There are two gopis. One gopi is a directly Golok descended gopi. She is a nitya siddh gopi, who has eternally attained Maharās ras. And she is the governor of, remember my words, the governor of yogamāyā power. The governor of swaroop shakti (God’s personal power). This Golok gopi is having a dialogue with the Ved ṛichā gopi. The Ved ṛichā gopi is again nitya siddh. She is also not sādhana siddh like you and I do sādhana one day under the guidance of a Guru. No, she is nitya siddh, meaning eternally perfect, God realized, and one with Shri Krishna, just like the Golok gopi.
However, one day she received Mahārās. It’s not that she had attained Mahārās since time eternity like the Golok gopi. Now, one day the Ved ṛichā gopi also attained Mahārās. So, she has also attained Mahārās ras, and, of course, is the direct descension of mahābhāv bhakti. That Golok gopi has always been drinking the Mahāras ras. But they have a difference of opinion. Even they have? Yes. Because one is Ved ṛichā gopi. And the other is a directly descended gopi. She is a direct descension from Golok.
The difference is, as I told you to note, that she is the governor of swaroop shakti. Whilst the individual, the devotees, the souls, who attain God realization and one day receive Mahārās ras are either nitya siddh or sādhana siddh, they would be governed by yogamāyā bhāv. There are very rare few eternal mahābhāv swaroop gopis who are governors of yogamāyā bhāv, like Lalita, Vishakha, Ashtasakis (the eight personal aides of Shri Radharani).
So, what is the difference of opinion? Well, the Ved ṛichā gopi says, “Shri Krishna is hard-hearted. Rock hard-hearted, not stone-hearted. Hard-hearted!”
And the Golok gopi is saying, “He is tender-hearted, tender than tenderness itself. He is so tender, so soft, that tenderness and softness even get lost.”
There is no way that you can compare the tenderness of Shyamsundar’s heart. They are very opposite, both of them, in their thinking. And likewise, we individual souls also, many a time are just normal, ordinary, materialistic beings, but we also make attempts to pass this remark, whether Shyamsundar is hard-hearted, depending on the selfishness of our devotion and in the fulfillments of our desires. When our desires are not fulfilled, then what do we say?
“Oh, He’s so hard-hearted! His heart never melts! I’ve been crying and crying!”
For what? Well, you won’t tell that, but it’s a secret that we all have some kind of demand, selfishness, desire, whatever. And when our desires are satisfied,
“Oh, you know, my God, my Guru is so tender-hearted, so soft-hearted. I just didn’t even ask for anything. Actually, I didn’t even think seriously about it. A thought just passed by, and oh, His grace is immense.”
So this particular pad (Prem Ras Madira: Virah Madhuri #151 - Rahī Sakhi! Bāt Tor Yā Mor) is so important. It takes us so deep into understanding the true, pure philosophy about love, about pure love, and the very deep philosophy about unconditional Divine love.
