Dear Devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! Hare Krishna!<\/p>\n
We can assume that Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami wrote his Manah-siksa after Sri Rupa Gosvami had completed his Upadesamrta. Ragnunatha Das Gosvami often precisely follows Sri Rupa, and so he also gave the exact number of 11 verses to instruct us about the path.<\/p>\n
Das Gosvami, as he was known, was offering 1000 obeisances to Vaisnavas daily. We calculated that it would take 4-4.5 hours.<\/p>\n
If you want to benefit from the scriptural study you need to apply 3 techniques from the Upanisads. You have to hear; then you have to reflect on it; and then you need to meditate on the text and apply it.<\/p>\n
I think you know there is only a little benefit from unreflected lectures. We think, “OK, OK, maybe there is going to be a new raisin”, but if 5 min. later someone asks us about the lecture, all we can say is, “It was about Krsna”. Reflecting is like chewing your food.<\/p>\n
If you want to go even deeper, and I believe most of you want to go deep, then you should also pray to get the realization. Pray to the author, pray to the text. In Saranagati all our seminars go through these 3 steps. I encourage you to listen intently, then reflect and maybe share some thoughts during prasadam, for example, and then try to apply something. Then, I guarantee you, you will fly high in the sky of spiritual realization. I guarantee you, if not, I will give you $100:) (Now I am in trouble:-) No, no, – I am confident.<\/p>\n
This verse today happens to be my favorite verse of Manah-siksa and I pray to you, my much more qualified audience, to give me your attention.<\/p>\n
yatha dustatvam me darayati sathasyapi krpaya yatha mahyam premamrtam api dadaty ujjvalam asau yatha sri-gandharva-bhajana-vidhaye prerayati mam tatha gosthe kakva giridharam iha tvam bhaja manah<\/p>\n
O my mind, with utter humility and words choked with emotion just worship Sri Giridhari Krsna here in Vraja in such a way that He will become pleased. By His causeless mercy He will then remove my wickedness, although I am dishonest, bestow upon me the nectar of the supremely radiant prema (ujjvala-rasa) and forcefully bring me to the loving service of Sri Gandharvi and instruct me how to do it!<\/p>\n
RdG looks back at what he discussed in verses 4-7, innumerable obstacles: “My heart is full of lust”, “I am bathing in duplicity which is like acid donkey urine”, “I have so much pratishthasa, desire for recognition” — I need a good association, a devotee who can remove it all. All the obstacles can be summarized with one word, dustatvam, wickedness (gemeinheit, vollige verderbenheit, boesheit) – meanness; pollution of the consciousness, according to the acaryas. The original spiritual consciousness or Krsna consciousness is pure, but when we leave it, it becomes polluted.<\/p>\n
Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami discusses 2 solutions for the wickedness of the heart: (1) utter humility; (2)the bhakti general.<\/p>\n
Why humility is important? A banana needs a protective skin, without it very quickly the fruitflies come and put germs (and you get typhoid). If a devotee does not have a protective peel of humility and wants to show off, immediately so called devotion becomes corrupted. Without protection a good fruit is in danger of being altered.<\/p>\n
After going through the obstacles honestly and realistically he speaks about the solutions. And immediately he asks the question: where can I find this association. My elder brothers, who are so much more qualified than me, I know, always ask where to ask such an exalted devotee? HH Gaura Govinda Maharaja would say, “I am always searching such a devotee, I know, I cannot get rid of it on my own”. So Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami offers an answers: “Just worship Sri Giriraj Govardhan in such a way, that he becomes pleased” Giriraja Giridhari is the greatest of all devotees and is Krsna Himself.<\/p>\n
Our Giriraja Maharaja told us that the gopis thought, “Everything can be achieved by the blessings of the great souls, so let us turn to Giriraja Govardhan”.<\/p>\n
My dear devotees, this Giriraj that you see before yourself, is mysterious. If you have any spiritual desire, he will fulfill it. There is one man in a white lungi a little down the road in Jatipura – he is doing Govardhana Parikrama for 21 years now. He is doing 108 dandavats at everystep. When you ask him why he does it – he looks at Giriraja and says, “He can fulfill your desire”. And when you ask him, “What is your desire?”, he just cries. He won’t say, it is between him and Giriraj. He is a nice devotee, so it must be something about Radha and Krsna.<\/p>\n
When you circumambulate Govardhan, he follows you to see what you want, and he fulfills it.<\/p>\n
I experienced it myself. When I was doing my dandavat parikrama I formed an impossible (for me) desire. I was tested but was trying to keep the focus. And one week later this impossible desire has been fulfilled. You must experience it yourself.<\/p>\n
Because I was a wild child my parents put me into a dancing school where they teach you good manners. One of my qualities is boundless inquisitiveness. I found an old manuscript describing a mode of conduct of a renunciate in Vraj. There it says that of all manifestations of wickedness, the worst of all is fault-finding. So it gives 7 prescriptions:<\/p>\n
1. Be alwyas absorbed in your bhajan and sadhana.
\n2. Speak only about sadhana and the Lord.
\n3. Speak only about things benefecial.
\n4. Walk on the road with your head lower, palms joined and show respect to everyone. ?5. Never criticize others.
\n6. Know that everyone is superior to you.
\n7. If someone comes to you and criticizes someone else, say “Oh, I have something urgent to do” and leave the place immediately.<\/p>\n
You know that other defects are somewhat correctible, but fault-finding or Vaisnava-ninda erases everything. It uproots your bhakti-lata.<\/p>\n
Raghunatha dasa Gosvami must have had specific thought when he spoke of Sri Govardhan. He said, “Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by offering me the Govardhan-sila offered me the shelter at the Govardhan hill and by offering me the gunja-sila necklace, He offered me the shelter at the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani.”<\/p>\n
… My dear devotees, you all have a direct access to Giriraja, and you can pray to him that he removes all the wickedness from your heart. And he will do something that will make your hair stand on end. …<\/p>\n
If you want tot experience Krsna with all His qualities, you can only do this by worshiping Him through Srimati Radharani. Just like one cannot get the nectar honey from a flower, but only from the bees, so one cannot get the highest ujjvala-rasa without entering the camp of Radha.<\/p>\n
Turn to Giriraja and Giriraja will turn you where? To Radharani. These are exalted subject matters. If you are new to this, just listen, and if you have chanted for longer time, take note of it with golden ink in your heart.<\/p>\n
In Radha’s camp we will find our fortune, we will find the honey of what is KC. She is like the bee-like topmost Krsna’s devotee, who draws all of Krsna’s honey and qualities, that will flood your heart when you become a servant of Radharani. So what is the step-by-step process of becoming a servant of Srimati Radharani?<\/p>\n
… This is so sublime that it is a well-kept secret of our sampradaya. It has to be kept confidential because one can make so many mistakes. …<\/p>\n
In my personal practice I find we can go through Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu who is the combined form of Sri Radha and Krsna.<\/p>\n
… I won’t give you the step-by-step process here. … I will give you only the first step: if you are a man – forget that you are a man. And if you a woman – also forget that you are a man! Forget that you are an enjoyer.<\/p>\n
… Be humble, be realistic, but know what you can become and yearn. By being in Vrindavan some sweet seeds are being planted in your heart. … Please turn to the Govardhan and let us sing a kirtan… … If you ask me, after +40 year of practice, what works to change the heart, … it is association — with a person, food, object, environment, literature. Associate with high things and your consciousness will become higher.<\/p>\n
HH Giriraja Swami has given me this quote: “In Bhagavad-gita (2.62) it is stated, sangat sanjayate kamah: one’s desires and ambitions develop according to the company one keeps. It is often said that a man is known by his company, and if an ordinary man associates with devotees, he will certainly develop his dormant Krsna consciousness.” NOI 4 purp.<\/p>\n
Yes, dear devotees, you can change! Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami says, “I am wicked, dishonest, but I can change with the association of Giridhari”. Associate not with the computer, which I call “a modern mind without a conscience”. Associate with the proper things and it will transform you.<\/p>\n
Now, with the kind input of Sudevi Mataji, you can find more transcripts and notes at:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/govardhanretreat. wordpress. com\/<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 3 (Bhurijan Prabhu)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
FOCUS ON KRSNA AND KRSNA MERCIFULLY FOCUSES ON YOU<\/p>\n
10:30 AM, Bhurijana Prabhu, Govardhana Retreat 2011, November 25
\n(transcribed by Jahnu Pr.)<\/p>\n
The quality of Krsna’s that was clearly exhibited in the first part of the 86th chapter showed how Krnsa will do anything for his devotees. Because Krsna is the lover of his devotes. He has so many wonderful qualities. He so much opulence. So much sweetness. And also much mercy. This is his nature. But the quality that is the closest to his heart and the quality that most endears him to his devotees is bhakta-vatsalya. He wants everyone to know this. He wants everyone to know. Just saying it isn’t enough, so he demonstrates it continuosly that he wants to be controlled by his deovtees. It is his greatest pleasure. He is not independent. He is under the control of his deovtees. They have captured his heart. So that quliaty is so sparkling in Krsna’s consciousness.<\/p>\n
But that is not the only quality that he possesses, as we can read in the next section of this chapter, which is verses 13-26, I found this part so interesting. Because the chapter is “Krsna Blesses his devotees.” In this chapter, Krsna is going to go to Janakpur (in Nepal, nowadays). It is a long distance from Dvaraka (1850km, acc. to GoogleMaps:-). He is going to meet his two devotees, Srutadeva, and Bahulasva. Sukadeva Goswami is going to talk about Krsna traveling. But yet, wonderful qualities of Krsna are revealed in these few verses, which are so easy to pass by. If we can somehow absorb our consciousness in Krsna, and by the grace of Krsna taste something of what it is like to be absorbed in Krsna and Krsna consciousness, then the false ego will dissolve, because we won’t want it anymore. Gradually, by the higher tatse of associating with Krsna, we begin to understand that there is a far superior realm of consciousness. In this 13th verse, of the 86th chapter, we shall begin the narration of Krsna’s journey to Janakpur. So this verse beginsi. Sukadeva Goswami is going to speak about a pastime he has a part in.<\/p>\n
“Sukadeva Gosvami continued: There was a devotee of Krsna’s known as Srutadeva, who was a first-class brahmana. Perfectly satisfied by rendering unalloyed devotional service to Lord Krsna, he was peaceful, learned and free from sense gratification.”<\/p>\n
So what are the qualities that this Srutadeva did he possess? He had Krsna-eka, bhakti. His devotion was focused one-pointed on Krsna. His thoughts, his mind, his desires weren’t many-branched. He was focused solely on Krsna and his service to Krsna. These chapters, as I gave a contemporary example yesterday, are like a backview mirror, allowing us to reflect on and again view the bhakti of Vrajavasis. This chapter is pointing to what has already been said before.<\/p>\n
The focus Srutadeva has on Krsna will have Krsna focus on him. “All his desires were fulfilled” – by this focus on Krsna. Do we trust that? That if we give ourselves fully to Krsna (as he recommends, mam ekam saranam gaccha), He will take care of us?<\/p>\n
It is a touchy point – how many credit cards we have, how many bank accounts… Srutadeva was not many-branched. He was peaceful. He was learned, and he did not desire any sense gratification. Living as a religious householder, he managed to fulfill his obligiations sustaing himself with what came easily. He was so absorbed in his service. And again, the idea is to be absorbed in the mood of service, not the external motions, but our devotional offering. He did not accept more than he needed. Because of the intensity of his focus on Krsna, his sevice to Krsna was completely natural.<\/p>\n
Verse 15: “By the will of Providence he obtained each day just what he needed for his maintenance, and no more. Satisfied with this much, he properly executed his religious duties.” Such a special soul. He did what was favorable. His faith in Krsna was full, it was complete. He could surrender to Krsna and depend on Krsna as he served. So he executed his duties in this mood.<\/p>\n
Now, here is a poor brahmana who is living in this way as a brahmana would naturally live. But text 16 describes a king, Bahulasva, who was a king and not a poor man at all. So Bahulasva, the king, was so attractive. The opulence of the king and the warrior mentality did not attract Krsna. The one-pointed bhakti was what interested Krsna. No opulences can attract Krsna, because He owns everything. There’s nothing external to Krsna, He is the Absolute. Everything is his shakti. There is nothing independent from Krsna. It is the service of his devotees that causes him to act.<\/p>\n
Text 16, “Similarly free from false ego was the ruler of that kingdom, my dear Pariksit, a descendant of the Mithila dynasty named Bahulasva. Both these devotees were very dear to Lord Acyuta.” So the king is called the protector of the land. The physical situation doesn’t really make very much of a difference. What makes the difference is the bhakti. We have such a tendency to shift around the externals! What we need to do is shift the internals.<\/p>\n
So both the king and the brahmana — one who is surrounded by opulence and one who is poverty-sriken, are both on the same level. This is the point of the chapter. Bhakti can manifest anywhere. Bhakti is independent. Bhakti is very special. Our tendency is to use the laws that govern the material world to manipulate the material energy; they don’t work. The opposite works. The tender offering of the heart to Krsna that saturates the externals of what we do is the essence of the process. Bahulasva didn’t have a false ego! There was no false ego involved in his sense of who he was. He was thinking of himself as a servant. In that service to Krsna, he was the protector of the kingdom. This of course is the key to success in service in Krsna Cosnsciousness. You can be the king, you can be anything for Krsna’s pleasure — but no false ego. The whole world is Krsna’s and should be engaged in his service. Bahulasva was not the center [in his mind].<\/p>\n
Text 17: “Pleased with both of them, the Supreme Personality of Godhead mounted His chariot, which Daruka had brought, and traveled to Videha with a group of sages.” The lord went with the sages to visit these two great souls. Also note that it is 1850 km to Janakpur and only 1297km 776m to Mathura. It’s 50% more to Janakpur and Krsna was ready to go to Janakpur from Dwarka. Why is it that Krsna didn’t come to Mathura? It wasn’t the distance, clearly. He did go, but in the aprakata Vrindavana.<\/p>\n
They [Bahulasva and Srutadeva] were worshipping Krsna at home. Krsna went on his chariot with the sages on the same chariot because the two devotees [B and S] had so much attraction for him. One could say that their material situations weren’t the ideal situation, but because of their focus on Krsna, Krsna was attracted to them. As aspiring devotees we can learn from this. That is our duty. Here’s a quality of Krsna that is reaveraled here. That Krsna is attracted to his devtees. Even Jiva Goswami has mentioned in the first verse of the Bhagavatam; he has given three different translations of that verse; “After his [Krsna’s] birth, he went to antoher place.” Why did he go? Because it was Vrndavan. Why did he go there? He knew the reason why Vasudeva was carrying him across. But the other reason was that his dear devotees, the Brijbasis, were there. And he was attracted to them. He was going to shine in the assembly of his own people, who were already effulgent. So Krsna is so attracted to the Brijbasis and the land of Vrndavan, He left his birthplace to be with them. So this is Krsna, he is attracted to the devotion of his devotees. The way to become Krsna conscious to attract the mercy of Krsna, and to become attached to those who are attached to Krsna. If we can somehow chant in the association of devotees, and worship Krsna, in his form of the deity, if we can somehow push through the fog that covers our consciousness and somehow let the light of spiritual topics enter our consciousness, it will give life and light in the darkness. And that light and life will grow to the point it must grow. That’s the nature of bhakit, that no one is ever satisfied with how much bhakti they have.<\/p>\n
This was a mysterious blessing Narada asked from Krsna in “Brhad-bhagavatamrta”. Obviously, Narada, as a great devotee, knows that a devotee is never satisfied with the amount of bhakti he has, but he wanted to make it known through the mouth of Krsna. Bhakti is just like fire, it won’t be satisfied with any amount of fuel but will grow more and more. It is so simple to understand, but so difficult to get “me” from the center. These devotees [Bahulasva and Srutadeva] were not like this.<\/p>\n
