Shloka 8
The Kātyāyanī-vrata, the Stealing of the Gopīs’ Garments, and Kṛṣṇa’s Teaching on Purified Desire
भगवांस्तदभिप्रेत्य कृष्णो योगेश्वरेश्वर: । वयस्यैरावृतस्तत्र गतस्तत्कर्मसिद्धये ॥ ८ ॥
bhagavāṁs tad abhipretya kṛṣno yogeśvareśvaraḥ vayasyair āvṛtas tatra gatas tat-karma-siddhaye
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān and the supreme master of all mystic yoga, understood the gopīs’ intention and went there surrounded by His young companions to grant perfection to their vowed endeavor.
As the master of all masters of mystic power, Lord Kṛṣṇa could easily understand the desires of the gopīs, and He could also fulfill them. The gopīs, like all young girls from respectable families, considered the embarrassment of appearing naked before a young boy to be worse than giving up their lives. Yet Lord Kṛṣṇa made them come out of the water and bow down to Him. Although the bodily forms of the gopīs were all fully developed, and although Kṛṣṇa met them in a secluded place and brought them fully under His control, because the Lord is completely transcendental there was not a trace of material desire in His mind. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the ocean of transcendental bliss, and He wanted to share His bliss with the gopīs on the spiritual platform, completely free of ordinary lust.
FAQs
It means Kṛṣṇa is the supreme Lord over even the greatest yogīs—fully independent and capable of perfectly arranging outcomes according to divine will.
Because He understood the gopīs’ heartfelt intention behind their vow and went to complete the pastime that would grant the destined result of their devotional aspiration.
It teaches that sincere devotion is recognized by the Lord; practitioners should focus on purity of intention and trust that God arranges the right fulfillment in the right way.