Chapter One
The Earth Becomes Fortunate
In the final chapter of Çrî B®had-bhågavatåm®ta, after the
story
of Gopa-kumåra has been completed, Sanåtana Gosvåmî quotes
verses from the Tenth Canto of Çrîmad-Bhågavatam that
Parîkßit
Mahåråja spoke to his mother, Uttarå. They are verses of
very
beautiful poetry that stimulate the sentiment of bhakti.
Stringing
these verses together, Sanåtana Gosvåmî has composed a
necklace
for the benefit of the sådhakas of this world, and when sådhakas
keep these verses in their hearts, it is as if they are
wearing this
necklace around their necks. And if while chanting the holy
name
they sometimes call out these verses, it will increase the
spiritual
pleasure (ånanda) in their chanting. This compilation of
verses
is known as bhakti-rasåyana, the nectar-tonic of devotional
mellows.
When the material body becomes weakened by illness and
one is unable to eat anything, by drinking tonic the
digestion and
the pulse again become strong. Similarly, in the realm of bhakti,
for those in whom intense hankering for spontaneous
devotion
(rågånuga-bhakti) has arisen, the verses in this final
chapter are
like nectar-tonic. In the mood of Kamala Mañjarî, his
eternal
identity within K®ß√a’s pastimes, Bhaktivinoda ˇhåkura
prayed:
nåhaμ vande tava cara√ayor dvandvam advanda-heto˙
kümbhîpåkaμ gurum api hare nårakaμ nåpanetum
ramyå-råmå-m®dutanulatå nandane nåbhirastuμ
bhåve bhåve h®daya-bhavane bhåvayeyaμ bhavantam
1
“O Lord, I am not performing bhajana so that You will
remove
the worldly misery that is strangling me. I am not praying
at Your
feet for entrance into the heavenly garden of Nandana-kånana
where one can enjoy with beautiful women for a very long
time,
nor am I praying for liberation so that I will never again
have to
suffer for nine months in the womb of a mother and never
again
be punished by the messengers of Yamaråja. I pray that in
the
core of my heart You will increase the bhåva of V®ndåvana,
where
You are roaming with the gopîs and enjoying amorous
pastimes.
In meditation on the descriptions of these pastimes, I will
at once
become completely lost in prema – this is what I am praying
for.
I am praying that I may take birth as a gopa or gopî, or
even as
a peacock or tree or anything, anywhere within the
sixty-four
square-mile Vraja-maöala. There I will acquire the company
of
a rasika devotee who, being full of the bhåva of V®ndåvana,
will
describe all of these pastimes to me, and then my life will
be
meaningful.”
When sådhakas study and learn these verses, deeply
meditating
within themselves on their meanings while chanting the holy
name, they will act as stimuli to fully experience the mood
described in the verse above. Then one’s mind will not
wander
here and there. We should not just walk around talking to
others
while chanting, but taking our chanting beads we should sit
in a
solitary place and give it our mind and heart. Our previous
åcåryas chanted all night long, meditating on one verse
after
another. For half an hour the waves of the bhåva of one
particular
verse would be coming to them: sometimes they would be
fully
submerged in those waves, sometimes they would rise to the
surface and float on those waves, and then they would move
on
to the next verse. As they did this more and more the whole
night
would pass, and where it went, they wouldn’t know. This is
the
traditional method of performing bhajana.
2 Bhakti-rasåyana
Through these verses Parîkßit Mahåråja is making the bhakti
of his mother steady and strengthening her determination
for
gopî-bhåva, and through these same verses Sanåtana Gosvåmî
is
nurturing us. There is a blend of so many different bhåvas in
V®ndåvana, but in the end, applying some polish to these
sentiments,
he emphasises gopî-bhåva. There are many verses here,
and they are all beneficial to the cultivation of bhajana.
To develop
and strengthen this bhåva within us, we will study these
verses in
sequence, and from this endeavour intense hankering for
this
particular devotional sentiment will certainly arise within
us.
dhanyeyam adya dhara√î t®√a-vîrudhas tvatpåda-
sp®ço druma-latå˙ karajåbhim®ß†å˙
nadyo ’draya˙ khaga-m®gå˙ sadayåvalokair
gopyo ’ntare√a bhujayor api yat-sp®hå çrî˙
Çrîmad-Bhågavatam (10.15.8); B®had-bhågavatåm®ta (2.7.107)
[Çrî K®ß√a said to Balaråma:] Today this land, along with
all its
green grass, has become fortunate due to receiving the
touch of
your lotus feet. And receiving the touch of the fingers of
your
lotus hands, the trees, creepers and bushes consider that
they have
attained the greatest treasure. Receiving your affectionate
glances,
the rivers, mountains, birds and animals are all feeling
fully gratified.