The sages were on the chariot, and Krsna was on the chariot, and he was going to go, attracted by his devotees, to Janakpur. Verse 18 lists the sages’ names: “Among these sages were Narada, Vamadeva, Atri, Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasa, Parasurama, Asita, Aruni, myself [Sukadeva], Brhaspati, Kanva, Maitreya and Cyavana.” So Krsna took tehm all on the chariot. Now in every city and town the Lord passed, the people came forward to worship him, because Krsna was coming. Just imagine what that would be like. Krsna is on this gorgeous chariot and is decorated like a king, and he is so powerful … and he is going to pass by! And everyone came forward to worship him. The sages are compared to the planets, because the planets in the sky are bright, but not as bright as the sun. So when the sun is in the sky, one cannot see the plaents. Krsna was like the sun.<\/p>\n
Text 20: “The men and women of Anarta, Dhanva, Kuru-jangala, Kanka, Matsya, Pancala, Kunti, Madhu, Kekaya, Kosala, Arna and many other kingdoms drank with their eyes the nectarean beauty of Lord Krsna’s lotuslike face, which was graced with generous smiles and affectionate glances.” Why is Krsna doing this? Our acaryas say that Krnsa is simply independent and gives his mercy as he likes. This is something to note in the qualities of Krsna. The eyes become like a tongue when it comes to Krsna, and the eyes are capable of drinking. Everyone but the Kamsa-types and Sisupala-types must be attracted to Krsna. Everywhere Krsna went, he gave the people bliss. How does that make you feel, that Krsna gives mercy to whoever he wants? Because there are so many people who want Krsna’s mercy, it can make you more or less hopeful. Krsna doesn’t lack potency to sprinkle mercy on everyone. Just because he gives mercy to one person doesn’t mean he will run out of it.<\/p>\n
The tendency in a relationship is to think about what the other person should be doing. When a relationship falls apart it is usually because one side thinks about all the duties the other side should be doing. We should think about what we should be doing, and what we should be doing is being a servant. Krsna is an ocean of mercy with a soft lotus heart. It’s natural to be attracted to those who are attracted to us, and Krsna is the most natural.<\/p>\n
Text 21: “Simply by glancing at those who came to see Him, Lord Krsna, the spiritual master of the three worlds, delivered them from the blindness of materialism. As He thus endowed them with fearlessness and divine vision, He heard demigods and men singing His glories, which purify the entire universe and destroy all misfortune. Gradually, He reached Videha.” The glories of Krsna fill us with fearlessness. Therefore we should hear Krsna Katha. This is the life of a devotee. Krsna’s glories have power. They are potent. They destroy the darkness of Kali Yuga. Bhagavatam destroys materialism and ignorance. By Krsna’s seeing the city residents, then the residents could see him.<\/p>\n
Text 22. “Hearing that Lord Acyuta had arrived, O King, the residents of the cities and villages of Videha joyfully came forth to receive Him with offerings in their hands.” They did not come empty-handed. One time in Hong Kong, Prabhupada asked me to bring him a Bhagavad Gita, and we didn’t have one in the place we were statying, and I came back empty handed. “All you have is your face,” Prabhupada said. You are laughing now, but I wasn’t laughing at all.<\/p>\n
The residents did not want to miss the opportunity to see Krsna, so they offered obeisances by folding their palms above their head. This is not how we usually envision obeisances. For the first time I heard about this type of obeisances two years ago, at Sacinandana Maharaja’s presentation of “Krsna-lila-stava”. The benefit of this type of obeisances is that you can keep looking at Krsna while offering it:)<\/p>\n
Krsna’s journey to Janakpur has now ended. Both these devotees [Bahulasva and Srutadeva] thought that Krsna had come to show them mercy. They both came forward with folded palms and, at the same time, offered invitations to Krsna and the sages to come to their homes and offer them service.<\/p>\n
Verse 26: “Wanting to please them both, the Lord accepted both their invitations. Thus He simultaneously went to both homes, and neither could see Him entering the other’s house.” If they saw him expanding into two Krsna’s, something would have been lost. In this way intimacy was created. “He has accepted my invitation.” By the Lord’s power, Krsna and the sages were expanded into two forms and entered two houses, without either devotee seeing the other expansions. So the king and the brahmana also had two forms; one being with Krsna, and one despondent. The neighbors of Srutadeva and Bahulasva also had two forms; they could see the two devotees despondent and depressed. This is the land of the impossible, where the impossible continuously happens. Okay.<\/p>\n
(transcribed by Jahnu Pr.)<\/p>\n
Jagattarini Mataji <\/strong><\/p>\n“The fragrant qualities and pastimes of Sri Vrindavana dhama”<\/p>\n
Here are just a few notes from the fragrant presentation of HG Jagattarini Mataji on the sweet Vrindavana dhama.<\/p>\n
Evening Nov 24 On the first evening HG Jagattarini Mataji recounted the beautiful story of Gopa Kumara from the Brihad-Bhagavatamrta. This narration shows the power of Krsna bhakti, Krsna mantra, Krsna nama; and it shows HOW MUCH THE LORD WANTS US TO GO BACK TO HIM. When Gopa Kumara came to Vaikuntha, Lord Narayana said that for a long time He had waited for an opportunity to bring Gopa Kumara back even on a pretext of a shadow of the holy name or just some Vedic ritual, and finally, anxious to bring him back, let him take birth near Sri Govardhan and came to him as his guru Jayanta. When Gopa Kumara finally met Krsna, Krsna embraced him and fainted. Only when Balarama instructed Gopa Kumara how to massage Krsna’s limbs, did Krsna joyfully regained consciousness.<\/p>\n
Evening Nov 25 There is never boredom in the spiritual world. One should never think that there is an endless line in which one has to wait to render personal service to Radha Krsna. Radha and Krsna expand Themselves to reciprocate with everyone personally.<\/p>\n
Brihad-Bhagavatamrta 3.6.218 Each of the gopis thinks, “Oh, when will I be fortunate enough to become even the lowliest maidservant of Krsna?”<\/p>\n
COMMENTARY The ambition of every young gopi in Goloka is to someday gain the good fortune to be allowed to enter Krsna’s service, even in the lowest position. Such utter humility distinguishes them from the young gopas, the male cowherds, who tend to consider themselves Krsna’s favorites and presume themselves very fortunate. The gopas often feel dissatisfied with themselves for various reasons due to the nature of their exalted love for Krsna. They then become anxious to be better servants of Krsna. The gopis’ love, however, is on the highest level of perfection. They are never satisfied with themselves, for their humility is absolute. Each of them considers herself Krsna’s worst maidservant, her only hope being to somehow be permitted to continue serving Him despite her disqualifications. In this way the moods of the gopas and gopis are different.<\/p>\n
The devotees of Narayana in Sri Vaikuntha also never feel they have had enough of the ecstasy of worshiping the Lord’s lotus feet. But every one of them assumes that the all-powerful Personality of Godhead is completely merciful to all of them, without discrimination. The Goloka-vasis cannot think like that.<\/p>\n
Ref. VedaBase = BB 3.6.218<\/p>\n
Often we hear that Vrajavasis never know Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But Vrajavasis watched Krsna holding the Govardhan Hill (much bigger than whatever much of him we see now) – everybody thought of Krsna as of their own son. After this all of them went to Nanda Baba and shared their doubts, “Maybe He is a demigod. Or maybe – maybe He is Lord Narayana…” Nanda Maharaja repeated Garga Muni’s words, “He is just like Narayana”, trying to explain that He is not Narayana, He is LIKE Narayana. Nanda Maharaja did this so that everyone continued to bless Krsna and LOVE Him.<\/p>\n
After the Varuna story, after witnessing how Varuna treated Krsna, Nanda Maharaja got some doubts. “I think maybe Krsna IS God”… Vrajavasis never think of themselves as someone special. Now, when they thought that maybe Krsna is God, they got curious whether Krsna would take them to Goloka Vrindavana. Krsna considers Himself a complete debtor to the Vrajavasis. First He showed them Brahman – where they felt terrible without their Krsna-prema, then they saw Vaikuntha, which they liked more but still not the same as their relationship with Krsna, and then Krsna showed them Goloka Vrindavan, where they saw that their present position IS the highest eternal perfection. He is God, but He is still their relative, friend and beloved. So then the Vrajavasis thought, “If He is God, we must be very important, too!” It did not diminish their intimacy in the least.<\/p>\n
Narada Muni told Gopa Kumara in BB 3.5.163:<\/p>\n
The people of Vraja are not bewildered by Krsna-the truth is that He is bewildered by them. When He forgot what He had to do for the demigods, I had to go to Him myself and somehow remind Him, “Oh, You have some unfinished business!”<\/p>\n
All the gopas think, “Krsna likes me best”, and all the gopis think, “Only if I could one day serve Him”.<\/p>\n
These are just very few excerpts, but this is what Srila Prabhupada wanted us to be interested in.<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 4 (Madhavananda Prabhu)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
![](\"http:\/\/dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SS-2011-11-26_07.41.30.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Sri Balarama holds the Vrajavasis back, not allowing them to jump into the Kaliya-hrada. Kaliya personifies malice and criticism. This reminds me of my favorite statements by Srila Prabhupada: “Instead of meetings, resolutions, dissolutions, revolutions, and then no solutions, there should be chanting.” … Sri Jiva Gosvami says that if one does not leave the place where a devotee is criticized then one loses all his piety.<\/p>\n
Kaliya personifies malice and criticism, he was so poisonous that the Vrajavasis could not counteract it. We know that there are 4 ways to deal with Vaisnava-ninda: cut off the offender’s tongue (not suitable for this age for obvious reasons), suicide (also not suitable), leave the place or defeat the critic. But, as I once asked my Guru Maharaja, one can defeat the critic, but he does not accept his defeat (like a person hit on the head with a hammer and denying it). We should leave their association. Especially dangerous is the criticism of the guru. … Who is guru? Here is a simple definition. Guru is Krsna’s messenger, in whom you have faith. … Srila Rupa Gosvami gives a definition of an uttama-adhikari, and these are externally observable characteristics. We cannot recognize the inner, but if someone knows the science of devotional service, does not criticize others, then we want their association. … Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes: “If one refuses to enter in enmity with envious people they will eventually leave you alone”. This is a secret of Vrndavan bhajan, as told to me by one sadhu. Mahaprabhu has revealed to us a secret in His “trnad api sunicena” verse.<\/p>\n
Kaliya was trying to attack Krsna and Krsna every time moved in the opposite direction, until eventually Kaliya lost all his strength. So if we do not engage in enmity with the critics they will eventually run out of their things to say.<\/p>\n
In Udyoga-parva we read, “An ignorant person tries to defeat his critic, but a wise person simply goes away and forgives the critic. In this way he becomes free from his bad karma”. So the critic is our best friend, as Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said. In another Mahabharata verse we hear that one who tolerates his critic, obtains all the good karma of the critic.<\/p>\n
In Narada Purana (Purva Bhaga, Prathama Pada, Ch. 15.114-115) Yamaraja says to King Bhagiratha:<\/p>\n
tat pApaM samavApnoti narakaM tAvubhAvapi pApinAm pApa-gaNanAM kRtvAnyebhyo dizanti ca 114<\/p>\n
astitve tulyA-pApAste mithyAtve dvi-guNa nRpa<\/p>\n
apApe pAtakaM yas tu samAropya vinindati 115<\/p>\n
sa yAti narakaM ghoram yAvac candrArkatArakam pApinaM nindyamAnAnAm pApArdhaM kSayam eti ca 116<\/p>\n
O King, those who count sinners’ faults and point them to others, are equally sinful, if the faults are real, and get the double reaction, if the faults are imagined.<\/p>\n
Some people go around with notepads counting others’ faults, even though this service is already done by Citragupta. So if you are looking for the quickest way to destroy your bhajan, this is how to do it.<\/p>\n
So, just like Krsna circled Kaliya till he got tired, we should devote ourselves to the Holy Name and service instead of fighting.<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 4 (Bhurijan Prabhu) King Bahulasva’s 6 prayers<\/strong><\/p>\nEFFECT INTERNAL CHANGE; YOU CANNOT KEEP YOUR PRESENT MIND AND BE WITH KRSNA<\/p>\n
November 26, 2011<\/p>\n
Now we will hear about Krsna’s interactions and, what is especially interesting for us, about the King’s mentality while serving Krsna. Why is it interesting for us? They attracted Krsna to come and visit them. I also cannot go see Krsna, but for different reasons than Bahulasva and Srutadeva. But if we can learn about their mentality, we could also attract Krsna. “Don’t try to see Krsna, act in such a way that He sees you”.<\/p>\n
When King Bahulasva, a descendant of Janaka, saw Lord Krsna approaching his house from a distance with the sages, who were somewhat fatigued from the journey, he immediately arranged to have seats of honor brought out for them. After they were all comfortably seated, the wise King, his heart overflowing with joy and his eyes clouded by tears, bowed down to them and washed their feet with intense devotion. Taking the wash water, which could purify the entire world, he sprinkled it on his head and the heads of his family members. Then he worshiped all those great lords by offering them fragrant sandalwood paste, flower garlands, fine clothing and ornaments, incense, lamps, arghya and cows and bulls. Ref. VedaBase = SB 10.86.27-29<\/p>\n
The first simple but important point – the King first took care of the guests’ needs (and not of his own agenda).<\/p>\n
“[King’s] heart overflowing with joy” – when we offer flowers or sweep the floor in the temple, what do we offer? Krsna does not need the flowers or the sweepers. Krsna is accepting the bhava, “asnami… bhakty-upahrtam”. … This is the perfection of having a mind.<\/p>\n
When they had eaten to their full satisfaction, for their further pleasure the King began to speak slowly and in a gentle voice as he held Lord Visnu’s feet in his lap and happily massaged them. Ref. VedaBase = SB 10.86.31<\/p>\n
These same Krsna’s feet walked around this Govardhan and left their special marks. There are little thorns or sprouts, as you may have experienced, and the gopis and other Vrajavasis were prepared to sacrifice everything to save Krsna that discomfort.<\/p>\n
Meditating on the 19 markings on Krsna’s lotus feet has a special effect. When one meditates on the Cakra under Krsna’s toe, it destroys the devotee’s enemies. And these enemies are not “that devotee who insulted me 35 years ago and I have not forgotten that at all, now he will get it — vengeance is a dish best served cold” — not these enemies are Lust, Greed, Anger, Pride, Illusion, Envy. Another mark is an umbrella. An umbrella usually protects us from the elements, but, as Uddhava says, this umbrella of Krsna lotus feet sprinkles nectar on us while also protecting from the miseries.<\/p>\n
If we meditate on the goad, the sharp-pointed ankusa for controlling an elephant, our elephant-like mind, which is so difficult to control, will be controlled.<\/p>\n
If we meditate on the flag, we will be victorious in our search for Krsna.<\/p>\n
After massaging Krsna’s lotus feet the king began to speak — only 6 verses. If the King speaks 6 verses to Krsna, how many, do you think, will Brahmana Srutadeva will speak? Also 6. Because they are equal in devotion. And then Krsna will speak, but not 6, He will speak 7 verses:)<\/p>\n
Sri Bahulasva said: O almighty Lord, You are the Soul of all created beings, their self-illumined witness, and now You are giving Your audience to us, who constantly meditate on Your lotus feet. 31<\/p>\n
You have said, “Neither Ananta, Goddess Sri nor unborn Brahma is dearer to Me than My unalloyed devotee.” To prove Your own words true, You have now revealed Yourself to our eyes. 32<\/p>\n
What person who knows this truth [-that a devotee is so dear to You-] would ever abandon Your lotus feet, when You are ready to give Your very self to peaceful sages who call nothing their own [-tvam akincana-gocarah-]? 33<\/p>\n
Appearing in the Yadu dynasty, You have spread Your glories, which can remove all the sins of the three worlds, just to deliver those entrapped in the cycle of birth and death. 34<\/p>\n[-Krsna is so kind and He gives the methodology to free ourselves from a mountain of sins and come to Him. And that methodology is His glories-]\n
Obeisances to You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, whose intelligence is ever unrestricted. Obeisances to the sage Nara-Narayana, who always undergoes austerities in perfect peace. 35<\/p>\n[-And now his request:-] Please stay a few days in our house, along with these brahmanas, O all-pervading one, and with the dust of Your feet sanctify this dynasty of Nimi. 36<\/p>\n
The Kings heart comes out of his mouth in front of Krsna. If we practice these insructions completely then one day our day will come.<\/p>\n
Sri Visvanatha CT comments on v. 31 O Supreme atma, you are the producer of all consciousness. Therefore by mercy, make me, an unconscious object, conscious, and make me your devotee. [-conscious means “Krsna conscious”, seeing means seeing things as they are!-] O witness (saksi)! As you see all good and bad activities, you see the devotional actions I have performed for you daily. You see all (svadrk), so there is no need to inform you of anything. Therefore (atha), I can get your audience only if you yourself come by your free will. I am not fortunate to be able to come and see you, since it is impossible for me to give up even for a second serving your deity form in my house. Always thinking of you (smaratam) in this way, you have come here.<\/p>\n
