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From Dog to Gopi?
I read a purport from Srimad Bhagawatam, and got a certain idea about what was mentioned there. My idea was flawed, and by the association of a devotee, I got the correct understanding of the purport.
The purport I read is from Canto Four, chapter 25, text 14, with translation and purport by His Divine Grace A. C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada explains why he established a temple in Vrindaban. In Vrindaban the sahajiyas pass off sexual indulgence as spiritual life and for that reason intelligent men no longer visit there. It is difficult to rectify the sahajiyas. They can be rectified by taking birth in Vrindaban as animals such as hogs, dogs, and monkeys. Then in the life after that, they can be elevated to the spiritual platform.
When I read this purport by myself, I made two mistakes in understanding it:
- I thought "spiritual platform" indicated that after the dog birth the sahajiya could take his next birth as a gopi in Gokula to associate with Krishna and after that go back to Godhead in Goloka Vrindaban.
- I thought Srila Prabhupada established a temple in Vrindaban to attract the sahajiyas to go and live at the temples so that they could take their next birth as animals and then go back to Godhead. From a dog to a gopi!
Harer Nama Das