Garga Bhagavatham : Maadhurya khanda - Chapter 2

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The accounts of Rishi-roopa Gopis (Sages reincarnated as Gopis) ; Arrival of the daughters of the Gopa, Mangal of Vangadesha in the land of Vraj ruled by Nandaraj and their entry into the Raas-Mandal on the banks of the Yamuna

Sri Narada says:- King of Mithila! Now you listen to the episode of the saints who got the form of Gopikas, that will carry away all sins and enhance devotion towards Sri Krishna. There was a very well known and generous Gopa in 'Vangadesh' called Mangal, who was very rich and highly proficient in scriptures and was the owner of nine lakh cows. He had five thousand wives. By some quirk of fate, he lost all his wealth. Robbers stole all his cows. Some of his cows were taken away by the ruler of that country by using his powers. Gopa, Mangal became very sad after losing all his wealth and richness. In the same period, some of the saints who lived in 'Dandakaranya' and had obtained the form of girls by the boon given to them by 'Sri Ramachandra', became his daughters. Looking at the group of girls, the sad Gopa, Mangal was drowned in more sadness and was distraught with half malady. He mentally told himself thus. 

Mangal said:-  What should I do? Where should I go? Who will help me overcome my sorrow? At present, I have no richness, no wealth, no family life and I do not even have any strength. Alas! Without any wealth how can I perform the marriage of these daughters? Where getting a morsel of food itself is doubtful, then where is the hope for wealth? Poverty was always there. By the law of providence, these girls have also come into this house. Hence I will present these girls to some rich and powerful king. Only then, these girls will get happiness. 

Sri Narada says:- King! In this manner without caring about the girls, he decided by himself and stuck to his decision. At that time one gopa from Mathura came to his place. He was a pilgrim. His name was 'Jaya'. He was the best among the intelligent and was very old. From him, Mangal heard about the wonderful majesty of Nandraj. 

Mangal, who was suffering from extreme poverty sent the beautiful girls to Nanadaraj's Vrajmandal. At Nandraj's house, those girls, who were adorning gem-studded jewels were doing the work of cleaning cow dung, along with other girls who were there. Upon seeing the handsome Sri Krishna there, the remembrance of their previous birth dawned upon them and they began to perform worship on the banks of Yamuna with the intention of attaining Sri Krishna. Thereafter SriYamuna, who had a dark complexion and was most beautiful appeared in front of them and was willing to grant a boon. Those gopikas asked for this boon 'The son of the King of Vraj, Sri Krishna should be our husband'. Then saying 'so be it', Yamuna disappeared from there. All those girls reached Raasmandal in Vrindavan on the full moon day in the month of Karthika. There Sri Hari enjoyed the pleasure of their company just like King of Devas Indra has with celestial girls.

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