(“Please order me to report to Lord Jagdish.” The Gopis consented, “O Brother! You may go there. We wish you a happy and safe journey.)
The Gopis said, “O Brother! You may go back to Shree Krishna, but take these gifts from us to submit to Shree Krishna.” The Gopis went to their homes and brought different gifts to send to Shree Krishna. Some brought butter, some came with curd and milk. Some came with sweet dishes like Tal Sakari and Laddus and some brought pitambar and dhoti. They filled the chariot with those gifts:
(Some asked him to take Krishna’s feet on his chest. Some asked him to embrace him with love. Some asked him to embrace him heart-to-heart. Some Gopis prayed to him to lay himself prostrate at the feet of Shree Krishna. Some Gopis asked him to kiss Shree Krishna’s feet and a few asked him to pull his cheeks with love. Some Gopis asked him to pray on their behalf to receive them as his own people. The Gopis had disclosed their love for Shree Krishna through their personal messages.)
Shreeji Maharaj says in his Vachanamrit (G.F.76): ‘Tied tight with our words and forced by us to give up the sense objects of his choice, there will be no recede in his devotional faith till the end of his life. Such a devotee is a true Satsangi and I love him heartily. Though I express intensely my tender feelings, I cannot love in my heart those devotees deprived of these attributes.’
Shreeji Maharaj loves only a true devotee of God. God loves his Gopis, because the Gopis love is pure and selfless. They are true devotees – single-minded devotees. Krishna has put them to much inconvenience by leaving them alone in Vrindavan, but the Gopis have never visited Mathura by disobeying the orders of Krishna.
What about our devotion? To some extent we love our world of the sense objects and to some extent we love God. This cannot be called devotion. Love should be exclusively for God and God’s service. There should be no attachment to the world. But our love is divided between God and the world.
Clean your heart and mind. Dust off the particles of worldly affection. Such dust and soil can spoil the good taste of devotion and devotional love. Do devotion like the Gopis. Do devotion like Laduba and Jivuba. Be firm and faithful to do devotion and Satsang.
We should not spoil our life. We should not waste our life as a faceless person. Householders should live like King Janak and we Sadhus should live like Jada Bharat. Install and impose yourself as a true devotee – a firm devotee. Do Satsang of great saints and great scriptures. Greatness calls for the holy company of a great Satpurusha. Live in the company of a Satpurusha and imbibe their virtuous attributes.
We have involved ourselves in an enormous task. A large industry or big business needs extra attention and good care. If not managed well, the owner may incur big losses. If worldly business and the factories are risky then what about the risks involved in the huge plan of ascent to the divine abode of God? Thus the act of devotion is not a small thing, it is the biggest task of all.
We are supposed to break the eight covers and desires for sense objects. We are required to renounce all our sins and sinful acts. We are required to transform ourselves into pure consciousness to belong to God. When we have attained such a difficult task, God is sure to grant us entry to Akshardham. This is not an insignificant matter. It is a lifetime’s attainment.
The aim is too high to attain in a few births. Devotee will have to spend a large number of births, toiling hard towards the ultimate attainment. This toil is in the form of devotion and love for God. Carelessness has no room in love and devotion. Take good care of yourself and do devotion of God.