7 Gopi Gita (Gopi geet) | Texts 14-15 | Expressing and experiencing emotion

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.

Hare Krishna. I'm grateful to be here with all of you today and I'm especially grateful for the opportunity to be able to complete this Gopi Jeet series. So I'll just do a quick recap of what was going on and then we'll move towards the verses.

We have six verses to complete and hopefully we should be complete in two or three days. We're taking two or three verses each day. So, am I audible clearly enough? Okay.

So right now we are focusing on understanding the, okay, so in the Gopi Jeet, this comes in the tenth canto, in what is often considered to be the heart of the tenth canto, that is chapters 29 to 33, which are the Rasa Panchadhyay, within which this is chapter 31. So here Krishna has called the Gopis and the Gopis have left everything and come to him. And after they come to him, there is some sweet interaction between them and the rasa dance is about to begin or it begins and then Krishna disappears.

Oh, what happened? It had come before, no? It's saying it's connected. So Krishna has departed from the Gopis, suddenly disappeared without any explanation. If we come to meet someone and we are talking with them, and while talking with them, suddenly they leave.

You know, we wonder what happened. The Kanada Guru had to go. He explained why he was going.

So, we come specifically to meet somebody and we are talking with them and suddenly they disappear. What happened? Normally, the natural human inference would be, broadly there are two inferences. Either that person is a terrible person or that person considers us to be a terrible person.

Isn't it? Why would somebody do like that? How could they go away like that? So the Gopis are trying to figure out why Krishna left like this. And of course, for them, more than figuring out why Krishna left, they are begging Krishna to come back. So, while the prayers themselves can be analysed in many different ways, we talked about the flow in a particular section can be linear.

That one verse leads to another verse. This is generally, we talk about the Gita's flow as linear flow. How does this verse lead to that verse? That's one way to understand it.

But here, another way to understand this is that the flow is not linear, but it is one-pointed. That means each verse is bringing us back to the point, please return. Each Gopi in her own way is praying to Krishna, please return.

Now, sometimes that request is explicit, where they say, Krishna, please come back. But many times it is implicit that it is something which is stated without being stated. So generally, when two people have a close relationship and they have a good mutual understanding of each other, then there is a lot that can be said by having little said, isn't it? So, that means sometimes if somebody has come late, we have invited them to our home for food and they have come late.

Now, we might be annoyed with them, but we don't want to express the annoyance openly. So, we may say, the food has become cold. And then, if they say, can't you heat it? Can't you get it? That would be our thought.

So, sometimes in loving communication, sometimes things are conveyed directly and explicitly and sometimes they are conveyed a little more indirectly. And because of the loving bond between the two people, they understand it. So, the particular verse we are discussing is continuing the flow of the various ways in which the Gopis are begging to Krishna to come back.

So, one of the key themes is that not only are they saying, please return, they are also saying in various ways, your leaving is unfair. So, that your leaving is unfair. We saw this mood earlier.

Krishna, you saved us from so many dangers. You who saved us from so many dangers, now why are you killing us now? How can you kill us, oh Lord? You have come to deliver the entire world. You have come to protect the whole world and we are a part of the world.

Why are you not protecting us? So, like that, they are in various ways beseeching Krishna, please return. And as a part of their request, now they are comparing how Krishna is giving fortune or blessings to someone and how he is not giving blessings to them. And thus they are asking for his blessings.

So, here they are comparing it to their fortune. They are comparing with the fortune of the flute. This is the text 13.

So, they are saying, they are basically glorifying how Krishna is bestowing his mercy through his lips. Sorry, 14. Yes, sorry.

Good point. Thank you. 13 we have completed, correct.

So, the 14th verse. So, suratavardhanam shokanashanam. So, in one sense, they are saying that the power of the flute song, that generally music and song are very strongly associated with emotion.

And recently I was in America, I think I mentioned this incident, but it's the second time. I went to a college for a talk and the name of that college was the American Institute of Illusion. So, my typical mind thought, you know, America itself is the institute of illusion.

