Gentle nature of Vrajavasis
Our acharyas teach us that we should see through our ears, so today we will have an opportunity to do so. On the way here we were lost & bewildered. If someone brought twenty buses into their agricultural fields in the western world they would be shooting at us with gun calling the US army. But these Vrajavasis he had very nice blue turban & a stick for herding cows, his name was Pitambar when he saw all our buses in his fields he was ecstatic; he was said, what a blessing of Radharani that one thousand devotees have come to bless my field, certainly an auspicious crop will grow this night. Sri Vrindavan Dhaam ki jai.
I was very encouraged that we got lost because this place that we are in is the place of brahma-vimohana Lila, this is the place where Brahma was completely lost, bewildered, & confused, & we are in the Brahma sampraday. So before coming here & see this place we had to also go through some of the bewilderment & confusions of our great previous acharyas. Not far from here is a village called Sapoli.
Krsna & gopas on a picnic
One day lord Sri Krsna when he was in his Kaumära Lila, this means from the age of birth until five years old; he decided to take breakfast in the forest with cowherd boys that day. So he rose very early in morning & with great happiness he blew his buffalo horn calling the cowherd boys & calves. They all came running & running to be with Krsna. When Yashoda Mayi was requested to cook special preparation for this picnic in the forest; she made so many wonderful preparations for Krsna as well as his friends. That particular day happened to be Balaräm ji’ birth day, so Yashoda Mayi & Rohini Devi they asked Balaräm ji to remain back at home in order to observe certain Yajïas & to have abhishek & as well as to give charity to the Brahmans. This is civilization. In material conception when it is birth day, you are accepting gifts, you are expecting gifts. But is Vrindavan when it is birth day it is auspicious day to give gifts especially to the qualified Brahmans. Because the ultimate gift we can receive is their blessing. So that day the boys went without Balaräm ji, Krsna & the gopas & they all had lunch bags that was tied to a stick which was carried over their shoulder. Srimad Bhagvatam tells us that there were lacs & lacs of gopas that means there were lacs & lacs of herds of calves & Krsna in his particular herd had unlimited calves. Prabhupada explains, he quotes from the shastras 0.05.18 ?we cannot understand Krsna by our intelligence, Krsna is unlimited he is beyond the grasp of our mundane conceptions, Krsna can do anything what he like in unlimited ways, even in limited sphere. That is his supernatural inconceivable potency.
Krsna is the source of all plays
So the boys were out on that day in a very very playful spirit, they were already decorated nicely by their mothers but they were not so concerned with their mother’s decorations; they all began to decorate each other themselves in the forest. With what they considered real opulent ornaments; leaves from the trees, different coloured minerals on the ground, they would smear it on each other’s body & flowers & peacocks feathers lying on the ground. This is how they decorated themselves so nicely. Each Gopa is playing flute, each Gopa was equipped with a horn & a stick. That day they were in a very very playful spirit. Some of the games that they played, one was what the acharya called, the festival of stealing. One gopas would steal another boy’s lunch bag & he would be very much for that lunch bag & he would go after it. Then another boy would take the lunch bag & it would just keep going further & further, passing the lunch bag farther & farther away from the boy & he was running & running until he finally gave up & he started crying & then all the boys would laugh & jump & dance & give him his lunch bag back. Krsna would go & walk into the forest to see very scenic views & all the cowherd boys would say, I will touch Krsna first, another would say no no, I will touch Krsna first; you just see I will touch Krsna first. They all started running to Krsna & everyone when they reach Krsna they just started touching him again & again & they couldn’t stop touching him. Then they all asked Krsna, who touched you first. Krsna smiled, he said it doesn’t matter, we are all together. Sometimes they would imitate the animals in the jungle, they would buzz like bees & then others would begin to sing like cuckoos, others would sit silently near the ducks, others would see birds flying over their heads & they wanted to fly like the birds so they chased the shadow of the birds & in the shadow of the birds they were imitating the bird’s flying. Others were imitating very beautiful graceful movements of the swans. Others began to dance just like the peacocks. Many of the cowherd boys they jumped on the tress along with the monkeys. Other boys hey went to the water fall & the lakes & began to jump in the lakes following the frogs & some boys would shout in the well & when the echo would come out they would chastise the echo & call it bad names. One of the boys would take the role of a emperor & other boys would be his subjects. Some were police constables chasing the other cowherd boys who played thieves. And some played football with ämalaké fruits & bell fruits. Another game they often played is they would throw ämalaké fruit as high as they could in the sky & then all of them would take other ämalaké fruits & try to hit that one. In this way the boys would play so many enjoyable games. Srila Prabhupada gives in this regard the purport that is very important for us to understand, that in this world people like to enjoy playing games especially children; the reason is because this originally exists in the spiritual world. The origin of all playing is Goloka Vrindavan & Krsna personally appears with his friends into this world just to show us real enjoyment & to attract us, invite us to come back to spiritual world to play games with him. But there is a difference, in this material world games create material competition which create anger & agitation & envy; & even if you win, next day you gone lose. But in the spiritual world the playing is eternal & it brings about unlimited bliss in all of Krsna’s friends hearts.