This is devotion. This is seva. The Deities the King is worshiping are Krsna, and how can I give Them up.<\/p>\n
It stays strongly in my mind how one mataji, Maithili, was fighting the gundas attaching the Radha Rasa-bihari Deities in Bombay. This is devotion. Otherwise, when gundas come we go. When difficulties come, the true state of our heart manifests.<\/p>\n
When true devotion manifests in a devotees heart, Krsna is attracted and He comes. Devotee gives everything to Krsna and Krsna gives everything to the devotee. And this is exhibited to the highest extent in this land of Vraja. Everything in Vrindavan is sweet and anyone who ingests a little bit of its mood also becomes sweet. Krsna is unlimitedly powerful but the Vrajavasis control Him, so they are unlimitedly powerful. … [Bhurijan Prabhu recounts many stories about Krsna and Balarama’s playing, Yasoda controlling Krsna, Krsna’s charitable disposition, Vrajavasis anxiety about protecting Krsna by moving to Vrindavan, the journey and Krsna’s questions about home] … vrndavanam govardhanam yamuna-pulinani ca viksyasid uttama priti rama-madhavayor nrpa<\/p>\n
O King Pariksit, when Rama and Krsna saw Vrndavana, Govardhana and the banks of the River Yamuna, They both enjoyed great pleasure. SB 10.11.36<\/p>\n
When Krsna touched the dust of Vrndavan for the first time, what a glorious time it was for Vrndavan! …<\/p>\n
Back to King Bahulasva prayers, v. 32. That refers to SB 11.14.15:<\/p>\n
na tatha me priyatama atma-yonir na sankarah na ca sankarsano na srir naivatma ca yatha bhavan<\/p>\n
TRANSLATION My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Sankarsana, the goddess of fortune nor indeed My own self is as dear to Me as you are. PURPORT … Srila Madhvacarya cites from Vedic literature the example that a gentleman sometimes neglects his own interest and that of his children to give charity to a poor beggar. Similarly, the Lord gives preference to a helpless devotee who depends completely on His mercy. The only way to obtain the Lord’s mercy is through His causeless love, and the Lord is most lovingly inclined toward those devotees who are most dependent on Him, just as ordinary mothers and fathers worry more about their helpless children than about those who are self-sufficient. Thus even if one lacks any material qualification, one should simply depend upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without any other interest, and surely one will achieve the highest perfection of life.<\/p>\n
In v. 33 the King prays: What person who knows this truth would ever abandon Your lotus feet, when You are ready to give Your very self to peaceful sages who call nothing their own?<\/p>\n
This is spoken by a King! In one lecture Srila Prabhupada gave 2 examples of niskincanas: Gaurakisora dasa Babaji who owned nothing and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta S. Thakura, who built marble temples but for Krsna.<\/p>\n
V. 34 – Krsna performs His pastimes for His pleasure, for the pleasure of His devotees and to give us content to think about. Krsna qualities and pastimes are there for us, but are we there for them?<\/p>\n
Sri Visvanatha comments: 34. Appearing in the Yadu dynasty, You spread your fame which destroys all sin of the three worlds in order to stop the repeated cycles of birth and death of mankind.<\/p>\n
So we have to hear Krsna-katha!<\/p>\n
Queen Kunti: You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation. O Krsna, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or !! take pleasure in others’ doing so,!! certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death. Ref. VedaBase = SB 1.8.35-6<\/p>\n
There has to be an internal change. We cannot take our present mind and be with Krsna. There has to be a change at the core of our consciousness. That is in our concept of who we think we are. We have to become Krsna’s and Krsna becomes ours. Spontaneously. This is effected by hearing and chanting, by worshiping the Deity as the King did in devotional mood. … By association. By the Holy Name. By living in the holy place. Ultimately – by mercy. But that sincere attempt attracts the mercy of Krsna.<\/p>\n
In the 2 final verses King Bahulasva offers his obeisances and makes his request. V. 35 – Obeisances to You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, whose intelligence is ever unrestricted [- so His mercy can also not be restricted. He found a way to come to Bahulasva -].<\/p>\n
V. 35 Please stay a few days in our house, along with these brahmanas, O all-pervading one, and with the dust of Your feet sanctify this dynasty of Nimi.<\/p>\n
— You are all-pervading anyway, so please stay personally. In the previous verse he mentioned Nara-Narayana Rsis — in Dvaraka You enjoy unlimited opulence, but as Nara-Narayana Rsi you are detached and can be satisfied in our humble conditions.<\/p>\n
The conclusion we can draw from the King’s prayers is that what attracts Krsna are not ordinary thoughts, but our rememberance of Him. Mam anusmara yudhya ca. Easy? But even the attempt is very powerful.<\/p>\n
Such descriptions of Krsna’s transcendental pastimes and activities were remembered by the gopis during His absence from Vrndavana. They give us some idea of how attractive Krsna is, not only to human beings but to all animate and inanimate objects. In Vrndavana, everyone and everything is attracted to Krsna, including the trees, the plants, the water, and animals like the deer and cows. That is the perfect description of Krsna’s all-attractiveness. The example of the gopis is very instructive to persons who are trying to be absorbed in Krsna consciousness. One can very easily associate with Krsna simply by remembering His transcendental pastimes. Everyone has a tendency to love someone. That Krsna should be the object of love is the central point of Krsna consciousness. By constantly chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and remembering the transcendental pastimes of Krsna, one can be fully in Krsna consciousness and thus make his life sublime and fruitful. Ref. VedaBase = KB 35: The Gopis’ Feelings of Separation<\/p>\n
One can ask, How can I posssible do that? Or, how can my mind, full of material thoughts, reach a transcendental platform and actually think of Krsna? Sri Visvanatha addresses this, because if we think something impossible we will not even begin to try. “The siddha devotee being able to grasp the spiritual lotus, cloud and lightning by spiritual intelligence and senses, the spiritual upanisad easily conveys the Lord’s eyes, body and cloth which are compared to these things. However, the sadhaka devotee, though he cannot grasp these things with his intelligence and senses, by applying the concepts of a material lotus, cloud and lightning to the Lord he can make them enter his intelligence. By concenterating his mind in this way, he then becomes joyful, under the impression that he is meditating on the Lord, though not even touching the Lord’s effulgence.”<\/p>\n
–We look at the dust of Vrindavan and we cannot actually see it. We try to conceive of the spiritual beauty of Krsna and cannot. Krsna is unlimited, and no matter if we take 50 or a 100 or a 1000 ‘limiteds’ and pile them up, it will never reach the unlimited. — but so far it is not very encouraging. But here Sri Visvanatha says:<\/p>\n
“But the Lord, controlled by waves of unlimited mercy, thinks “My devotee is meditating on me.” The Lord brings that devotee to his feet for service when his bhakti reaches maturity. Thus by the mercy of the Lord alone, the Vedas are able to convey the form of the Lord.” SB 10.87.2<\/p>\n
Our very attempt inspires Krsna to extend His long hand of mercy and uplift us. As both Sridhar Swami and Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comment in 6.2.10 even if our chanting is imperfect, like Ajamila’s calling his son, it attracts the attention of Krsna.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much!<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 4 (Sacinandana Maharaja) Perfect Meditation<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
PERFECT MEDITATION November 26, Govardhan Retreat HH Sacinandana Swami:<\/p>\n
First of all, I would like to warmly welcome all the present devotees and all the online and recording listeners to the next day of Manah-siksa, instructions to the mind. To your mind.<\/p>\n
… Yesterday we raised a question, what to do if there is a dearth of exalted association. Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami says that we can turn to Giridhari Krsna. He himself turned to the Giriraj he received from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is how one can enter the camp of Sri Radha.<\/p>\n
So Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami speaks from his own experience. He turned to Giriradhari Krsna, but I encourage you to turn to Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami himself! As Srila Prabhupada said, you can always contact me in my vani, instructions.<\/p>\n
In one of the previous retreats Bhurijan Prabhu delineated a 10-step method for reading the spiritual literature. One of these steps is to pray to the author. … And then read not to just gather information (like a gold seeker in Alaska) but until something strikes you (es faellt dir auf und beruhrt dich) and reflect about it, do the mananam, then it will enter your heart. Then you will have made a contact. …<\/p>\n
In the 8th verse Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami says you should become humble and cry out to Giridhari Krsna and if you are sincere he will bring you out of your difficulty and bring to Sri Radha.<\/p>\n
Now you may have some questions? Is it Radha, is it Krsna, what about Vrindavan, what about sakhis, what is the full picture? This is all put in place in v. 9:<\/p>\n
mad-isa-nathatve vraja-vipina-candram vraja-vane- svarim tan-nathatve tad atula-sakhitve tu lalitam visakham siksali-vitarana-gurutve priya-saro girindrau tat-preksa-lalita-rati-datve smara manah<\/p>\n
You can see Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami goes deep into his heart and gives you the full picture of Vrindavan. He sits there in Vrndavan, it is his older days, he is very thin, he cannot stand the separation with Radha and Krsna, and he wants to give us the instruction how to attain success:<\/p>\n
O mind! Always remember Vrindavancandra Sri Krsna as the prananatha of my svamini Sri Radhika, Vrndavanesvari Srimati Radhika as my mistress, Sri Lalita as the peerless friend of my svamini, Sri Visakha as the siksa-guru, who teaches many arts required in sri yugal seva, and Sri Radha-kunja and Giriraja Govardhana, as the granters of the darsana (simply through vision of them) of Sri Radha-Krsna and the bestowers of sublime rati for Their lotus feet.<\/p>\n
It is a very good guide for remembering, with your mind, Sri Vrndavana Dhama.<\/p>\n
* How to think of Sri Sri Radha & Krsna? She is the life-treasure of Krsna and He is beloved of Radha. … Radha and Krsna have surrendered to Sri Lalita. No one says ever “No” to Lalita. When you love somebody, you always agree to do what they say. (Maharaja says how he agreed to continue the dandavat parikrama without rest when BB Govinda Swami suggested this)<\/p>\n
And Visakha is their guru.<\/p>\n
And finally, always see Radha-kunda and Govardhan – this is something I want you to take home – even if you see them in your mind.<\/p>\n
Spiritual life is so easy in Vrndavan – just look at Govardhan and something will happen. This is why we are having there retreats every year.<\/p>\n
It is a fantastic guide for meditation. Krsna is called the moon of Vrindavan. There are cakora birds who eat only moonlight. There is movement now of people who eat only prana. I would not recommend that – it is more spiritual to eat prasadam. The normal birds are like cakora birds who drink only the moonlight of Krsna. But Radha’s devotees prefer to see Radha and Krsna together.<\/p>\n
This is the picture: Vrndavan-candra and Vrndavanesvari come together and the cakora-birds are drinking their waves of beauty. This is also the vision of our line, our sampradaya, the Hare Krsnas. Once there was a minister from Bharatpur who, with his family, was performing a dandavat-parikrama of Radha-kunda. One disciple praised him to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who noted that the minister worships Radharani because She is dear to Krsna, but we worship Krsna because He is dear to Radharani.<\/p>\n
This was how to think of Radha Krsna. Now we are coming to<\/p>\n
* The Path Of Hope<\/p>\n
Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami prays (Vilapa-kusumanjali 102):<\/p>\n
“O Radha, for me somehow the present moment is flooded by a nectar ocean of many hopes. If You do not give Your mercy immediately, then of what use to me are this life, the land of Vraja, and Sri Krsna?”<\/p>\n
We may be lukewarm. Too warm to die, too cold to live. Such verse give us new life. Radharani is always with Krsna.<\/p>\n
If you want something very much, you have to work through the proper person’s servants. You probably know it very well, if you want some maha from a senior devotee, you just go to their servant and whisper with them… In the same way Sri Lalita is the best servant of Sri Radha Krsna. With her cloth she wipes our the perspiration on the forheads of the Divine Couple. She can recommend someone to Them.<\/p>\n
When Rupa Manjari sees a sadhaka crying for Radha Krsna, she says, “Stop crying, come and do some service”, and brings the sadhaka to Lalita, who brings her to Radha Krsna. It all works by recommendation. … I knew this in order to get into the temple. I knew they wouldn’t let me, a Rolling Stones fan, in, so I cleaned the toilet. Then Narendra, the saxophone player for Little Richard, recommended me for acceptance in the temple. … Mahanidhi Swami said we need to go to the next and subsequent levels of recommendation.<\/p>\n
Visakha has a voice sweet as a cuckoo spring. You can read Sri Lalitasktam and Sri Yamunastakam.<\/p>\n
And finally, please do not neglect the importance of the holy dhama. Everywhere Krsna has put His lotus feet. Everthing in touch with Krsna changes. His lotus feet carry the lotus like rati. It means that if you just stay in this land you will also get some inclination. You will see. But you need to come again and again – because we are so dull – covered with other desires. Repeated treatment is good for us.<\/p>\n
In Gaura-bhavan there is a nice devotee who puts his head in the Vrndavan dust every morning (he has a container with it). He is always so blissful. I asked him why and he pointed to the dust.<\/p>\n
Sri Rupa Gosvami says By contact with the dham love will sprout in the heart. Sri Raghunatha says also that Sri Radhakunda reveals the darsana of the Divine Couple. … By the vision of the holy dhama pure bhakti arises, and then, as Sri Sanatana Gosvami says, if you continue your devotional service here, you may get a glimpse of the Divine Couple.<\/p>\n
So this is a perfect meditation. If you are an impersonal yogi, you will meditate on Brahman, if you are a Visnu-bhakta you will meditate on sun, moon and Visnu. First they meditate on fire to burn the sins in the heart. But the devotee does not meditate on fire because he does not want to burn the body of Krsna. He meditates on Vrndavan, Yamunaji, the bees, associates and then they will invite Radha and Krsna because Radha and Krsna will never leave a heart which is like Vrindavan. Not even one step.<\/p>\n
Now we will sing the Hare Krsna mantra and do the verse meditation. … “Srila Prabhupada talked about sravanam-kirtanam, aren’t you introducing smaranam?”<\/p>\n
This is a good question. Srila Prabhupada writes: Persons who are constantly engaged in the transcendental meditation of seeing Krsna, internally and externally, by thinking of Him playing the flute, entering the Vrndavana forest and tending the cows with the cowherd boys have really attained the perfection of samadhi. Samadhi (trance) means absorption of all the activities of the senses in a particular object, and the gopis indicate that the pastimes of Krsna are the perfection of all meditation and samadhi. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who is always absorbed in the thought of Krsna is the topmost of all yogis. Ref. VedaBase = KB 21: The Gopis Attracted by the Flute<\/p>\n
Everything repeated three times stays in your mind and you can take it with you. So let us hear it one more time. This is a perfect meditation under the guidance of the authoritative “Manah-siksa”.<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat Day 4 (Jagattarini Mataji ) Govardhan<\/strong><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SS-2011-11-26_16.48.07.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Jagattarini Mataji “The fragrant qualities and pastimes of Sri Vrindavana dhama” Nov 26<\/p>\n[The full and clear recordings will be available at http:\/\/vihe.org in about 10 days, if our plans coincide with Krsna’s.]\n
As mentioned yesterday, the Vrajavasis understood that Krsna is God but it did not matter to them. The Vrajavasis may not care that Krsna is God, but Srila Prabhupada said that for us it is important to understand the tattva, otherwise we may disrespect or misunderstand Him.<\/p>\n
Srila Prabhupada said he had many nicknames: Nanda (because he was born on Nandotsava), Govardhan, which sometimes was shortened to Gobar:)<\/p>\n
Today I would like to read some glorifications of Sri Govardhan.<\/p>\n
Anger of mighty Indra was less powerful than a little finger of Krsna’s left hand.<\/p>\n
I want to read something that was something very astonishing to me.<\/p>\n
Untitled Prayer to Sri Govardhanoddhara (Lord Krsna, the Lifter of Govardhana Hill), Rupa Gosvami, Stava-mala vol. 5<\/p>\n