But basically, it is like we have the film and training institute. It is basically for creating movies. You get a film making institute.

So, there, interestingly I saw that one of the things that they had training is in Bollywood dance. So, what it is? Bollywood, a particular kind of dancing. You know, we know Kathakali, we know Bharatanatyam.

So, it's Bollywood, a particular kind of dancing. So, the idea is that it is only generally in Indian movies that suddenly in the middle of a movie, without any rhyme or logic, people start dancing. In western movies, there is a genre of movies called musicals, where there is a lot of music and dancing.

But normal movies, they don't have this sudden dancing and singing apparently for no reason. That person, the hero or the heroine may have no musical inclination or ability the rest of the movie. But suddenly they start dancing.

But anyway, the thing is that music and singing and dancing, these are naturally very strongly associated with emotions. So, for the Gopis, the flute song is very closely related with their hearts. They will talk specifically about the flute song again a couple of verses later.

But here, what they are saying is that the effect of the flute song is twofold. That Surat Vardhanam. So, the love, the joy, the romantic attraction, that is the typical characteristic of Madhurya Rasa, that love increases.

Vardhanam. The word Vardhanam is not just increasing. It is increasing, but increase can just be a natural phenomenon that the grass grows.

Whereas, if we have a red rose garden, then it doesn't just grow. It has to be grown. So, Vardhanam indicates that conscious effort at nurturing and growing.

So, wild weeds may just grow. But our children, we need to take care of them. We need to raise them.

Vardhanam. So, Surat Vardhanam. So, this, just hearing the flute sound causes the love and the attraction in the hearts of the gopis to increase.

So, Surat Vardhanam. And the result of that is Shoka Nashanam. The lamentation that is there in their heart.

That decreases. Now, the Shoka that the gopis are talking about is the Shoka of separation from Krishna. In the spiritual world, there is no duality like the duality in the material world.

But still there is duality of another kind. The duality there is more of union and separation from Krishna. And it is that duality that is the defining duality.

Here we have the duality of seasons. Heat and cold, summer and winter. In Vrindavan, it is described that Yoga Maya arranges all the seasons to be manifest as per whatever will enhance Krishna's pastimes the most.

So, when Krishna goes into the forest, sometimes in the same forest of Vrindavan, in different places, there will be different seasons. Or rather, there will be different flowers and fruits according to different seasons. So, that duality is not very prominent.

But the duality that is prominent is of love, union and separation. And the gopis, whenever they hear Krishna's flute, they know that their separation is about to end. Either Krishna is coming out of his home on his way to the forest and then the gopis go to the terraces of their homes and behold from there, taking in Krishna's beauty with their eyes.

And then, when they hear Krishna's flute, they know that Krishna is returning in the evenings. And especially, Krishna has a separate flute each for the gopas, for the cows and for the gopis. When Krishna plays their special flute, then they know Krishna is calling us.

And that is especially what suratvarthanam that especially increases their attraction for Krishna. So, just like, you know, if we have a very affectionate relationship with someone, most of us, when we are growing up, you know, we had a legal name, but at home we have some name or we have some nickname or some affectionate way people call us. So, you know, if there is some name that is typically used only by one person, now, as soon as that name is uttered, it reminds us of that person.

So, it's like this special name that is used only for you, only by this person. So, like that, Krishna has a special flute just for the gopis. And that flute, when they hear the sound of that flute, what happens is suratvarthanam.

So, there, attraction for Krishna increases. And in the Bhaktira Samrat Sindhu, which is further elaborated in Ujjwala Neelamani, there is, both places, a concept of uddipan. Uddipan is a spiritual stimulus.

Just like we can have a sensory stimulus for an alcoholic if they are going to an important boardroom meeting but they pass by a table and they see some bottles. And then they go to the meeting and they are looking at their boss and that uddipan is so strong that they are looking at their boss and their boss' body changes into the bottle of an alcohol. So, the idea is that uddipan is the original spiritual or the sensory stimuli or the material equivalent.

