CHAPTER THIRTY
When KášášŁáša suddenly disappeared from the company of the gopÄŤs, they searched for Him everywhere. After not finding Him anywhere, they became afraid and almost mad after Him. They were simply thinking of the pastimes of KášášŁáša in great love and affection. Being absorbed in thought of Him, they experienced loss of memory, and with dampened eyes they began to see the very pastimes of KášášŁášaâHis beautiful talks with them, His embracing, kissing and other activities. Being so attracted to KášášŁáša, they imitated His dancing, His walking and His smiling, as if they themselves were KášášŁáša. Due to KášášŁášaâs absence, they all became crazy; each one of them told the others that she was KášášŁáša Himself. Soon they all assembled together and chanted KášášŁášaâs name very loudly as they moved from one part of the forest to another, searching for Him.
Actually, KášášŁáša is all-pervasive: He is in the sky, and He is in the forest; He is within the heart, and He is always everywhere. The gopÄŤs therefore began to question the trees and plants about KášášŁáša. There were various types of big trees and small plants in the forest, and the gopÄŤs addressed them: âDear banyan tree, have you seen the son of MahÄrÄja Nanda passing this way, laughing and playing on His flute? He has stolen our hearts and gone away. If you have seen Him, kindly inform us which way He has gone. Dear aĹoka tree, dear nÄga flower tree and campaka flower tree, have you seen the younger brother of BalarÄma pass this way? He has disappeared because of our pride.â The gopÄŤs were aware of the reason for KášášŁášaâs sudden disappearance. They could understand that when they had been enjoying KášášŁáša they thought themselves to be the most fortunate women within the universe, and since they were feeling proud, KášášŁáša had disappeared immediately just to curb their pride. KášášŁáša does not like His devotees to be proud of their service to Him. He accepts everyoneâs service, but He does not like one devotee to proudly consider himself better than others. If sometimes there are such feelings, KášášŁáša ends them by changing His attitude toward the devotee.
The gopÄŤs then addressed the tulasÄŤ plants: âDear tulasÄŤ, you are much beloved by Lord KášášŁáša because your leaves are always at His lotus feet. Dear mÄlatÄŤ flower, dear mallikÄ flower, dear jasmine flower, all of you must have been touched by KášášŁáša while He was passing this way after giving us transcendental enjoyment. Have you seen MÄdhava passing this way? O mango trees, O trees of jackfruit, O pear trees and Äsana trees! O blackberries and bael trees and trees of the kadamba flowerâyou are all very pious trees to be living on the bank of the YamunÄ. KášášŁáša must have passed through this way. Will you kindly let us know which way He has gone?â
The gopÄŤs then looked upon the ground they were traversing and began to address the earth: âDear earthly planet, we do not know how many penances and austerities you have undergone to be now living with the footprints of Lord KášášŁáša upon you. You are very jolly; the hairs on your body are these jubilant trees and plants. Lord KášášŁáša must have been very much pleased with you; otherwise how could He have embraced you in the form of VarÄha the boar? When you were submerged in water, He delivered you, taking the whole weight of your existence on His tusks.â
After addressing the innumerable trees and plants and the earth, they turned their faces toward the beautiful deer, who were looking at them very pleasingly. âIt appears,â they addressed the deer, âthat KášášŁáša, who is the Supreme NÄrÄyaáša Himself, must have passed through this way along with His companion, LakᚣmÄŤ, the goddess of fortune. Otherwise, how is it possible that the aroma of His garland, which is smeared with the red kuáš kuma from the breasts of the goddess of fortune, can be perceived in the breeze blowing here? It appears that they must have passed through here and touched your bodies, and thus you are feeling so pleasant and are looking toward us with sympathy. Will you kindly, therefore, inform us which way KášášŁáša has gone? KášášŁáša is the well-wisher of VášndÄvana. He is as kind to you as to us; therefore after leaving us, He must have been present in your company. O fortunate trees, we are thinking of KášášŁáša, the younger brother of BalarÄma. While passing through here, with one hand resting on the shoulder of the goddess of fortune and the other hand twirling a lotus flower, He must have been very much pleased to accept your obeisances, and He must have glanced at you with great pleasure.â
Some of the gopÄŤs then addressed their gopÄŤ friends: âDear friends, why donât you question these creepers, who are so jubilantly embracing the big trees as if the trees were their husbands? It appears that the flowers of the creepers must have been touched by the nails of KášášŁáša. Otherwise, how could they feel so jubilant?â
After searching for KášášŁáša here and there, the gopÄŤs became fatigued, and then they began to talk like madwomen. They could satisfy themselves only by imitating the different pastimes of KášášŁáša. One of them imitated the demon PĹŤtanÄ, and one of them imitated KášášŁáša and sucked her breast. One gopÄŤ imitated a hand-driven cart, and another gopÄŤ lay down beneath the cart and threw up her legs, touching the wheels of the cart, as KášášŁáša did to kill the demon ĹakaášÄsura. One gopÄŤ imitated child KášášŁáša and lay down on the ground, and one gopÄŤ became the demon TášášÄvarta and carried the small child KášášŁáša by force into the sky; and one of the gopÄŤs began to imitate KášášŁáša while He was attempting to walk, ringing His ankle bells. Two gopÄŤs imitated KášášŁáša and BalarÄma, and many others imitated Their cowherd boyfriends. One gopÄŤ assumed the form of BakÄsura, and another forced her to fall down as the demon BakÄsura did when he was killed; similarly, another gopÄŤ defeated VatsÄsura. Just as KášášŁáša used to call His cows by their different names, so the gopÄŤs imitated Him, calling the cows by their respective names. One of the gopÄŤs began to play on a flute, and another praised her the way KášášŁášaâs boyfriends praised Him while He played on His flute. One of the gopÄŤs took another gopÄŤ on her shoulders, just as KášášŁáša used to take His boyfriends. Absorbed in thoughts of KášášŁáša, the gopÄŤ who was carrying her friend began to boast that she was KášášŁáša herself: âAll of you just see my movement!â One of the gopÄŤs raised her hand with her covering garments and said, âNow donât be afraid of the torrents of rain and severe hurricanes. Iâll save you!â In this way she imitated the lifting of Govardhana Hill. One gopÄŤ forcibly put her feet on the head of another gopÄŤ and said, âYou rascal KÄliya! I shall punish you severely. You must leave this place. I have descended to this earth to punish all kinds of miscreants!â Another gopÄŤ told her friends, âJust see! The flames of the forest fire are coming to devour us. Please close your eyes and I shall immediately save you from this imminent danger.â