But most fortunate of all are the vraja-gopîs, who have
been
embraced to Your strong chest, a favour that even
Lakßmî-devî
herself always desires.
This verse describes the time when K®ß√a is at the junction
of His pauga√∂a-lîlå (ages six to ten) and kaiçora-lîlå (ages
ten to
sixteen). At this time His full beauty and charm are
becoming
more apparent, and His limbs are filling out. He would feel
shy
if He were to remain naked at this age. Now He enjoys
taking the
cows out to graze, and jumping about and creating mischief
with
His friends. At this age His form is like a bud that is
beginning
to open; it has not yet become a flower, but it is
gradually opening
Chapter One 3
and becoming more charming. Previously no fragrance came
from the bud, and no bee would have been hovering around
it.
But as it opens more and more, the fragrance begins to come
and
there is nectar available to the bee. When it spreads out
and
becomes fully mature, it means that K®ß√a has reached the kaiçora
age. Now that K®ß√a and Baladeva have become a little
older,
their forms have become very charming. Their feet have also
become bigger; previously they were thin from heel to toe,
but
now like ripe bananas their feet have become big and very
soft,
and whereas before the soles of their feet had yellowish
complexions,
now they have begun to take on a reddish hue. Now K®ß√a
has become a little clever in speaking; instead of always
speaking
directly, He has learned to speak in a roundabout way.
These are
all symptoms of this age.
His newfound cleverness in speech is evident in His
speaking
of this verse. To avoid praising Himself, He uses the
presence of
Baladeva Prabhu as a pretext to express His feelings.
Because at
this age He has “become” a little intelligent, He realises
that He
should never praise Himself; praising oneself is like
committing
suicide. Here He wants to describe how V®ndåvana is more
glorious than any place within the three worlds, and even
more
glorious than Vaikuàha. He begins by saying that the Earth
is
fortunate. Why is the Earth fortunate? Because of the
presence
of India.
Why is India
so glorious? Because of the presence of
V®ndåvana. And why is V®ndåvana so glorious? Because of the
presence of the gopas and gopîs. Why are the gopas and gopîs
glorious?
Because amongst them are K®ß√a and Rådhå. And why are
They glorious? Because of the mutual prema between Them,
and
that is our highest objective. If not for the amorous love
of Çrî
Rådhå and K®ß√a, then all of our endeavours would be
meaningless.
It is prayed for again and again by the topmost devotees,
and
Rådhå’s prema is so glorious that it overpowers K®ß√a
Himself.
4 Bhakti-rasåyana
But He doesn’t describe all of this directly by saying, “I
am the
supreme ornament that beautifies V®ndåvana.” Because He is
now entering His kaiçora age, when speaking He knows how to
keep this feeling hidden and how to skilfully reveal it.
Together K®ß√a and Balaråma are taking the cows out to
graze,
and upon seeing the beauty and splendour of the V®ndåvana
forest, at once K®ß√a becomes overwhelmed with emotion.
What
is the meaning of “V®ndåvana”? It means the forest of v®ndå,
or
tulasî. There are many other wonderful trees and plants
found
there, but the tulasî tree is primary. It can also mean the
forest
where the cowherd girl V®ndå-devî is queen. Why is she
known
as the queen of V®ndåvana? Because she arranges amorous
meetings
between Çrî Rådhå and K®ß√a. Another meaning of v®ndå is
“group”, meaning groups of cows, gopas and gopîs, and avana
can
mean “one who nourishes and protects”. So V®ndåvana can
also
mean the ones who provide stimuli that nurture and increase
feelings of love in Çrî Govinda and the cows, gopas and gopîs.
More meanings have been given, but these three are primary.
As K®ß√a was speaking this verse, He was remembering His
own pastimes, and waves of bhåva began to flow inside Him.
As
He was going along with His friends, the joy He felt knew
no
limits, and He said, “My dear brother, today P®thivî-devî
(the
Earth) has become fortunate, and the hairs of her body,
which are
the grass, creepers, vines and trees, are standing on end
in ecstatic
rapture. The grass, creepers and vines, receiving the touch
of your
lotus feet, and the trees, being touched by your hands as
you pick
fruits and flowers, have today become fully gratified. And
the
rivers, mountains, birds, deer and all other animals,
receiving
affectionate glances from you, have today become especially
fortunate.
But the most fortunate of all are the gopîs, who have
received what even Lakßmî-devî herself desires – being
embraced
between your two strong arms.”