So, for the gopis, the flute of Krishna and especially the flute song is an uddipan. Now, it's interesting with respect to flute. There is flute and then there is generic flute music.

You know, you can play the flute or you can say flute sound. The flute sound is itself very sweet. This is the flute song.

That means when we use the flute to musically articulate a particular song to accompany a particular song. So, Krishna not only makes a very beautiful sound with the flute but he also has a beautiful song. So, they are saying over here, Krishna, this just increases our longing for you so much.

So, and then when they are describing it this way if you look at the verse how it is flowing is that first they are talking about the effect on them. This is our state, O Lord. And then So, swara swara is using the using the flute what you are singing and so they are conceiving that when Krishna is playing the flute they are conceiving as if Krishna is expressing his love, his affection showering his love on the flute by kissing.

So, this is the vision of love wherein we start seeing the expressions of love of our object of love in various things. Shush to chum betam and then they are saying that what is the specific, distinctive characteristic of this particular song. There are many things which we may be attracted to in the world.

We may like some food, we may like some TV show, we may like some sports and when we see that that stimulates us and that excites us and then whatever boredom or apathy or distress is there that goes away because of the excitement. That is true but Krishna but the Gopis are saying among various stimuli that might be there this stimuli is unique because this is the only stimulus which makes us forget all other stimuli. Itara raga vishmaranam runam The same theme comes towards the end of the Bhagavatam also when it says yad rasamrut truptasya nanyatra syadra tekvachet that yad rasamrut truptasya If we can become satisfied if we can taste this nectar and become satisfied with this nectar then once we get that taste nanyatra syadra tekvachet there will no longer be taste for anything else yam labdhva chaaparam labham manyate nadhikam dadaha Once having gained this one will not think that there is any other greater gain So that no other greater gain Here Itara raga vishmaranam runam So we know there is 15.15 in the Bhagavad Gita which talks about mattaha smrtir jnanam apohanam So vishmaranam is like apohanam vishmruti So in one sense all remembrance knowledge and forgetfulness come from Krishna At the same time this knowledge forgetfulness and remembrance All of these they come Krishna may give any of these to us but the starting process is our desire Based on what we desire If we desire to be serious in our bhakti then when we encounter sense objects Krishna will give us the forgetfulness of the pleasure of the sense objects And Krishna will give us the remembrance of the higher taste that awaits us in bhakti And then he will give us the knowledge by which we can turn away from the sense objects and move towards Krishna However if we are entertaining the desire to enjoy worldly pleasures Now the desire themselves might be there But if we are desiring to enjoy them Having desires is not the problem Krishna says just the presence of desires that is just biological As long as we have the body the desires will be there But from the presence of desires to entertaining of desires Ok these come they stay and they will go away But when we start entertaining those desires Krishna talks about this in 2.70 when he says Kaam Kaami Kaam Kaami The desire is coming and we desire the desire And Krishna says if you want to be peaceful Na Kaam Kaami Do not be a desirer of desire So this means that based on our desires Krishna reciprocates So if we maintain a strong desire for Krishna we may be amid the world's temptations But Ithar Rag Vismaranam Runaam So we will also experience to some degree the forgetting of the other cravings other pleasures So This entertaining of desires that's not biological That is a psychological choice that we make So for us we are also encountering various devotional stimuli We are beholding the darshan we are hearing the Katha But the challenge is that our desire for Krishna is either not strong enough or not sustainable enough It's strong right now but it doesn't remain strong thereafter So but the Gopis it's very strong Krishna we just forget everything else and the implication is Krishna now that you have called us here with your flute song now that you have brought us here by calling us we cannot be satisfied with anything else Krishna please return please return So they say Vitaraviranas Te Dharamrutam So Vitaraviranas please come and distribute that Adharamrutam the same nectar that you are blessing the flute with please bless us also with that same nectar and that way the Gopis are in multiple ways making the same request so Krishna you bless the flute and the flute actually didn't do much for you the flute just came with you you know we came on our own to you we put in effort and we came to you if you can bless that flute who