Hare Krsna
" Once Lord Sri Krsna playfully manifested Himself as Narayana, with four victorious hands and a very beautiful form. When the gopis saw this exalted form, however, their ecstatic feelings were crippled. Even a learned scholar, therefore, cannot understand the gopis' ecstatic feelings, which are firmly fixed upon the original form of Lord Krsna as the son of Nanda Maharaja. The wonderful feelings of the gopis in ecstatic parama-rasa with Krsna constitute the greatest mystery in spiritual life. "
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 17.281
I am further tempted to ask that how come the influence of Radharani's pure ecstasy is so inconceivably great that it forced Krsna to come to His original two-armed form whereas the other gopis offered obeisances and the following respectful prayers:
" O Lord Narayana, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You. Kindly be merciful to us. Give us the association of Krsna and thus vanquish our lamentation. "
After saying this and offering obeisances, all the gopis dispersed. Then Srimati Radharani came and appeared before Lord Krsna. When Lord Krsna saw Radharani, He wanted to maintain the four-armed form to joke with Her. In front of Srimati Radharani, however, Sri Krsna had to hide the two extra arms. He tried His best to keep four arms before Her, but He was completely unable to do so. This is the wonderful glory of Her love.
Hari bol
Replies
Hare Krsna. The gopis' love for Krsna is not directed toward God in His aspect as the all-powerful Supreme Being. Their love is for Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, the beautiful cowherd boy of Vrindavan who plays the flute, steals butter, and engages in intimate, loving pastimes. This relationship is characterized by madhurya, or unparalleled sweetness.
The Caitanya-caritāmṛta verse you quoted (Adi 17.281) describes something extremely subtle in rasa-tattva (the science of divine emotions).
When Kṛṣṇa manifested His four-armed Nārāyaṇa form before the gopīs, their bhāva (spiritual emotion) did not correspond with that form. The gopīs’ love is mādhurya–rasa, pure conjugal love, filled with intimacy (viśrambha), playfulness, and freedom from awe and reverence. Nārāyaṇa’s form represents aiśvarya–bhāva—majesty, reverence, and the mood of the Supreme Lord, worshiped from a respectful distance.
So, when they saw Nārāyaṇa, their hearts, overflowing with conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa, could not connect. Just as a mother cannot express motherly affection to a stranger’s child, the gopīs’ hearts could not respond in ecstasy to the majestic Lord of Vaikuṇṭha because their love is exclusively tied to Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana, Nanda-nandana, the flute-player who jokes, dances, and plays with them in the forest bowers. Even though both are the same Personality, Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness (mādhurya) eclipses His majesty (aiśvarya).
The gopis' prayer is extremely revealing: "O Lord Narayana... Give us the association of Krsna." They did not see this form as the Krsna they loved. They saw a powerful deity who could, by His grace, reunite them with their beloved. For them, the two were distinct in terms of relationship, even if they understood them to be the same person ontologically. Their ecstasy is firmly fixed only on the original, two-armed form (svayam-rupa) of Krsna.
The second part of your question, why Krsna could not maintain His four-armed form in front of Srimati Radharani which highlights Her supreme position.
Srimati Radharani is not just one of the gopis; She is the complete embodiment of Krsna's internal pleasure potency, the hladini-shakti. Her love for Krsna is the highest, most concentrated form of ecstasy, known as mahabhava.
The foundational principle of the Vrindavan pastimes is that the Supreme Lord, in His original form, becomes completely subordinate to the love of His pure devotees. While this is true for all the gopis, it is supremely true in the case of Srimati Radharani. Srimati Radharani's love is exclusively for Krsna, the two-armed flute player of Vrindavan. Her entire being, her perception, and her ecstatic love are focused solely on this madhurya form. The aisvarya of Narayana has no place in the intimate loving exchanges (lila) between Radha and Krsna. Krsna is known as Madana-Mohana, the one who can enchant even Cupid. But Srimati Radharani is known as Madana-Mohana-Mohini, the one who enchants the enchanter of Cupid. Her love is the ultimate force in the spiritual world, and even Krsna Himself is controlled by it.
Krsna is known as Madana-Mohana, the one who can enchant even Cupid. But Srimati Radharani is known as Madana-Mohana-Mohini, the one who enchants the enchanter of Cupid. Her love is the ultimate force in the spiritual world, and even Krsna Himself is controlled by it.
The other gopis reacted with reverence because the display of aisvarya shifted their relational mood. However, Srimati Radharani's love is so absolute and singular in its focus on Krsna's madhurya form that it does not even permit the existence of any other form in her presence. Her pure love compelled Krsna to reveal His most original and cherished identity: the beloved of Srimati Radharani. Hari Hari.
Hare Krsna Gayatri Mataji
It seems you have deleted your latest reply but you must be aware that an email is generated once you reply and the message is saved there.