Chapter One 5
From the very beginning of creation, P®thivî-devî has been
serving Bhagavån. Whenever he desired to assume an
incarnation,
he would descend on this Earth and grace the land with his
footprints. Varåha held the Earth on his snout, and at that
time
P®thivî-devî became his wife, and from them a son,
Narakåsura,
was born. And the Earth is always in contact with the Lord’s
form of Çeßa as he holds her on his head. From time
immemorial
she has been receiving such good opportunities, but K®ß√a
tells
Balaråma, “Today, by receiving the touch of your feet, the
Earth
has become especially fortunate. Why? Because you are now
at
the junction of your pauga√∂a and kaiçora ages and your
lotus
feet are especially soft, and such a nice fragrance is
coming from
them. You move along the Earth like an intoxicated baby
elephant.
Has the Earth ever received such an opportunity before?
Today the Earth has really become fortunate.”
Here someone may point out that at that time K®ß√a had been
in contact with the V®ndåvana forest for only
ten-and-a-half years,
whereas Çrî Råmacandra wandered in the forest of Dandakaranya
for fourteen years. In bare feet he also walked the entire
distance
to South India before
entering Lanka, so did P®thivî-devî not
become as fortunate then as she did during k®ß√a-lîlå? But
Råma
was banished to the forest, and when in the last year of
his exile
Råva√a kidnapped Sîtå, he wandered here and there crying in
anguish. Therefore at that time P®thivî-devî certainly
became
fortunate from the touch of his feet, but she must have
also felt
very sad. She really became fortunate when K®ß√a came in an
immensely beautiful form; with a peacock feather in His
crown,
He would smile as He was decorated by His mother in the
morning,
and then, accompanied by Çrîdåmå and Subala and the other
sakhås, He would take the cows out to graze and jump about
with
the calves. Just as the young offspring of a deer playfully
jump
about, He would go along with all of His friends with a
happy
6 Bhakti-rasåyana
heart. Picking flowers with their own hands, they would
make
garlands and decorate each other, and arriving at places
like
Kusuma-sarovara, Rådhå-ku√∂a and Çyåma-ku√∂a, they would
enjoy pastimes that were saturated with rasa. With special
care
K®ß√a would string one garland that was not meant for any
of the
sakhås, and feeling great happiness as He thought of whom
He
would place this garland on, He tucked it away. Who can
estimate
the great good fortune of those flowers, being picked and
made into a garland by K®ß√a’s own beautiful hands? When in
the evening He would place that garland on a certain
devotee,
He would feel supremely blissful. Did any of this happen in
råmalîlå?
There was constant heartbreak in Råmacandra’s pastimes,
but in contrast in k®ß√a-lîlå there was so much carefree
happiness.
In the same way as we may caress one person whom we love
and lovingly slap another, Bhagavån has touched the Earth
in
different ways in his different incarnations. Råmacandra
touched
the Earth, and N®siμhadeva also touched the Earth. Assuming
a
fearful form, N®siμhadeva appeared, and being extremely
angry
he killed Hira√yakaçipu. All of the residents of the
heavenly and
lower planetary systems were petrified with fear, and at
that time
the Earth did not experience great pleasure. But when K®ß√a
touched the Earth in such a beautiful form, she really
became
fortunate.
The rivers, especially the Yamunå, also became fortunate.
At
that time Månasî-ga∫gå was also a river, though now it is
in the
form of a pond, and it also became fortunate. He would
lovingly
glance towards the rivers because there He would sport with
the
gopîs and sakhås. The rivers would make a sweet sound as
they
flowed gently, and bees would be hovering around the
blooming
lotuses. The soft breeze would carry the fragrance, and the
entire
scene would be so beautiful. Through the bestowal of His
affectionate
glances, He would also shower the nectar of His kindness
Chapter One 7
upon the hills and mountains, because near them were very
attractive kuñjas where there would be very beautiful
grass, and
on the pretext of taking the cows to graze He would go
there.
Sitting on the large rocks with His friends, they would
decorate
one another. These kuñjas, such as the ones near
Kusuma-sarovara,
were very beautiful, and there He would enjoy with the gopîs
as
well.
This verse describes four benedictions: receiving K®ß√a’s
affectionate
glances, receiving the touch of His feet, receiving the
touch of His hands and being embraced by His arms, as the gopîs
were. When K®ß√a would be taking the cows out to graze,
from
hidden positions the gopîs would lovingly glance at Him,
and
then He would glance towards them with such affection that
it
would immerse them in remembrance of His sweetness. In the
same way He would glance towards the different birds and
animals, and from this they also became fortunate.
Sometimes a
peacock, being maddened in bhåva, would come near Him, and
He would gently stroke it with His hand. Sometimes He would
call a parrot, and when it flew onto His hand, while
stroking it
gently He would teach it to speak and then listen to what
the
parrot said back. The calves would also receive the touch
of His
hands. Very young calves – perhaps only a few days old –
forgetting
the company of their mothers, would jump along as they
accompanied K®ß√a to the forest. As they proceeded further
and
further, they would become fatigued, so K®ß√a would take
them
on His lap and massage their legs, and with great love He
would
speak sweet words to them. Tell me – how much good fortune
did those calves possess? He would also take the sakhås on
His lap
and stroke them, and in this way Subala and others received
the
touch of His hands. Considering the diverse sentiments of
the
residents of V®ndåvana, He touches them in different ways.
