wives' hearts and finding themselves empty of such devotion, they were filled with self-reproach and inner anguish.

They lamented, “Alas! We have turned away from Bhagwan Shree Krishna. We were born in an exalted lineage, became twice-born by receiving the Gayatri, studied the Vedas, and performed great sacrifices, yet what was the use of all this? Shame upon us, shame upon us! Our learning has proved futile, our vows have failed us. Shame upon this so-called vast scholarship of ours! Being born in a noble family and being skilled in ritual actions has served no purpose at all. Again and again, shame upon it all.” (Bhagavat 10.22.39)

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that the brahmins began to reflect deeply upon themselves and acknowledged that Bhagwan’s Maya can bewilder even the greatest scholars and yogis. Though they considered themselves gurus and brahmins, they had forgotten their true welfare.

They marvelled at the fact that the wives of the brahmins, who possessed neither elaborate ritual training, nor severe austerity, nor scriptural learning, still had firm and desireless love for Shree Krishna in their hearts. By the strength of that love alone, they had crossed even the bonds of household life.

In contrast, the brahmins realised that despite performing all rites, studies, and ritual actions, love for Bhagwan had not arisen in their hearts. Entangled in worldly duties, they had forgotten what was truly beneficial and harmful for them. They accepted it as Bhagwan’s grace that He had sent the gopas to awaken and remind them.

The brahmins also admitted that Bhagwan is complete in Himself and has no need to ask anyone for anything. All sacrifices, actions, means, deities, and Dharma itself are forms of Bhagwan alone, and that same Bhagwan had descended as Shree Krishna, whom they had failed to recognise.

At last, repenting their ignorance, they sought forgiveness from Bhagwan and confessed that their intellect had been deluded by His Maya. They considered themselves fortunate to have such devoted wives, through whose bhakti their own intellect had now turned towards unwavering love for Shree Krishna.

Shukadevji tells Parikshit that since those brahmins had shown disrespect to Shree Krishna, they were filled with intense remorse at the remembrance of their offence. A deep longing also arose in their hearts for the darshan of Shree Krishna and Balaram, yet out of fear of Kans, they were unable to go and behold Them.

Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Shreemad Bhagavat Katha [Hindi]- 12.01.2026