May the king of Vraja, who, when Indra covered the sun with clouds and sent great rains making tumultuous sounds of jhamajjham with the playing of thunder, protected His relatives by lifting a great hill, break apart all your fears. O Lord who, by speaking with great logic stopped the indra-yanja, who is very attached to worshiping the brahmanas and Govardhana Hill, who convinced the cowherd men in a moment, who at once began the worship of Govardhana Hill, . . .who, along with the gopi girls speaking words of praise and dressed in splendid garments and crowns of flower petals, and also along with the gopa boys loudly speaking many prayers, showered flowers on the hill, . . . . . .who assumed a form as large as a mountain and ate the offered foodstuffs, who pleased the gopis by fulfilling all their desires, who decorated the hill’s peaks with many flags, who pleased the hill by circumambulating it, . . . . . .who, when, because the indra-yajna was stopped the king of Svarga filled the horizons with thundering clouds showering rain to destroy Vraja, You saw Nanda and the other gopas distressed by the constant rain and broken with fear and the cows cold and fightened, then, impelled by love for Your friends and melting with compassion, with Your left hand, to everyone’s astonishment, like a playful regal elephant, casually and happily lifted and continued to hold Govardhana Hill, the great regal mountain that licks the sky, . . . . . .who said: “O mother, why are you unhappy when Your son is noble and generous? Friends, your troubles are over. Have no doubts in your hearts. . . . . . . These troubles are over. Do not be afraid. I have now made this hill into a great house. Don’t take this rain seriously. Laugh at Indra and enter here,” . . . . . .who was again and again glorified by the gopas, as, with lotus faces glowing with transcendental happiness, and breathing a sigh of relief, they entered the palace-like cavity under the hill, . . . . . . about whom Sri Radha said: “Visakha, how is it that your friend is now holding the great, heavy mountain on His delicate five fingers? When I see Him in this way My mind splits with anxiety. . . . . . . O lotus-eyed one, how is it that at this time, when the directions are darkened with terrible thundering clouds and garlanded with hurricane winds, My lover does not feel tired by lifting this great hill, which has just eaten so many offerings of food, and which has many tall peaks that touch the sky? . . . . . . In Vraja are there not many powerful gopa men, their bodies hard with muscles? O noble lady, why should the heavy, shaking hill be held by someone as delicate as a host of sirisa flowers? . . . . . . O Father Govardhana, I pray to you: Please become as light as a big kadamba flower so He will not become tired as He holds you in His hand. O auspicious one, I bow down and offer My respectful obeisances to you. . . . . . . O sincere and noble friend, please gaze now at Murari’s face, splendid with a smile at the edge of its moving locks of hair, with glistening cheeks and the dancing of glittering eyes, and deeply in love with us all,” . . . . . .who became like an intoxicated, loudly humming black bee drinking from the flowering vine of Radha’s voice this honey, which was sweeter than the flood of the sweet fragrance of the purest love, who was worshiped by the waves of beautiful Radha’s restless sidelong glances, . . . . . . about whom Mother Yasoda said: “How can my boy Mukunda hold up this heavy king of hills when His stomach has become so thin with hunger? O king of Vraja, you must by force Him to eat by putting this sweetened yogurt in His mouth. . . . . . . O Nilambara Balarama, I am pained now that Your younger brother is holding up this great burden. Show Your strength! Lend Him a hand!” . . . . . .who, hearing these affectionate words from His mother and glancing at her, by casually shifting the hill to the tip of the little finger and holding it with bravado, pacified the worried gopas, . . . . . . about whom the gopas said: “How did this seven-year-old boy, who still plays in the dust, and who still practically has His mother’s milk in His throat, get the power to lift for so long this hill heavier than Mount Kailasa? . . . Because He holds it on the tip of His finger with such casual playfulness, we do not fear the hill will fall. Look! The hill in His hand is like the earth at the end of the trunk of the regal elephants that hold up the directions, . . . . . . on the moon of whose face King Nanda and the gopas, who had completely given up eating and who were full of transcendental love, gazed with the great stars of wide-open eyes, who gave up sleeping for seven nights, . . . . . .who mocked Indra’s terrible, lightning-filled, sun-eclipsing, ferociously-thundering clouds propelled by hurricane winds and garlanded with rainbows, . . . . . .who drove away the false pride of blinded-with-the mud-of-ego, rain-sending Indra, who restored prosperity to Vraja, who shows no limit in punishing the wicked, . . . . . .who said: “The great rains, the hurricane winds making sounds of jhanjha, the lightning, and the terrible garlands of clouds have all gone. The sun peacefully shines in the sky. O heroes flooded with bliss, now you may all go outside.” . . . . . .who after speaking these words made Your kinsmen go out, who placed the great hill where it was before, and whom the beautiful gopis showered with yogurt, milk, grains, and sprouts, . . . . . .O handsome Lord Govinda, we happily bow down to offer our respects to You. Please be kind and give to us a drop of the pure love that completely eclipses the moon of non-devotional philosophy. O Lord who by strongly lifting Govardhana Hill humbled Indra who shook his thunderbolt and sent many terrible clouds, O Lord who with Your transcendental form eclipses the splendor of swarms of black bees delighted by palace roofs decorated with blue lotus petals, O Lord Govinda, O bliss of Nanda’s house, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.<\/p>\n
And here is something astonishing. Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that Krsna can invest a suitable power in His amsa. There are some old pictures where Krsna is fed by Yasoda Ma, while the hill is held by Balarama and Nanda Maharaja on both sides.<\/p>\n
There were 3 kinds of people under the hill: seniors, equals and juniors. The superiors smelled Krsna’s head, massaged his hand, cracked his fingers on the left hand. Friends, including Balarama, were cracking jokes, putting on dramatic shows, Madhu Mangala made jokes to pacify Mother Yasoda. Those who were younger, massaged Krsna’s lotus feet.<\/p>\n
The yajnic brahmanis, who could not stay with Krsna, also came under the hill and offered yogurt and unbroken grains together with the cowherd women; and they offered blessings: “May you subdue the wicked, protect the civilized, give pleasure to Your parents and be enriched with all wealth and opulence.”<\/p>\n
We are calling Govardhan the hill, but it was always called the mountain.<\/p>\n
In Vraja-riti-cintamani Sri Visvanatha openly summarizes Sri Kavikarnapura’s “Ananda Vrndavana Campu” adding something of his own.<\/p>\n
Govardhan had thousands of peaks!<\/p>\n
1 Govardhana Hill is like a flag of intense sweetness placed in the opulent land of Vrndavana. As the king of mountains Govardhana Hill offers very pleasing royal service to the young prince of Vraja. 2 The rocks of Govardhana Hill are many kinds of splendid jewels that provide thrones, couches, and other kinds of furniture for Sri Krsna, the supreme monarch of all nectar mellows. 3 Govardhana Hill’s beautiful forests and caves are Krsna’s nectar pastime palaces, each one perfect for the supreme good fortune of His beloved and Her friends. 4 Govardhana Hill’s trees and vines serve Sri Krsna by offering Him blossoming branches with sweet fruits, and flowers filled with honey, nectar and fragrant pollen. 5 The red, vermilion, yellow and other coloured pigments of Govardhana Hill decorate Lord Krsna’s transcendental body for the pleasure of His beloved gopis. 6 The musk left by deer, as well as the kunkuma, camphor, and aguru naturally produced by Govardhana Hill, were all used to give a sweet fragrance to the transcendental body of Lord Krsna. 7 There is a pleasant grove of sandalwood trees on Govardhana Hill. Although snakes generally flock to sandalwood trees, no snakes ever come here, or if sometimes a snake may come it is not poisonous, or if sometimes a poisonous snake may come its poison is automatically counteracted, and it can do no harm. As the best servant of Lord Hari, Govardhana Hill has made this wonderful arrangement for the Lord’s pleasure. 8 One time a contrary fawn-eyed gopi left Sri Krsna. A short time afterwards She saw a snake on the road. Frightened, She took shelter of Lord Krsna, embracing Him and begging for protection. As Lord Hari’s best servant, Govardhana Hill made all these nectarean arrangements for His pastimes. Note: This verse may also be translated in the following way: Rejected by a certain contrary fawn eyed gopi, Sri Krsna said: “I have just been bitten by one of Govardhana Hill’s snakes”. When the gopi heard this, she became repentant and came before the Lord with many apologies. As Lord Hari’s best servant, Govardhana Hill made all these arrangements for His pastimes. 9 The rocks of Govardhana Hill are all precious gems. Some are sapphires, some emeralds, some rubies or crystals. They provide the perfect backdrop for Lord Krsna’s pastimes. 10 If, while walking on Govardhana Hill, Krsna’s elder brother Balarama sees a series of golden stones, He thinks: ‘the daughter of King Vrsabhanu must have just now walked before Me’, and He changes course to avoid an awkward situation. In the same way, if She sees a series of crystal stones, She thinks: ‘Balarama must have just now walked before Me’, and She changes Her course.<\/p>\n
“Ananda Vrndavana Campu”: When all the different animals such as rums, camara”, gavayas, gandharvas, srmaras, rohisas, sasa, and sambaras bathe in the parrot-green colored streams flowing under the densely foliated green trees they appear to be made of emeralds. No one can tell whether they are real animals or made out of green jewels. The crystal rocks of Govardhana reflect the blue rays of its sapphires to no ear like Balarama dressed in blue cloth. The large emeralds reflecting the eolden rocks look like Narayana adorned in His golden dhoti. The vellow sapphire platforms standing on beds of diamonds appear like Siva and Gauri. The waterfalls pouring over the emerald cliffs look like Lord Rama carrying His curved bow. The ruby platforms standing on silver bases appear like Brahma mounted on his swan. The clear waterfalls rapidly falling from the tall peaks of Govardhana carry the reflections of many multi-colored jewels and appear like long rainbows. The light com-ine from the various stones and jewels in the plateaus reflect in the sky like a rainbow. The effulgence from the peaks of vaidurya gems appears like the tail of a comet streaking over Govardhana, or like a flock of flying gray birds.<\/p>\n
This is like setting the scene, which is important for entering the pastimes. And tomorrow we will hear about the Yamuna.<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 5 (Madhavananda Prabhu) Kaliya blessed<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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<\/p>\n[Complete and clear recordings are expected to be uploaded on http:\/\/vihe.org in about 10 days]\n
The only way to lecture before such an assembly is to do it in the spirit of service.<\/p>\n
Sri Balarama is prominent here by first being absent, and then holding the Vrajavasis back, not allowing them to jump into the Kaliya-hrada. Kaliya means “blackness” and “hrada” can refer to the heart. Kaliya personifies malice and criticism. We can again quote Srila Prabhupada: “Instead of meetings, resolutions, dissolutions, revolutions, and then no solutions, there should be chanting.”<\/p>\n
If somebody criticizes us, we should forgive them and it is very good for our bhajan.<\/p>\n
VCT says it is a very special pastime. In Vraja-lila Krsna does not kill any demons personally (it is His Visnu expansions), but in this particular case, according to Raghava Pandit, it is Krsna Himself who does it, because as Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says in Sarartha-darsini, this is where the gopis purva-raga manifests.<\/p>\n
When Krsna began to play, all the Gandharvas and demigods came to play in accompaniment.<\/p>\n
Kaliya had 100 prominent heads out of total 1000. Whenever he tried to raise one, Krsna would jump on it. Sanatana Gosvami says that Krsna danced excessively to create good fortune for Kaliya. In Brhad-Vaisnava-tosani Sri Sanatana comments like no other acarya comments. He says that Krsna stayed for one muhurta in the coils to relish the embrace, Kaliya’s bites were kisses, Kaliya’s blood etc were ecstatic symptoms. Before, the Nagapatnis were saying, “Let this demon, our husband, die”, but when they have noticed some bhakti sprouting in him (regret, humility), the Nagapatnis were happy, “Our husband is becoming a devotee, how wonderful, we should try to save him”.<\/p>\n
“A sense of weakness caused by distress, fear or offensiveness is called humility.” Ref. VedaBase = Humility<\/p>\n
When the Nagapatnis started praying that made Kaliya completely prideless – his last vestige of pride in having wives was crushed.<\/p>\n
Sanatana Gosvami says that Krsna, all-powerful Prabhu, took the gopis to dance on the heads of Kaliya. As you may remember from the song we were singing in the last year retreat, Krsna performed a rasa-dance on 1000 hoods of the Kaliya-naga, which awed the demigods, who never saw such a performance on a moving stage. At that time, Nanda and Yasoda were too stunned to notice anything.<\/p>\n
Sri Sanatana Gosvami says that Krsna snatched the uttariyas, upper clothes of the Nagapatnis, made them into a rope and pierced the nose of Kaliya, riding him like a horse, with His left hand playing on His vamsi flute. So here Kaliya gets more mercy even than Garuda, who carries Lord Visnu.<\/p>\n
The Nagapatnis have started bringing ornaments and jewels and Krsna started decorating the gopis. Then Krsna went down on the bank, and here Lord Balarama brought all the Vrajavasis to their senses, “See, Krsna is here, He is here”, and they all drenched Him in their tears.<\/p>\n
Whoever simply accepts whatever punishment Krsna gives to him as Krsna’s causeless kindness, such a person gets mercy of the Lord (10.14.8). Others continue to envy the Lord. Kaliya gave up his pride and accepted the Lord.<\/p>\n
Krsna told Kaliya: natra stheyam tvaya sarpa samudram yahi ma ciram<\/p>\n
Don’t stay here, go to the ocean (Srila Prabhupada says it is Fiji).<\/p>\n
sva-jnaty-apatya-daradhyo go-nrbhir bhujyate nadi<\/p>\n
This Yamuna belongs to the cows and cowherds.<\/p>\n
Out of fear of Garuda, you left Ramanaka Island and came to take shelter of this lake. But because you are now marked with My footprints, Garuda will no longer try to eat you. Ref. VedaBase = SB 10.16.64<\/p>\n
Many questions can be raised.<\/p>\n
How Vaisnava ladies agreed to marry such a non-devotee rascal? Why Balarama was not there? Why Kaliya was not killed? How could Kaliya get Krsna’s foot marks on his head? Garuda is not a small-timer, how could Kaliya survive a fight with him? How could Kaliya enter Vrindavan (not shortly like us, but for many yugas)? Why Balarama was late to the lake? Why did Balarama stay back, when everybody was rushing to Kaliya-hrada, and used all his strength to convince Rohini to stay back, why precisely her?<\/p>\n
… In a rare book, Hari-bhakti-prakas, Raghava Pandita has answered many questions. … Sanatana Gosvami gives very unusual explanation explantions (the translator even notes that no other commentator gives similar explanations). However, we see some confirmation in Garga-samhita and Brahma-vaivarta-purana. Garga-samhita and Brahma-vaivarta-purana give many descriptions of Sri Radha Krsna lila, but we may not always relish them. For example, Radharani there kills demons and manifests other forms of aisvarya. Aisvarya-priti-sankucita – opulence makes loving sentiment shrunken. But we can see that some of Sanatana Gosvami’s comments may contain echos from these literatures. [So we may not accept the mood but refer to some events.]\n
In BVPurana 4.19 Kaliya says Text 81 samprapya tvan-manum brahmann anantad yavad eva hi tavat tvad-bhavanenaiva tvad-vargo ‘ham anugrahat<\/p>\n
O Lord, I attained Your mantra from Lord Ananta Sesa. Since then I have always meditated on You. Now, by Your mercy, I have become part of Your family.<\/p>\n
So this answers our first question – why those ladies married him. He might have been a mixed devotee, but maybe some of us are also mixed. It also answers why Krsna didn’t kill him, why he got Krsna’s footmarks on his head, and how could he enter Vrindavan.<\/p>\n
Subala, the chief Queen of Kaliya, was accepted by Krsna like His daughter and Kaliya as His son-in-law.<\/p>\n
Now why Balarama did not come on the day of this pastimes? All the literatures mention this fact. In one place it says that it was Balarama’s birthday. But there must be more. Balarama is adi-guru and is very merciful. He even accepted Duryodhana! My guru was so merciful he accepted me. Balarama is known sometimes as Ananta Sesa. One of his disciples was Duryodhana, another – Kaliya. If He could not tolerate to go to Kuruksetra, He could also be reluctant to go to the Kaliya-damana-lila.<\/p>\n
Kaliya wasn’t killed. He was a sakama-bhakta. He has no place in Vrindavan. Malice has no place in pure bhakti. But don’t go on campaign trying to drive Kaliya out. “Instead of meetings, resolutions, dissolutions, revolutions, and then no solutions, there should be chanting.” By the Holy Name everything is accomplished.<\/p>\n
Another reason why he could not stay in Vrndavana, is that Kaliya did not take shelter in any of the Vrajavasis. …<\/p>\n
In answer to our 5th question, how could Kaliya survive fighting for a whole muhurta with Garuda. BVP says that the whole time Kaliya was fighting with Garuda, in his mind Kaliya was chanting the name of Krsna and meditating on Him.<\/p>\n
If Kaliya was so powerful by the Holy Name, why could he not defeat Garuda? Kaliya answers that himself: I was a bhaktam apakvam, immature, unripe devotee. Why was Kaliya able to live in the Yamuna for so many years. One answer is that he chanted Krsna’s names, as revealed in BVP. Another answer is given in Garga-samhita (c. 2 ch. 15):<\/p>\n
