So for a living entity, a small living entity like us, we cannot know. The only thing is that, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca (BG 9.14). The subject matter is so nice that the devotees who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the transcendental loving service, they like. And in the association of pure devotees these topics become palatable. There are many instances in the Bhāgavata also. When Śaunakādi Ṛṣi, sages headed by Śaunaka Muni, was hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Sūta Gosvāmī, they also uttered this, vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma. "You are reciting about the glories of the Supreme Lord, His activities, so please continue. We are not yet satisfied. The subject matter is so nice that we want to more and more..." Svādu svādu pade pade. As you go on hearing and as you become purified... There is a very practical example: the sugar candy. Sugar candy is, by nature it is very sweet. But if you give it to a patient who is jaundiced, if you give, he will taste it, that he'll say that it is bitter. It is bitter. You will have practical exam... If you ask him what is the taste, he'll say bitter. Everyone knows that sugar candy is very sweet, but if you give to a patient suffering from jaundice, he'll say it is bitter. Similarly, the kṛṣṇa-kathā, the Lord's name, fame, quality, entourage, all these things are very sweet. To whom? Those who are liberated from this jaundice of materialism. For them it is very sweet. So as you feel sweetness of this Kṛṣṇa-kathā, you should know that you are becoming liberated from this material entanglement. The same thing: sugar candy is the only medicine for jaundice. Those who are suffering from jaundice, they are prescribed by physician to take sugar candy water in the morning. And by drinking that sugar candy water, gradually he feels the sweetness of sugar candy. That is the test that he is getting free from the disease. So similarly, Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or anything where the topics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is discussed, if you feel it is interesting, that means you are getting out of the jaundice of this material disease. Yes. This is the test. If you don't feel interested, then you must know that the jaundice of material disease is there. So this is the test. The more you feel kṛṣṇa-kathā, the topics of Kṛṣṇa, tasteful, the more you'll know that you are getting free from the jaundice of material disease.
- e-mata anyatra nāhi śuniye adbhuta
- yāhāra śravaṇe citta haya avadhūta
- 'kṛṣṇa-vatsair asaṅkhyātaiḥ'-śukadeva-vāṇī
- kṛṣṇa-saṅge kata gopa-saṅkhyā nāhi jāni
Gopa. Kṛṣṇa, you know, in His abode, He is just like a sixteen-years-old boy, and His main pastime is to take the cows in the pasturing ground with His friends, boyfriends, and play with them. This is Kṛṣṇa's day's business. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has written a very nice verse, that these boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, in their past lives they had accumulated heaps of pious activities. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). Sākaṁ vijahruḥ. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Now, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is writing. These boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, they are playing with whom? They are playing with the Supreme Absolute Truth, who is considered as impersonal by the great sages. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma... Brahma-sukha. Brahma, transcendental Brahman realization. The reservoir of Brahman realization is here, Kṛṣṇa. So these boys who are playing with this Kṛṣṇa, He is the reservoir of that Brahman realization. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. Dāsyaṁ gatānām, those who have accepted the Supreme Lord as master, that means devotees, for them this Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. For the impersonalists He is Supreme Brahman, and for the personalists He is Supreme Lord. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa. And those who are under the spell of materialism, for them He is ordinary boy. Māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). With Him these boys, who had accumulated millions and millions births of pious activities, now they have got the opportunity of playing with Kṛṣṇa face to face just like ordinary boys play. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of playing with His young boyfriends. That is mentioned in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Surabhīr abhipālayantam, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). So these things are explained here also.
- eka eka gopa kare ye vatsa cāraṇa
- koṭi, arbuda, śaṇkha, padma, tāhāra gaṇana
Now there are so many friends, cowherd boys, nobody can count. Nobody... Unlimited, everything unlimited. They have unlimited number of cows, unlimited number of boyfriends, everything unlimited.