Krsna’s perfect arrangements to have eternal past times with his associates
Srimad Bhagvatam describes who the jïänis worship as Brahman, who the yogis worship a paramatma, who the devotees accept as the eternal master, who the ordinary people consider an ordinary child. That same supreme personality of godhead with a stick, a flute, & a horn in his belt is playing such wonderful intimate games with the cowherd boys of Vrindavan. Who can understand the unlimited fortune of the residence of Vrindavan? Krsna’s play was so very very enjoyable, it gave unlimited bliss to both Krsna & his friends therefore here is no way the play could end. These boys were so absorbed in their playing that they would not stop to eat, they would not stop to sleep they were just playing fort rest of the eternity. Therefore Vishvanath Chakravarti explains, Yoga mäyä made an arrangement; every single day just before lunch time time she would send a demon; a demon who would come & terrorise Vrindavan. And then Krsna & his playmates would have to end their playing for sometime & he would kill the demon & when they would be nice & hungry & they would take lunch Prasad after that they would start all new games.
Envy can drive the world into abominable activities
One such demon was Aghasur. Agha was sent by Kamsa, he was feared by all of the demigods in the higher planets. He could not tolerate seeing Krsna & the cowherd boys having so much fun, this is the nature of the envious person; they cannot tolerate seeing other people enjoying. Bhaktivinod Thakur he reveals this materially conditioned nature in his song, Durlabha mänava janma, he says, when I see people happy I become miserable & envious & when I see people suffering I become filled with joy. So Aghasura was of this nature, so he was thinking he is Krsna. He killed my older sister the virtuous Putana, he killed my older brother that great soul Bakäsura, today I will offer the oblations to my departed brother & sister through the process of killing Krsna & if Krsna dies all the residence of Vrindavan will die with him because they cannot live in separation from him.
Fearless are those who take shelter of Krsna
With this plan in mind he assumed the form of a python. Not an ordinary python, this python was eight miles in size, eight miles long & he opened his mouth wide with the intention of devouring Krsna & al the gopas. The gopas saw Aghasura lying right on the path & they were very happy to see him, they were thinking this look like a very scenic place to play. As they came closer they began to discuss, some of the boys they began to run away in fear. Then after some discussion they came to the conclusion that this was the gigantic snake that has come to devour us. Look at this snake, he is eight miles long, his lower lip is on the earth & his upper lip is in the clouds in the highest part of the sky, his eyes blazing like fire, his teeth are like mountain peaks, his tongue is like a large red highway & that hot fishy smelling sour smell coming out of his mouth must be his intestines. This big gigantic snake has come to devour us. But we have seen, how Bakäsura he tried to devour Krsna & Krsna killed him, so Krsna will kill this demon just like Bakäsura so let us happily dance into his mouth. This way they all began to all laugh & literally danced right in to the mouth of Aghasura. They were totally fearless. The demigods they have their thunderbolts, their weapons & their great power & wealth & armies; they were fearful as anything of Aghasura. The gopas just danced smiling & laughing right into his mouth, because they had complete faith in Krsna, they knew that Krsna will protect them.
bhajahü re mana çré-nanda-nandana
abhaya-caraëäravinda re
The greatest power in this world is fear. Srila Prabhupada explains when we are attached to sense gratification, we become fearful because the objects of our pleasure are temporary & the senses & our body which give us pleasure are temporary. So those who are attached to this world they live in fear but gopas of Vrindavan they had no attachment the only attachment was to please Krsna, to love Krsna, to love Krsna & therefore they knew that Krsna will always protect them.