did nothing then we who have done so much please bless us also so in the next verse they will explain how much they have done for Krishna see that comes in the next verse before this they will talk about Vismaranam Murunam talk about how intense their longing is for Krishna so generally you know when there is affection when there is emotion when there is love we can talk about two things the strength of there is the strength of emotion and there is the strength of action or the effort how strongly we feel about something and how much effort we are ready to put to do something so if somebody says I love you okay wonderful come and meet my parents no no that is your job you persuade them I am not going to meet them you know you have to win your parents and then I will talk with them no if you really what effort are you ready to put in so how strong is the emotion of someone that we can understand also through the way they speak you know when somebody really cares for someone as soon as they start speaking their eyes light up their face becomes animated they seem to come alive so we can see it from their expressions we can also see it from their words the tone of their words the content of their words so the Gopis are talking about their love so they will talk in 15 and 16 words about krishna ithar raag vismaranam runam we have forgotten everything else we are longing only for you surat avadhanam so in the next verse they will talk about how strong is their longing for krishna how fervently they feel that krishna must be there so what time do we stop normally 7 7 1.45 8 8 ok sure so let's recite only once while meditating on that and then we will I will explain the next verse then we will recite the next verse once surat avadhanam shoka nashanam shoka nashanam swarita venona soshtho chambitam swarita ithar raag vismaranam runam ithar raag vithara viranath itharam runam so here they are saying atathi yath bhavan ahanikananam atathi means to travel yath bhavan referring to krishna in a respectful second person not tvam but bhavan ahanikananam so ahar nisha is day and night so ahan is at the start of the day so kadamba kanana we say that kanana is basically the forest so at the start of the day when you go to the forest truti yugayate so truti is a very small unit of time yugayate it feels like a millennia it feels unlimitedly long this is how they are expressing their longing why does it feel so long tvam apashyatam because we can no longer behold you and then krishna will say but you know every morning every evening you do get to see me so that longing is fulfilled no even then the relief is interrupted kutilakuntalam shri mukham chate they are describing that your beautiful face shri mukham encircled by locks of hair finally when we get to see it what happens jada udheekshatam jada is foolish udheekshatam pakshmakrudrusham so udheeksha is to see there is a lot of emphasis on seeing over in this verse apashyatam was there then udheekshatam eeksha again the eyes are there and then we were eager to see desperate to see pakshmakrut so the lids aksha is eyes pakshma is that which covers the eyes pakshmakrut drusham so there they are saying that the eyes are covered by lids and now here the gopis are feeling strong emotions and yet there is a certain etiquette so because of which you know they are restrained and yet they are strong so they are angry with the one who made the eyelids by which they can't behold Lord Krishna continuously but because that person is a venerable respectable person so they don't name that person so jada udheekshatam who forgot to do this now everybody knows who is the person responsible but if you want to not name that person out of respect or etiquette just express it without naming who is the fool who did not do this such a foolish person did not do this who did not do this so jada udheekshatam so in love what happens is that sometimes not mentioning the name of the person enhances the flavor so for example you know if you are talking with a person and a third person is present and the third person has given some suggestion and he says some very wise person told me that this is how I should act and then we will look at that person that person will smile at us we will smile at them so it's like sometimes not referring to a person is also an expression not referring to a person by name indirectly reference it's a matter of either it's an etiquette or it's a matter of affection so in this case what is it it's etiquette there is no affection in fact there is anger but there is somewhat restrained anger that is there so let's sing this once when when there is affection when there is love when such emotion is there often the emotion needs to be expressed so with respect to emotion there are three different things at an inward level it needs to be experienced.

Then it needs to be expressed. So experience is for ourselves. Expression is for others and then sometimes it is exhibited.

Now exhibited is for the world. So exhibiting of emotions that is often unfavorable to bhakti wherein we make a show of the emotions. Making a show that is exhibition.

