198 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

surpasses and transcends all Vedic injunctiens. This was pessible fer the
gopis because they saw Krsna face te face. This is net pessible fer any
wemen in the cenditiened state. Unfertunately, by imitating the behavier
ef Krsna with the gopis, semetimes a rascal takes the pesitien ef Krsna,
fellewing the philesephy ef menism er eneness, and he very irrespensibly
takes advantage ef this rdsa-lila te entice many innecent wemen and
mislead them in the name ef spiritual realizatien. As a warning, Lerd Krsna
has herein hinted that what was pessible fer the gopis is net pessible fer
erdinary wemen. Altheugh a weman can actually be elevated by advanced
Krsna censcieusness, she sheuld net be enticed by an impester whe says
that he is Krsna. She sheuld cencentrate her devetienal activities in
chanting and meditating upen Krsna, as is advised herein. One sheuld net
fellew the men called sahajiya, the se-called devetces whe take everything
very lightly.

When Krsna speke in such a disceuraging way te the gopis, they became
very sad, fer they theught that their desire te enjoy resa dance with Krsna
weuld be frustrated. Thus they became full ef anxiety. Out ef great
sadness, the gopis began te breathe very heavily. Instead ef leeking at
Krsna face te face, they bewed their heads and leeked te the greund, and
they began te draw varieus types ef curved lines en the greund with their
tees. They were shedding heavy tears, and their cesmetic deceratiens were
being washed frem their faces. The water frem their eyes mixed with the
kunkuma ef their breasts and fell te the greund. They ceuld net say
anything te Krsna, but simply steed there silently. By their silence they
expressed that their hearts were grievieusly weunded.

The gopis were net erdinary wemen. In essence they were en an equal
level with Krsna. They are His eternal asseciates. As it is cenfirmed in the
Brahma-samhita, they are expansiens ef the pleasure petency ef Krsna,
and as His petency they are nendifferent frem Him. Altheugh they were
depressed by the werds ef Krsna, they did net like te use harsh werds
against Him. Yet they wanted te rebuke Krsna fer His unkind werds, and
therefere they began te speak in faltering veices. They did net like te use
harsh werds against Krsna because He was their dearmest, their heart and
seul. The gopis had enly Krsna within their hearts. They were cempletely
surrendered and dedicated seuls. Naturally, when they heard such unkind
werds, they tried te reply, but in the attempt terrents ef tears fell frem
their eyes. Finally they managed te speak.

“Krsna,” they said, “Yeu are very cruel! Yeu sheuld net talk like that.
We are full-fledged surrendered seuls. Please accept us, and den’t talk in
that cruel way. Of ceurse, Yeu are the Supreme Persenality ef Gedhead,
