An increase in the love for God causes subtle feelings in the core of one’s heart. It is a thrilling experience of divine bliss. The heart and soul are lost in the divine image of God. The Gopis are mad in love for Balkrishna. Instead of cooking meals they tend to the calves and the milking of the cows. The boiling milk spills on the flaming stove. They have lost their mind and senses in the blissful thoughts of Balkrishna. Sadguru Brahmanand Swami says that Lord Shree Hari has stolen his wit and wisdom:
(O God! I have lost my wit and wisdom in your divine ways. I have renounced everything for your divine charms. I love your beautiful peacock feather. It works magic on me.)
Shree Hari steals the heart and mind of Sadguru Brahmanand Swami. Like the Gopis, he also has devotional love for Shree Hari. Love is a two-way street between God and his devotee; they love each other.
Prayer and meditation are the roots of eternal pleasure
Shreeji Maharaj admires in his discourses of Vachanamrit (Gadhada F-56) the devotional love of the Gopis. Those who have accomplished their meditational means, who have developed in them the devotional love befitting that of a Gopi, such a devotee who has unbroken faith and devotional love for God pleases Shree Hari. God is never pleased by dry devotion.
Nandrai and the Gopas had shifted to Vraj due to violent disturbances at Gokul. Child Balkrishna was the tender age of six years at the time. Balkrishna prayed to Mother Yashoda, “Maa! I wish to serve the cows grazing the hills of the countryside. I will go with my group of Gopa friends to tend to the hurds.”
Mother Yashoda spoke to Nandrai about Balkrishna’s plans to serve the cows. Nandrai consultated with Rishi Shandilya and prayed to him, “O Great Rishi! Please fix a Muhurta (auspicious time) to send Balkrishna to tend to the herds.”
Rishi Shandilya referred to his horoscopes and fixed the auspicious eighth day of the bright half of the month of Kartika. The Gopa boys readied themselves for this grand event. Balkrishna got up early in the morning, concluded morning rituals, readied himself and did poojan of the cow. He then came to his mother and found her weeping.
“Mother! Why are you crying?” said Shree Krishna to her.
“My child! What else can I do? I am not at peace if I don’t see you for a while. Now you will go with the cows for the whole of the day, only to return in the evening. How will I pass the day without seeing you? The whole day will be a painful time for me. You are my life and soul. A day is like an age to me in your absence.”
Balkrishna hid himself in the saree of his mother, and said, “Mother! I don’t like it when you cry. I will not go with the cows.”
Nandrai said, “Devi! Allow Shree Krishna to go happily. Let him go to tend to the herds.” Mother reluctantly gave her permission and Balkrishna saluted his mother and went to the hills with his Gopa friends and cows.
The Gopis came to the house of Nandrai to meet Balkrishna. But Balkrishna was nowhere to be seen. They lamented in their separation from Shree Krishna. They desired to visit the hills as a pretext to do darshan of Balkrishna.
(They carried on their head the pot of buttermilk and walked to trace them on their way to Mathura. They were anxious to do darshan of Balkrishna.)
The Gopis were anxious to see Shree Balkrishna. Mathura and the buttermilk were mere excuses to see Lord Balkrishna. Their life was miserable without darshan of Balkrishna. They are not able to think of anything except Shree Krishna.