In this way all the gopÄŤs were madly feeling the absence of KášášŁáša. They inquired about Him from the trees and plants. In some places they found the imprints of the marks on the soles of His feetânamely the flag, the lotus flower, the trident, the thunderbolt, etc. After seeing those footprints, they exclaimed, âOh, here is the impression of the marks on the soles of KášášŁášaâs feet! All the marks, such as the flag, the lotus flower, the trident and the thunderbolt, are distinctly visible here.â They began to follow the footprints, and shortly they saw another set of footprints beside them, and immediately they became very sorry. âDear friends, just see! Whose are these other footprints? They are beside the footprints of the son of MahÄrÄja Nanda. It is certainly KášášŁáša passing through, resting His hand on some other gopÄŤ, exactly as an elephant goes side by side with his beloved mate. We must, therefore, understand that this particular gopÄŤ served KášášŁáša with greater affectionate love than ourselves. Because of this, although He has left us, He could not leave Her company. He has taken Her along with Him. Dear friends, just imagine how the dust of this place is transcendentally glorious. The dust of the lotus feet of KášášŁáša is worshiped even by Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva and the goddess of fortune, LakᚣmÄŤ. But at the same time, we are very sorry that this particular gopÄŤ has gone along with KášášŁáša, for She is enjoying the nectar of KášášŁášaâs kisses and leaving us aside to lament. O friends, just see! At this particular spot we do not see the footprints of that gopÄŤ. It appears that because there were some pinpricks from the dried grass, KášášŁáša took RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ on His shoulder. Oh, She is so dear to Him! KášášŁáša must have picked some flowers in this spot to satisfy RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ, because here, where He stood erect to get the flowers from the high branches of the tree, we find only half the impression of His feet. Dear friends, just see how KášášŁáša must have sat down here with RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ and tried to set flowers in Her hair. You can be certain that both of Them sat together here.â KášášŁáša is self-sufficient: He has nothing to enjoy from any other source. Yet just to satisfy His devotee, He treated RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ exactly as a lusty boy treats his girlfriend. KášášŁáša is so kind that He always tolerates the disturbances created by His girlfriends.
In this way, all the gopÄŤs pointed out the faults of the particular gopÄŤ who had been taken alone by KášášŁáša. They said that this chief gopÄŤ, RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ, must be very proud of Her position, thinking Herself the greatest of the gopÄŤs. âYet how could KášášŁáša take Her away alone, leaving all of us aside, unless She is extraordinarily qualified and beautiful? She must have taken KášášŁáša into the deep forest and told Him, âMy dear KášášŁáša, I am now very tired. I cannot go any further. Please carry Me wherever You like.â When KášášŁáša was spoken to in this way, He might have told RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ, âAll right, better get on My shoulder.â But immediately KášášŁáša must have disappeared, and now RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ must be lamenting for Him, âMy dear lover, My dearest, You are so fine and so powerful. Where have You gone? I am nothing but Your most obedient maidservant. I am very much aggrieved. Please come and be with Me again.â KášášŁáša, however, is not coming to Her. He must be watching Her from a distant place and enjoying Her sorrow.â
All the gopÄŤs then went further and further into the forest, searching out KášášŁáša, but when they learned that actually RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ was left alone by KášášŁáša, they became very sorry. This is the test of KášášŁáša consciousness. In the beginning they were a little envious that KášášŁáša had taken RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ alone, leaving aside all the other gopÄŤs, but as soon as they knew that KášášŁáša had also left RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ and that She was alone lamenting for Him, they became more sympathetic to Her. The gopÄŤs found RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ and heard everything from Herâabout how She had misbehaved with KášášŁáša and how She was proud and was insulted for Her pride. After hearing all this, they became actually very sympathetic. Then all the gopÄŤs, including RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ, proceeded further into the forest, until they could no longer see the moonlight.
When they saw that it was getting gradually darker, they stopped. Their mind and intelligence became absorbed in thoughts of KášášŁáša; they all imitated the activities of KášášŁáša and His speeches. Due to their heart and soul being completely given to KášášŁáša, they began to chant His glories, completely forgetting their family interests. In this way, all the gopÄŤs returned to the bank of the YamunÄ and assembled there, and expecting that KášášŁáša must return to them, they simply engaged in chanting the glories of ĹrÄŤ KášášŁášaâHare Kᚣáša, Hare KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša KášášŁáša, Hare Hare / Hare RÄma, Hare RÄma, RÄma RÄma, Hare Hare.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Thirtieth Chapter of KášášŁáša, âKášášŁášaâs Hiding from the GopÄŤs.â