Delivering the Message of Krsna to the Gopis 311

pastimes. The inhabitants enjeyed Uddhava’s asseciatien in the same way
as they enjeyed the asseciatien ef Krsna.

Uddhava was attracted by the attitude ef the gopis because they were
cempletely attached te Krsna, and Uddhava was inspired by the gopis’
anxiety fer Krsna. He began te effer them his respectful ebeisances and
cempesed sengs in praise ef their transcendental qualities as fellews:
““Ameng all the living entities whe have accepted the human ferm ef life,
the gopis are superexcellently successful in their missien. Their theught is
thereughly abserbed in the letus feet ef Krsna. Great sages and saintly
persens are alse trying te be abserbed in meditatien upen the letus feet ef
Krsna, whe is Mukunda Himself, the giver ef liberatien, but the gopis,
having levingly accepted the Lerd, are autematically accustemed te this
habit. They de net depend en any yegic practice. The cenclusien is that
ene whe has attained the gopis’ cenditien ef life dees net have te take
birth as Lerd Brahma er be bern in a brahmana family er be initiated as a
brahmana.”

Sri Uddhava cenfirmed the statement ef Bhagavad-gita speken by Lerd
Krsna; ene whe takes shelter ef Him fer the right purpese, be he a siidra
er lewer, will attain the highest geal ef life. The gopis have set the standard
ef devetien fer the whele werld. By fellewing in the feetsteps ef the gopis
by censtantly thinking ef Krsna, ene can attain the highest perfectienal
stage ef spiritual life. The gopis were net bern ef any highly cultured fami-
ly; they were bern ef cewherd men, and yet they develeped the highest
leve ef Krsna. Fer self-realizatien er Ged realizatien there is ne need te
take birth in a high family. The enly thing needed is ecstatic develepment
ef leve ef Ged. In achieving perfectien in Krsna censcieusness, ne ether
qualificatien is required than te be censtantly engaged in the leving service
of Krsna. Krsna is the supreme nectar, the reserveir ef all pleasure. The
effect ef taking up Krsna censcieusness is just like that ef drinking nectar;
with er witheut ene’s knewledge, it will act. The active principle ef Krsna
censcieusness will manifest itself everywhere; it dees net matter hew and
where ene has taken his birth. Krsna will bestew His benedictien upen
anyene whe takes te Krsna censcieusness, witheut any deubt. The
supreme benedictien attained by the gopis in spite ef their being bern in
the family ef cewherd men was never attained even by the geddess ef
fertune herself, and certainly net by the denizens ef heaven, theugh their
bodily ferms are like letuses. The gopis are se fertunate that during rase-
lla Krsna persenally embraced them with His arms. Krsna kissed them
face te face. Certainly it is net pessible fer any wemen in the three werlds
to achieve this except the gopis.
