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This is a question that is asked sometimes about the morality of Krsna – is Krsna immoral? Someone asked a question – “Do we have to give up our conception of mundane morality in order to worship Krsna in Braj?”

No, we answer. You don’t have to give up worldly morality, but we mustunderstand that Krsna is not immoral. He is the highest, most moralPerson. That is why we see throughout the vedic literature that the mostrespected and exalted persons in the universe are praying to thebraja-gopis.

No one can be more moral that the Lord Brahma. If he is praying, tobecome a spec of dust or rock on the footpath where the gopis may rubtheir feet and sprinkle some dust on his head or he offers his fourfaces as the place of lila for Radharani to walk on, braja gopis to walkon in Barsana. His four faces became the four - tan ghar, man ghar,vilas ghar and mandir of Radharani.

We have to understand that worldly morality is based on the bodilyconcept and the gopis or damsels of Braj are not functioning on a bodilyconcept at all, for one second.

If we examine or look at the activities of the braja gopis, from thebodily conception then it appears that their activities are immoral. Butthen we are making a big mistake by pulling the gopis down to thematerialistic platform.

Everything the braja gopis do – all their behavior and love – is only anexpression of their intense mood of service for the pleasure of Krsna.Everything they are doing is only for the sake and happiness of Krsnaand that is the highest morality.

What is the function of morality? Morality must have a function even inthe material world. What is the purpose of mundane morality? The purposeof morality is to keep people from becoming too engrossed in the bodilyactivities.

Ultimately, the purpose of society is to become uplifted spiritually,therefore to advance or develop, one must follow certain codes ofconduct. And without rules and regulations of morality to regulate thepeople, all the human beings would just live like animals, or evenworse.


If humans are not trained according to some standards of morality, andthey become devoid of a code of conduct, then they will become just likemonkeys. That will not help the society; either materially orspiritually. The purpose of morality ultimately is to bring humanity tothe platform of worshipping God – that is the essence. That worship ofGod in the highest sense is done when one transcends all this moralconduct.

Morality is only a means to come to the level of worshipping God, butmorality is not the goal of life. It is not the end in itself. Moralityis a process to assist us to realize the ultimate good. That is whyKrsna concludes the Bhagvad-gita by saying –


sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah


Srila Prabhupada: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrenderunto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.


Here, in this verse, Krsna is basically saying to give up morality.Giving up morality means to place no importance in it. It doesn’t meanthat we become immoral. However, if one has to act immorally for thepleasure of Krsna, then they should give up that morality. That is thepoint. That is why Yudhishthira had to lie in the battle of Kurukshetra.Otherwise, you become controlled or limited by morality.