When
K®ß√a takes the cows and His friends to drink from and
sport in
8 Bhakti-rasåyana
the rivers, the rivers have one type of sentiment, and when
He
goes there with the gopîs, they have a different type of bhåva.
Receiving the touch of K®ß√a’s feet, the rivers swell in
spiritual
ecstasy. The trees have the sentiment of sakhås, and they
receive
the touch of both His hands and feet. The cows have the
sentiment
of being His mother, and the calves have the sentiment of
sakhås. The creepers have the devotional feelings of sakhîs,
and
when He picks flowers from them, it is as if He is teasing
a gopî
with His touch. The gopîs also receive the touch of K®ß√a’s
lotus
feet:
yat te sujåta-cara√åmburuhaμ staneßu
bhîtå˙ çanai˙ priya dadhîmahi karkaçeßu
tenå†avîm a†asi tad vyathate na kiμ svit
kürpådibhir bhramati dhîr bhavad-åyußåμ na˙
Çrîmad-Bhågavatam (10.31.19)
[The gopîs said:] O dear one, Your lotus feet are so soft
that we
place them gently on our breasts, fearing that they will be
harmed.
Our life rests only in You, and therefore our minds are
filled with
anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles
as
You roam about on the forest path.
The gopîs are arguing with their own minds. Their minds are
saying to them, “Why are you worrying about K®ß√a? There is
no
necessity.”
But from deep within their hearts, from their very souls,
the
gopîs reply, “We are upset because K®ß√a’s feet are very
soft, and
we are afraid that they will be pricked by thorns and
pebbles. We
desire that He should never feel any pain.”
“Is K®ß√a blind? He has eyes, doesn’t He? He can see where
to
place His feet while walking.”
“O mind, the calves run here and there, and do they only go
to safe and smooth places? They run near the mountains,
rivers
and jungles, and they also have hooves that protect them
from
Chapter One 9
sharp objects. But if K®ß√a goes to such places, His feet
will be
burned by the hot sand or pricked by thorns and pebbles. O
mind,
you have no intelligence!”
“But in V®ndåvana there are no such thorns and pebbles.
Everything here is viçuddha-sattva. They appear to be
ordinary
thorns, but it is as if they are made of rubber. Will
rubber thorns
prick your feet? They give a very soft touch to K®ß√a’s
tender feet
when He steps on them. And the pebbles are softer than
butter!
By the influence of viçuddha-sattva, P®thivî-devî has
decorated
her landscape with these soft and golden pebbles so K®ß√a
will
never feel any pain.”
In this way they were arguing with their minds. The gopîs
received the touch of those feet in the råsa dance, a
benediction
that even Lakßmî-devî desires, and Brahmå is also always
meditating
on those feet:
åhuç ca te nalina-nåbha padåravindaμ
yogeçvarair h®di vicintyam agådha-bodhai˙
Çrîmad-Bhågavatam (10.82.48)
Such great storehouses of knowledge as Lord Brahmå, Lord
Çiva,
the Kumåras and Çukadeva Gosvåmî are always trying to
remember
K®ß√a’s lotus feet, but only with great difficulty do those
feet
appear in their meditation. Responding to K®ß√a’s teasing
with
jealous anger, the gopîs say, “You have instructed us to
meditate,
but realisation of You rarely comes even in the meditation
of the
most highly learned devotees! We want You to come back to
V®ndåvana. And those feet that are being meditated on by so
many – we desire to play with them directly. What to speak
of
holding them within our brains in meditation, we desire to
hold
them close to us. Meditation will not satisfy us, so we won’t
do it!”
They desire to receive the touch of His feet while they are
decorating Him, and then they will also receive the touch
of His
hands. And in the end they will receive the benediction of
being
10 Bhakti-rasåyana
embraced between His two strong arms. K®ß√a will be
touching
their feet also, when they exhibit jealous anger (måna) and
He is
trying to appease them. Then everything is reversed, and
Lakßmî
also desires all of this.
So in this verse, when K®ß√a says, “My dear brother, today
the
Earth has become glorious,” He is simply using the presence
of
Baladeva Prabhu as a pretext so that the sweetness of K®ß√a
Himself, the sweetness of the gopîs, and the glories of
V®ndåvana
can all be specifically described. And why has V®ndåvana
become
glorious? Because in that place the grass and creepers
received the
touch of K®ß√a’s feet, its vines and trees received the
touch of His
hands, and its rivers, mountains, birds and animals
received His
affectionate glances. But above all V®ndåvana is especially
glorious
because of the presence of the gopîs,
whom K®ß√a Himself serves.
