Answer by Danavir Goswami
The word “conjugal” comes from “conjugare” “to join together” and Srila Prabhupada uses that broader meaning—along the lines of an intimate relationship between a male and female. Note from Sri Garga Samhita Canto 5, Chapter10, Text 8:
ku-väkya-dosa-çänty-arthaà
taà jaghäna hariù svayam
tad api pradadau mokñaà
tasmai çré-karuëä-nidhiù
ku-väkya—of bad words; doña—the fault; çänti—peace; artham— for the purpose; tam—him; jaghäna—killed; hariù—Kåñëa; svayam— Himself; tat—that; api—also; pradadau—gave; mokñam—liberation; tasmai—to him; çré-karuëä-nidhiù—an ocean of mercy.
TRANSLATION
To stop his blasphemy, however, Lord Kåñëa killed him. Then the Lord, who is an ocean of mercy, gave him liberation.
PURPORT
The blasphemous washerman did not correct his deep-rooted envy and consequently he made the same mistake again, this time toward Lord Krsna. Lord Krsna and Lord Rama are the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet They each display unique pastimes to establish religious principles.
pariträëäya sädhünäà
vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm
dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya
sambhavämi yuge yuge
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium. (Bhagavad gita 4.8)
When the Lord appeared on earth as Ramacandra, He showed tolerance and renunciation toward the washerman’s blasphemy whereas when He appeared as Krsna two million years later, He showed power and mercy by liberating the man from his heinous mentality. Although both pastimes are absolutely divine and pure, Lord Krsna shows still more mercy without being restricted by social formularies. Lord Ramacandra accepted only one duly wedded wife (svakiya), whereas Lord Krsna accepted lovers who were not externally His wives (parakiya). This does not mean however that Lord Krsna was immoral because although playing like a human He is the always the Supreme Enjoyer. The Bhagavad-gita indicates that Krsna is the only male while all other souls are female:
apareyam itas tv anyäà
prakåtià viddhi me paräm
jéva-bhütäà mahä-bäho
yayedaà dhäryate jagat
Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe. (7.5)
All living entities are prakrti (the female energies of Krsna) or in other words, “the maidservants of Krsna.” Thus there is no transgression for Krsna to fulfill the desires of His beloved devotees in the relationship of conjugal love. Although the dictionary defines “conjugal” as “married” the word etymologically comes from the Latin “conjugare” meaning “to join together.” His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada uses the term “conjugal” in a broader sense along the lines of an intimate relationship between male and female. Considering that all souls are actually maidservants of Krsna satisfies both the strict dictionary definition as well as the actual spiritual reality.
Some vaisnavas say that it is distribution of these confidential mellows of Krsna’s parakiya bhava that constitute Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s magnanimous nature.
namo mahä-vadänyäya
kåñëa-prema-pradäya te
kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-
nämne gaura-tviñe namaù
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other avatära, even Kåñëa Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given—pure love of Kåñëa. (Cc. Madhya 19.53)
