17 Sept 2025 morning walk – The Nine Questions of the Gopis to Krishna (English) | Whangarei, New Zealand | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
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The gopis asked Krishna what lust was.
The gopis also asked Krishna why He had caused them so much pain by disappearing.
The gopis wanted to hear about the different types of prema from Krishna.
These types of people never return your love or friendship: atmarama: self-satisfied (Shukadeva Gosvami); aptakama: whose all desires are fulfilled (Janaka Maharaja); guru-drohi/aparadhi: akritajna, ungrateful.
Hetu-prema is love with a cause (examples: birds love the forest for its fruits, a woman loves a man for his money, students love a professor for their studies). Ahetu-prema is love without a cause.
All Sanskrit words have opposites, but the miracle is that there is no opposite for ‘ananda’.
Business love is not sincere; parents’ love is imperfect because it is based on the principles of duty and responsibility; children’s love is also imperfect because they forget their parents.
Krishna told the gopis that He is eternally obliged to them because they gave up everything for Him.
Verse: na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujām… (SB 10.32.22).
Srimati Radhika manifests many gopis for Krishna’s happiness.
Read Prema-samputa grantha to find out more.
After the break, while walking on the beach, Gurudev discusses the potential of the jiva, using the examples of Uddhava, Pandavas, Vrajanatha, Vijaya Kumara, Murari Gupta and Prabodhananda Sarasvati.
Question: Can Gurudeva, in sakhya-bhava, help his disciple awaken sthayibhava in madhurya-rasa?