Krsna reciprocates as we approach him
When Krsna saw the gopas smiling at him running right into the mouth of Aghasura; he tried to stop them but they didn’t realise it, they were too busy singing his glories. When all the gopas were in the belly of Agha, Agha kept his mouth open he was waiting for Krsna. Krsna entered into his mouth. The demigods they began to cry out in great fear alas alas Krsna is finished & Kamsa the demons they were celebrating in great joy. As Krsna found his way deeper into the recess of Aghasura’s belly, he heard all demigods crying. So out of compassion he expanded his body, so as Krsna was expanding his body the demon Agha was also expanding his body & finally Krsna expanded to such a limit that Aghasura could not breath, he suffocated, his eye balls popped out & his very life force burst through a hole in the top of his head & entered into the sky. Krsna looked at his friends, they were all lying dead. He glanced upon them with his divine love & brought them all back to life & they looked at each other in great amazement. And then Krsna said to gopas let’s go out of here, so all the gopas danced out of Aghasura’s body & Krsna came out. A wonderful thing took pace, the soul of Agha in the form of light merged directly into the body of Krsna. Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita,
ye yathä mäà prapadyante
täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham
As you approached me I reward you accordingly, so Aghasura let Krsna in his body so Krsna let Aghasura in his body. To the amazement of all us Aghasura attained Swarup mukti; this means he became an eternal, pure loving devotee of Krsna with four arms in Vaikuntha. One may ask how that is possible.
Krsna is the reservoir of pleasures & gives pleasure to one who serves him / Lord never forgets our devotion
Generally demons only attain impersonal mukti, not like perfection of Vaikuntha. But our great acharyas have extracted from the scriptures the explanation, why you see most demons like Keshi, like Baka, like Vatsa they just caused anxiety to everybody & Krsna killed them. But Aghasura was a big play ground for the gopas, he made them happy as anything, he gave them pleasure. They were actually enjoying past times in his mouth. Because of his association the enjoyment of the gopas, he actually rendered for one moment devotion to Krsna. And because he died in that consciousness he went back home back to godhead. When Krsna came out his friends were embracing him & saying well done well done, demigods were so grateful & happy were showering flowers upon Sri Lord Krsna. After this Aghasura his body dried up & became from demon to one of the favourite playgrounds for the gopas of Vrindavan. When this happened the demigods were having wonderful festival celebrating Krsna’s victory. And person who is especially enthusiastic was Lord Brahma.
The ability to forgive measures our purity
According to Bhaktivinod Thakur Aghäsura represents cruelty to others due to envy. It is one of the great obstacles on the path back to Vraja. It is the propensity of every conditioned soul to be harsh, to be impolite, angry, cause various levels of cruelty to others because somehow or others they are interfering with their own sense gratification. In the Vaishnava spirit a devotee tries to offer respect to all living beings. We see the example of Vasudev Datta, he was kind & compassionate even to the worms which were eating his body away. Devotee is para-duhkha-dukhi, very forgiving to anybody who trespasses or offences or sins to us. Nityänanda Prabhu was beaten on the head by Jagäi & Mädhäi & wanted to kill him. His body covered with blood with folded hands he prayed to Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu, please do not harm them, whatever they did, it really doesn’t hurt. Please give them love of God, forgive them. That is Vaishnava. And to the extent our heart becomes pure we become the friend & well-wisher even to our enemies. Although for the sake of upholding dharma we may have to fight them, we may have to speak against them; but it is never with envy, never with malice. It is out of compassion for others with the spirit of servitude. Aghasura, he was so envious, he was so cruel, and he literally wanted to wipe out the entire population of Vraja. And he had is revengeful reasons too, Krsna killed his brother & sister. This Aghasura lives in all of us, we have to be very very alert & attentive to not allow that propensity to offend others rather we have to kill it through the chanting of the holy names, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare.
Om apavitraù pavitro vä
sarvävasthäà gato ‘pi vä
yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà
sa bähyäbhyantara-çuciù
Purified or un purified or even having pass through all situations of life one who remembers the supreme personality of godhead becomes purified from within & without, this is the ultimate method by which we can destroy all the demons of envy, lust, anger, pride, greed & illusion within our heart.