Sri Narada said: In ancient times, during the Svayambhuva-manvantara, a sage named Vedasira Muni, who was a descendent of Bhrgu Muni, performed austerities in the Vindhya Hills. Then, one day a sage named Asvasira Muni came to perform austerities at this sage’s asrama. With red eyes staring at his guest, Vedasira Muni angrily spoke. Sri Vedasira said: O brahmana, don’t perform austerities in my asrama. O sage whose wealth is austerity, is there no other place where you can happily perform austerities? [-like some brahmacaris may become possessive of their corner in the asrama:-)] Sri Narada said: When he heard Vedasira’s words, Asvasira Muni became angry. With red eyes he spoke to the best of sages. Sri Asvasira said: O best of sages, this place belongs to Lord Maha-Visnu. It does not belong to you or me. Have not many sages already performed great austerities here? You are angry for no reason. You hiss as if you were a snake. Become a snake! You will be terrified of Garuda. Sri Vedasira said: Fool, for a slight offense you plot a great revenge! On this earth you are like a crow. Fool, become a crow! Sri Narada said: Then Lord Visnu appeared and consoled the two sages, who were now unhappy with their curses. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: You are both equally devoted to Me. O sages, you are like the two arms of My body. O kings of the sages, I can make My own words false, but I do not wish to allow the words of my devotees to become false. That is My vow. O Vedasira, I will place My footprints on your head. Because of them you will never fear Garuda. O Asvasira, hear My words. Don’t lament. Please don’t lament. You will have the form of a crow, but you will have transcendental knowledge. You will have yoga-siddhis and the highest knowledge in the three worlds.<\/p>\n
Sri Narada said: After speaking these words, Lord Visnu departed. O king, then the sage Asvasira became the crow Bhusunda on Mount Nila.<\/p>\n
— When one meditates on a devotee for a long time, one becomes purified – Kaliya meditated, in fear, on Garuda for a long time, that is why Krsna chastised Kaliya personally and not through his Visnu expansion.<\/p>\n
Now, why did Balarama used all his strength to convince Rohini to stay back, why precisely her?<\/p>\n
Garga-samhita mentions that in a previous birth Rohini was Kaliya’s mother.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much!<\/p>\n
vancha kalpa tarubhyas ca krpa sindhubhya eva ca patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah<\/p>\n
Some additional material\/transcripts will also be uploaded to http:\/\/govardhanretreat. wordpress. com\/ artistically created by Sudevi Mataji.<\/p>\n
Your servant apd<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 5 (Bhurijan Prabhu)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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\nNovember 27, 2011<\/p>\n
Last time we have heard how King Bahulasva met Lord Krsna, and his heart was filled with what? His heart was filled with joy and his eyes were filled with tears.<\/p>\n
“What person who knows this – that You, the almighty Lord, love Your devotee more than even Ananta, Sri or Brahma – would ever abandon Your lotus feet?”<\/p>\n
All the things we find our security in here in the material world, as soon we need them, turn into smoke, into a big zero. While Krsna is not only dear to devotees, but also holds them as very dear to Him.<\/p>\n
So how to accomplish that, or rather how to do our part in becoming His devotees? K. Bahulasva explains that in the next verse (34): You have appeared to spread Your glories, which include also the Holy Name. When we hear about Krsna’s qualities, activities, dealings with devotees, we become attracted to Krsna.<\/p>\n
Then K. B. offers his obeisances and requests Krsna to stay in his house for some time. This is the way to clear the darkness of Kali which fills our hearts with so many desires (if only this, if only that, if only I could run again, if only I had hair again, if I only I were strong again, if only I knew Sanskrt, if only I could play harmonium — these plant seeds for our next birth) – Srimad-Bhagavatam can bring the light. Even intermediate desires somehow connected are better replaced with desires “if only I had Krsna’s lotus feet, if only I could serve Him with devotion”.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n[Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Thus invited by the King, the Supreme Lord, sustainer of the world, consented to stay for some time to bestow good fortune on the men and women of Mithila.]\n
Krsna has the power to satisfy everyone at the same time (we have the power to dissatisfy at the same time:-).<\/p>\n
SB 10.86.38 srutadevo ‘cyutam praptam sva-grhan janako yatha natva munin su-samhrsto dhunvan vaso nanarta ha<\/p>\n
Srutadeva received Lord Acyuta into his home with as much enthusiasm as that shown by King Bahulasva. After bowing down to the Lord and the sages, Srutadeva began to dance with great joy, waving his shawl.<\/p>\n
He also danced with joy and everything that he had also danced, even his shawl.<\/p>\n
SB 10.86.39 trna-pitha-brsisv etan anitesupavesya sah svagatenabhinandyanghrin sa-bharyo ‘vanije muda<\/p>\n
After bringing mats of grass and darbha straw and seating his guests upon them, he greeted them with words of welcome. Then he and his wife washed their feet with great pleasure.<\/p>\n
Internally they were equal with the King but externally they were quite different. Even the mats he had to borrow from neighbors (VCT).<\/p>\n
41. With the wash water, the virtuous Srutadeva copiously sprinkled himself, his house and his family. Overjoyed, he felt that all his desires had now been fulfilled.<\/p>\n
Having things, as the mode of passion would, does not fulfill our desires. Fuel does not stop the fire. BST said that when I accept that there is no situation in the material world that could make me happy, I have made a greatest step forward in spiritual life. We have a tendency to move in the spiritual life but looke backwards time and again (if I only I did that or had that). But we<\/p>\n
Sometimes it is said that love is only meant for Krsna. That is true but that includes Krsna’s devotees. This is what SP told me in Hong Kong, in front of a Hilton hotel elevator: “You are social by nature, and if you don’t make friendship with devotees, – and the elevator doors opened, — then you will be forced to make friendship with nondevotees; and then you won’t be able to follow the rules and regulations of d\/s” – and the doors closed behind us.<\/p>\n
Srutadeva did not even have the mats but felt totally fulfilled.<\/p>\n
42. He worshiped them with offerings of auspicious items easily available to him, such as fruits, usira root, pure, nectarean water, fragrant clay, tulasi leaves, kusa grass and lotus flowers. Then he offered them food that increases the mode of goodness.<\/p>\n
Now such clay is a luxury – a wealthy person goes to a spa to get mudpacks, to draw toxins out of the body.<\/p>\n
He did not think, “Oh, I have so much devotion and brought Him here”… – “He wondered: How is it that I, fallen into the blind well of family life, have been able to meet Lord Krsna? And how have I also been allowed to meet these great brahmanas, who always carry the Lord within their hearts? Indeed, the dust of their feet is the shelter of all holy places.” v. 43<\/p>\n
Krsna does the impossible and will do anything for His devotees. In the first section He arranged Arjuna’s marriage with Subhadra, in the second part He visits Janakpur with the sages, and He visits aprakata Vraja on the way, and He arranged for the people on the way to see Him – actually see Him, not like Kamsa, He gave devotion. So here the devotees are being described, the ones who carry Him in their hearts because they love him.<\/p>\n
In the next section, in the 7 verses Krsna is going to speak, He will say just that – that the devotees carry Him in their heart and they can give him to anyone. Just like He cannot step out of Vrindavan he cannot leave the hearts of devotees.<\/p>\n
“51. The Supreme Lord said: My dear br? hma? a, you should know that these great sages have come here just to bless you. They travel throughout the worlds with Me, purifying them with the dust of their feet.
\n52. One can gradually become purified by seeing, touching and worshiping temple deities, places of pilgrimage and holy rivers. But one can attain the same result immediately simply by receiving the glance of exalted sages.”<\/p>\n
In one lecture SP speaks about mechanical hearing, but it has to be done with spirit of service. syan mahat sevaya viprah – the taste comes from serving the great souls.<\/p>\n
The Kings verses gave the methodology, how we can attract Krsna, so we can be with Him and serve Him. So what will the brahmana say in his 6 verses? The same message but something very different.<\/p>\n
Before Srutadeva spoke, Krsna, in His mood of a ksatriya, says, “It is Our great fortune to meet you today”. To which Srutadeva replies:<\/p>\n
44. Srutadeva said: It is not that we have attained the audience of the Supreme Person only today, for we have in fact been associating with Him ever since He created this universe with His energies and then entered it in His transcendental form.<\/p>\n
Without Krsna, without the energies He supplies, we would not be able to breathe or exist. … The body functions, all is going on, but who has organized it all. So we are never separated from Him, we are always associated with Him.<\/p>\n
So that is what S. is saying: It is not that we have Your association only today – we are associated since the beginning of existence”.<\/p>\n
45. The Lord is like a sleeping person who creates a separate world in his imagination and then enters his own dream and sees himself within it.<\/p>\n
Krsna has been seeing us always! He is the overseer and permitter. If He does not permit my hand cannot rise. Do not doubt this. … Paralysis or a few bugs entering and making us to weak – it can happen. It will happen! So the situation is that HE SEES US, BUT WE DON’T SEE HIM.<\/p>\n
How to turn that into a relationship? If one turns one back to someone it is insulting and the relationship is broken. That is what an aparadha is. Krsna bhule sei jiva anadi bahirmukha – we did exactly that, so how to do that – He is already facing us, how do we turn to Him. That is what Srutadeva is going to say:<\/p>\n
46. You reveal Yourself within the hearts of those persons of pure consciousness who constantly hear about You, chant about You, worship You, glorify You and converse with one another about You.<\/p>\n
You, Krsna, the all-powerful, all-beautiful prince of Vraja, You come into the hearts of those with pure consciousness who CONSTANTLY hear about You, chant about You, worship You, glorify You and converse with one another about You.<\/p>\n
Very similar to the BG:<\/p>\n
satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah namasyantas ca mam bhaktya nitya-yukta upasate<\/p>\n
Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion. Bg 9.14<\/p>\n
If you have seen Mukunda Maharaja’s “Miracle in the Second Avenue”, there is a peculiar episode. SP goes to some beaurocrat to discuss a proper visa for Srila Prabhupada. They discuss some dry matters and all of a sudden this official lady asks, “How can you remember Krsna all the time?” ??! SP answers, “It is natural. Would you consider coming out of your house without your clothes on? It is that natural”. That is the natural consciousness of a soul. For us it is not quite that natural, but this is the process: hear, chant, become attracted and serve, remembering that we are serving HIM. Not just work, but remembering, “It is FOR YOUR pleasure”.<\/p>\n
Srila VCT gives a wonderful example: just like a poor householder goes out to procure sustenance, devotees go and search the association of devotees to hear and speak about Krsna. Just like you have done by coming here to the Govardhan Retreat.<\/p>\n
By hearing the desire sprouts in our heart (like in hearing about a distant tourist destination), but then so many impurities cover our heart, so what to do?<\/p>\n
srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam<\/p>\n
Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. SB 1.2.17<\/p>\n
These words from SP’s purport give us hope: “The Lord is reciprocally respondent to His devotees. When He sees that a devotee is completely sincere in getting admittance to the transcendental service of the Lord and has thus become eager to hear about Him, the Lord acts from within the devotee in such a way that the devotee may easily go back to Him. The Lord is more anxious to take us back into His kingdom than we can desire. Most of us do not desire at all to go back to Godhead. Only a very few men want to go back to Godhead. But anyone who desires to go back to Godhead, Sri Krsna helps in all respects.”<\/p>\n
Please listen: “The Lord is reciprocally respondent to His devotees. When He sees that a devotee is completely sincere in getting admittance to the transcendental service of the Lord [-and this is the price – sincerity -] and has thus become eager to _hear_ [-this is the methodology Krsna has offered, “If you want to come to Me, here is the door, I have opened it, hear and chant”, this is the channel -] about Him, the Lord acts from within the devotee in such a way that the devotee may easily [! – in other words, He helps, He gives us His mercy] go back to Him. The Lord is more anxious to take us back into His kingdom than we can desire [- this is so reassuring; not “than we desire” but “than we CAN desire”-]. Most of us do not desire at all to go back to Godhead. Only a very few men want to go back to Godhead. But anyone who desires to go back to Godhead, Sri Krsna helps in all respects.”<\/p>\n
He fans the smallest spark. He is always with us and He is always seeing us.<\/p>\n
From Sri Baladava V.’s commentary on 9.13: At all times (satatam), without regard for purity of time and place, they glorify Me. They worship Me (mam upasate) by loudly chanting the sweet nectar of My names related to My auspicious qualities and activities, such as Govinda and [-… guess what other name he mentions here… -] Govardhana-dhari. Going to temples housing My forms, falling down like rods on the dusty earth, full of devotion, they worship Me.<\/p>\n
Srutadeva says: You reveal Yourself within the hearts of those persons of pure consciousness who constantly hear about You, chant about You, worship You, glorify You and converse with one another about You.<\/p>\n
– so this is the perfection and the means to perfection, because Krsna helps. We bring in our limited ability and Krsna brings in His unlimited capacity. He is already there, too, He does not have to travel to reach us.<\/p>\n
47. But although You reside within the heart, You are very far away from those whose minds are disturbed by their entanglement in material work. Indeed, no one can grasp You by his material powers, for You reveal Yourself only in the hearts of those who have learned to appreciate Your transcendental qualities.<\/p>\n
It all depends on one’s bhakti. When, in Paitha, near Candra-sarovara, where a rasa-dance was held, Krsna took a four-armed form, He could not maintain it before Radharani.<\/p>\n
Krsna will give what we seek. Do you want to be free from all the disturbances? He will give mukti. Muktim dadati karhicit sma na bhakti yogam. But bhakti He gives rarely, as explained in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.<\/p>\n
If there is envy in the heart, the only way to be happy is if everyone has less than you. Envy is like a spear in the heart – how can you be happy with a spear in the heart.<\/p>\n
“Indeed, no one can grasp You by his material powers, for You reveal Yourself only in the hearts of those who have learned to appreciate Your transcendental qualities.” – so both for the poor and affluent the process is the same, hearing and chanting.<\/p>\n
48. Let me offer my obeisances unto You. You are realized as the Supreme Soul by those who know the Absolute Truth, whereas in Your form of time You impose death upon the forgetful souls. You appear both in Your causeless spiritual form and in the created form of this universe, thus simultaneously uncovering the eyes of Your devotees and obstructing the vision of the nondevotees.<\/p>\n
Simultaneously devotees see You, and nondevotees see just a part of the universe! You cover their eyes with the curtain of maya. You won’t lift the curtain except for your devotees.<\/p>\n
You don’t broadcast your secrets to anyone, you tell them only to your dearest friend, whom you trust and who will not turn around and exploit you. Who will not take your katha and use for their own fame and gain.<\/p>\n
Just 2 days ago I was taking a walk and i saw one area of Govardhan, there were blue and pink plastic bags, betel containers, so much garbage, I didn’t have my glasses on and could not see what was glowing in the midst. So I put the glasses on and saw it was a ghee lamp glowing before Giriraj in the setting sun. I thought, the person who did that had a good vision. It takes bhakti to see Giriraj in the middle of all that. To see Krsna in the midst of everything that happens to us takes bhakti. Mukti pade sa daya bhak – if in the middle of all things happening to us one can offer Krsna a ghee lamp, not just with the movement of the hand but with the heart, then ‘jiveta yo mukti pade sa daya bhak’ – they attain Krsna’s lotus feet.<\/p>\n
What I am seeing is actually my consciousness. Seeing what we see is a very good way to see what is our consciousness. That made me very embarassed. But then a pastime of Krsna made me very happy. When Krsna was taken by Akrura to Mathura, the cowherd boys went with Nanda Maharaja directly and waited for Krsna. Krsna took a long route. Krsna lived His whole life in a village and wanted to see Mathura, the big city, and also He wanted to be seen by Kamsa. He went in a light joyful mood. Everybody came forward for two reasons: they heard a lot of Him; and also they were thinking of Him as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki – they were imprisoned by Kamsa and now the prince was returning. The description of how ladies reacting was almost like a description of the Vraja-gopikas. …<\/p>\n
