Gopi Bhâva - Cultivating the devotional feelings of the gopis.
The practice of gopi bhâva
In the Hindu tradition, there exists a form of bridal mysticism – seeing oneself as God's wife or lover – that is focused exclusively on God in the form of Lord Krishna. This practice is called gopi bhâva, the feeling (bhâva) of being a gopi, one of the milkmaids of Vrindavan who were instensely attracted to Lord Krishna. By imagining themselves to be gopis during prayer and contemplation, even if they happen to be male, practitioners cultivate passionate love for Lord Krishna.
Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement (properly known as ISKCON) said -
The development of conjugal love for
In Bhakti and Sankirtan, a respected modern teacher of Vedanta and Yoga, Swami Sivananda, writes -
If you want to attain
The practice of gopi bhâva is found primarily in Gaudiya Vaisnavism, the tradition established in the 16th century by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers. According to them, râgânuga bhakti - devotion (bhakti) based on passionate love (râgânuga) - is the highest spiritual practice. This teaching is the source for many techniques of cultivating intense devotional feelings. Some of these techniques employ cross-gender practices since Lord Krishna is considered to be the only male and all others are female by comparison.
Explaining this practice, Narayana Maharaja, a contemporary teacher of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, has said -
But if you can change the object of your love, and thinking within yourself that "I'm gopi. I'm female like gopis, and
Scholar Rebecca J. Manring writes in her essay, Sita Devi: An Early Vaishnava Guru -
Seemingly transgressive gender roles are to a point normative in the Gaudiya tradition, some of whose advocates take the notion of
Scriptural Basis
Scriptural authority for the practice of gopi bhâva can be found in many texts, including the important Padma Purana where Lord Krishna says -
O Dhananjaya, I am truly pleased with those bhaktas (devotees) who, as women, worship me through gopi bhâva. Being full of emotion from adopting the nature of gopis in their dress, ornaments, age and appearance, they will attain the highest state through worship of my holy feet. (Padma Purana, 83.74)
All spiritual practices in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition are based on the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers. Rupa Goswami, one of six important followers who helped form this tradition, wrote -
Bhakti (devotion) consists of meditating on a relationship (with Lord Krishna) like being his father, servant, friend, or lover, and superimposing that relationship on oneself. (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.305)
In Jaiva Dharma, a text by the great 19th-century Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher, Bhaktivinode, he says -
In the course of his bhajana (worship), the sâdhaka (spiritual aspirant) should meditate on himself as a vraja-gopi. The sâdhaka should consider himself the maidservant of some extremely fortunate vraja-vâsini (female resident of Vraja), and under her guidance, should render services to Radha-Krishna.
Psychological Basis
Gopi bhâva also has a firm psychological basis. The devotional practices râgânuga bhakti require intense emotional engagement. Women generally have stronger emotions than men whose softer, emotional qualities are often suppressed. Men, by deliberately cultivating their feminine qualities, can strengthen their emotions and their bhakti.
"As you think, so you become," is an aspect of human nature acknowledged by most religions and philosophies. "Fake it to make it," is an expression of this principle made famous by the twelve-step program used in Alcoholics Anonymous. Drawing upon this principle, spiritual aspirants emulate the gopis in thought, word and deed to develop passionate love for Lord Krishna.
The science of behavioral psychology proved how environment and behavior mold our experience. Even the "method acting" taught by dramatist Constantin Stanislavski exploits the intimate connection between our behavior and feelings. In his book, Acting as a Way of Salvation - A Study of Raganuga Bhakti Sadhana, author David Haberman observes -
Stanislavski contended that access to the inner world of the subconscious could be gained through the external world of actions... A similar notion seems to motivate much Hindu sâdhana (spiritual practice). Physical acts have certain positive effects on the inner mental state. (page 67)
Haberman concludes by referring to the teachings of Rupa Goswami -
Hence Rupa's key insight: If the bhakta (devotee) could somehow take on or imitate the anubhâvas (experiences) of one of the exemplary Vrajaloka (resident of Vraj with Lord Krishna), he could obtain the salvific emotions of that character. (page 69)
Dressing like Gopis - Sakhi Bhekhis
Aspirants deepen their gopi bhâva through practices like devotional singing, worshipful service, and sometimes by adopting the dress and appearance of gopis, as did Sri Ramakrishna, Charan Das and H.W.L. Poonja, as discussed elsewhere on this site.
Those who assume the appearance and behavior of gopis to enhance their spiritual practice are often called sakhi bhekhis - literally, dressed (bhekhi) like sakhis. Sakhi means girlfriend and refers to the gopis who were friends of Radha,
According to Rebecca Manring -
Other groups engage in more overt expressions of femininity. Once such, the sakhi bhâvas, adopt the moods and manners of Radha's girlfriends (her sakhis). The sakhi bhâvas, however, carry the imagery far beyond mere visualization, dressing and behaving as women throughout their lives.
Charles Brooks, an American scholar who traveled to the sacred city of
In one temple, a young priest confided that his guru was teaching him the most esoteric practice, and he reluctantly showed me the sari he would sometimes wear in order to more fully experience the love that Radha has for
Another ascetic residing along the banks of the
Bengali writer Aksoy Kumar Dutta observed -
From time to time, especially on the twelfth day of the full moon, they would meet in the house of one of the group of the subsect. Dressing themselves as females, they served Krishna as sakhis, and to satisfy their 'husband' they used to sing songs about the love of Radha and
Not surprisingly, some orthodox Hindus strongly disapprove of the sakhi bhekhis, though they accept Gaudiya Vaishnavism and might even practice gopi bhâva. Perhaps this is a manifestation of societal disdain for transgressive behavior. Transphobia, after all, is present in every culture and religion.
A recent news article by Neelu Vyas on