Pride causes our fall down/ Aghasura cursed by rishi
In his previous life Aghasura was the son of Shankasura & he had a beautiful body thus he was very proud. So there was one åñi named Ashtavakra & he did not have a beautiful body by material perception. So this son of Shankasura thinking I am more beautiful than you, he laughed at him & ridiculed him. Ashtavakra said, you are so much proud of your beauty that you have offended me therefore I curse you to become the ugliest serpent on the face of the earth. So he fell at the lotus feet of rishi & begged forgiveness; please forgive me, but the rishi said alright, Krsna will personally kill you & liberate you. So we should be very careful not to ever think ourselves better than anyone else that is a stepping stone to fall down. Try to see the good qualities in others like a bumble bee; try to correct the defects in ourselves; that is humility.
One becomes happy when Krsna is in the centre of his life
So Lord Sri Krsna took the gopas to the banks of Yamuna. Actually Sukadev Goswami he told maharaj Parikshit, this Lila of the killing of Aghasura was told by the cowherd boys to the residence of Vrindavan one year later; however it seemed as if it was in the same day. Maharaj Parikshit asked how it is possible. How can they speak something one year later as if it was on the same day? Sukadev Goswami explained, Krsna took his friends to the Yamuna, he said to his friends, look at this beautiful forest on the bank of Yamuna such fragrant beautiful lotus flowers, elegant trees & cool breezes this is the supreme best place to enjoy past time; let us take our lunch today here. It’s already late for the lunch; let us let our calves drink the ambrosial waters of Yamuna & eat the sweet soft grasses here. So the cowherd boys began to unpack their lunch boxes. Srimad Bhagvatam tells us that, Krsna was sitting like a whorl of a lotus flower & all the cowherd boys were like the petals of hat lotus flower, thousands, & thousands of petals of lotus flower. With Krsna in the centre all the gopas were just staring at Krsna with great love & devotion & Krsna was staring at each of them. In Caitanya Charitamrita Kaviraj Goswami gives another perspective, he says, each Gopa was thinking that Krsna is only looking at me. Krsna has that power. Hundreds & thousands of cowherd boys but he is completely fulfilling their desires for his love, for his affection. Srila Prabhupada in this regard, he says, this is Krsna consciousness; when Krsna is in the centre of all our interrelationships then life becomes beautiful & blissful.
Krsna is easily sought by his devotees
The gopas began to make various objects into their plates; some put their food on rocks, some on leaves, some on fruits, some on flowers, some on their laps, some of them made little baskets out of twigs. And each of them was showing each other the various preparations in their lunch bags; they hold it up, look what I have. And they laughed & one of them would take a bite & others would say, let me try, let me try. Yes yes this is very nice, you should try it; so they were eating food from each other’s hands & laughing & laughing. Lord Brahma & the demigods they were amazed to see this, Krsna is the supreme object of all sacrifices. Even in the heavenly planets & the higher planets of the rishis, what to speak on this earth. The Brahmans are chanting so many mantras & performing so many rituals. All simply to please Krsna here is that supreme personality of godhead playing & laughing on the bank of Yamuna with simple little five year old little boys, taking food right out of their mouth & eating it himself. Brahma was shocked, Brahma was shocked for two reasons; one is how Krsna killed this Aghasura & two is, how the same person who killed Aghasura is eating the food of his devotees as a cowherd boy laughing & joking, taking the remnants.
Lord Brahma steals calves & the cowherd boys
So Brahma decided that he would test Krsna. There is a place not far from here called 0.43.52 that is where Lord Brahma personally made his efforts to rest Krsna. Meanwhile Krsna was just laughing & making jokes with his devotees. One joke he started to speak with bumble bee, “oh bumble bee you have come to kill my brahmana friend, Madhumaìgala” but I will not allow you to do so. When he said the gopas were just uproarious with laughter. So Lord Brahma he was bewildered… I have to see what this Krsna is. The calves began to eat fresh grasses & they were led farther & farther away from the boys into the forest. The boys became very alarmed. Krsna said to them, do not fear, you just go on enjoying your lunch Prasad, I will go myself & I will find them. Krsna searched the caves, the forests, the mountains; he could not find even a single calf anywhere. Then he returned to the original spot & all the gopas were gone. The reason; Lord Brahma stole them. Krsna understood this, he was standing & looking for his children friends with yoghurt, rice, & fruit mixture in his hands, & he came back. No one was around, the sun was soon to set, the Vrajavasis were waiting for their children, & the calves to return, so Krsna wanted to give pleasure to all the cows, to all the mothers & to Brahma himself.