And then Krsna saw a washerman, rajak. He was a washerman of the person who kept Krsna and Balarama’s parents in prison. Krsna very politely asked for suitable garments for just two person for the next day’s competition. Even from your point of view we are the princes. You will get undoubtedly the greatest benefit. (Even if it appears that we are losing we get the greatest benefit). The arrogan washerman – not an aristocratic family in any city – replied: You impudent boys! You’re accustomed to roaming the mountains and forests, and yet You would dare put on such clothes as these! These are the King’s possessions You’re asking for!<\/p>\n
And what Krsna did? Cut off his head with His hand. For years I thought about it. Why did Krsna punished him so severely, killed him? And just recently I found an answer: the washerman said, “yatasu balisa maivam” – “Fools, get out of here quickly!” He called BOTH of Them fools! He called Dauji, Balarama, a fool!! “Don’t beg like this if You want to stay alive. When someone is too bold, the King’s men arrest him and kill him and take all his property.” These were the last words he said.<\/p>\n
“As the washerman thus spoke brazenly, the son of Devaki became angry, and then merely with His fingertips He separated the man’s head from his body.”10.41.37<\/p>\n
The washerman’s assistants all dropped their bundles of clothes and fled down the road, scattering in all directions. Lord Krsna then took the clothes. 10.41.39<\/p>\n
The tailor on the other hand did not care about Kamsa and arranged for dressing Krsna nicely. Then one needs a nice garland — and Sudama came and gave not an old garland, but the best one on Balarama and Krsna. Krsna offered him “whatever you want”.<\/p>\n
Sudama chose unshakable devotion for Krsna, the Supreme Soul of all existence; friendship with His devotees; and transcendental compassion for all living beings. SB 10.41.51<\/p>\n
Devotion, friendship and compassion. Interestingly enough, soon before dying, Pariksit Maharaja is asking: “Again, offering obeisances unto all you brahmanas, I pray that if I should again take my birth in the material world I will have complete attachment to the unlimited Lord Krsna, association with His devotees and friendly relations with all living beings.”1.19.17<\/p>\n
The first thing we need is unshakable devotion\/complete attachment — it will not waver at the time of death, grasping at our bank accounts. And also friendship and compassion.<\/p>\n
Next, Krsna and Balarama need perfumes and meets Kubja, who also does not care about King Kamsa. Next Krsna breaks the bow, and the guards attack him and are killed. They are servants of Kamsa and selfishness, so they can’t see Krsna. The sound cracks Kamsa’s heart, and still he does not relent – a determined demon.<\/p>\n
So let us at least see the signs. The wrestlers description is so wonderful, but we don’t have enough time…<\/p>\n
The final prayer of Srutadeva is:
\n50. O Lord, You are that Supreme Soul, and we are Your servants. How shall we serve You? My Lord, simply seeing You puts an end to all the troubles of human life.<\/p>\n
A devotee wants to serve.<\/p>\n
In Varsana another kind of rajaki, a little washerman’s girl, Radhika, when I said, “I am Krsnera nitya dasa”, she moved her neck in the local inimitable way and said, “DasI”. It is the opposite of all the new age impersonal concepts. We want to serve. Hare Krishna!<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 5 (Sacinandana Maharaja)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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OK, BUT CAN YOU GIVE US JUST ONE WORSHIPABLE OBJECT?<\/p>\n
(notes by Jahnu Prabhu)<\/p>\n
November 27, 2011 12:45 PM, Sacinandana Swami:<\/p>\n
Welcome to the fourth day of the Manah Siksa Seminar. The Manah Siksa is written by Ragunattha Dasa Goswami as a guidebook and it translates as instructions to the mind. In Ragunattha Dasa Goswami’s work, he gives us guidelines on how to deal with the mind both directly and indirectly. Now, I have spoken to different devotees about this seminar, and I have received valuable feedback about the meditations on which we do. Some have reported that it is very difficult for them, to enter into contact with Krsna. They have not been trained previously to do this, and they have even developed a question, “Is this proper?” Others have reported that while they did the meditations, they have somehow been very easily able to visualize the content of the scriptures and so on. So there are many valuable feedbacks, and I would like to say as an introduction to today’s class, two things which I feel are important. First of all, there is a place in our tradition for remembrance. Srila Rupa Goswami has quoted a verse that the whole purpose of sadhana is to remember Krsna and never forget him. That means to be mindful of Krsna, or to be Krsna conscious.<\/p>\n
I had a very deep personal experience which convinces me in my own way to try to make my mind cooperate in sadhana. It was a few years ago when I had surgery that turned dramatic. I was released fro the hospital, but then developed a deadly infection. When I finally came back to the hospital, I was already fainting. The doctors put so many machines on me, and it became a race for dear life. There was one particular experience that I would like to share with you. It was when I could not eat anymore – one night, the doctors said, “This will be the night which will decide whether we see you live or not.”<\/p>\n
I temporarily left my body and went through a tunnel — rushing through a long long tunnel with great speed — and all of a sudden, came into a brilliant effulgence. I thought, “Oh, no! I don’t want to end in Brahman!” Afterwards, the next morning, the nurses found me, all the artificial nourishment had fallen out of the veins, and the nurses said, “You were crying, and throwing your arms up in the air. The doctors instructed to leave you alone, because you are monk and let it all happen in your monk way.” Now, before I got into this state, I tried everything in my life to be Krsna conscious. I tried to chant the mantra, I chanted Gita verses, but what I found out was that I could not make a contact. Everything was disturbed; I couldn’t remember Krsna.<\/p>\n
When I came out of this experience, I came out with remembering Krsna. My friend Bhurijan Prabhu took a picture of Radha Syamasundara and sent it to me. I do remember that time that I understood that Krsna comes only in the mind by devotional service. I decided that I will sing for Radha Krsna and when nobody is in the room I will dance for Them – only for Them. I sincerely think that by trying to do service for Radha and Krsna, I came out of this dreadful situation, healthy, happy, and a little wiser.<\/p>\n
Here in the sacred land of Vrndavan, we try to talk more about Krsna, and we try to hear those instructions patiently that help our mind think about Radha and Krsna. So today, we will do the tenth verse, which I think you will all like very much. After the ninth verse, Raghunatha Goswami asks a question. “So many things have been said to me. So what is the singlemost object of worship?”<\/p>\n
O mind, just worship hari-dayita Radhe, Lord Hari’s most beloved Radha, who scorches even Rati (the wife of Cupid), Gauri (the wife of Siva), and Lila
\n(the personal pastime energy of Lord Narayana) with the effulgent rays of Her beauty, who defeats Sri Saci (Indrani, the wife of King Indra), Sri Laksmi
\n(the eternal consort of Lord Narayana), and Sri Satyabhama (the Queen of Dvaraka and wife of Krsna) by the strength of Her good fortune, and who shuns away (or throws aside) the pious young girls of Vraja, headed by Sri Candravali, by Her ability to bring Sri Krsna under Her control.<\/p>\n
Without first approaching this swarupa-sakti, that is the Lord’s internal potency, one can never attain the full aspect of the Lord Sri Krsna. Iit is almost like, when you approach the fire, you first approach the light and the fire. If you approach something which looks like fire, no warmth and no heat, then it is most probably not the fire. When there is not the energy, you will not approach the fire. Or if you don’t go to the moon rays first, how will you see the moon? The moon is there for you through the moon rays. So Krsna’s own energies is Srimati Radharani and you need to make contact with here first. Therefore she is the single most object of worship.<\/p>\n
In the Brhad Bhagavatam, there is a very interesting illustration on how you must approach Radharani first. One morning, Gopa Kumar goes to visit Krsna. And it’s early; maybe the brahmanas are chanting in the village of Braj. On that morning, Sri Radhikadevi herself stops Gopa Kumar and Gopa Kumar remembers this morning with Radharani and the order. “Radhika ordered me, ‘Svarupa, there is a brahmana in Mathura, and he is coming to my grove in Vrndavan on the Earth. This brahmana doesn’t know what he should know to reach her. Enlighten him with good instructions and console him. Help him quickly attain Krsna’s grace.’ I swiftly came to Vrndavan, overjoyed. I didn’t even think I would miss Krsna’s company that morning.” Sanatana Goswami explains this difficult subject. Gopa Kumar is there to meet Krsna, and then he is stopped on the way and is told to go on a preaching assignment. Gopa Kumar knew that obeying Radha would endear him to Krsna.<\/p>\n
The 10th verse mentions three qualities that make RAdharani so special. One is her extraordinary beauty, which is more beautiful than the wife of lovegod. What is the other quality of Radharani? The ability ot control Krsna. There’s another one, extreme fortune.<\/p>\n
Do you know the index by which beauty is measured? In the spiritual world it is the amount of love. Radharani is the dearmost of Krsna. Radha carries the greatest amount of love for Krsna. The Anu love is the love of ordinary devotees, who have an atomic particle of love of God. The second degree of love are people like Narada Muni. The first degree of love are people like the Brijbasis (mahan) and the topmost and greatest love for Krsna is Radharani (parama mahan).<\/p>\n
I think all of you have a lake in our heart – and we might have things swimming in there we don’t want, like plastic bottles! Krsna’s heart is like a vast Manasa-sarovara lake, the highest beautiful lake at the foot of Mt. Kailas, and there is a swan (Radharani) swimming. Why does Krsna like Radha? Because Radha has a unique type of love.<\/p>\n
Another quality of Radharani was her good fortune. This is good fortune, to have Krsna’s feet in her heart.<\/p>\n
Her ability to control Krsna, that’s her third ability. By using her mystic power of her intense love for Krsna, She has brought him completely under control. I think you need to hear this, about how the divine couple feel about themselves. Krsna says, “Listen, Oh Radha. I am fully under your control. I am unable to think of anyone but you. When I repeat your name, Radhe, and mediate on your form, I just cannot remain patient. When from anywhere I hear the name ‘Sri Radhe,’ my mind runs in the directions where these words came. Crying and crying, I lift my face and cry loudly for Radha. Only then my life is saved. You know, I wait for you. I don’t like Vrndavan if it is without you. I like Vrndavan because of you.”<\/p>\n
So my dear devotees, this is Radharani. She has Krsna fully under her control. She is the most fortunate, and she is the most beautiful. It is all because of her love for Krsna. All because of this single maha-bhava.<\/p>\n
Now I want to ask a question. How to attain Srimati Radharani’s mercy? I want to ask this question with two thoughts in my mind. Some devotees who have heard new subjects in the last two verses will ask themselves, “Where is this lecture going to? Does he want to make us raganuga devotees?” My dear devotees, in the path of Krsna consciousness, there are two strands. One is the strand of cultivation. The other strand is to plead for the mercy. Rupa Goswami tells us of another paddhati (path of spiritual cultivation). It’s a path by which you pray for mercy. It is this path which has also been instructed by Ragunatha Dasa Goswami in the eight verse. On this path of pleading for mercy, according to Bhaktivinod Thakur, you need three qualities to be successful. I will tell them to you, I will not withhold them from you. It is (1) unpretentious humility (and you know one is unpretentiously humble when he tolerates others mistakes and insults); (2) ardour; (3) one-pointedness.<\/p>\n
There is a prayer, it starts with a glorification of Radhika. Radharani is glorified in the first four verses, and then Rupa Goswami describes, “I am bowing down. I beseech you, with a stammering pitiable cry, Oh Queen of Vrndavan, I am crying to you with a troubled heart! I am unfit! I am an offender! I am so wicked!! I have a crooked mind, not very straight. But now, I ask of you something. Please bestow a small fragment of the valuable gift of your service to this person.”<\/p>\n
“You know, Radha, such a sorrowful person is not fit to be neglected by you, for isn’t your heart like fresh butter, which melts from the warmth of your compassion?”<\/p>\n
In the same way, all our acharyas, they actually plead, “Aren’t you the emblem of compassion? Isn’t it known throughout the scripures that you are compassionate? Isn’t compassion the movement of the heart? So I am most inferior, so shouldn’t your compassion extend to me? Am I not qualified?”<\/p>\n
Everyone can say “I am very humble and very fallen,” It’s very easy to learn the humble vocabulary. But it is so difficult to be tolerant if someone steps on your toe. There you can see, the tolerant devotee who even if he is wrong, he goes on without protest. He is humble.<\/p>\n
Some of us are so cold in our hearts. You have to put some heat in your practice so that there is an intense hankering. And you must have a one-pointed goal. Being humble, intense hankering, and a one-pointed goal; that will get you the mercy of Radharani.<\/p>\n
I would like to chant with you the Hare Krsna Mahamantra, and in the midst of it, I would like you to sit straight and close your eyes. If you do not wish to meditate, there is no need, just close your eyes and hear. Krsna is independent. The things of the spiritual world are independent. We need to know about the channels to connect. It is known that in this world, the spiritual master is the representative of either Radharani or Nityananda. So coming under the shelter of the divine energy is a subject matter which I would like to discuss more tomorrow with a wonderful Krsna katha. I would like to conclude this session by thanking you very much. I do hope which I have raised at the beginning has been answered and you all feel comfortable.<\/p>\n
(thanks to Jahnu Prabhu for these notes!)<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat Day 5 (Jagattarini Mataji ) Yamuna<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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Jagattarini Mataji “The fragrant qualities and pastimes of Sri Vrindavana dhama” Nov 27<\/p>\n
Every”thing” in Vrindavan is a person.<\/p>\n
Yamuna is blackish like kajjal from Krsna’s eyes, or bluish, like Vrindadevi’s sari.<\/p>\n
Vraja-riti-cintamani (Sri Visvanatha)<\/p>\n
39 They who offer respectful obeisances to her or bathe in her waters, the Yamuna, which is like a moat of black mascara encircling Vrndavana, transform into pure devotees carrying Lord Krsna in their hearts. 40 The Yamuna river is like a blue lotus flower garland, a sapphire necklace, or a blue sash worn by the goddess of Vrndavana.<\/p>\n
Everywhere in Vrndavana and on the Yamuna’s shores, are trees that are like the Lord’s incarnations, that give the gift of pure love, and that make one remember the Lord, making Him who is the moon of Vraja suddenly rise within the heart. 49<\/p>\n
In Vrindavan people always used to embrace the trees or to touch their roots respectfullly.<\/p>\n
44 Many charming aquatic creatures, plunged in the nectar of love for Krsna, again and again push their heads above the Yamuna’s waters, hoping for a glimpse of Lord Syama. 45 On the Yamuna’s beautiful shores are jewel staircases, which are like the teeth of the goddess of beauty, and which remind one of Sri Krsna. 46 When they drink the sound of Krsna’s flute, these two jewel staircases melt with love, and the river flowing between them becomes solid and stunned with ecstasy.<\/p>\n
33 The Yamuna river passes through that forest and flows near Nandisvara Hill. It winds through Vraja in a very crooked course, searching for Sri Krsna, the moon of Vraja.<\/p>\n
She does not want to leave Vraja and so winds in it.<\/p>\n
When we sing bhajans repeatedly, their pictures start forming in our mind. There are 10 kinds of prayers.<\/p>\n
Here is a bhajana you will recognize.<\/p>\n
radha-krsna prana mora jugala-kisora jibane marane gati nahi mora The youthful Divine Couple Sri Sri Radha and Krsna are my life and soul. In life or death I have no other refuge but Them.<\/p>\n
I shall install the Divine Couple on a jewelled throne in a pleasant forest of kadamba trees on the shore of the Yamuna river.<\/p>\n
When will I place aromatic sandalwood paste on the limbs of Lord Syamasundara and Srimati Gaurangi-devi? When will I fan Them with a camara wisk? When will I see Their moonlike faces?<\/p>\n
When will I string garlands of malati flowers and place them on the necks of the Divine Couple? When will I place betel nuts mixed with camphor in their lotus mouths?<\/p>\n
When, following the orders of Lalita, Visakha and the other gopis, will I serve the lotus feet of the Divine Couple?<\/p>\n
Narottama dasa, the servant of the servant of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, longs for this service to the Divine Couple.<\/p>\n
We are meant to think the thoughts in these bhajanas, otherwise we will be more and more absorbed in material anxieties, trying to solve them with the same things that cause these anxieties.<\/p>\n
