The transcendental position of Krishna consciousness is clearly described here. The gopis decided that it was better to renounce their so-called family tradition and traditional morality and simply surrender unto the Supreme Lord Krishna. This does not mean that the Krishna consciousness movement advocates immoral activities. In fact, the devotees of ISKCON practice the highest standard of restraint and morality, but at the same time we recognize the transcendental position of Krishna. Lord Krishna is God and therefore has no material desire to enjoy young girls in sexual affairs. As will be seen in this chapter, Lord Krishna was not at all attracted to enjoying the gopis; rather He was attracted to their love and wanted to satisfy them.

The greatest offense is to imitate the activities of Lord Krishna. In India there is a group called prakrita-sahajiya, who imitate these affairs of Krishna and try to enjoy naked young girls in the name of worshiping Krishna. The ISKCON movement sternly rejects this mockery of religion, because the greatest offense is for a human being to ludicrously imitate the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the ISKCON movement there are no cheap incarnations, and it is not possible for a devotee of this movement to promote himself to the position of Krishna.

Five hundred years ago Krishna appeared as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who practiced strict celibacy throughout His student life and at the age of twenty-four took sannyasa, a lifelong vow of celibacy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu rigidly avoided contact with women in order to carry out His vow of loving service to Krishna. When Krishna personally appeared five thousand years ago, He exhibited these wonderful pastimes, which attract our attention. We should not become envious or shocked when we hear that God can perform such pastimes. Our shock is due to our ignorance, because if we tried to perform these activities our bodies would be afflicted by lust. Lord Krishna, however, is the Supreme Absolute Truth and is therefore never disturbed by any material desire whatsoever. Thus, this incident -- in which the gopis gave up normal standards of morality and, raising their hands to their head, bowed down in compliance with Krishna's order -- is an example of pure devotional surrender and not a discrepancy in religious principles.

In fact, the gopis' surrender is the perfection of all religion, as Srila Prabhupada describes in Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: "The gopis were all simple souls, and whatever Krishna said, they took to be true. In order to be freed from the wrath of Varunadeva, as well as to fulfill the desired end of their vows and ultimately to please their worshipable Lord, Krishna, they immediately abided by His order. Thus they became the greatest lovers of Krishna, and His most obedient servitors.

"Nothing can compare to the Krishna consciousness of the gopis. Actually the gopis did not care for Varuna or any other demigod; they only wanted to satisfy Krishna."