Were the Gopikas not expecting that Krishna would conduct the joint test of money along with the bond with their spouse?

[Shri Anil Antony asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, Please give Your responses to the following question. At Your Lotus Feet-anil. You said “The sages in their previous birth were asking God to test about their Daareshanaa (bond with spouse), but, Krishna conducted the joint-test for the bond with money (Dhaneshanaa) and the bond with children (Putreshanaa).” Based on the above preaching, were the Gopikas not expecting that God Krishna will conduct the joint-test also? Please kindly elaborate.]

Swami replied:- Gopikas were not expecting the joint test of money (butter) and issues because they thought that they had already succeeded in both these bonds. They were even sure about their success in the bond with spouse because they could easily refuse even the most beautiful heavenly dancers while they were in penance. Actually, they have identified these three bonds as strongest (Eshanaatrayam) when they were involved in these three tests. They approached God Rama in the form of girls based on the the Vedic concept that all souls including males are females only (Striyaḥ satīḥ puṃsaḥ). They thought that by such test, the male ego is removed so that they become eligible for salvation. A test shall be conducted when the candidate is not attentive. Then only the real assimilation of knowledge can be tested. If the date of the examination and preparation holidays are announced, the test becomes unnatural due to artificial and forcible adsorption (surface phenomenon) of knowledge during the preparation holidays. Truly assimilated knowledge comes out at any time even without any preparation and any special attention.

In any case, the sages (Gopikas) failed due to the strongest bond with issues especially in the case of mother. They never expected that the bond with issues was so strong. Even though they knew that Krishna was God, they failed in this test again and again since Krishna repeated this test for 10 years (5^th year to 15^th year of His age). For them, bond with money was also nothing since they left cities and stayed in the forest. But, when the bond with money is linked with issues, the bond with money also becomes the strongest! Hence, the sages failed due to the bond with issues only. Even the king of sages, Vyasa, failed in that bond by running after His son leaving the house for the sake of God. The bond with issues exists in the heart, which is the actual place for love and fascination. This bond is called ‘Anaahata’, which means that this bond has not been beaten by anybody so far.