Stealing the Garments of the Unmarried Gopī Girls
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power, O supreme controller of this material world, O goddess, please be kind to us and arrange for our marriage with the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa.” The Vaiṣṇavas generally do not worship any demigods. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Thākur has strictly forbidden all worship of the demigods for anyone who wants to advance in pure devotional service. Yet the  gopīs , who are beyond compare in their affection for Kṛṣṇa, were seen to worship Durgā. The worshipers of demigods also sometimes mention that the  gopīs  also worshiped goddess Durgā, but we must understand the purpose of the  gopīs . Generally, people worship goddess Durgā for some material benediction. Here, the  gopīs  prayed to the goddess to become wives of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The purport is that if Kṛṣṇa is the center of activity, a devotee can adopt any means to achieve that goal. The  gopīs  could adopt any means to satisfy or serve Kṛṣṇa. That was the superexcellent characteristic of the  gopīs . They worshiped goddess Durgā completely for one month in order to have Kṛṣṇa as their husband. Every day they prayed for Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, to become their husband.
Early in the morning, the  gopīs  used to go to the bank of the Yamunā to take bath. They would assemble together, capturing each other's hands, and loudly sing of the wonderful pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. It is an old system among Indian girls and women that when they take bath in the river they place their garments on the bank and dip into the water completely naked. The portion of the river where the girls and women take bath was strictly prohibited to any male member, and this is still the system. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, knowing the minds of the unmarried young  gopīs , benedicted them with their desired objective. They had prayed for Kṛṣṇa to become their husband, and Kṛṣṇa wanted to fulfill their desires.
At the end of the month, Kṛṣṇa, along with His friends, appeared on the scene. Another name of Kṛṣṇa is Yogeśvara, or master of all mystic powers. By practicing meditation, the  yogī  can study the psychic movement of other men, and certainly Kṛṣṇa could understand the desire of the  gopīs . Appearing on the scene, Kṛṣṇa immediately collected all the garments of the  gopīs , climbed up in a nearby tree, and with smiling face began to speak to them.
“My dear girls,” He said. “Please come here one after another and pray for your garments and then take them away. I’m not joking with you. I’m just telling the truth. I have no desire to play any joke with you, for you have observed the regulative principles for one month by worshiping goddess Kātyāyanī. Please do not come here all at once. Come alone; I want to see each of you in your complete beauty, for you all have thin waists. I have requested you to come alone. Now please comply.”