Chapter Two Ṛṣi-rūpākhyāna The Story of the Gopīs That Had Been Sages

Srī Nārada said: O king of Mithilā, please hear the story of the gopīs that had been sages, a sacred story that removes all sins and increases one's love for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

In east Bengal lived a noble-hearted, learned, and wealthy gopa named Maṅgala. He was the master of nine-hundred-thousand cows.

O king of Mithilā, he had five thousand wives. One day all his wealth was destroyed by fate.

Some of his cows were stolen by thieves and the rest were forcibly taken by the king. Now a pauper, Maṅgala was filled with sorrow.

Ths sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya, who by Lord Rāmacandra's blessing were destined to become gopīs, became the daughters of Maṅgala.

When he saw his many daughters, Maṅgala-gopa became filled with sorrow. Miserable in his poverty and tormented with headaches and diseases, Maṅgala spoke.

Srī Maṅgala said: What shall I do? Where shall I go? Who will take away my sufferings? Now I have no wealth, no opulences, no dynasty, and no strength.

How will my daughters marry if I have no wealth? If even the next meal is uncertain, where is the hope to gain wealth?

dāsyāmy etāḥ kanyakāś ca kanyānāṁ saukhya-hetave kadarthī-kṛtya tāḥ kanyā evaṁ buddhyā sthito 'bhavat tadaiva mathurād deśād gopaś caikaḥ samāgataḥ sati—being; dainye—poor; kanyakāḥ—the girls; syuh—are; kāka-tālīyavat—unexpectedly; gṛhe—in the home; tasmāt—from that; kasyāpi—of someone; rājṣaḥ—a king; tu—indeed; dhaninaḥ—wealthy; balinaḥ—powerful; tu—certainly; aham—I; dāsyāmi—will give; etāḥ—these; kanyakāḥ—girls; ca—and; kanyānām—of girls; saukhya-hetave—for the happiness; kadarthī-kṛtya—become unhappy; tāḥ—them; kanyā—the girls; evam—thus; buddhyā—thinking; sthitaḥ—situated; abhavat—became; tadā—then; eva—indeed; mathurāt—from Mathura; deśāt—province; gopaḥ—gopa; ca—and; ekaḥ—one; samāgataḥ—come. Now that I am suddenly poor, how will I make my daughters happy by marrying them to wealthy and powerful kings? As Maṅgala was thinking in this way, a gopa from Mathurā district came to his home.

dāsyāmy etāḥ kanyakāś ca kanyānāṁ saukhya-hetave kadarthī-kṛtya tāḥ kanyā evaṁ buddhyā sthito 'bhavat tadaiva mathurād deśād gopaś caikaḥ samāgataḥ sati—being; dainye—poor; kanyakāḥ—the girls; syuh—are; kāka-tālīyavat—unexpectedly; gṛhe—in the home; tasmāt—from that; kasyāpi—of someone; rājṣaḥ—a king; tu—indeed; dhaninaḥ—wealthy; balinaḥ—powerful; tu—certainly; aham—I; dāsyāmi—will give; etāḥ—these; kanyakāḥ—girls; ca—and; kanyānām—of girls; saukhya-hetave—for the happiness; kadarthī-kṛtya—become unhappy; tāḥ—them; kanyā—the girls; evam—thus; buddhyā—thinking; sthitaḥ—situated; abhavat—became; tadā—then; eva—indeed; mathurāt—from Mathura; deśāt—province; gopaḥ—gopa; ca—and; ekaḥ—one; samāgataḥ—come. Now that I am suddenly poor, how will I make my daughters happy by marrying them to wealthy and powerful kings? As Maṅgala was thinking in this way, a gopa from Mathurā district came to his home.

Srī Nārada said: From an elderly pilgrim named Jaya, who was the wisest of the wise, Maṅgala had heard of the fabulous wealth of King Nanda.

After some thought, the pauper Maṅgala sent his beautiful-eyed daughters to King Nanda's circle.

In King Nanda's home the girls, now decorated with jewels, milked the cows in the barns.

Gazing at handsome Srī Kṛṣṇa, and remembering their previous birth, the girls daily worshiped the Yamunā to attain Kṛṣṇa.

One day the large-eyed and dark-complexioned goddess Yamunā appeared before them and offered to give them a benediction.

They said, "May Srī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vraja's king, become our husband." Yamunā replied, "So be it," and suddenly disappeared.

Later, in the month of Kārttika, in the rāsa-dance circle, Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with them as King Indra enjoys with many heavenly girls. .pa