The gopis wander in the forest tracing Krishna's footprints. They are sorely distressed when they find his footprints interspersed with those of a young woman. In their love-stricken state they read into the footprints-here heavy, there light, now two, now four-all manner of affections that their beloved was bestowing on this chosen maiden who had stolen him from them.

The maiden is developed in later Hindu thought and writing into the gopi Radha, although the 10th century Bhagavata Purana makes no mention of her by name. When the gopis find this special lady in the forest alone, she tells him that she tried to bend Krishna to her will, and he also disappeared, leaving her here as distraught as they are. Together they continue to search for their beloved.

Krishna is moved by the devotion of the gopis and he reappears among him. They swarm around him and consume his presence to erase their sadness. Krishna assures them that he loves them equally and that he disappeared only to intensify their concentration on him. He likened the situation to "a penniless man who has lost the money he has earned, and becomes entirely preoccupied with his lost treasure thinking of nothing else."

Continue the story of Krishna: Stealing Hearts

For more information on our South Asian Collection, please visit our online catalogue.

Back to Top