Sometimes people may think that when we go out and sing and dance in kirtan on the streets we are exhibiting our emotions and yes that is an understandable inference at one level because we are going out in public. However our purpose is not just to make a show of our emotions. Our purpose is to share our spirituality with others and that is what our Lord has told us.

That is what our tradition does. So it is not that when we are on the streets you know we are going to go into paroxysms of ecstasy and start trembling and start rolling on the ground and start having tears coming from our eyes. That would be exhibitionist.

So what would be an exhibition would be considered different by different traditions or cultures. So in certain cultures public display of affections that what is called PDA. You know that is frowned upon and somebody who does that will be considered exhibitionist.

On the other hand in certain culture that might just be the norm and somebody who does not do that will be considered very cold. So it varies from situation to situation from context to context. So the point is that expression of affection has different ways.

So generally in a loving relationship first of all the emotion in one sense the most important thing is to experience the emotion. So when there are moments sometimes during our chanting or during our reading or hearing or praying or taking darshan we may find that we experience something higher. We experience something very deep something which is so extraordinary like what we said we get a little glimpse of itararagavismaranamrunam.

We get a little glimpse where we experience something which makes us forget everything else. So in one sense if we consider with respect to devotion which what is relatively in our control and what is not in our control. So what do you think among these three things? Is exhibiting in our control? Yes.

So exhibiting is something which is in our control and we should not do this. Okay then is experiencing in our control? Okay okay what about we'll come back to that let's see. What about expressing? You may say that if I'm not experiencing anything how can I express anything? But that is the dynamic of bhakti.

We can say rather than thinking of something is in our control something not in our control we could say it's a spectrum. So here we have more control here we have less control. So in one sense expressing in terms of trying to do as prayerfully as is possible for us.

Say when we are reciting prayers while taking darshan or when we are singing some songs. Those songs are expressing our devotion and we can express it with as much attention or devotion as we can summon. So in one sense expressing it is undesirable.

It is undesirable? No it is not undesirable. It is desirable in fact is essential. Now experiencing is also to some extent in our control but it may not be fully in our control.

Sometimes you may not experience anything. So emotion especially with respect to devotion. Devotion can grow in two ways.

The vardhanam of devotion can happen sometimes outside in and sometimes inside out. So outside in means by expressing we move towards experiencing. So we don't feel like taking darshan.

We don't feel like dancing in kirtans. But by doing it by expressing we start experiencing. Krishna says tasmatam indriyanyaadau.

For most of us the inner world is much more difficult to control. The outer actions are relatively easier. So when we have a certain discipline by which you do a certain set of activities to express our devotion gradually through that expressing the experiencing will happen.

Now inside out is where there is experiencing and from the experiencing what happens? There is expressing. So among the great saints about whom we read say in the Chaitanya Charita Amrit who are filled with overwhelming emotions for the Lord and when the Lord darshan opens they become so ecstatic that they just faint in ecstasy. Out of fainting ecstasy they fall down.

Now we may not faint but we can still fall down. We can still offer our obeisances. So for us the expressing generally comes first.

The experiencing comes gradually. Now when we talk about cultivation of emotions, bhakti is anushilanam. So anushilanam is basically the expression is through action.

The experience is through attention. Now of course while expressing also we need to be attentive. But the expression is more external.

The experience is more internal. So generally speaking when we start with the outside we can gradually start moving inward over time. So here when the gopis are trying to express Krishna how much we are longing for you.

So they are expressing their longing by giving some metaphors, some comparisons, some pointers. See emotions are actually intangible. With all our scientific advancement today, with all our technological advancement we don't have anything like a pain-o-meter.

Isn't it? Oh how much pain are you in? Oh I'm in great pain doctor. No I don't think so. What do you mean? I'm in pain.

No it's like you cannot quantify pain. Now we can say on a scale of 1 to 10 a doctor may ask how much pain you are feeling and somebody says 10,000. So we can't really quantify pain.

It is something subtle. It is something which cannot be mathematically measured and that's why you know although there's so much advancement of science when people ask often what is the need for spirituality and bhakti and all these things in today's world when there is so much scientific advancement. So actually if you consider if this is the world of science and then this is the world we live in.