Chapter Two
The Peacocks Dance to K®ß√a’s Flute Melody
After preparing lunch for K®ß√acandra and Baladeva, Yaçodå
along with Nanda Båbå follows them for a great distance as
they
take the cows out to graze for the day. Finally, after
bidding them
farewell for the day, they return home. After cooking for
K®ß√a,
Çrîmatî Rådhikå and Her sakhîs return to Yåva†a. As Rådhikå’s
sakhîs sit near Her, each of them in their own specific
parties as
ta†astha (neutral), svapakßa (belonging to Rådhikå’s own
group)
and suh®t (friendly), they all begin to meditate on K®ß√a.
They
become deeply spellbound, and when He sometimes appears to
their internal vision, they become enthralled in the mellow
of
divine separation (viraha-rasa). Seeing how Rådhikå is
especially
immersed in viraha-rasa and oblivious to all external
considerations,
the sakhîs call out to Her and bring even more remembrance
of K®ß√a’s pastimes to Her by speaking this verse:
v®ndåvanaμ sakhi bhuvo vitanoti kîrtiμ
yad devakî-suta-padåmbuja-labdha-lakßmi
govinda-ve√um anu matta-mayüra-n®tyam
prekßyådri-sånv-avaratånya-samasta-sattvam
Çrîmad-Bhågavatam (10.21.10); B®had-bhågavatåm®ta (2.7.108)
O sakhî Rådhå, V®ndåvana is more glorious than the heavenly
planets, Vaiku√†ha, and even more glorious than Ayodhyå and
Dvårakå-purî, because it has been graced with the
footprints of
13
the son of Devakî. And only in this V®ndåvana are the
peacocks
dancing in rhythm to the flute melody of Govinda. Hearing
the
sound of the flute and seeing the peacocks dancing, all of
the
birds, animals and other living entities have become
stunned.
Here “Devakî” refers to the other name of Yaçodå, so in
this
verse devakî-suta means Yaçodå-nandana K®ß√a, and His
footprints
are beautifying V®ndåvana. When Akrüra and later Uddhava
went
to Nandagråma, they saw these footprints everywhere. Seeing
them, Akrüra fell down to offer obeisances and rolled on
the
ground, and crying profusely said, “Today I am so fortunate
to
have the darçana of K®ß√a’s lotus feet!”
Playing very deep notes on the flute, Govinda enters the
forest
near Govardhana. Immediately all the peacocks approach Him
making the ke-kå sound, and they see that He appears like a
dark
raincloud. Because He uses the end holes of the flute to
produce
very deep notes, His playing of the flute is like thunder,
and His
yellow cloth is like lightning. The peacocks become
maddened,
and forming a circle around K®ß√a, they begin dancing with
great
bhåva to the flute melody. Hearing the sound of the flute,
all
sattva – meaning “living entities” – become stunned and
abandon
their usual course of activities; animals such as tigers
and bears
even abandon their violent natures. Sattva can also mean
that
everything in the spiritual world is viçuddha-sattva,
comprised of
pure spiritual energy. There is not a touch of mundane
qualities
of goodness (sattva), passion (rajas) or ignorance (tamas)
in that
realm. There are so many objects in Vaikuàha, and they are
all
viçuddha-sattva. Especially it is known as the essence of
the hlådinî
and saμvit potencies combined, which is found in the hearts
of
the eternal rågåtmikå devotees there. If greed arises in
the heart
of a living entity for the sentiment of those devotees and
he performs
bhajana following in their footsteps, then when even one
molecule of their devotion reflects into his heart, it can
be called
14 Bhakti-rasåyana
sattva. There are three kinds of sattva: viçuddha-sattva, sattva
and
miçra-sattva [miçra means “mixed”]. Miçra-sattva exists
within
the conditioned souls, sattva within the liberated souls
who have
not yet developed bhakti, and viçuddha-sattva within the dhåma
and Bhagavån’s eternal associates.
Here, with some jealous anger, the gopîs are revealing the
feelings
of their hearts: “All of the animals, birds, insects and
everything
of V®ndåvana has become fortunate. In an independent
way K®ß√a is bestowing His touch on everyone and everything
in
V®ndåvana. When He climbs the hills His feet are placed
here
and there, and even the trees and flowers are receiving His
touch.
But there is no possibility of us receiving this
benediction, and
therefore in V®ndåvana we are the most unfortunate people.”
As we mentioned before, there are thorns in V®ndåvana also,
but before K®ß√a steps on them they become softer than
butter.
Experiencing the touch of His feet, they melt in divine
bliss.
With jealous anger the gopîs are saying, “As of yet our
hearts have
not become similarly melted in k®ß√a-prema; therefore if we
could
become thorns or blades of grass in V®ndåvana, our lives
would
then become successful. For us there are so many obstacles.