I have decided to reply to you based on your continuation of the story. Although I understand that it is a qualification of a Vaisnava that he is a adosa-darsi: he never sees other's faults. I feel I must point this out to you since I have known you for some time. Please try to tolerate if you feel I am offending you. I am also typing this for self purification since I also replied based on my feelings instead of the copy pasting which I normally do.
" To write about the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not an ordinary endeavor. Unless one is empowered by the higher authorities, or advanced devotees, one cannot write transcendental literature, for all such literature must be above suspicion, or, in other words, it must have none of the defects of conditioned souls, namely mistakes, illusions, cheating and imperfect sense perceptions. The words of Krsna and of the disciplic succession that carries the orders of Krsna are actually authoritative. To be empowered to write transcendental literature is a privilege in which a writer can take great pride. As a humble Vaisnava, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, being thus empowered, felt very much ashamed that it was he who was to narrate the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. "
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 8.72 PURPORT
In this connection you must also read the next verse where the author is saying that having received the order of the Vaisnavas but being anxious within his heart, he went to the temple of Madana-mohana in Vrndavana to ask His permission also.
" This example should be followed . Anyone who attempts to write about Krsna must first take permission from the spiritual master and Krsna. "
" One must first become a pure devotee by following the strict regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds daily, and when one thinks that he is actually on the Vaisnava platform, he must take permission from the spiritual master, and that permission must also be confirmed by Krsna from within his heart. Then, if one is very sincere and pure, he can write transcendental literature either prose or poetry. "
Sri Caitanya- caritamrta Adi 8.73 PURPORT
I hope we can all appreciate these statements of Srila Prabhupada in case we want to advance in Krsna consciousness and mataji If you keep cribbing that you are unable to find like minded devotees then it is most probably because Krsna doesn't want you to stagnate where you are now. Like minded devotees cease to exist as one advances more and more. This is also evident from the declaration of Lord Sri Krsna in Bhagavad-gita that He knows everyone and no one knows Him. No one can be more advanced in Krsna consciousness than Krsna Himself. It is the bitter truth but that is just the way things are. You loose all your friends in the process and unless you accept Krsna as your best friend and surrender unto Him, you are all alone.
Hari bol
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Hare Krsna Mataji
I am truly sorry since none of us can take constructive criticism like a saint completely devoid of false ego.
If you have read all the scriptures, it doesn't mean that they are very fresh in your memory or that you have read them very very carefully or that there is no need to read them again. However, too much reading causes great pride also na...
The whole thing seems to be failing miserably!
Lord Caitanya also became angry and rightly so when a smarta brahmana accused Him of ignorance for chanting gopi gopi instead of Hare Krsna. He got so angry with not just that brahmana but also Krsna. Later on He decided to take sannyasa to save those brahmana students who had gathered from committing further blasphemy after realizing ki jis kaam ke liye aaye thei uska ulta hi ho raha hai.
Par ek baar toh hogaya na, phir itna jattan karna padha, so why not avoid from the start. Aur aaj kal toh vaise bhi sannyasi is not offered such respect by everyone since society is so demonic that majority of the people don't even know what sannyasa means. So that is also not a very good option. Anyhow, take care jab tak phir nahi milte.
Hari bol
Dear Madhava das Prabhuji,
You have made a very valid observation. This Mataji frequently speaks of prem, yet if one truly comprehends the depth and sanctity of divine love, such discussions would not be expressed so casually or publicly. True prem for Sri Krishna is not an exhibition; it is a deeply internal realization cultivated through strict discipline — sincere study, consistent chanting, and adherence to all devotional principles.
Without such grounding, no one attains kripa-siddhi merely by composing poetic verses or emotional prose. To mistake sentimental expression for spiritual attainment is to drift dangerously close to sahajiya tendencies, which dilute the gravity of genuine devotion. A devotee must embody the path — not perform it. I don't know why even this Akshit Prabhu lacks courage? He deleted his reply in this discussion. Hari Hari.
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What was your reply, mataji?
Sorry for deleting the message,I just thought that it might not be a correct explanation, also since I have not read much scriptures so I don't much about that.
I said in that, that since Narayan Is an avatar of lord krishna, but I have heared in a katha that krishna primarily expands as Radha Rani and Balaram , and all the other avatars comes thereafter. It is possible that he didn't keep his Narayan form in front of Radha Rani, because Balaram ji radha Rani ka sang nahi karte.
It is just what I have heared in different kathas that I am trying to connect only. Hare Krishna
Hare Kṛṣṇa. You truly have a wonderful and beautiful bhāva towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Hari Hari.
The wonderful thing about your reply is that you find matching pictures with your narration. There is no one else who does this on IDT forum. It shows how involved you become.
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