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bliss; therefore if she wanted to enjoy herself with Kṛṣṇa, what fault is
      there? Why are You joking so about this?”

      CC Madhya 9.120 — Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, “I know that
      there  is  no  fault  on  the  part  of  the  goddess  of  fortune,  but  s ll  she
      could not enter into the rāsa dance. We hear this from the revealed
      scriptures.
      CC Madhya 9.121 — “ ‘When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs
      in the rāsa-līlā, the gopīs were embraced around the neck by the Lord’s
      arms. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess
      of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a
      thing ever imagined by the most beau ful girls in the heavenly planets,
      girls whose bodily luster and aroma exactly resemble the beauty and
      fragrance of lotus flowers. And what to speak of worldly women, who

      may be very, very beau ful according to material es ma on?’
      CC Madhya 9.122 — “But can you tell Me why the goddess of fortune,
      Lakṣmī,  could  not  enter  the  rāsa  dance?  The  authori es  of  Vedic
      knowledge could enter the dance and associate with Kṛṣṇa.
      CC Madhya 9.123  — “ ‘Great sages conquer the mind and senses by
      prac cing the mys c yoga system and controlling the breath. Thus en-
      gaging in mys c yoga, they see the Supersoul within their hearts and
      ul mately enter into impersonal Brahman. But even the enemies of the

      Supreme Personality of Godhead a ain that posi on simply by thinking
      of the Supreme Lord. However, the damsels of Vraja, the gopīs, being
      a racted by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, simply wanted to embrace Him and
      His arms, which are like serpents. Thus the gopīs ul mately tasted the
      nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, we Upaniṣads can also
      taste the nectar of His lotus feet by following in the footsteps of the
      gopīs.’ ”
      CC Madhya 9.124 — Having been asked by Caitanya Mahāprabhu why
      the goddess of fortune could not enter into the rāsa dance whereas the
      authori es on Vedic knowledge could, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa replied, “I can-

      not enter into the mysteries of this behavior.”
      CC Madhya 9.125 — Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa then said, “I am an ordinary hu-

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