Srila Prabhupada explained that Narottama dasa Thakura’s songs are non-different from Vedas. We should pick just anything that has Krsna’s name in it. If we sing Narottama Dasa Thakura’s songs, his mood may come to us.<\/p>\n
Srila Prabhupada says:<\/p>\n
The process is to cleanse your heart. So when your heart will be clear, then you’ll understand your own position, your relationship with Krsna, and your relationship with this world. Then you’ll be able to chalk out your plan, what to do. But without knowing your identity, whatever you are doing, that is simply waste of time. … You are part and parcel of Krsna. You want to love somebody, and Krsna wants to love you. This is loving exchange. But instead of loving Krsna, you are trying to love something else. That is your trouble. The love is there in you and Krsna, and when the love will be exchanged between you and Krsna, that will be your perfection of life.<\/p>\n
Ref. VedaBase = Conway Hall Lecture — London, September 15, 1969<\/p>\n
The path is difficult, but the Yamuna-devi can help us.<\/p>\n
There is a Yamunastaka, which we can chant. It has also been given to us as a way to meditate on Visakha-devi. There is a Lalitastaka, but we do not find an astaka for Sri Visakha.<\/p>\n
Sri Yamunastaka by Sri Rupa Gosvami<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who saves one from having to enter the city of her brother Yamaraja, the sight of whom enables the most sinful persons to cross the ocean of sin, and the sweetness of whose water charms the hearts of everyone, always purify me.<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who decorates the great Khandava forest with a stream of pleasant waters, who is filled with lotus flowers and dancing birds, and who blinds the terrible sins of they who desire to bath in her, always purify me.<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, a drop of whose water destroys the sinful reactions of the people, who creates a great flood of confidential pure devotional service to Sri Nandanandana, and who brings auspiciousness to they who desire to live on her shore, always purify me.<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who divides the seven oceans and seven continents, who witnessed many of Lord Mukunda’s transcendental pastimes, and whose splendor rebukes a host of sapphires, always purify me.<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is decorated by the beautiful district of Mathura, who expertly protects they who follow the path of loving devotional service, and who with the playful motions of the waves that are her arms offers respectful obeisances to Padmanabha’s feet, always purify me.<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, whose charming shores are decorated with many lowing cows, who is filled with many splendid and fragrant kadamba flowers, and who is delighted to have the company of Lord Krsna’s devotees, always purify me.<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is filled with the warblings of thousands of joyful mallikaksa swans, who is worshiped by the Vaisnavas, devas, siddhas, and kinnaras, and the slightest scent of the fragrant breeze moving on whose shores stops the cycle of repeated birth and death, always purify me.<\/p>\n
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is the famous, splendid, spiritual river flowing through the Bhur, Bhuvah and Svar planetary systems, who burns away the greatest sins, and who is fragrant with scented ointments from Lord Krsna’s transcendental body, always purify me.<\/p>\n
O lotus eyed one, O daughter of Suryadeva, O rescuer from all sins, please flood with pure devotional service that person who, reciting these eight prayers with a cheerful heart, glorifies you, whose waves are pure and splendid, and who is accompanied by the demigods.<\/p>\n
Isn’t that nice – you just come to Sri Yamunadevi and she will purify you. The first step has to be yours, and the other 1000 steps they will make.<\/p>\n
Here is another bhajan by Sri Narottama dasa Thakura, where Yamunadevi plays a very prominent role.<\/p>\n
Beautiful Vrndavana is filled with cintamani gems and many jewelled palaces and temples. Many regal swans play in the waters of the Yamuna, and in those waters a splendid golden lotus flower grows. In the middle of that lotus is a golden place surrounded by eight petals. On these eight petals the eight principal gopis reside, and in the center Lord Syamasundara and beautiful Srimati Radharani sit on a jewelled throne. The great beauty of the Divine Couple, and Their charming joking and laughter appears to be constantly showering nectar everywhere. Narottama dasa says: I pray that these blissful eternal transcendental pastimes of the Divine Couple may be always manifest in my heart.<\/p>\n
In the previous times the Yamuna flowed right next to Govardhan. The girls liked to dance and the boys liked to play in the Yamuna. The boys swim, use upturned pots as floats, make sounds, splash — we cannot relate to that, we think about security, work, but they just have fun. How can they be having fun all the time? Srila Prabhupada says you too can be having fun all the time. In the material life there is always an undercurrent of anxiety, the body gets older, we think, “What am I going to do when I have to die, what am I going to do without this and that”. But we should make a different plan: we should hear about Krsna, chant about Krsna and think about Krsna.<\/p>\n
The boys know how to tell jokes about Krsna all the time. Krsna and the boys build sand castles. In the evening the return home and tell their parents what they did. Many demons were killed at the Yamuna. So Yamuna has a lot of participation in Krsna’s pastimes.<\/p>\n
So we should try our best to meditate on Krsna, meditate on Vrindavan and try to develop taste for this.<\/p>\n
We were speaking about the aprakata Yamuna. Now the Yamuna is sadly taken care of. Many trees and other personalities of Vrndavan pass into aprakata form. I find solace in one verse from Srila Rupa Gosvami’s “Sri Govinda-Virudavali”, 2: O lotus-eyed Lord, when You wish to enjoy pastimes in the material world You appoint the demigod Brahma to create places for them and You also appoint the demigod Siva to eventually remove those places. The Viraja river, which is a moat surrounding the Vaikuntha worlds and which contains within its waters many millions of places where You enjoy pastimes, is like a small handful of water to You. O Lord, now that You have stopped enjoying pastimes in this world, what prayers shall the saintly devotees recite to glorify You?<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, day 6 (Bhurijan Prabhu, Giriraj Maharaj) Devotee<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
![](\"http:\/\/dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SS-2011-11-28_13.06.05.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
KRSNA PURIFIES THE WORLD THROUGH DEVOTEES<\/p>\n
November 28, 2011<\/p>\n
When a devotee is fully purified, Krsna is fully manifested to him in Krsna-katha, in the Holy Name. Krsna is already there, He cannot but be there, being omnipresent.<\/p>\n
An atheist cannot see God anywhere. The first Russian cosmonaut Gagarin said he did not see God in the “outer space”. An atheist sees Krsna nowhere, and a devotee sees Krsna everywhere.<\/p>\n
Amazingly, the end of Srutadeva’s prayer was a request for service. Desire of Krsna is also for serivce, but it is not for just work, it is for the devotion expressed in service.<\/p>\n
I remember in 1976, Prabhupada accepted counter-beads and said, “How can I not accept them, they were offered with devotion”. He did not need all the thousands of counter beads devotees could offer him, but how could he refuse the devotion.<\/p>\n
Now Krsna will speak in 7 verses, He gets one more verse:)<\/p>\n
When I look, in the Bhagavatam there is nothing whimsical, everything has meaning. What was the first thing Krsna did? He took Srutadeva’s hand in His hands.<\/p>\n
Now what do you think, when that soft lotus hand of Krsna, composed of eternity, bliss and knowledge, Srutadeva’s worshipable Lord, what did he feel?<\/p>\n
50. Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: After hearing Srutadeva speak these words, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who relieves His surrendered devotees’ distress, took Srutadeva’s hand in His own and, smiling, spoke to him as follows.<\/p>\n
“who relieves His surrendered devotees’ distress” – what can be a distress of a devotee, who takes everything as Krsna’s mercy? In one of the classes on teachings of Queen Kunti SP says that a devotee’s distress is that he is missing Krsna. When a devotee surrendered to Krsna, Krsna is always present with a devotee.<\/p>\n
Now Krsna is going to glorify His devotees. He forced the devotees to avoid the austerity of walking by taking them with Him on the chariot.<\/p>\n
51. The Supreme Lord said: My dear brahmana, you should know that these great sages have come here just to bless you. They travel throughout the worlds with Me, purifying them with the dust of their feet.<\/p>\n
For Pariksit it has a special meaning — the same Sukadeva came to bless him at the time of leaving the world. It is a sign of Krsna’s blessing, when a great soul comes at the time of one’s departing from the world.<\/p>\n
Krsna says that the devotees assimilated the essence of sastra and therefore purify the world, their words carry the saffron particles from Krsna’s lotus feet.<\/p>\n
Krsna says: With the dust of My devotees’ lotus feet I desire to purify the material worlds, which are situated within Me. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free from all personal desire, rapt in thought of My pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition everywhere. Ref. VedaBase = SB 11.14.16<\/p>\n
In the Gita Krsna tells Arjuna that by giving him pure bhakti directly, He breaks His rule, that bhakti is given only by the bhaktas.<\/p>\n
One can ask why Krsna did not at least send poor brahmana Sudama who never asked for anything back home on a chariot. But Krsna wanted to purify His kingdom – marked with Krsna’s footprints – with the footprints of Sudama.<\/p>\n
52. One can gradually become purified by seeing, touching and worshiping temple deities, places of pilgrimage and holy rivers. But one can attain the same result immediately simply by receiving the glance of exalted sages. 10.86.52<\/p>\n
52. By his very birth, a brahmana is the best of all living beings in this world, and he becomes even more exalted when he is endowed with austerity, learning and self-satisfaction, what to speak of devotion to Me.<\/p>\n
In that time there was a thorough breeding in such family. They had one-pointed minds. They did not have part of them brahmanas, part ksatriyas, part sudras, all going in different directions, as in a Westerner.<\/p>\n
53. Even My own four-armed form is no dearer to Me than a brahmana. Within himself a learned brahmana comprises all the Vedas, just as within Myself I comprise all the demigods.<\/p>\n
Within Krsna all the devas reside, and within a brahmana all the conclusions of the sastra reside. This is why a brahmana is so dear to Krsna – wherever a brahmana travels he gives knowledge; in the world of plastic he gives jewels.<\/p>\n
This knowledge should be alive in us, not that we “finish the rounds”. It should be alive in us, Krsna, Krsna’s names, bhakti should be alive in us. And such a person gives bhakti wherever they go, they can’t help it.<\/p>\n
55. Ignorant of this truth, foolish people neglect and enviously offend a learned brahmana, who, being nondifferent from Me, is their spiritual master and very self. They consider worshipable only such obvious manifestations of divinity as My Deity form.<\/p>\n
56. Because he has realized Me, a brahmana is firmly fixed in the knowledge that everything moving and nonmoving in the universe, and also the primary elements of its creation, are all manifest forms expanded from Me.<\/p>\n
There is no question of being alone or lonely for such a person. He is always with his suhrt friend.<\/p>\n
“Now I will explain to you a secret how to obtain anything desired”<\/p>\n
57. Therefore you should worship these brahmana sages, O brahmana, with the same faith you have in Me. If you do so, you will worship Me directly, which you cannot do otherwise, even with offerings of vast riches.<\/p>\n
58. Sri Suka said: So instructed by his Lord, with single-minded devotion Srutadeva worshiped Sri Krsna and the topmost brahmanas accompanying Him [- together! -], and King Bahulasva did the same. Thus both Srutadeva and the King attained the ultimate transcendental destination.<\/p>\n
59. O King, thus the Personality of Godhead, who is devoted to His own devotees, stayed for some time with His two great devotees Srutadeva and Bahulasva, teaching them the behavior of perfect saints. Then the Lord returned to Dvaraka.<\/p>\n
Yesterday at the parikrama near Govardhan I saw a herd of buffalos and I saw a herder on a motorcycle. One buffalo got “spooked” and all the buffalos rushed on the path where all the parikramis were walking. So people were shouting ahead, “Be careful! Danger!” – very loudly. That reminded me of Srila Prabhupada, how he went to the places where people never heard of Krsna, never saw a picture of Krsna and with the fire of his heart inspired them not only to chant Hare Krsna but to give their whole life to Krsna. He spoke in strong and heavy words, so that the people could see the danger stalking them, like a herd of buffalos stampeding.<\/p>\n
I wake up every morning to a lectury by Srila Prabhupada. Sometimes you hear exactly the words you need to hear. And this morning I felt my false ego pinched a few times. Please listen to this segment. See, if your ego is pinched.<\/p>\n
<Govardhan Retreat Day 6 (Jagattarini Mataji )<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![](\"http:\/\/dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SS-2011-11-28_17.40.23.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Nov 28<\/p>\n
Mataji described how she joined when she came from Australia to LA.<\/p>\n
It is important to note that in any experience there are two things: the experience and the novelty of it. Like one may like an incense smell entering a room but shortly no longer notices it.<\/p>\n
Some acaryas say we should beat the mind with a broom, others say we should ignore it. Sri Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami in his “Instructions to the mind” beseeches “brother mind”. This is the first important thing to do – to educate the mind.<\/p>\n
There 4 things we can do to deal with the mind. This is like different medicines in your med. cabinet.<\/p>\n
1. You need to be able to examine yourself. BVT says, every evening we should examine our advancement and then see if the same things happen every day. Examine very carefully and get rid of the repeated deficiencies<\/p>\n
2. Encourage yourself. Sometimes, in the middle of great enthusiastic event, we wonder what’s wrong with us. We need to encourage our brother or sister mind.<\/p>\n
Rupa Gosvami says in “Mathura mahatmya” that the Mathura Vrindavan region is so spiritually powerful that any person, who thinks, “I will live in Mathur\u00e4. I will go to Mathur\u00e4.” becomes free from material bondage.<\/p>\n
BVT says that we determine our level and work from there gradually up.<\/p>\n
Sri Krsna exhorts everybody to remain unperturbed by their own particular level of perception, which is according to their eligibility, and to engage sincerely in bhajana from that point. Mercifully, He gradually purifies the consciousness of those who follow His advice and rewards them with transcendental vision of the eternal platform.” Ref. VedaBase = JDH 40: Sampatti-dasa: The State of Perfection<\/p>\n
3. Chastise yourself. If a disciple is serious the spiritual master will continuously chastise him, and if the person is not so serious, the master, interestingly enough will say, “You are doing well”.<\/p>\n
4. Enlighten yourself. Get sustenance. Hear. Hear and chant in Vrndavan or wherever we are.<\/p>\n
Regarding chastisement, there was a morning walk:<\/p>\n
<Govardhan Retreat, day 6 (Sacinandana Maharaja) PRACTICE AND FRUIT<\/p><\/blockquote>\nTHE FIVE-FOLD NECTAR PRACTICE AND THE FRUIT<\/p>\n
November 28, 2011, Govardhana Retreat<\/p>\n
(thanks to HG Jahnu Prabhu who has meticulously taken these notes)<\/p>\n
Sacinandana Maharaja:<\/p>\n
