Madhura Bhakti (sweet devotion) was discovered, developed and dragged to climax by the devotees only and not by God. It is the main theme of the scripture Bhāgavatam. Without understanding the topic, some religions try to mock at Hinduism. For the first time in 5000 years, Shri Swami is explaining why this is the highest scripture that gives salvation to the soul in 7 days. The triad (Tripuṭī) of this topic is also highest since 1) Gopikas (Gantā) are the highest reborn sages, who were being worshipped even by angels, 2) Kṛṣṇa (Gamyam) is the highest form of incarnation (Paripūrṇa tamaḥ) and His highest abode is Goloka, which is higher than Brahma loka and 3) The path (Gamanam) adopted to reach the highest goal was liberation from all worldly bonds including the bond with life-partner in which even worldly justice is opposed (Sarvadharmān... Gītā).
Read these articles to know more on Madhura Bhakti.
1. Can we say that Lord Krishna said what He had to say with the intention to encourage Gopikas to achieve their life’s purpose?
Smt. Priyanka asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, Swami, You have revealed that Gopikas internally knew (when the time came for total surrender) that Lord Krishna was willing to suffer for their sins as an expression of His unimaginable love towards them for their love towards Him. But, the Gopikas refused because they obviously did not want their Krishna to suffer on their behalf. Lord Krishna said...
Shri Anil asked: Why is the dance of the Gopikas with Krishna not mentioned in the Gita, whereas it is fully devoted to the interaction of Krishna and Arjuna?
Swami replied: The case of the Gopikas is a very crucial subject dealing with a lot of intricate analysis and hence, that topic was not mentioned at all because everybody knows that such a topic shall be discussed in lot of depth because everywhere the truth can be very easily misunderstood and exploited. Even then, the background concepts related to that topic called sweet devotion...
[Shri Anil asked: Krishna suffered for all the past sins and also the sin of illegal sex of Gopikas. Jesus also suffered for sins of His people, but in public. Did Krishna suffer secretly? Kindly elaborate the difference.]
Swami replied: Krishna also has shown the punishment of a sin for the sake of the public even though, it is not actually a sin. Killing Vali hiding behind a tree is not a sin. Even then, He suffered...
Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked:- Swami, You explained that in the case of Gopikas, only the love transformed lust exists and not the hormonal based lust transformed lust. This explanation is excellent. For this concept can You also show some authority so that people based on scriptural authority will also have complete satisfaction?
Swami Replied:- In fact, the spiritual knowledge that is coming out of this Datta Swami is the direct knowledge coming out from God Datta, Who is the author of all the Vedas. There is no need for searching a better authority...
Ms. Bhanu Samykya asked: Pādanamaskāram Swami, The actions performed by Gopikas appear very strange and courageous to me. They are extraordinary souls who showed unconditional love towards God surrendering everything for Him. But, I regret to say that a stupid doubt is bothering my mind i.e. How could the Gopikas be in physical relationship with their husbands when at the same time being physically involving with Lord Krishna...
Shri Anil asked: Padanamaskaram, Swami few questions are given below. Please grace Your answers. At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil. Swami, You mentioned that any quality which is directed towards God is always good. In this context, I have one doubt. Gopikas had sexual intercourse with God Krishna since their love based lust was towards God. In such case how this lust is treated as a sin? How can this act of lust with God be weighed based on Pravrutti principle and is treated as a sin? Suppose, if it is not a sin, how it is justified that God Krishna went to hell...
Smt. Priyanka asked: In Thrylokya Gita 12 (point no. 20), it is said that Madhumati, wife of God Dattātreya, was cursed because she did not realise that God was in human form and was purely attracted by God Datta's external beauty and treated Him as a normal human being. Can it be considered that this was a matter of Pravrutti, since she did not recognise God in human form and perceived Him as her husband only? If so, can we say that it was legal sex only from the angle of Pravrutti? When it is looked at from the angle of Nivrutti, then it is lust-based lust towards God...
Shri Anil asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, Please give Your replies to the following questions. At Your Lotus Feet, anil. In Trailokya Gita, Chapter-11, You mentioned the following: ‘In fact, all Gopikas resisted God by knowing His path of liberation because they have miraculous power got by very long penance to know what is in one’s mind.’ Swami, are You referring to the fact that Gopikas are knowing...
[Shri Anil asked: In the process of salvation of Gopikas, their children and husbands also would have suffered. What about them? Did they also get salvation or their fate was decided by their individual deeds alone?]
