120- Krishna's Reunion with the Gopa-Gopis at Kurukshetra, His Heroic Triumph at Lakshmanaji's Swayamvar, and Vasudevji's Grand Yajna Festival

Shukdevji tells Parikshit that once a rare solar eclipse, as extraordinary as those seen at the time of cosmic dissolution, took place. Hearing of this auspicious event, people from every corner of Bharatvarsh gathered at the sacred pilgrimage site of Samanta-panchak in Kurukshetra to perform holy bathing and earn spiritual merit.

The Yadavs also came to Kurukshetra, led by Vasudev, Ugrasen, Balaramji, Bhagwan Shree Krishna, Pradyumna, Samb and many others. There they bathed in the sacred waters, observed fasting, donated cows, fed Brahmins and performed various acts of Dharma, praying only for unwavering loving devotion at the lotus feet of Bhagwan Shree Krishna.

On that occasion, many kings of Bharatvarsh, the Kurus, Pandavs, Matsyas, Vidarbhas, Kekays and other royal dynasties also arrived. Nandbaba, the Gopas and the Gopis, who were longing for a glimpse of Krishna, came there as well. After many long years, everyone met again. As they saw one another, their hearts overflowed with love. They embraced, tears streamed from their eyes, and they became immersed in joy.

Kunti spoke to Vasudev about her past sufferings and the neglect she had endured. Vasudev replied that everything happens under the influence of destiny and that he himself had also suffered greatly because of Kans's tyranny. 

The kings present there praised Ugrasen and the Yadavs, saying, "Blessed indeed are you! The very Bhagwan Shree Krishna, whose darshan is difficult even for great yogis to attain, lives with you, walks with you and deals with you every day."

When Nandbaba heard that Shree Krishna and the Yadavs had come to Kurukshetra, he immediately arrived with the Gopas. Seeing him, the Yadavs were overwhelmed with joy. Vasudev lovingly embraced Nandbaba and became deeply emotional as old memories flooded his heart.

Bhagwan Shree Krishna and Balaramji then offered their obeisances to Nandbaba and Yashoda Maiya. Yashoda Maiya and Nandbaba seated Them upon their laps and held Them close to their hearts. In that moment, all the pain of separation melted away.

Then Devaki and Rohini embraced Yashoda Maiya and said, "The love with which you and Nandbaba raised and protected Balaram and Shree Krishna can never be repaid. When these children did not even know their own parents, you cared for Them like the very pupils of your eyes. In truth, you are Their real parents. Great souls make no distinction between their own and others, and you have perfectly demonstrated this saintly nature."

For the Gopis, Shree Krishna was their life, their very breath and their everything. They could not remain separated from Him even for a single moment. Whenever their eyelids blinked during His darshan, they would curse the creator of those eyelids.

Today, after such a long separation, these very embodiments of divine love once again beheld Bhagwan Shree Krishna. The longing and love in their hearts cannot be described. Through their eyes, they drew Shree Krishna into their hearts, embraced Him within their minds and became completely absorbed in Him.

At that moment, the Gopis attained an exalted spiritual state that is exceedingly rare even for great yogis who practise constant meditation for countless years.

When Bhagwan Shree Krishna saw that the Gopis had become completely absorbed in Him out of pure love, He went to them in seclusion, embraced them lovingly, inquired about their welfare and smilingly said, "My dear friends, because of responsibilities toward My family, I had to leave Braj and, after parting from dear companions like you, became engaged in destroying the enemies. A long time has passed. Do you still remember Me?

"My beloved Gopis, have you perhaps considered Me ungrateful? Have you become upset with Me? In reality, it is Bhagwan alone who causes the meeting and separation of all living beings.

"Just as the wind gathers together clouds, blades of grass, tufts of cotton and particles of dust, and then scatters them once again, in the same way Bhagwan causes all beings to unite and separate according to His will.

"My dear friends, it is your great fortune that you have attained such love for Me, for this love alone leads one to My eternal attainment. Loving devotion unto Me has the power to grant immortality.

"As pots, cloth and all material objects are pervaded before, during and after their existence, both inside and outside, by the five great elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether, similarly I alone pervade this entire universe before its creation, after its dissolution, within it and beyond it.

"In the same way, these five elements exist as the causes of all bodies, and the individual soul resides within them as the enjoyer. But I am beyond both. I am the eternal and supreme Truth. Both the body and the soul exist within Me. Realise this."

Shukdevji says that in this manner Bhagwan Shree Krishna imparted spiritual wisdom to the Gopis. By repeatedly contemplating His teachings, their subtle bodies, which are the cause of birth and death, were dissolved. They became established in single-pointed love for Bhagwan and attained Him forever.

Then the Gopis prayed, "O Lotus-eyed Lord! Great Yogeshwars constantly meditate upon Your lotus feet within their hearts. For those who have fallen into the deep well of worldly existence, Your lotus feet are the only refuge.

"O Prabhu, please bless us so that those lotus feet may forever remain enthroned within our hearts. Even while carrying out the duties of household life, may we never forget You for even a moment, and may remembrance of You never leave our hearts."

After showering His grace upon the Gopis, Bhagwan Shree Krishna, who is both the Guru of the Gopis and the supreme goal of their love and devotion, met Dharmaraj Yudhishthir and His other relatives and inquired about their welfare.

The very sight of Bhagwan's lotus feet had already destroyed all their inauspiciousness. Filled with joy by His affectionate reception and loving dealings, they said, "O Bhagwan! Great souls continuously relish the nectar of Your lotus feet. The narrations of Your divine pastimes are streams of that same nectar. Merely hearing them destroys ignorance and frees one from the bondage of birth and death.