The world of science is actually quite different from the world we live in. So this is the area where science may create some comforts or it may lead to some problems whatever it is. Nothing is a complete blessing or a complete curse in this world.

But pain, joy, everybody likes to eat good food and food processing industry is such a big industry. But there is no such thing as a taste-o-meter. You know when a product is made we just run it through the machine and it will taste it and tell how good it is.

AI also cannot taste it no matter what we do. It can give us an exhaustive description of what are the ingredients of a food item. So not only that there is nowadays relationships are so unstable for people.

Say whenever somebody is entering into a relationship they're worried how long will this relationship last, how serious is this person about relationship. So a boy proposes to her please marry me. The girl says wait a minute I've got a love-o-meter let me put on your heart and see how much do you really care for me, how much do you love me.

So there is no such thing as a love-o-meter. Isn't it? And love is what everyone is longing for. You know even if we may devalue, we may say that most of the time what is called love is lust.

But there is not even a lust-o-meter also. Even if that gets distracted. Now we can look at some physical symptoms but they are indicative, they don't really measure it.

The point is there is a whole universe of reality that is beyond what science talks about. And this is where art and poetry and ultimately spirituality come in. So ultimately bhakti spirituality is about emotions and emotions are beyond the domain of science.

So emotions need to be expressed in appropriate ways. So here the Gopis are trying to express that which is not measurable and they are trying to give some indication of that. And what do they say over here? Krishna, every day when you come out of your home we get to see you but then you depart.

You go to the forest and that time every moment One moment starts feeling unbearably, intolerably, unlivably long. It starts feeling like a millennium. Where does a similar expression come up? In Chaitanya So the word yuga is used in the Shastras sometimes specifically to refer to a particular duration of time or sometimes it is used generically to refer to a very long duration of time.

So here when there is triti-yugayate, is this yuga referred to Kalyuga or Satyuga, that duration or Diveyuga, that is immaterial. Like sometimes in other languages also you say, millennia ago this happened. Now millennia, one millennium, two millennium, ten millennium, fifty millennium, doesn't matter.

It's a very long time ago. So here they are saying triti-yugayate. So they're trying to give an expression of their emotion by saying Krishna that I, we just can't bear this separation.

When we can't see you, it is one moment that feels like a millennium. So I remember in our early days, I was introduced in 1996, that time technology was very little there. We used to have tape recorders and cassettes and cassettes were also a little expensive.

We were students. So Krishnanand Prabhu, he would have a lot of cassettes of Maharaj, Radhanath Maharaj lectures, Prabhupada lectures and he would give to those who were serious. So I came to know and I asked, I said, can you give me some lectures of Maharaj? He says, why do you want them? So I said, Prabhu, our exams are over now.

The vacation is there. I have a lot of, I have a good amount of time. He said, I asked him, can you give me about 10-15 classes, 10-15 cassettes? He said, I'll give you five classes.

He said, why? He said, because you give the wrong reason. He says, what you should have said is, without hearing Maharaj's lectures, my life is lost. I'm in the darkness of ignorance.

Please. So I gave a very functional reason. I have a good amount of time now.

So sometimes we need to express our emotion, isn't it? So can I start preaching over here? Why? Actually, now my workload in the office is less. So I have some time. It's good.

It is good in the sense that we are not wasting our time. But if you say that, you know, every time I read Prabhupada's books, I feel Prabhupada wants us to share Krishna's message. And for so long I was caught in so many other things that I was not able to.

But now at last I have some opportunity. I'm longing to do, to please Prabhupada, please Krishna. Now that gives a completely different dimension to what we are saying.

So the Gopis are expressing their emotion by saying what? That one moment is like a millennia. And then what is it that they're saying? That also they're describing very beautifully. Sometimes some compliments are given indirectly or passingly.

And sometimes those are more touching. Like if there's a forum where somebody's birthday is there or somebody is special. OK, that time we praise and glorify that person.

