Page 27 - Sri Ramanujacharya Sahasrabdhi - 1000th year anniversary of Ramanujacarya
P. 27
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-
27