"You are knowledge itself, an infinite ocean of bliss and the supreme destination of the Paramhansas. Even the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep cannot touch Your self-effulgent nature. It is only for the protection of the Vedas that You have assumed human-like pastimes through Your Yogmaya. We offer our repeated obeisances at Your lotus feet."

While others were glorifying Bhagwan Shree Krishna in this manner, the women of the Yadav and Kuru dynasties gathered together and began discussing His world-renowned pastimes.

At Draupadi's request, Shree Krishna's queens narrated how Bhagwan, through His Yogmaya, had accepted them in marriage. Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Satya and Bhadra briefly recounted their marriage stories and said that they considered themselves merely the servants of Bhagwan and desired nothing except service at His lotus feet, birth after birth.

Then Lakshmana narrated her extraordinary Swayamvar.

She said, "After repeatedly hearing about Bhagwan Shree Krishna's divine pastimes from Devarshi Narad and learning that even Lakshmiji had chosen Bhagwan alone as Her husband, my heart became deeply attached to His lotus feet.

"When my father Brihatsen learned of my desire, he arranged a fish-target competition at my Swayamvar. The fish itself was concealed from view, and only its reflection could be seen in the water. Upon hearing about this challenge, Jarasandh, Shishupal, Duryodhan, Karn, and many other kings came to participate.

"Many kings could not even string the bow. Some could not bear its weight. Those who managed to string it could not locate the target.

"Then Bhagwan Shree Krishna playfully lifted the bow, strung it, glanced once at the reflection in the water and instantly shot down the fish. Cries of victory arose from all sides, and the devatas showered flowers from the heavens.

"I entered the assembly carrying the garland, and because my heart had already surrendered to Bhagwan, I placed it around His neck with a shy smile. Musical instruments began to play, and celebrations erupted everywhere.

"Seeing this, the kings became furious. Bhagwan seated me upon His chariot and departed. Some kings pursued Him, but they were defeated by His arrows. Some were killed, some were wounded, and the rest fled the battlefield.

"Thereafter, Bhagwan brought me to Dwarka. My father was overjoyed. After honouring the Yadavs, he presented Bhagwan with maidservants, elephants, horses, chariots, soldiers and precious gifts.

"Surely we must have performed great austerities in a previous birth, for only then could we attain the fortune of becoming the servant of the self-satisfied Bhagwan Shree Krishna."

Speaking on behalf of the sixteen thousand queens, Rohiniji said that during his conquests, Bhaumasur had imprisoned them in his palace. Bhagwan Shree Krishna slew Bhaumasur and his army, freed them and accepted them as His wives. Since then, they have constantly meditated upon His lotus feet, which liberate one from the bondage of birth and death.

"We desire neither an empire, nor the throne of Indra, nor worldly opulence, nor the status of Brahma, nor even liberation. We have only one longing, that we may forever bear upon our heads the sacred dust of our beloved Lord's soft lotus feet, dust that even Lakshmiji herself longs to attain. Those very lotus feet whose touch was desired by the Gopas, the Gopis, the tribal women, the blades of grass, and even the creepers of Braj, those feet alone are the object of our desire."

Shukdevji says that upon hearing the extraordinary love of Bhagwan Shree Krishna's queens, Kunti, Gandhari, Draupadi, Subhadra, the other royal ladies became overwhelmed with divine love.

At that very time, Vyasji, Naradji, Parashuramji, Vashishthji, Vishwamitraji, the Sanak brothers and many other great sages arrived to have the darshan of Bhagwan Shree Krishna and Balaramji. Bhagwan Shree Krishna, Balaramji, the Pandavs and all the kings rose to receive and worship them.

Bhagwan Shree Krishna said, "The darshan of saints is difficult to obtain even for the greatest devatas. Holy waters and sacred images purify gradually over time, but saintly souls purify one merely by their sight. A person who considers only the body to be the self, relatives alone to be his own, and water alone to be a holy place is no better than a donkey, even though he possesses a human body."

Hearing these profound words, the sages were astonished. Then they understood that Bhagwan was behaving like an ordinary human, only to instruct the world. They glorified Him, saying that although He is the Supreme Brahman, He performs human-like pastimes to protect His devotees and establish Dharma.

After this, Vasudev asked the sages which actions could free a person from the bondage of Karma. The sages replied that performing sacrifices with faith and worshipping Bhagwan Vishnu are the supreme means of destroying karmic impressions. They advised Vasudev to perform Yajnas to free himself from his obligations to the devatas.

Vasudev appointed the sages as the officiating priests and performed magnificent Yajnas at Kurukshetra. He offered abundant charity and honoured everyone present.

After the Yajnas were completed, the kings, sages and relatives took Bhagwan Shree Krishna's permission and returned to their respective kingdoms.

At the time of departure, Vasudev said to Nandbaba, "The bond of love is exceedingly powerful. The kindness and friendship that you have shown us can never be repaid."

Bound by his love for Shree Krishna and Balaram, Nandbaba remained there for three months. Finally, after receiving gifts from the Yadavs, he departed for Braj. Yet the hearts of both him and the Gopas and Gopis had become so deeply attached to Shree Krishna's lotus feet that even as they returned, their minds remained with Him.

Later, when the rainy season arrived, the Yadavs returned to Dwarka and narrated to everyone the wonderful account of this pilgrimage, the grand Yajna festival and the joyous reunion with their loved ones.

Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Shreemad Bhagavat Katha [Hindi]- 15.06.2026