That is what is expected at that time. But somebody will just speaking about something else. This is, you know, so yesterday.

So recently, whenever I have had some some research questions, you know, I've asked Hari Bhakti Prabhu and he's done such brilliant research, impressed by how well he does research and answers questions. And now if I speak something like this, if I am glorifying him directly, but if that's appreciation, but then something is it's like something else is being spoken. But then this goes on.

The point is that there is appreciation so much in the background. It just comes off. It's not something intentionally spoken.

So that has a special effect. So generally now relationships work differently at different times. But in general, direct glorification of a person could be flattery, could even be etiquette.

That's what I'm expected to do. But indirectly, while something else is being spoken at that time, we appreciate someone. That means that there is it's quite likely that that is heartfelt.

Ultimately, we can't know what is in the heart. We can only infer. But my point is here they say, what is it that we are separated from? They are not devoting the entire verse to glorify Krishna's beauty.

But they're saying, Krishna, your face is so beautiful. And then your hair are encircling that beautiful face. And we can't, we can't see it.

We just feel like one millennia has gone for every moment. And then Krishna may say that. But you do get to see it.

Every evening I come back. And they say, no, even at that time, what happens is our eyelids blink. Our eyes blink, our eyelids close.

And we just can't behold you. We want to. There is this.

In English, there is this word behold. It is a poetic word. You see is this with eyes.

But behold is actually related to the hold. But it's hold in the through the eyes and hold in the heart. So we are meant to behold the Lord and then hold the Lord in our heart.

So they say when we behold you at that time, what happens is that the eyes blink. And the eyes blink. Then we can't see you.

And this itself indicates the intensity of their emotion that they want to see Krishna constantly. This can't be even one moment. Most of the times when our eyes blink, we don't even notice it.

It just happens mechanically. But the desire is so great that they just can't bear it. So once I was there many years ago, probably it was the 2011 World Cup or something like that.

So I was at 2015 probably. So I was at the airport and I came out of the Mumbai airport. And somehow at that time, maybe things were not that orderly or whatever.

That's when you came out of the airport. There was a TV and there is a cricket match being displayed over there. And we were coming out and people were watching the match.

And we wanted to go and they're not ready to let us go. The other way was like a long way other side. The action is going on.

Now it was like, OK, I was waiting. And then, you know, see among various games, cricket is the game which has a lot of inactivity or uninteresting activity. Isn't it? It is that in football, the ball is constantly going from here to there to there.

But in cricket, especially the fastball is bowling. The ball is going back and take some time. And then the baller comes back.

So. So what happens is there is no other game in anywhere in the world that goes for five days. But anyway, so cricket is a lot that is not very interesting.

But these people, they were so attached to how the baller is walking back. They want to see the baller also. The baller is rubbing the ball against the thigh.

They want to see that also. So. So when they're just not ready to let me go.

Initially, I was annoyed. But just before that, I had been to a place where I was speaking on the Gopi Gita. It struck me.

This is that what the Gopis say, blinking of eyelids. So like that, that same intense attachment is coming. That one moment of action I don't want to miss.

So this is a reflection. And that reflection gives us some indication of the intensity of the emotion that is there in the Gopis. So they say, Jada Udikshatam.

So. So it's like they might blame someone who is walking by. But the Gopis are blaming who created these eyelids.

These eyelids blink and just can't. We can't behold Krishna. And so again, through this expression, they're conveying the desperate intensity of their longing.

Krishna, we want to see you. Please come back. You raised our hopes and expectations by calling us by playing the flute.

And then after raising our hopes and expectations, suddenly you brought them crashing down. Now, if somebody tells us, you know, there is a grand feast today after the program. And they make a lot of announcements about that.

And then we come for the program and say, today is the fasting day. You know, it's almost cruel to raise expectations and then smash the expectations. If there are no expectations, then OK, there's no disappointment also.

The Gopis are saying through this, Krishna, how much, how much agony are we in? Please don't cause us such pain. Please return. In this way, the Gopis call Krishna back.

