Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti, kabe hāma bujhabo se yugala-pīriti (Gaurāṅga Bolite Habe). Yugala-pīriti, the love between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī . . . the gopīs are expansion of Rādhārāṇī, pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. These are all spiritual subject matter. So this is not mental. A ordinary man, if he thinks that, "I am becoming go . . ." that is artificial. That is artificial. This is not artificial thing. And the parakīyā-rasa, the sense of paramourship, that is also there. But this is not this parakīyā-rasa, as we understand from this material world.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, er, Sanātana Gosvāmī has said that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. Those . . . one who is not Vaiṣṇava . . . so it is, mental speculator, it is useless to learn from them what is the relationship between the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa. Neither it has to be practiced artificially. These things are rejected. So my request is that you should not read all these books, simply waste your time.
(break) . . . Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. This has been discussed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, that Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman, and to relish brahma-sukha, a person in austerity gives up all the material sense enjoyment. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). They try to relish brahma-sukha. Now, when they . . . brahmā-sukhānubhūti, Kṛṣṇa is the goal of brahma-sukha anubhūti. So when Brahman wants to have pleasure, does it mean that He takes pleasure within this material world? To understand Brahman, one has to give up all material pleasures. And when the Brahman relishes pleasure, does it mean this is material pleasure? Try to understand this fact.
For relishing brahma-sukha, one undergoes severe austerities. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena (SB 6.1.13). There are so many processes. Tapo divyaṁ śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). For purifying our existence, we have to adopt so many means of austerities, for understanding what is brahma-sukha. Now, the reservoir of brahma-sukha, Kṛṣṇa, Para-brahman, when He enjoys, does it mean this is material thing? This is not material thing. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitā . . . there, that is the expansion of His spiritual bliss. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmāt. That is the existence of Kṛṣṇa's hlādinī-śakti.
So first of all we have to understand Kṛṣṇa; then, in course of understanding Kṛṣṇa, we shall understand His samvit-śakti, hlādinī-śakti. So these things are not subject matter for studying in our conditioned life. It is for the liberated soul. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you'll find in the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He only once discussed about the love affairs of Kṛṣṇa with gopīs, or Rādhārāṇī, gopīs, with Rāmānanda Rāya. Never He discussed with anyone else. Because He was very elevated, Rāmānanda Rāya. And otherwise, He never discussed.
In the Bhagavad-gītā also, you won't find Kṛṣṇa is teaching anything about His relationship with gopīs. Just like . . . try to understand. This is not the subject matter for a person who is conditioned; neither it is a subject matter to be discussed and speculated by the conditioned soul. Try to understand this. (break)
This is practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā, cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). When we go to the pūjā room, we take our flowers and candana, offer to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So gradually, our mind will be concentrated. Just like . . . not nowadays. Formerly, young, very young girls were married. Even an . . . my eldest sister was married at the age of nine years. So I heard that my mother-in-law was married at the age of seven years. I was gṛhastha, and I was also married . . .
My wife was eleven years. So in that minor ages, there is no actually love between husband and wife. But still, formerly, the system was that the young girl, minor girl, was giving some eatable foodstuff to the husband, and sometimes pān, like that. But unless they were major, they were not allowed to live together. But these things are going on.
So similarly, gradually, we develop our love for Kṛṣṇa. As the same example, in the young age the minor girl and the young boy, they do not come to the love platform, but in mature time, they become so lovable each other that they cannot be separated. Similarly, we have to practice. This arcana-mārga means practice. Immediately you cannot expect that your mind is completely fixed up with Kṛṣṇa. But if we follow the regulative principles, then it will mature. Mature. And mature stage, there will be love.