Swami replied: The children did not suffer because Krishna was distributing the stolen butter...
[Smt. Priyanka asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, Your latest discourse on how sages felt about surrendering their body also to God is beyond excellence. Thank You so much for explaining the same. I have a small follow-up question to ask. Swami, please clarify this doubt as well. At Your divine lotus feet, Priyanka
Question: It is mentioned in the discourse that the sages born as Gopikas were not ordinary human beings, who burnt their lust in the fire of their penance. Hence, Gopikas were having love only towards God Krishna and not the lust. Only love existed between Lord Krishna and the gopikas. Swami, this point is understood very well over many discourses...
[Shri Durgaprasad asked: Paadanamaskaaram Swami, Why did You say that the sweet devotion of Gopikas is the highest, when devotees like Lakshmana served the God like a slave? At Your lotus feet, -Durgaprasad]
Swami Replied:- The final salvation depends upon several angles and the requirements in all angles must be fulfilled. Eradication of total ego is one of the requirements. The acquired ego can be destroyed by any soul whether...
Shri Ganesh V asked: Padanamaskaram Swamiji, While doing karma phala tyaga You have said that, one should give it with fear and shame but certain Gopikas didn't have fear while giving their butter to Lord Krishna. In fact, they wanted Lord Krishna to steal their butter...
Smt. Priyanka asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, Can surrendering our body for God be considered as Total Karma Phala Tyaga? Swami, we have learnt that Gopikas were great sages in their previous lives, who sacrificed everything for the sake of God, except their bodies. Therefore, they were given a final female birth to get rid of the male ego and to be given the opportunity of surrendering even their bodies for the sake of God. Even though they crossed other bonds in their previous births, God conducted an annual joint examination for all bonds once again even though only bond with life partner was left to be sacrificed...
[Ms. Bhanu Samykya asked: Swami, You have recently said that the 11 Gopikas who reached Goloka excluding Raadhaa are ordinary souls only. But, You have also revealed about a Gopikaa named 'Chandralekha' who reached Goloka. She was the incarnation of Goddess Sati and not an ordinary soul. How can both these facts be true simultaneously? Please enlighten me. -At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Bhanu Samykya.]
Swami Replied:- When I told that Raadhaa, incarnation of God Shiva, came to guide the human...
Ms. Lakshmi Thrylokya asked: Swami, please correct the thinking which I am mentioning below. Many people follow this famous saying that 'Everything is fair in love and war'. This statement appears to be true in case of Lord Krishna also. He romanced with married Gopikas which looks unfair and also won Kurukshetra war with unfair tricks. Since they are cases of love and war respectively, they became fair. Hence, there is no sin...
[Ms Laxmi Thrylokya asked:- Swami, What is the significance of love and lust in sweet devotion or Madhurabhakti? Can You tell me the details of Anaghaa or Madhumati, the wife of God Dattaatreya?]
Swami Replied:- God is unimaginable since He is beyond space and time. As long as He is not mediated, He is not imaginable and not visible. Even as non-mediated unimaginable God, He is possessing awareness due to His unimaginable power even though inert energy and materialised brain-nervous system are absent...
Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked: Pādanamaskāram Swami, Kumārasambhavam, an epic poem written by Kālidāsa is one of the finest works that describes the divine love between Shiva and Paarvati. In a Hinduphobic facebook page, I saw some people criticising the lovemaking between Lord Shiva and Paarvati. I kindly request You to enlighten us with the correct lesson to be learnt from Kumārasambhavam. Is the devotion of Paarvatii to Shiva similar to the Madhura Bhakti of Gopikas...
The criticism on Kumaarasambhavam was about the sex described between God Shiva and God Paarvati.
[A question by Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya]
Swami Replied:- I do not understand why people behave always with hypocrisy. Eating food, drinking water, sleep and sex are the inevitable biological needs of the body of human being be it the body of a devotee or the body of God. People are hypocrites because everybody is a slave of sex in secrecy and in public, resist the importance of sex opposing it as a sin. When God takes a human...
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...
[A question by DawahWise]
Swami replied: Love is the feeling whereas lust is its language used for practical expression. Wherever love exists, lust also exists. But, it is not necessary that wherever lust exists, love shall exist. This concept is confined to the sweet devotion (Madhurabhakti) with God. When there is feeling, its language of expression comes spontaneously by force. Sometimes, even in the absence of real...