The Secret of Katyayani Vrat: How the Gopis Prayed to Marry Krishna

Learn the spiritual meaning behind the gopis’ Katyayani Vrat and how their sanatangyan devotion reached the heart of Krishna.

The fast from Kartik Month, as described in the Shrimad Bhagavatam, as well as the performances of the Gopis, displays the most devotion of young, pious, sanatani girls of Bharatvarsh. These unmarried gopis, with purity of heart and true devotion, prayed to Goddess Katyayani to be married to Lord Krishna. Krishna himself explained that feminine closeness, or the gopis' wish, should be with that true husband, an idea that is sanatan, shastri, and dharmic.

The Divine Vrat Performed by the Gopis

In sanatangyan culture, pious and chaste womanhood is considered as an ideal in the ancient land of Bharatvarsh. The gopis of Vrindavana, young and unmarried, were embodiments of this purity. Guided by the teachings preserved by sadhus, gurus, and shashtras, they undertook the Katyayani Vrat with a heart full of devotion.

During the month of Margashirsha, gopis used to get up before the break of dawn, hold each other's hands, chant Krishna's glories, and take a dip in the holy Yamuna. Their vrat was not fuelled by desire alone. It sprang from pure bhakti, the search for the end of all spirituality, union with the Supreme. 

Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.2.4, contains a sacred, Sanskrit passage, and speaks of the Gopis' prayer to Krishna:

कात्यायनि महा-माये महा-योगिन्यधीश्वरी ।

नन्दगोपसुतं देवि पतिं मे कुरु ते नमः ॥

“O Goddess Katyayani, O great mystic power, O supreme controller, please make the son of Nanda Maharaja, Shri Krishna, my husband. My obeisances unto you.”

The deeply rooted Satatanagyan philosophy in this shloka illustrates devotion as the purest and most sacred form of love, and it speaks of the sweetness and innocence of the gopis.

Krishna’s Divine Play: Stealing the Garments of the Gopis

One charming divine pastime that took place during this vrat is narrated by the Bhagavatam. While the gopis were bathing in the Yamuna, having left their clothes on the bank, Krishna appeared and playfully stole their clothes, climbing a Kadamba tree.

While this pastime is playful in appearance, it is of deep and great spirituality. Krishna offered the gopis a sacred bond and companionship, but also taught them that dharmically, and as the shastras explain, and Guru-Acharyas define, that feminine closeness should be with true husbands.

Krishna then asked them to test their sincerity and chastity as they came out of the water with folded hands. Their modesty, complete surrender, and devotion demonstrated their unwavering commitment to dharma.

This pastime is explained by HDG Shrila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as Krishna’s method of purifying their desires and preparing them for divine spiritual association.

A relevant shloka (SB 10.22.26) captures Krishna’s instruction:

तत् ब्रूत कृच्छ्रं विप्राणां स्त्रीणां चानुपलक्षणम् ।

भर्तृव्रतानां भजतां देवानां चानुरूपतः ॥

 “Women devoted to their husbands should maintain their chastity and follow dharma suitable for their divine position.”

This instruction is central to Sanatangyan values, where sacred femininity is honored and protected.

Pure Femininity vs Modern Confusion

The gopis represent the ideal of sanatani womanhood—soft, chaste, devotional, and spiritually powerful. Their femininity, rather than being a weakness, is a divine strength celebrated by shashtra and revered by sadhus and gurus.

Pativrata dharma is something traditional women all over Bharatvarsh have been. Their devotion elevates the homes and societies of the world, as well as the world's spirituality.

In contrast to this, and influenced by superficial Western trends, much of the present-day world promotes what is seen as "feminism" but is in fact a source of great confusion. This approach separates women from their holy roots, promotes lifestyles minus dharma, and disassociates them from their holy roots. These ultra-modern, glamorous views are, however, hypocritical and one-sided. 

From the Sanatangyan perspective, true empowerment lies in purity, devotion, self-respect, and a respect for shashtra and nature.

The gopis with their Katyayani Vrat show how pure sanatangyan devotion can link the heart with the Divine. Their prayers to Krishna, heartfelt and sincere, demonstrate, mentor the chastity, faith, and dharma, profound strength, and sacred teachings of many generations shashtra, guru, and sadhu wisdom.