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Madhav
09 June 2011, 03:08 AM
What is the diffrence between Kubja love and the Braj Gopi's love for Shri Krishna. I was under the impression that as long as we love God that will be good enough. I thought Bhakti was just one with the aim to attaiment of the Lord.

LostAndFound
16 February 2012, 01:37 PM
i don't know the difference between kubja love and the braj gopis love for krishna.

what comes to selfish love and selfless love, lets remove love for instance from this ''matter'' for it is a term that we cannot define properly to make a general and accepted agreement and understanding what love is and what it is not.

my personal belief is that love is everything and what is (not) love or does not feel like love is love in the sense that it teaches us love, anyway that is off topic in some sense.

Anyway back to Selfish and Selfless love is easily understood even in this concept if we use the term ''behavior'' instead of love, so what is selfish behavior and what is selfless behavior. I believe all of us can make a discernment on that and so on.

I don't think that I answered your question in the sense you asked it but I made some clarity to the subject 'selfish love and selfless love'.

peace

smaranam
07 July 2012, 11:49 PM
What is the diffrence between Kubja love and the Braj Gopi's love for Shri Krishna.
Namaste

Kubja was liberated, however, her love is considered KAmya, not as selfless as the Gopis, and not to be followed.

Kubja wanted to please KRshNa but also spend time with Him whereas the Gopis wanted to only live for KRshNa's pleasure like this:

Tan man dhan sab hai Tera
Tera tuzko arpaN kyA lage mera
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

My body,mind,soul and wealth is all Yours
I offer to You what is Yours
What of it is mine to give?
Glory to the Lord of the Universe

_/\_

smaranam
29 September 2013, 12:59 PM
Namaste

The easiest way to learn about the selfless nature of the Gopis' love is to study the Gopi Geet - BhAgvat Canto 10, Chapter 31 (http://vedabase.com/en/sb/10/31) as well as SB 10.29.31 - 34 (all part of rAs panchAdhyAy - chapter 29 to 33 of Canto 10).

From BhAgvat KathA discourses by His Holiness Shri Ramchandra Keshav Dongre Maharaj:
(GujarAthi translated into Hindi)

{In Gopi Geet, Gopis say "Give us Your adharAmRt"
Dongre Maharaj explains this word as follows:}
pRthvi kA ek nAm hai dharA
dharti iti dharA
dharayah amrut dharAmrut
dharAmrut na bhavati iti adharAmrut

adharAmrut = premAmrut, dnyAnAmrut.

Nectar which is not of this earth (dharA) i.e. world, is adharAmRut.
It is nectar of pure love of the divine, transcendental, and of knowledge.

"Gopi nitya sanyog-rUp adharAmrut chAhati hai"
Gopis want the transcendental non-worldly nectar of eternal union with paramAtmA.

---------
Some other examples of the selfless nature of Gopis from the same discourses -

Gopis to KRshNa : (Context: When hearing KRshNa's flute in the middle of the night, the Gopis come running into the forest, and KRshNa says they should go back to their homes where they belong. Gopis wouldn't take NO for an answer.)
"We are here for increasing Your fame, Glory and prestige, not for ourselves. If You give us Your association and become One with us, Your Glories will multiply"

"If You give up our association, we will not be able to survive and give up this body. As a result dishonour will fall on You."

Gopis and Nanda-YashodA send a message for KRshNa through Uddhav:
"May our thoughts (vRtti, sankalpa) be focused on KRshNa always, birth after birth. May I always sing and chant His transcendental Glories, names and activities (divya guNa nAm rUp leelA). I do not even expect liberation (moksha). I just want to always have the highest devotion and love for Him in whatever birth I get, while doing good deeds (puNya karma) and giving, being nice to all, not troubling anyone, all this in His name."

----------------

Also see these words of the Gopis:

SB 10.29.31 (http://vedabase.com/en/sb/10/29/31) — The beautiful gopīs said: O all-powerful one, You should not speak in this cruel way. Do not reject us, who have renounced all material enjoyment to render devotional service to Your lotus feet. Reciprocate with us, O stubborn one, just as the primeval Lord, Śrī Nārāyaṇa, reciprocates with His devotees in their endeavors for liberation.
SB 10.29.32 (http://vedabase.com/en/sb/10/29/32) — Our dear Kṛṣṇa, as an expert in religion You have advised us that the proper religious duty for women is to faithfully serve their husbands, children and other relatives. We agree that this principle is valid, but actually this service should be rendered to You. After all, O Lord, You are the dearmost friend of all embodied souls. You are their most intimate relative and indeed their very Self.
SB 10.29.33 (http://vedabase.com/en/sb/10/29/33) — Expert transcendentalists always direct their affection toward You because they recognize You as their true Self and eternal beloved...
SB 10.29.34 (http://vedabase.com/en/sb/10/29/34) — Until today our minds were absorbed in household affairs, but You easily stole both our minds and our hands away from our housework. Now our feet won’t move one step from Your lotus feet. How can we go back to Vraja? What would we do there?


_/\_

smaranam
29 September 2013, 01:33 PM
{In Gopi Geet, Gopis say "Give us Your adharAmRt"
Dongre Maharaj explains this word as follows:}
pRthvi kA ek nAm hai dharA
dharti iti dharA
dharayah amrut dharAmrut
dharAmrut na bhavati iti adharAmrut

adharAmrut = premAmrut, dnyAnAmrut.

Nectar which is not of this earth (dharA) i.e. world, is adharAmRut.
It is nectar of pure love of the divine, transcendental, and of knowledge.

"Gopi nitya sanyog-rUp adharAmrut chAhati hai"
Gopis want the transcendental non-worldly nectar of eternal union with paramAtmA.

The first time I read that shloka in Gopi Geet years ago, my first impression was the Gopis are saying they want to hear the transcendental sound of
a) KRshNa's flute
b) KRshNa's sweet words
from His lips (adhara).