We
are not able to go before Him and touch His feet and speak
with Him. We are not able to fan Him or serve Him in any
way
during the daytime; there are so many restrictions upon us,
but
there are no such restrictions whatsoever for all of the
other living
entities in V®ndåvana. If we were to become blades of
grass, or
thorns, or vines, or ponds, or the dust of V®ndåvana, we
could
receive His touch; but in this form it is not possible.”
Here, in
expressing their jealous anger, they are describing the
good fortune
of the land of V®ndåvana. They go on to say that Bhagavån
is also present in heaven in the form of Våmana, in a form
with
thousands of heads and in other forms also. Although he is
also
present in these forms, they are partial forms; all
incarnations are
Chapter Two 15
not equal. Those incarnations that possess more of the Lord’s
qualities, potencies and rasa are superior. K®ß√a, Råma and
N®siμha possess more of these in comparison to other
incarnations,
and are therefore known as paråvastha-avatåras. But of
these three, K®ß√a is avatårî, the source of all
incarnations, and
the very basis of all rasa – raso vai sa˙. So because He is
sporting
there, V®ndåvana is the most glorious place.
In his commentary on this verse, Sanåtana Gosvåmî says that
K®ß√a played m®du-mandra on the flute. What is the meaning
of
m®du-mandra? When rainclouds begin to gather, the sky at
once
becomes dark, and very softly and slowly thunder comes.
When
the clouds clash violently it produces loud thunder and
lightning
also, but at first they produce a very soft and deep
thunder, and
that is called mandra. K®ß√a produced a similar sound on
the
flute, but with m®du, sweetness. The nature of the peacock
is
such that when it sees the sky darkening and hears thunder,
it
begins dancing madly. When K®ß√a entered the forest, what
did
He see? Giriråja-Govardhana resplendent with creepers,
blooming
flowers and ripe fruits. The breeze was blowing very
gently, seemingly
unable to carry the full weight of the flowers’ fragrance.
Seeing this natural splendour, the desire for enjoyment
arose in
K®ß√a, and He played the flute very softly. Hearing this
deep
vibration, the peacocks went mad, dancing in rhythm with
their
tail-feathers fully spread out. Then all of the animals,
birds and
insects of V®ndåvana congregated in the meadows of
Govardhana
to witness the performance.
The peacocks thought, “He is playing such a beautiful
melody,
and dancing to that we are feeling great joy, but we have
nothing
to offer Him in return.”
After professional actors enact some of Bhagavån’s
pastimes,
they place a deity of K®ß√a or Råmacandra on a plate and
approach
the audience for contributions. Seeing that others have
placed
16 Bhakti-rasåyana
some money on the plate, everyone feels obliged to give
something.
There is some intimidation or psychology used in this
method. But when someone wants to give of their own free
will because they genuinely appreciated a performance, they
will
reach in their pocket and no matter what note they first
pull out
– whether it is two rupees, five rupees or ten rupees –
they will
give it immediately. So one of these peacocks was thinking,
“I
have nothing valuable to offer Him – no golden necklace
around
my neck or any valuable ornaments. I am simply an animal,
but
the feathers of my tail are very valuable! There is nothing
in this
world that can compare to their beauty, and upon seeing
them
everyone becomes pleased. With their seven colours they are
so
attractive, so is there any reason why I shouldn’t offer
Him one?”
Therefore he left behind one of his feathers.
Seeing it K®ß√a thought, “This peacock is very loving; he
has
fully appreciated My flute-playing, and offered Me one of
his
valuable feathers. There is nothing artificial in this
offering.”
Lifting the feather up and placing it on His head, He
thought,
“Just as the flute is dear to Me, this peacock feather has
now
become dear to Me. While walking, resting, dreaming,
standing
or sitting, I will never abandon it. Wherever I may go in
Vraja,
I will never abandon the flute or this peacock feather.”
This is the
origin of the peacock feather becoming K®ß√a’s most
celebrated
ornament.
The peacock saw, “Oh, I left that feather for Him, but He
didn’t merely put it in His pocket! He has placed it on His
head,
the most valuable of all His bodily parts! Today my life
has
become completely successful.”
If we desire to offer a gift to our spiritual master, to a
Vaiß√ava
or to Bhagavån, but upon receiving it they were to say, “What
need do I have for this? I have millions of good quality
things,”
we would feel pain in our hearts. But instead they accept
it and
Chapter Two 17
say, “Oh, what a beautiful thing you have brought me!” and
then
we feel very pleased. Similarly Sudåmå Vipra brought K®ß√a
some
uncooked low-grade rice, and honouring his offering, K®ß√a
snatched it from him saying, “Oh, such a nice snack you
have
brought Me!” And even though it was uncooked, dry and
tasteless,
He immediately chewed it up and said, “Rukmi√î and
Satyabhåmå have never offered Me anything this nice!”
