Knowledge Bank

What happened when Gowthama cursed Indra?

Indra disguised himself as Sage Gowthama and had a physical relationship with the Sage’s wife, Ahalya. Gowthama found this out and cursed them both. As a result of the curse, Indra’s beard turned green and his testicles fell down. He had to attach a pair of testicles of a male goat. As a public display of his offense, a thousand vaginas developed all over his body. Half the sin of anyone who behaved immorally started going to Indra. Because of this, his position became unstable. He had to suffer defeat at the hands of Meghanada. He got some relief after worshiping Surya for a thousand years. He also took a dip in River Gowthami and performed AshwamedhaYaga. He was blessed by Devi. His thousand vaginas turned into a thousand eyes.

What was special about the bhakti of the gopikas of Vrindavan?

According to Narada-bhakti-sutra.22-24, even as the gopikas danced and played around with Srikrishna, they never even forgot once his greatness as the Lord of the universe. In the absence of this perpetual awareness of his greatness, it would have been just got classified as passion. Gopikas were not looking for self-gratification. Their happiness was in making Krishna happy.

देवी देव्यामधि जाता पृथिव्यामस्योषधे । तां त्वा नितत्नि केशेभ्यो दृंहणाय खनामसि ॥१॥ दृंह प्रत्नान् जनयाजातान् जातान् उ वर्षीयसस्कृधि ॥२॥ यस्ते केशोऽवपद्यते समूलो यश्च वृश्चते । इदं तं विश्वभेषज्याभि षिञ्चामि वी....

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