Madhya 8.230

TEXT 230

TEXT

গোপী-আনুগত্য বিনা ঐশ্বর্যজ্ঞানে ।
ভজিলেহ নাহি পায় ব্রজেন্দ্রনন্দনে ॥ ২৩০ ॥

gopi-anugatya vina aisvarya-jnane

bhajileha nahi paya vrajendra-nandane

SYNONYMS

gopi-anugatya-subservience to the gopis; vina-without; aisvarya-jnane-in the knowledge of opulence; bhajileha-if serving the Supreme Lord; nahi-not; paya-gets; vrajendra-nandane-the son of Maharaja Nanda, Krsna.

TRANSLATION

"Unless one follows in the footsteps of the gopis, he cannot attain the service of the lotus feet of Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja. If one is overcome by knowledge of the Lord's opulence, he cannot attain the Lord's lotus feet, even though he is engaged in devotional service.

PURPORT

One can worship Laksmi-Narayana by the process of vidhi-marga, worshiping the Lord with regulative principles according to the instructions of the sastra and the spiritual master. However, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Radha-Krsna, cannot be directly worshiped by this process. The dealings between Radha and Krsna and the gopis are devoid of the opulences of Laksmi-Narayana. The process of vidhi-marga, following the regulative principles, is utilized in the worship of Laksmi-Narayana, whereas the process of spontaneous service-following in the footsteps of the gopis, who are the denizens of Vrndavana-is transcendentally more advanced and is the process whereby Radha and Krsna are worshiped. One cannot attain this elevated position while worshiping the Lord in His opulence. Those attracted by the conjugal love between Radha and Krsna must follow in the footsteps of the gopis. Only then is it possible to enter into the Lord's service in Goloka Vrndavana and directly associate with Radha and Krsna.