Hearing
this, how did Sudåmå Vipra feel? “Today I have become fully
gratified.”
So the peacock saw that he had offered K®ß√a such a trivial
gift,
yet K®ß√a had taken it and placed it on His head. Then K®ß√a
played the flute with so much prema that He became maddened
along with the peacocks. The words anu matta in this verse
generally
refer to the peacocks becoming intoxicated, but it can
refer
to K®ß√a as well. Then He played the flute with even more prema,
and the peacocks became more maddened, K®ß√a also became
more maddened, and in this way there was competition
between
them. If someone offers something with prema, and it is
also
accepted with prema, then both parties become the tasters
of that
prema, and that is precisely what happened here.
While K®ß√a was playing the flute in this way and the
dancing
was going on, all of the sattva, meaning the birds and
animals,
became motionless and watched and listened. But don’t
consider
them to be like the birds and animals of this world; the
birds and
animals of Goloka are all viçuddha-sattva, and there is no
trace of
tamas, rajas or material sattva in them. Even when the
living
entity becomes very elevated, perhaps just before
liberation, still
there is some trace of material sattva in him. But in this
world
most people are tamasika, which means they are affected by
lower
attributes such as hatred, envy, anger and the cheating
propensity.
Then there is rajasa, which is characterised by intense
greed for
enjoyment. So even when sattva comes, at first it will be
mixed
18 Bhakti-rasåyana
with tamas and rajas. In the case of Hariçcandra Mahåråja,1
he
gave away a great amount in charity, which is sattvika, but
it was
mixed with rajas. Kar√a was very charitable, always spoke
the
truth and did good to others, which are all sattvika qualities,
but he
was affected by anger, envy and the tendency towards
violence, so
it was mixed with tamas. Bharata Mahåråja2 showed affection
for
an animal, which was sattvika, but still it was not çuddha-sattva.
Only after the jîva attains svarüpa-siddhi and will
imminently
enter into vastu-siddhi can it be said that he is in viçuddha-sattva.
Bhagavån and all of His devotees in Vaiku√†ha, whether they
are
peacocks or monkeys or whatever, are situated in viçuddha-sattva.
In order to watch K®ß√a playing the flute and see the
dancing
of the peacocks, many other birds gathered in groups on the
branches of the trees of Govardhana. Below in the forest
the deer
were also watching, but with their eyes closed, as if in
meditation.
How could they be watching if their eyes were closed? By sañcårî,
which means that they were internally experiencing the particular
sthåyibhåva, permanent devotional sentiment, that they were
situated in. There were a great many species of birds and
animals
watching from the meadows of Govardhana, and they all
displayed
the natures of sages. Govinda-ve√um anu matta-mayüran
®tyam – the name Govinda comes from the words go and indate.
Go means the gopas, gopîs, cows and calves. It can also
mean
Veda, bråhma√a, knowledge, the senses and many other
things.
Indate means indra, which means master. So Govinda means “the
one who increases the esctatic joy of everyone in Vraja by
the
notes He plays on the flute”. Hearing this divine sound,
all living
Chapter Two 19
1. The story of Hariçcandra Mahåråja is narrated in Çrîmad-Bhågavatam,
Ninth Canto, Chapter 7.
2. The story of Bhårata Mahåråja is narrated in Çrîmad-Bhågavatam,
Fifth
Canto, Chapters 7–8.
entities forget their normal course of activities. At this
time of the
day, the birds generally make different sounds in their
chirping
such as che-cha and kala-rava, but all of these activities
stop, and
everyone forgets even their own bodies. This is the meaning
of
avaratånya. In this way everyone stands motionless, just
listening
and watching, thinking, “Aho! This can only be found in Çrî
V®ndåvana! Bhagavån is also present in Vaiku√†ha, but there
the
sound of the flute cannot be heard. In Ayodhyå and Dvårakå
one
won’t see peacocks dancing like this. This can only be
found in
V®ndåvana, and nowhere else.” Vitanoti means that V®ndåvana
is more glorious than the heavenly planets or even Vaikuàha.
There K®ß√a exhibits four special qualities: rüpa-mådhurî (His
extraordinary beauty), ve√u-mådhurî (the sweet, mellow
sound of
His flute), lîlå-mådhurî (His supremely captivating
pastimes) and
prema-mådhurî (the especially sweet love that His
companions in
Vraja have for Him). Because Govinda is playing the flute
there,
the splendour and glories of V®ndåvana are being proclaimed
as
the best of all.