We have heard the Manah Siksa is a guideline for devotees. Devotees will have a question. The question is, “I am convinced, and I want to give it my best but how exactly can I reach the divine couple?” So when this question comes up, how exactly do I do it? For most devotees, the Manah Siksa is the most important guideline. Yesterday, we spoke about the answer to the question: Who is the singlemost object of worship? It is Radharani. We described from sastric basis that Caitanya Mahaprabhu basically gave two paths to Radha, which he explained to two different devotees. One way was a systematic cultivation of being a maidservant to Radharani, and the other was the path of begging for mercy. Here we have another paddhati – Prarthana-paddhati from Srila Rupa Gosvami. This is a fervent prayer. The first four verses are glorifications of Radharani … and then, the fifth verse describes how Rupa Goswami beseeches Radha. In the last two verses there will be the revelation of his heart and what he prays for. So please bring yourself in the mood. You are now at the sacred hill of Govardhana … you are here very nicely situated. You are able to pronounce this prayer to Radha. Please be here exactly now. The last two verses read, “Though I may be an unfit offender with a crooked mind, please o Radhe, bestow a small fragment of the valuable gift of your service to this person.” Rupa Goswami ends, “Aren’t you compassionate to the fallen? I am such a sorrowful person. I am not fit to be neglected by you.” This is a wonderful verse, please take it with you as one of the many gifts you will have received in this Govardhana Retreat. We will now go to the eleventh verse of Manah Siksa, which is the last one. All the other ten verses come to fruition. Verse number 11 binds the preceding verses together, and brings them into context. There is still a question in the air for the readers of Manah Siksa. What exactly is the method, then, for deeply performing our devotional service? Yes, we have heard about different concepts which can be almost the sambandha tattva of this verse, but how do we exactly do? This is answered in the eleventh verse, and I really would liked to tell you, before we started, that I think this verse is something which will make your whole attendance of this seminar successful if you study this verse. This verse now is that crystal of sugar which gives success to the whole year of growing the sugarcane: tilling the field, protecting it from the thieves, harvesting, boiling the sugarcane in huge pots in molasses – and then one puts one piece of rock sugar in it, and it all crystallizes. This verse is like that crystal of sugar to crystallize all the teachings because it will now tell us what we should do. “Oh my dear mind, in order to get the direct service of Sri Radha Giridhari, who are entranced by amorous desire, drink the pancamrta of service to them, according to the methods described by Srila Rupa Goswami. The pancamrta is composed of the five ingredients: Worshipping the divine couple; Chanting the glories of them, Meditating upon them, Hearing the glories of their name, etc., and offering them obeisances. You should also daily worship Govardhana Hill.” In simple language, if you want to have direct service … it’s like, if I see our Giriraj Maharaja and I think “I want to be close to this devotee, who is so dear to Prabhupada … so then I want to do some direct service which brings me in the close vicinity.” So direct service to Krsna and Radha … if you want this, then this is the verse for you. If this is what you want to do, direct service, then you must prepare amazing nectar and drink this nectar because this nectar will empower you to do this service. It’s described as carefully prepared pancamrta. I will now go in the rest of the time which we have through the five processes, but I will do this in a very special way. If I would now go according to my notes, we would go another week … there’s a lot of information. I would like to stress two points for each item. How to perform these processes, and what to absolutely not do? Listen to the second part, because you probably do what you should not do, otherwise you would be in ecstasy. I want to ask you a question. How should you worship the Deity, and what is the most important thing you should avoid when worshipping the Deities? My dear devotees, we can’t now go through deity worship. It means a lot if you are not a pujari … it means to come to the mangala aratik, it means to prepare your body for the pleasure of Krsna, worshiping Tulasi … the one thing is you must do this in a sensible way. I have seen in my attempts to worship deities, the greatest enemy is the mechanical consciousness. Jiva Goswami makes this point. He says, “Krsna is not hungry. Krsna doesn’t need our service. It’s not like this. But, just like a thirsty person becomes satisfied by water alone, similarly Krsna become like a thirsty person when a devotee offers him water in love.” See, for me, who is thirsty and needs water, I can drink very easily if I pour this inside the glass. It is a purely mechanical activity. There is nothing else than physical motions with it. And it serves the purpose. [Drinking] It is very good! Krsna is not like that! Krsna will only drink if you offer water plus love. If you offer a flower plus love. If you offer incense plus love. Otherwise Krsna doesn’t take. It is a very important thing. Krsna didn’t go to Duryodhana’s house, but he went to Vidura’s house. Vidura was so nervous, and his wife was so nervous that she threw away the fruit and offered the peel. Krsna ate the peel! And He liked it so much that a satisfied “burp” came. He missed the meal by Duryodhana, which was prepared by the best cooks in the country. In the morning, Duryodhana said, “You didn’t come to my house to eat. Why?” Krsna said, “You don’t love me. I only eat love.” This is the single ingredient in Deity worship; you should consider this before you start Deity worship. Can you start love? Next point: Akhya. Akhya means nam-sankirtan, but it means also glorification in a general way. It is very interesting … you know the word kirtan? Kirtan means to sing or talk about the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. But, again, I want to say, singing the names is not enough. You must sing plus you must do something else. If you forget the plus, you won’t get your devotional ecstasies. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “What is that plus? In what manner should we chant the holy name?” Do you have any idea? [Srimate Mataji, “Siksastaka three!”]. Now I have to translate this. We should consider ourselves lower than the blade of grass. This means, you see that the grass has some use – to feed the cows, to cover the roof of a devotee’s house. I have not been of any use for service. You might think, why do I have to hear that I have to do chanting plus this? How can Sacinandana Swami say this? I don’t want to do this! Many think it would be so nice if I could get into a lift, press a button, and go zwip! Automatic. There is something which destroys your devotional worship, and if you are not going in the school of your humility, you will be left with false ego and be forced to do offenses. If you chant minus “trnad api”, it is dangerous! The chanting is a very potent medicine. The powerful processes of devotional service.. When they are not used properly, they can cut us. If you swing a sword forward it cuts the enemy, if you swing it backwards, it cuts you. An overload of offenses can really make you materially attached. This is the result of this. Be aware. Avoid aparadha, and chant the holy name in humility… and very soon, you will attain the ecstatic, soft lotus feet of Krsna. Dhyana is the next point. We have tried a few meditations, and devotees have asked, first of all, what should you avoid? You should avoid speculation, imagining something. That is the big thing. Devotees have asked, “How should I make use of the meditations?” And I would like to say something very important. It would be highly irresponsible if you don’t listen very carefully. The safest way to meditate is to read from the sastras and from the prayers of devotees, what they have written, because these are not imaginations. They are revelations. Our meditation is done through hearing. This is so absolutely important. One devotee said, “You have done many meditations with us, but what should we do with it?” It’s not about this. Why do we do it? I am doing it within the protective environment of the retreats because I know when devotees are awake and when they are a little peaceful, they will have more experience and this experience will give them sraddha. This is the effort of the speakers. And you need to make an experience so that you don’t think this is all some irrelevant talk, but what I would like you to take with you is to read the Bhagavatam, especially about Krsna. A few years ago Bhurijan Prabhu taught a 10-step process of prayerful reading. Do a simple thing. When you read, stop, and think about it. First sravanam, then mananam, reflect on what you have read. Then you will see if you do this long enough, as you chant, these things which you have thought about will come up during chanting and you will see things during chanting which are so wonderful by the mercy of the holy name. So do reading and afterwards, do reflections about what you have read. Those who have done meditation before, here is something which Jiva Goswami mentions. If you want to meditate about Krsna, you first have to mediate about the Holy dhama, because Krsna can only be found in Vrndavan. You can hear good literature about Vrndavan, you remember places, and you chant … all of a sudden, you will have a good favorable meditation about Krsna. You should make an effort to get into a relationship and chant lovingly. You should fill your mind with Krsna. There are prayers to the japa mala even. It’s so, so, so important. Sa-sanga. It should be in the association of Krsna. [You should hear with directed attention]. So many people communicate, but so few people connect. So few, and this is called anasanga-bhajan. They are still in their mental worlds, repeating the same old external thoughts. Fill your mind with the sweetness of Bhagavan! Chant some appropriate prayers to just bring you there. It doesn’t mean to chant inattentively … it is something which you have to experience. It happens when you are Krsna conscious. Okay, I request you to make a study of these points in your life and offer them regularly. I myself would like to go more into detail, but I don’t have the time and I think I have told you the things which can make your Krsna conscious practice successful. What was the first point again? What do we have to observe when we want to do arcanam? Plus love, not mechanically. What was the second? Kirtanam. What do we have to do? Plus humility. Why? Because if we are not humble, then there will be the ego. And then we will do offenses. The ego doesn’t like Krsna to take his place in the heart. You know, there is one throne in the heart, and at the moment Ego sits on it. You must bump your ego. Therefore “trnad api sunicena”. Next point, dhyana. What should we avoid? Imagination. It doesn’t happen from imagination. Did we have something else, or did we stop? We had hearing … I think we did explain that. Sa-sanga really means connection, and anasanga means disconnected. This is important information. Please take this hope, sa-sanga-bhajan. I want to tell you now what the result of Manah Siksa is (v. 12). Whoever, anyone who sings out in a loud and sweet voice, here in the forest of Gokula, as a follower of Rupa and his associates, these eleven verse prayers with knowledge of their meanings, attains the incomparable jewel of Radha and Krsna. Let us make it simple. Become a follower of Rupa Goswami. Please read Upadesamrta. This will prepare you. It says you should reside in the forest of Gokula. Come to a secluded place within Vraj. Have a clear understanding of the hidden meanings. You might ask, well is it so simple? It is. Narottam Dasa Thakur tells us that when you perform sa-sanga-bhajan, Krsna consciousness will work for you. Be a mango, now, my devotees. We can only be a green mango, unripe, but join the mango club! Get the concepts right and the understanding right. Practice on your level of adhikara and you will then mature into a beautiful and fragrant mango that will please the senses of Krsna. But join the mango club, don’t go anywhere else. Having said this, we will put Manah Siksa to rest. It tells us the fruit that is there … I wish to thank you very, very much. By being such a kind audience who has tolerated my wrong expressions and eccentricities, you have given me an opportunity to go one layer deeper in this Manah Siksa. Because this is something profound, but you need a few takes on it. Then it will unveil for you. We need two more minutes, please now, turn to Giriraj … we will just sing for a brief time, and please while we sing, turn to Giriraj. Kindly pray that some of the information you have heard will enter your heart, stay there, so that you can become more accomplished in your devotional service.<\/p>\n
(these meticulous notes have been taken by HG Jahnu Prabhu)<\/p>\n
Govardhan Retreat, concluding day (Giriraj Maharaj)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
HH Giriraja Swami SB 10.21.18<\/p>\n
hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo yad rama-krsna-carana-sparasa-pramodah manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kandamulaih<\/p>\n
Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities-water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.<\/p>\n
The gopis call themselves weak because they cannot resist their attraction to Krsna. We would like to have such weakness. Our weakness is usually the opposite.<\/p>\n
They call Govardhan “the best of Hari’s servants”. Why is he the best? Because by serving “Rama-Krsna” he is jubilant and feels happiness. This is a very important point in service. If the servant is happy to serve that makes the master (who wants everyone to be happy) also happy. And when Govardhan sees Krsna Balarama happy he becomes even happier.<\/p>\n
Govardhan Hill feels so ecstatic by the touch of the lotus feet of Krsna, Balarama and of Radharani and Their associates, that he becomes soft as butter and pleasing to their lotus feet.<\/p>\n
Govardhan served not only Krsna and Balarama but also Their associates: cows, cowherd boys and girls. Manam tanoti – he offered respect to Krsna and His friends, and not just formally but by serving them. He offered them water to drink; provided caves, where they could take shelter when it was too hot, too cold or raining; he offered flat rocks for sitting. Govardhan offered his whole body for service. That is very rare. Amanina manadena – not only he was offering respect, he expected no respect – when they walked on him he was jubilant.<\/p>\n
This is Hari-dasa-varya and we can learn how to be servants. It remind me of Srila Prabhupada. Once Srila Prabhupada was lying down for some reason and asked one devotee to do something. She was very apologetic that she had to step over him to which Srila Prabhupada countered, “For Krsna’s service you can step ON me”.<\/p>\n
Krsna is Gopijanavallabha and Girivaradhari. SP says, that if we become dear to Krsna, He is ready to leaft a mountain for us.<\/p>\n
We are a part and parcel of Krsna and it is natural for us to serve the whole; another reason is that it is our constitutional position – jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya dasa. But the best reason, Jiva Gosvami says, is that Krsna loves His devotees. This was demonstrated in the Govardhan-lila.<\/p>\n
Srutakirti Prabhu witnessed Srila Prabhupada’s free time. We did not see much of that, because the mere fact of our presence meant that it was not a free time for Srila Prabhupada. Srutakirti Prabhu heard Srila Prabhupada playing on harmonium and singing for Krsna. Sometimes he entered and say SP reading his own books. This shows his books are transcendental. SP said that if one reads just one chapter from the books one can become perfect. Not even a chapter, just a paragraph. Even a line. Bhakti Svarupa Damodara Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada: “I have only the Bhaktivedanta Institute to manage and there is so many difficulties, you have the world-wide movement to manage, how do you do this?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Difficulties? I don’t see any difficulties. I see opportunities to render service to my spiritual master”.<\/p>\n
According to Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati one who was touched by a glance of Gauranga see the whole world as a place of happiness. Srila Prabhupada explains that a devotee sees everywhere the opportunities to render service and so is happy. Srila Prabhupada was personifying this.<\/p>\n
One devotee brought my attention to these beautiful verses:<\/p>\n
O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to be a servant of Your eternal servants who find shelter only at Your lotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of Your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of Your Lordship? Ref. VedaBase = SB 6.11.24<\/p>\n
O lotus-eyed Lord, as baby birds that have not yet developed their wings always look for their mother to return and feed them, as small calves tied with ropes await anxiously the time of milking, when they will be allowed to drink the milk of their mothers, or as a morose wife whose husband is away from home always longs for him to return and satisfy her in all respects, I always yearn for the opportunity to render direct service unto You. Ref. VedaBase = SB 6.11.26<\/p>\n
Srila Prabhupada liked me to come and report to him about preaching. I mentioned these verses to him and he had me read them to him, also the Sanskrt. It felt very sweet but then it occured to me that I have taken advantage of Srila Prabhupada’s time which he generously gave.<\/p>\n
Srila Prabhupada was so vast, like an ocean. “No one can understand the mind and activities of a pure devotee”. It was in Los Angeles, he was sitting behind his low desk. I got sick in India and SP said it won’t get better till I leave, so I came to LA.<\/p>\n
SP leaning on the bolster of his asana said: visaya chadiya kabe suddha ha’be mana kabe hama heraba sri-vrndavana “When will my mind be cleansed of all material dirt so that I will be able to feel the presence of spiritual Vrndavana?”<\/p>\n
SP said, of course, it is not visaya, it is for Krsna’s service, but still I wish to be free and go back to Vrindavan. This was one of these rare moment where he revealed his inner mood, that he wished to be free and hankered to go to Vrindavan. In the last days he wished to go to the Govardhan Hill.<\/p>\n
So we have the example of Sri Govardhan Hill as the best servant. We can mainly hear about him from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the gopis, the acaryas. And we have the example of Srila Prabhupada – some of us were blessed to see him and get the dust of his lotus feet. We should try to imbibe that mood of service and of giving – while being happy. It is our nature gopi-bhartuh dasa-dasanudasah. Otherwise, the nature of the false ego to rebel when ‘someone walks all over us’.<\/p>\n
As Prabhupada revealed, we can hanker for Vrindavan, come to Vrindavan and get nourishment for selfless service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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By Adi-purusha das<\/strong><\/p>\n Whatever you do for Krsna, even insignificant, you can experience Krsna’s protection and reciprocation. He is in everybody’s heart. He reciprocates not only with the big devotees, but also with insignificant devotees. That is His nature and this is what He wants to be known – that He is bhrtya-vasyata, subordinate to His servants<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10074"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10074\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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