The Ecstasy of Feeling Separation from Krishna

 Srila Prabhupada explains in a Bhagavad-gita lecture given on 4 September 1973 in London:

"When the gopis were crying in separation from Krishna, that is greater happiness than meeting Krishna. This is Krishna philosophy."

We can also understand this from our experience in this material world. When we are with persons we love there are loving feelings in our dealings with them. But when we are separated from them our loving feelings are magnified greatly in the pangs of missing them.

This is why the highest ecstasy of Krishna consciousness is to feel separation from Krishna. Therefore the Six Goswamis kept themselves always in this mood of feeling separation from Krishna constantly searching for Him as described in this prayer by Śrīnivāsācārya. (Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 8):

he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ
śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ
ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

"I offer my respectful obeisances to the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vṛndāvana, shouting, 'Queen of Vṛndāvana, Rādhārāṇī! O Lalitā! O son of Nanda Mahārāja! Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamunā? Where are you?' These were their moods in executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Regarding this verse Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in a Bhagavad-gita class given in Hawaii on 8 February 1975:

"They were simply feeling separation. In Vṛndāvana they lived, but they never said, 'Last night I saw Kṛṣṇa was dancing.' Never said. They said that 'Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, Rādhārāṇī, where you are all?' He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ: 'Where you are?' Kālindī-vane kutaḥ govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale: 'Either on the..., near the Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the river Yamunā, where you are?' This is called bhajana, devotion in separation, feeling separation. So in this way we shall increase our aspiration more and more. That is required. That āśā, that hope, that expectation, will lead us to the topmost platform of devotion."

This same mood of feeling separation is expressed by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in his song "Kabe Habe Bolo Se Din Amar", which was featured in in: 13 March 2021 Thought for the Day


Sankarshan Das Adhikari

The Six Goswamis of Vrindavana

Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom

Question: Desiring Desirelessness?

We all know the Buddhist philosophy that desire is the root cause of suffering. But when we try to follow it doesn't it create a new 'desire' of being desireless?

Sun Kim

Answer: Only Achieved Through Krishna Bhakti

Desiring to enjoy separately from God is the root cause of all suffering. When we come to the position that we have no other desire than the desire to please God it is then and only then that we have achieved the true perfectional stage of desirelessness.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari​​​


Sankarshan Das Adhikari is one of the spiritual masters of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement. He has dedicated the last 50 years of his life for bringing a spiritual revolution to planet earth by spreading the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna all over the world. He is based in Austin, Texas and when there is no pandemic he regularly travels all over the world teaching his audiences how to attain Krishna consciousness, the highest stage of spiritual awakening. He is available for media interviews and to speak to groups and organizations either in person or via the internet.