As the chariot carrying Lord Krishna and Balarama departed from Vrindavan, the gopis followed it. All of Vrindavan mourned Lord Krishna’s departure but the gopis’ grief was unbearable. Some of them felt so miserable that they cried out, “We prefer death to life without Him!” “How could Lord Krishna leave us and go to Mathura?” cried a gopi. Another lamented, “Evil demon-king Kansa is so vile. What if he destroys our beloved Lord Krishna?” Life came to a standstill in Vrindavan. The cowherds too felt the pain of separation. Besides the people, even the birds and the animals of Vrindavan fell into a mournful silence, for they grieved the separation from Lord Krishna. Among them all, Radha’s sorrow was the deepest, for she was Lord Krishna’s most beloved friend and mate. Meanwhile, Lord Krishna headed to Mathura with a firm resolve to destroy Kansa.
The Gopis Grieve