How did K®ß√a appear to the peacocks as He was playing the
flute? He had the peacock feather placed in His crown, and
He
was standing in His threefold-bending posture with His
right
foot wrapped around His left. Seeing this, at once the joy
of the
peacocks increased. K®ß√a was adorned with a garland of guñja
flowers, which also included kadamba flowers and tulasî buds,
that hung down to His knees. A mild fragrance was coming
from
it and bees were swarming around it. He was wearing
bracelets on
His wrists, and on His limbs were paintings of spiders. In
this
way Nanda-nandana was decorated in His forest attire, and
He
was holding the flute, which has been called His dear sakhî,
in
His hands. He will never abandon it; it always remains with
Him. Sometimes for increasing the waves of lîlå and for the
20 Bhakti-rasåyana
pleasure of the gopîs, He enters a kuñja and “falls asleep”.
Knowingly He allows the flute to hang loosely in His hand –
He
is not really sleeping. And seeing Him from a hidden
position
and thinking that He is sleeping, the gopîs say, “Now we should
take the flute!”
Then Rådhikå says to the other gopîs, “Who is prepared to
do it? If He awakens He will grab you!” Then everyone
becomes
afraid. In pretending to be asleep, K®ß√a certainly has
some
special intention. If there is any person who can take the
flute, it
is Rådhikå. All the gopîs propose that She do it, and She
agrees.
Smiling and watching Him very carefully, She approaches
stealthily like a cat. Standing over Him, She looks
carefully to see
if He is really sleeping; then She snatches the flute and
quickly
departs the kuñja. Then Ku√∂alatå comes and scolds K®ß√a,
“Your everything is gone, and You are sleeping?” Getting up
and
looking around, K®ß√a says, “Hey! Where has My flute gone?”
Very perturbed He says, “Who took it? Did you see who took
it?”
Then He approaches the gopîs, and as if He knows nothing,
says,
“Have you seen My flute?” In this way He knowingly allows
the
flute to be taken in order to taste some special rasa;
otherwise He
would never abandon it. In the Brahma-saμhitå it says that
the
flute is His dearmost companion. The vibration of this
flute can
melt anything, even rugged mountains, and it is also
capable of
entering devotees’ bodies and stealing their hearts. If the
flute
were not there, then so many of His pastimes (lîlå) and
sportive
merriment (vilåsa) would be meaningless; such is the
importance
of the flute. Being held to His lips it drinks the rasa there
and
becomes intoxicated, inspiring the gopîs to say in the Ve√u-gîta,
“This inanimate stick of bamboo is relishing that which is
our
property – the nectar of Your lips!”
In the verse we are explaining here, the name Devakî-suta
has
Chapter Two 21
been used. Once, Devakî-suta, Dvårakådhîça, went to the
heavenly
planets; Vrajendra-nandana K®ß√a didn’t go there.
Dvårakådhîça
went there to acquire the pårijåta flower to appease the
heart of
Satyabhåmå, and approaching Indra, He said, “Dear brother,
you
are always very affectionate towards Me; therefore please
give Me
one pårijåta flower.” When Indra refused to give Him even
one
flower, K®ß√a uprooted the entire tree, and sitting along
with
Satyabhåmå on the back of His carrier Garu∂a, prepared to
leave
there. Indra and the demigods tried to stop Him, and after
defeating them He returned to Dvårakå and planted the
beautiful
pårijåta tree in Satyabhåmå’s garden. This was Devakî-suta,
Dvårakådhîça-K®ß√a, who bestowed the touch of His feet on
the
heavenly planets, but there you won’t find peacocks
dancing. He
doesn’t play the flute there; if there is anything to be
found in
His hands there, it will be the conchshell and disc. He
didn’t play
the flute there or exhibit the four special aspects of
sweetness that
are found only in V®ndåvana. Therefore the fame of Vraja is
greater than that of the heavenly planets, Vaikuàha or
Dvårakå.
In Vaiku√†ha, Lakßmî receives the touch of Nåråya√a’s feet.
Nåråya√a is an extension of K®ß√a who possesses all six
opulences,
but the four kinds of mådhurî are not present in Vaiku√†ha.
There you won’t find the peacocks dancing to the melody of
the
flute. Therefore when the word devakî is used in this
verse, we
can understand it to be another name for Yaçodå, because it
is
V®ndåvana-K®ß√a, or Govinda, who played the flute. And when
He played the flute, all living entities forgot their
normal course
of activities and stood silently and motionless, listening.
How did
the gopîs hear the flute and witness the dancing of the
peacocks?
Sitting in their homes, they heard and saw it all in
meditation.
They said, “Look! The peacocks are descending to the meadow
to
dance to the melody of K®ß√a’s flute, but can we go there?
We
22 Bhakti-rasåyana
also desire to sing and dance with Him, but there are so
many
restrictions upon us. Our elders are watching over us, so
it is not
possible for us. Therefore we are greatly unfortunate.”
Chapter Two 23
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
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