Why Were the Sages Reborn as the Gopikas After a Long Delay?

[Q. Rama told sages to be born as Gopikas for His tests, but, why such long time was taken by Him from Tretaayuga to the end of Dvaaparayuga? (This question is part of a mahā satsaṅga or a great spiritual discussion between Swami and several devotees who had come from various places, seeking the clarification of their doubts.)]

Swami replied:- By the end of Dvaaparayuga, almost Kaliyuga entered. The atmosphere of Kaliyuga is full of bad qualities like theft, illegal sex etc. The tests of God in the case of Gopikas involved such bad qualities in external appearance. Theft of butter is the test for their bond with wealth and bond with their issues (since butter was stored in their houses for the sake of their issues). Dancing with married Gopikas in the midnight secretly in Brundaavanam involved the test of their bond for their life-partners. These three strongest worldly bonds (issues, wealth and life-partner) are called the three Eshnas. People having such bad qualities are more in Kaliyuga, who are easily attracted towards Krishna to mix freely with Him. In course of acquaintance, the spiritual knowledge was taught by Him, which revealed the truth of the background to them. Such bad atmosphere was not present in Tretaayuga of Rama and performance of such tests in Tretaayuga will lead to strong misunderstanding in the minds of the people. The Rajas and Tamas (bad qualities) exhibited by God externally are only for the sake of strong attraction of bad people for the sake of reformation to be done slowly. Not only the test of Gopikas was completed but also some bad people were reformed by Krishna in the end of Dvaaparayuga.

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