A Gopi’s Love for Shri Krishna

Sharad Poornima is celebrated on the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin. It was on this day that the Gopis of Vrindavan earned the grace of Lord Krishna by overlooking society’s disdain on them and offered their unalloyed devotion to Him. The Srimad Bhagavatham describes the love of Gopi’s towards Shri Krishna.

It was the evening of Sharad Poornima in the land of Vrindavan. As the horizon prepared for the rise of the full moon, the pleasant evening breeze and the gentle sounds of water from river Yamuna, spread a blanket of serenity over the serene village. But the restlessness in the minds of the Gopis was not to be calmed that evening! It had been almost a year since the Gopis completed their Kathyayini Vrat, a form of worship to mother Parvati, to attain Her grace in order to get Lord Krishna as their soul beloved. Krishna’s promise to the Gopis that He would make them His own was also almost a year old as well!

“Has Krishna really forgotten His promise?” This question had constantly distressed one young Gopi all day. That could very well be, as He was really the chieftain of all pranksters in the village! Story after story of how He troubled the villagers floated around everywhere! His pranks had become the talk of the town! In spite of knowing all this, her heart couldn’t come to believe that Krishna could ever forget His promise! After all, He was known to everyone as Achyuta, the trustworthy one! There were countless incidents when He had indeed come to their rescue!

When the entire village was suffocating from the poison emanating from the serpent, that had infested river Yamuna, He had valiantly jumped in and rid the river from its clutches. When torrential rains poured down and destroyed their homes, He stood for seven days and nights straight, holding up the mountain and shielded them from the wrath of the skies! When forest fires threatened to swallow the Gopas and their cattle, he in turn swallowed it and rescued them! Time and again, He protected them from all kinds of dangers! He would never forget a promise! She couldn’t believe how she allowed that question to enter her mind in the first place!

When she looked out of the window, she saw the full moon glowing with the red effulgence of newly applied sindoor (vermillion), as if it was the face of Goddess Lakshmi Herself! Perhaps, this beautiful day of Sharad Poornima could be the day! She could tell that it was going to be the most special day of her life, in fact the most special day in several lifetimes! As she was going about her chores, a faint music of the flute filled the air.  It was so melodious that she could not take her attention off of it! Even when it became slightly louder, nobody else in her household seemed to be able to hear it! Was she losing her mind? She could not understand! Perhaps it was the call of her beloved Krishna! Her mind became fixated on the Lord.

No longer could she continue with her chores as she ran towards the door. Her heart had already crossed the doorstep and had taken off in the direction of the sound, but alas her physical body, bound by its material duties could not! The intense agony of separation from Shree Krishna, burned all her impious Karma. As she meditated on Him and yearned for His divine love, the intense pain of separation that she suffered burned all her material piety! Thus all her Karmic bondage was burned instantly right at her doorstep. Her soul could no longer be restrained. It left her material body to merge permanently with her beloved Achyuta!