Posted on: 22 Sep 2021
Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked: Swami, I read on the internet that Kubjaa was none other than Shūrpanakha in her previous birth. Is that true? If it is true, then the fact that Lord Krishna fulfilled her lust shows the infinite kindness of God even towards the worst souls in the creation. Can we take this incident as the example for the verses (Rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva—Veda, Ye yathā māṃ...—Gītā) which means that God’s response to the soul is just a reflection of soul's behavior towards God?]
Swami Replied:- Kubjaa was Shuurpanakha in her previous birth and was attracted by Raama with fascination and lust, but not with sweet devotion (Madhurabhakti) because she was unaware of the divinity of Raama. Her lust for Raama was so much that she ran towards Siitaa to kill her so that Raama will pacify her brutal lust and this shows her demonic nature. Later on, she did severe penance for God Shiva, who gave her the boon of pacification of her lust by Raama in His next incarnation as Krishna. Hence, Raama was obliged to pacify her lust in the next birth. Shuurpanakha was born with hunchback due to her sinful nature indicating the defect in her mind. Krishna cured her with His miraculous power and made her extremely beautiful to set right her mind. Even then, her mind was with full of brutal lust only and not with pure divine love to God. The effort of Krishna made her to become somewhat soft in nature.
Her beauty brought ego in her mind, which united with lust made her to forget that Krishna is God. Before Krishna came to Mathura, she heard stories about Krishna and developed some devotion to Krishna, but, that was masked by her lust and ego. She invited Krishna for one night and Krishna pacified her lust through sexual meeting as per the boon given by God Shiva to her in the previous birth. The case of Gopikas is totally different. Due to their sweet devotion to Krishna, they also had lust in meeting with Krishna through secret sex in Brundaavanam. But, they were Sages doing penance to God for liberation from worldly bonds and for constant union with God.
Love is followed by lust, but, lust can exist even without love. Love is internal and theoretical whereas lust is external and practical in the bond of sweet devotion. In other types of bonds of devotion, love (theoretical knowledge based theoretical devotion) is followed by the practical Karmayoga (consisting of service and sacrifice). Krishna met Kubjaa due to the boon given to her by God Shiva and did not meet her as per the principle of returning in the same path as followed by the devotee as said in the Veda and the Giita. Krishna was forced to meet her as per the boon given by God Shiva. The case of Gopikas (Sages) was totally different because Krishna has no force in meeting Gopikas.
Gopikas were the highest Sages, who did severe penance for Him for the past several births. They broke all worldly bonds already and broke their bond with life partner in this last birth by dancing with Krishna secretly in the midnight at Brundaavanam. There cannot be any comparison between Kubjaa and Gopikas. In the context of verses quoted from the Veda and the Giita, God has free will to react to the devotee without any force. In such case, the reaction of God will be in the welfare of the devotee. In the case of Kubja, there is no free will of God due to force of the boon given in the previous birth.