Stealing the Garments of the Unmarried Gopi Girls 155
displeased with you. Please, therefore, just touch your foreheads with
folded palms and bow down before the demigod Varuna in order to be
excused from this offensive act.” The gopis were all simple souls, and
whatever Krsna said they took to be true. In order to be freed from the
wrath of Varunadeva, as well as to fulfill the desired end of their vows and
ultimately to please their worshipable Lord, Krsna, they immediately
abided by His order. Thus they became the greatest lovers of Krsna, and
His most obedient servitors.

Nothing can compare to the Krsna consciousness of the gopis. Actually,
the gopis did not care for Varuna or any other demigod; they only wanted
to satisfy Krsna. Krsna became very ingratiated and satisfied by the simple
dealings of the gopis, and He immediately delivered their respective
garments, one after another. Although Krsna cheated the young un-
married gopis and made them stand naked before Him and enjoyed joking
words with them, and although He treated them just like dolls and stole
their garments, they were still pleased with Him and never lodged com-
plaints against Him. This attitude of the gopis is described by Lord
Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He prays, “My dear Lord Krsna, You may
embrace me or trample me under Your feet, or You may make me broken-
hearted by never being present before me. Whatever You like, You can
do, because You have complete freedom to act. But in spite of all Your
dealings, You are my Lord eternally, and I have no other worshipable
object.” This is the attitude of the gopis toward Krsna.

Lord Krsna was pleased with them, and since they all desired to have
Him as their husband, He told them, “My dear well-behaved girls, I know
of your desire for Me and why you worship goddess Katyayani, and I
completely approve of your action. Anyone whose full consciousness is
always absorbed in Me, even if in lust, is elevated. As a fried seed cannot
fructify, so any desire in connection with My loving service cannot pro-
duce any fruitive result, as in ordinary karma.”’

There is a statement in the Brahma-saihita: karmani nirdahati kintu ca
bhakti-bhajam. Everyone is bound by his fruitive activities, but the
devotees, because they work completely for the satisfaction of the Lord,
suffer no reactions. Similarly, the gopis’ attitude toward Krsna, although
seemingly lusty, should not be considered to be like the lusty desires of
ordinary women. The reason is explained by Krsna Himself. Activities in
devotional service to Krsna are transcendental to any fruitive result.

“My dear gopis,’’ Krsna continued, ‘“‘your desire to have Me as your
husband will be fulfilled because with this desire you have worshiped
goddess Katyayani. I promise you that during the next autumn season you