So I'll summarize what we discussed today. We discussed mainly verses 14 and 15. And two broad themes to discuss in the 14th verse.

It was about the flute. So the Gopis were saying that basically underlying theme is please return. How is it unfair? So the flute is getting so much mercy.

That you are singing song, you are offering your lips to the flute. Please so much mercy to the flute. Just a little mercy to us.

Please, Krishna, return. And in that section we discussed about how, when there is there are various ways in which when there is love, when the love is expressed through our joy in what we get and our lament when that goes away. Suratavardhanam, Shokanashinam.

That is there for all spiritual stimuli. But the love for Krishna is such that it makes us forget everything else. So that's what we all want by increasing our longing for Krishna.

So we discussed Nakamakami. So if we increase our desire for Krishna, then Krishna will give us forgetfulness of world, of the worldly pleasures. And then we talked about from this verse, they are expressing their longing, intensity of feeling in the next verse.

And then they will talk about the action in the verse after that. The intensity of emotion. So you talk about emotion.

It can be experienced. Then it can be expressed and then it can be exhibited. So if you consider in terms of control, the exhibition, we don't want to do expression.

We want experience. We especially want to end up the control. This is most controllable for us.

This is least controllable for us. So sometimes devotion works inside out. From experience, we move towards expression and sometimes outside in.

From expression, we move towards experience. And then. We talked about how because all emotions, they are non-measurable, they are non-mathematical, they are actually beyond the domain of science.

So therefore, they have to be conveyed through poetry, art, metaphor. All these are to be used. The Gopis use two indications over there, talk about their love.

One is the relativity of time and one moment seems unbearable. And then we talk about how they offer a passing compliment, which is especially enduring. And then they talk about the perception of the obstacle.

That perception of interruption that itself is indication of their love. So for all of us, we could also try to express and experience devotion. And gradually it will also, the experience will become more and more enriching for us.

Any one question does anyone have? What should be the mood while doing Nitya? Nitya, dancing. What should be the mood? I'm not sure whether it's like a should is there. It's like a range.

Rather than thinking there's like one particular mood. It's each one of us is an individual. And we have our individual relationship with Krishna.

We have our individual way of connecting with Krishna. So the range would be that we try to, at the lowest level, we avoid being exhibitionistic. Exhibitionistic means that somebody would have a kirtan starts.

If the circle is going, they want to be in the center all the time. So that's not that's not so much in the mood of service. Somebody what is exhibitionistic and they can also become now ecstasy is good.

But sometimes ecstatic can become. What is the word for it? Not as athletic. It can become unmindful.

You're singing and you're raising your hand. And you don't even know when the hands go out. So you want to be ecstatic, but you don't want to be unmindful.

You don't want to be careless or hurtful for others. And yes, what you said is also true about being. In some ways, it's the kirtan and the dance is about Krishna.

It's for Krishna's pleasure. So at you could say that. So at the best level, it's just like a graceful outpouring of our emotion.

Now, some people will be naturally graceful dancers. Some people may not be very graceful dancers. So from the material perspective, the beauty or the competence of our expression may vary depending on the natural ability or talent or training that we have, that we can't control.

Everybody can recite verses. Everybody can, to some extent, sing songs, but not everybody can sing it equally well. So we shouldn't worry too much about the material competence.

But as much as possible, we try to be graceful. And it is more Krishna, you have given me this body. You have given me the ability to dance and I'm dancing for your pleasure.

So ultimately, our emotion is that it is for your pleasure, O Lord. But even if it's we don't feel that it is for your pleasure, OK, we get some pleasure. It is not that we are not meant to get any pleasure.

But at the very least, it our pleasure should not be the cause of others displeasure. So it's like it's our pleasure is there. Others pleasure is there.

And Krishna's pleasure is there. Now, Krishna's pleasure is the most important. But bhakti is, in one sense, it's a social or a community expression of devotion, especially kirtan.

Thank you very much.