Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 30
Rāsa-līlā Begins; Divine Multiplication; Moral Doubt and Its Resolution
नैतत् समाचरेज्जातु मनसापि ह्यनीश्वर: । विनश्यत्याचरन् मौढ्याद्यथारुद्रोऽब्धिजं विषम् ॥ ३० ॥
naitat samācarej jātu manasāpi hy anīśvaraḥ vinaśyaty ācaran mauḍhyād yathārudro ’bdhi-jaṁ viṣam
非大主宰者切莫在任何时候、甚至在心念中，模仿统御者的行径。若因愚昧而模仿，必自取灭亡，正如非鲁陀罗者若欲饮尽海中毒液，必将毁灭。
Lord Śiva, or Rudra, once drank an ocean of poison, and the result was that an attractive blue mark appeared on his neck. But if we were to drink even a drop of such poison, we would die immediately. Just as we should not imitate this pastime of Śiva’s, we should not imitate Lord Kṛṣṇa’s activities with the gopīs. We should clearly understand that while Lord Kṛṣṇa certainly descends to demonstrate religious principles, He also descends to demonstrate that He is God and we are not. That also must be demonstrated. The Lord enjoys with His internal potency and thus attracts us to the spiritual platform. We should not try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, for we will suffer severely.
FAQs
This verse warns that anyone who is not the Supreme Controller should never imitate such divine actions, even mentally, because imitation born of delusion leads to spiritual and moral ruin.
He gives an analogy: even powerful Rudra drank the halāhala poison only in an extraordinary circumstance; similarly, Kṛṣṇa’s uncommon divine acts are not to be copied by conditioned souls.
Do not justify unethical behavior by citing spiritual ideals or divine stories; instead, follow one’s proper discipline and learn devotion through humility rather than imitation.