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From the new book Vedic Dharma and the Grhastha-ashrama
by Srila Gour Govinda Swami

[…] A pure devotee is never agitated, kama krsnarpane, because he is completely engaged in the loving service of Krsna. He does not have the urge of lust.

Haridas Thakura had developed krsna-prema and was engaged in giving pleasure to the senses of Krsna. He did not have the urge to satisfy his own senses; there was no kama, lust. Only someone of the stature of Haridas Thakura can tolerate this urge. Mayadevi herself came to test Haridas Thakura, but instead admitted defeat. The prostitute’s consciousness changed, and she became his disciple. She took initiation, started chanting and became a Vaisnavi.

Kama will be Transformed into Prema

Niraparadhe nama laile paya krsna-dhana–if you chant the pure name without any offence, you will definitely develop krsna-prema, and you will be able to tolerate the sexual urge. Therefore, we are giving training on how to develop pure Krsna consciousness, krsna-prema, by chanting the pure name offencelessly. Thereby the urge for sex will go and kama will be transformed into prema.

It is advised to become lusty like the gopis. There is no question of lust at all in them, because they have pure love. There is no sexual intercourse in Krsna’s lila with the gopis. It is not a kama-lila. It is not based on lust, but based on love (prema). They are all engaged in giving pleasure to the senses of Krsna, they do not even have a tinge of desire to give pleasure to their own senses.

How can we give pleasure to Krsna? Let Krsna enjoy us, He is the enjoyer and we are to be enjoyed. Therefore, the gopis decorate themselves nicely, wear nice saris and ornaments, and while standing in front of the mirror looking at their beautiful, bright smiling faces, they comb their hair nicely.

Everything will be pleasing to Krsna. They only want to give all pleasure to the senses of Krsna. This is prema. When you develop krsna-prema, lust is transformed into love–kama krsnarapane–and then you will be able to tolerate the urge for sex, otherwise you cannot tolerate it.

A Shameful Affair!

Even very great yogis and sannyasis like Saubhari Muni and Visvamitra Muni fell down. Saubhari Muni was one thousand years old and Visvamitra Muni underwent 60,000 years of severe penance and acquired very wonderful mystic power, but both of them could not tolerate the urge for sex.

They fell down because they were not devotees, bhaktas. They were not engaged in giving pleasure to the senses of Krsna. They were not engaged in bhajana and they were not cultivating bhakti. They were performing severe austerities and penance, but they had the desire for mystic perfection and therefore, they both fell down.

Maya is that strong, that even these very great stalwarts, who accepted sannyasa and were carrying a danda, were finished, so what to speak of you! This urge is so strong that even they could not tolerate it. They had no bhakti, therefore, they have given up their danda and are running after a woman.

Is it very good to go back to the grhastha-asrama after having been in the sannyasa-asrama? ……….

(Excerpt from ‘Vedic Dharma and the Grhastha-asrama’ by Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja pages 100-101.)