“Our dear friend Yashoda, your son sometimes comes to our houses before the milking of the cows and releases the calves, and when the master of the house becomes angry, your son merely smiles. Sometimes He devises some process by which He steals palatable curd, butter and milk, which He then eats and drinks. When the monkeys assemble, He divides it with them, and when the monkeys have their bellies so full that they won’t take more, He breaks the pots. Sometimes, if He gets no opportunity to steal butter or milk from a house, He will be angry at the householders, and for His revenge He will agitate the small children by pinching them. Then, when the children begin crying, Krishna will go away.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.8.29)

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वत्सान् मुञ्चन् क्‍वचिदसमये क्रोशसञ्जातहास:
स्तेयं स्वाद्वत्त्यथ दधिपय: कल्पितै: स्तेययोगै:
मर्कान् भोक्ष्यन् विभजति स चेन्नात्ति भाण्डं भिन्नत्ति
द्रव्यालाभे सगृहकुपितो यात्युपक्रोश्य तोकान्

vatsān muñcan kvacid asamaye krośa-sañjāta-hāsaḥ
steyaṁ svādv atty atha dadhi-payaḥ kalpitaiḥ steya-yogaiḥ
markān bhokṣyan vibhajati sa cen nātti bhāṇḍaṁ bhinnatti
dravyālābhe sagṛha-kupito yāty upakrośya tokān

In this hypothetical situation, we have a man who is familiar with the handicapping system passed forward in the Vedic tradition. This applies to the likelihood of achieving liberation, in ending the cycle of birth and death. This man is proud of their manhood, of their birth in what they consider to be a superior form. They have come across the description of “pāpa yoni” and know that it applies to a variety of circumstances.

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य
ये ऽपि स्युः पाप-योनयः
स्त्रियो वैश्यास् तथा शूद्रास्
ते ऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim

“O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]— can approach the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.32)

Proud of their position, this man attempts to take advantage by belittling others. They particularly focus on the female, and they regularly offer criticisms along the following lines:

1. You are less intelligent

“Let’s face facts, for a moment. The reality is that you are not very smart. You are not even wise enough to understand the magnitude of the insult. When I speak on the difference between matter and spirit, on the need for realizing Brahman, with a focus on spirit instead of matter, it is like I am speaking a different language. You have no idea what I am talking about.

“If I ever should offer constructive criticism on something simple, you lose your mind. You start yelling and screaming. There is a reason that the more a husband thinks he is winning in an argument, the more he is actually losing. It is better to set aside logic and reasoning when dealing with you people. What could you possibly ever teach us?”

2. You are focused on externals

“Always with the makeup. Always with the clothes. Whenever we have to go somewhere, you take forever to get ready. You make us late. When we are watching a political debate on television, the first thing you notice is the clothes. How the participants look. The lighting, the backdrop, the color scheme.

“Who cares about such things? Why should it matter? Your entire focus is on the external. That is why you have nothing intelligent to offer in discussions. When you explain something, you tend to ramble on and on. The story takes forever, never reaches a proper conclusion, and the listener is left fatigued. You have too many thoughts going through your mind at a single moment, and that is why you can’t settle down and properly deliberate on any meaningful topic.”

3. You must remain a dependent

“To highlight your lack of intelligence, you chased after independence. You insisted upon it. You wanted to be treated just like the men. Well, where did that get you? Every day there is a new scandal. Some person of prominence abused their power. They made women in the workplace do horrible things. The women went along with it. That is, of course, until they lost their job. When the arrangement no longer worked for them, financially, they decided to go public with their story. Isn’t that convenient of them?

“The truth is that you must remain a dependent. Independence has not improved your condition. Women are exhausted today. They have to do everything. They are lucky to find a good husband. They have no protection. The biggest problem on college campuses across the country is sexual assault. The men have no respect for you anymore. It is a dreadful situation.”

4. You are only good in the kitchen

“I will hand it to you. There are a few places that you are useful. The kitchen is one of them. You should really stay there. No one will bother you. No one will interfere. We will appreciate whatever you put on the dinner table.

“The other area is childcare. It takes a completely irrational person to tolerate the whims of young children. Men do not have the patience for it; nor should we be expected to do anything in this area. It is you women who are desperate to have children. You should be thanking us for providing such gifts. If you properly care for those children, they will be loyal to you throughout life. They will grow up to be strong and confident, ready to make a meaningful contribution to society.”

5. You have to pray for a better future

“Sorry, but I don’t make the rules. You are stuck in that sinful position. It is pāpa yoni for a reason. You will have to wait for the future, for elevation in status. There is nothing that can be done. It is like a prison term that must be served until completion. Just help out the men, don’t cause too much trouble, and you will likely get a higher birth in the next life. As a good wife, you can share in the merits accumulated by your pious husband.”

…

Every situation in life has its assets and its liabilities. If we feel put down by the above remarks, if we feel that there is no significant contribution we can make within this lifetime, we can look to Krishna-lila for support. It is like the greatest contradiction of sorts, to turn all the rules upside down. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, after all. Who He delivers, who He chooses to interact with, where He decides to roam, what visions He exhibits – these teach so much about the nature of the Almighty.

In the farm community of Gokula-Vrindavana, Shri Krishna shows the most adorable vision of a clever thief. He shows this vision to the women of the community, who are known as gopis. His contraband of choice is butter. Krishna intrudes into the homes of the neighbors. He is otherwise too young to know what to do. He should not be this clever. He should not be so interested in what is going on in other homes.

But there is no one who can compel the Supreme Lord to follow any particular direction. He is the cause of all causes. He works for His own interests. By stealing butter and causing a disturbance in the home-lives of the gopis, Krishna is essentially calling His devotees home. He is going one step beyond receiving worship in the temple. That object of worship, that person the devoted souls are trying to please, rewards the allegiance by forcing a constant vision.

Krishna is such a nuisance that the gopis cannot forget Him. They rattle off items from His rap sheet to mother Yashoda, who is supposedly in charge of that naughty child. The gopis are not really after punishment, though. They are delighted that Krishna visits their homes and causes trouble. It is that trouble they would like to maintain.

Their supposedly sinful births are actually the greatest blessings. Krishna is more merciful to the gopis than He is to the brahmanas who are strict in their adherence to rituals and regulations. It is the wives of such brahmanas who one time showed kindness and compassion to Krishna and His elder brother Balarama. The brahmanas were too busy in their rituals and too puffed up by their status. Such incidences can be fondly remembered by all members of society, for purification from the false identification with body. The reward from the Supreme Lord is based on devotion, not a temporary stature, be it high or low.

“Lord Krishna then asked all the boys to go again, but this time to the wives of those brahmanas engaged in sacrifices. He also informed them that these wives were great devotees. ‘They are always absorbed in thinking of Us. Go there and ask for some food in My name and the name of Balarama, and I am sure that they will deliver you as much food as you desire.’” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 23)

In Closing:

Advantage of situation to take,
With insulting remarks to make.

That the female foolish and low,
What philosophy could they ever know?

But preference Krishna to divulge,
How stolen butter to indulge.

From homes of neighboring gopis,
Who more elevated than yogis.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, krishna lila, life, poem, poems, poetry