130 The Nectar of Devotion

both of these categories one has to follow the particular gopi who is
engaged in such service in Goloka Vrndavana. To be directly attached
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in conjugal love is technically
called keli. This keli performance means to directly join with the Su-
preme Personality of Godhead. There are other devotees who do not
wish direct contact with the Supreme Person, but who relish the con-
jugal love affairs of the Lord with the gopis. Such devotees enjoy
simply by hearing of the activities of the Lord with the gopis.

This development of conjugal love can only be possible only with
those who are already engaged in following the regulative principles
of devotional service, specifically in the worship of Radha and Krsna
in the temple. Such devotees gradually develop a spontaneous love
for the Deity, and by hearing of the Lord’s exchange of loving af-
fairs with the gopis, they gradually become attracted to these pas-
times. After this spontaneous attraction becomes highly developed,
the devotee is placed in either of the above-mentioned categories.

This development of conjugal love for Krsna is not manifested in
women only. The material body has nothing to do with spiritual
loving affairs. A woman may develop an attitude for becoming a
friend of Krsna, and, similarly, a man may develop the feature of
becoming a gopi in Vrndavana. How a devotee in the form of a man
can desire to become a gopi is stated in the Padma Purana as follows:
“In days gone by there were many sages in Dandakaranya. Danda-
karanya is the name of the forest where Lord Ramacandra lived after
being banished by his father for fourteen years. At that time there
were many advanced sages who were captivated by the beauty of
Lord Ramacandra and who desired to become women in order to
embrace the Lord. Later on these sages appeared in Goloka Vrnda-
vana when Krsna advented Himself there, and they were born as
gopis or girl friends of Krsna. In this way they attained the perfection
of spiritual life.”

The story of the sages of Dandakaranya can be explained as fol-
lows: When Lord Ramacandra was residing in Dandakaranya, the
sages who were engaged in devotional service there became attracted
by His beauty and immediately thought of the gopis at Vrndavana
who enjoyed conjugal loving affection with Krsna. In this instance it