Krsna fulfilled the desire of everyone
Thus Gopal expanded himself into the exact replica form of each & every cowherd boy & calf so exactly he has a same bodily complexions, the same features, he spoke with the same voice, same manners, same exact clothes as each calf & each Gopa. Krsna has created everything ultimately so for him it is simply his play. And then all the little Krsna’s came together in their various forms & entered again into the village of Vrindavan. They all played their horns & their flutes & the mothers… whatever activities they happened to be doing, they jumped up & ran to their children, they embraced them, put them on the lap, & began to feed them the milk from their breast. Each & every cow & each & every Gopi always long for the chance to render service as Yashoda did. They were not envious rather they loved & worshiped Yashoda Mayi but they all longed to share the nectar that she was receiving. So Krsna fulfilled all of their desires, the cows when they saw their little calves coming, they never ever loved their calves so much, they began to move in ecstasy. And the claves come running to them & their mother just licked them & licked them as if they were about to drink to them, they just couldn’t stop licking them & profuse amount of milk was flowing from their milk bags. You see all of the gopis & all of the cows although they have their own children & they loved their children dearly; they loved Krsna more than their own children. Very very inconceivable concept. Krsna in his Chintamani Dhaam Vrindavan fulfilled everyone’s desire for one full year; he became the child of each & every one of the older gopis & cows & they all experienced the identical ecstasy as Yashoda & Nanda.
Our natural inclination is to serve Krsna
About five or six days before the end of the year, Krsna & Balaräm were herding the cows & Krsna & Balaräm saw the older cowherd men, they have some cows on top of Govardhana hill & the calves happened to see their little calves. But the calves were Krsna, the cows just could not separation they just started galloping down the hill & their milk bags were swinging back & forth & the cowherd men were really in frustration. They started chasing after the cows & these were older calves. The cows were supposed to give milk to the youngest calves but they were all giving milk to their older calves because they were Krsna & the cows were just licking & licking & giving all their milk tears flowing from their eyes. And the cowherd man came running down from Govardhana hill but when they saw their little boys who were also expansions of Krsna their hearts melted; they embraced them, smell their heads & brought the cows back up on the hill. As they were bringing them up they were simply remembering their sons weeping tears of ecstatic love. When Balram saw this he was thinking, how is this possible? These boys they are not great sages, they are not great rishis, why the parents love them so much? They love them the same way Yashoda loves Krsna, the only possibility is Krsna has become all of these boys & all of these calves. So he explained this mind to Krsna & Krsna said, yes & he told him everything that happened.
Lord Brahma got bewildered
Meanwhile Lord Brahma, he had taken boys & calves & he hid them in a cave & put them in mystic sleep. And according to Vrajavasis that cave is just here. You see lord Brahma, even though he is the father of the universe, he is borne of a lotus flower, our acharyas tell us that, lotus flower is also material therefore in this sense was also subjected to making mistakes. But actually he was put under the power of Yoga mäyä by Krsna himself for this wonderful past time. So Brahma was thinking. I should go back soon to see what is happening because I am playing with fire, I have stolen the friends & calves of Krsna, so he came back in one moment. But according to the life of Brahma one moment which happens to be one twelfth of a second is equal to one year of our time. When he returned he saw that everything was just like normal, there were all the gopas plating in the field, calves & Brahma was thinking did they escaped from the cave, how is this possible; he went to the cave & saw they were sleeping. Then he went back to the pasture & saw that they were playing. He went back to the cave, he went back to pasture, wherever he went he saw the same thing. He was thinking, is Krsna playing tricks with me, is it that i am going there & he is bringing them back & I come back he brings them back before I get there; what is happening… I do not understand, who are they? How is this happening? Brahma was completely bewildered & confused.
In front of God we are insignificant tiny particles
At that moment lord Brahma saw each & every calf & each & every Gopa transformed into the form of four armed Vishnu, holding the conch shell, the disc, the club, & the lotus flower, each has Kaustubha Mani, crown & jewel. Each one of these form of Vishnu was being worshiped by all living entities & all the different energies & potencies of the supreme personality of godhead. Brahma considered himself totally insignificant. He was thinking in his mind that, just like in the day time snow is very bright & lights up everything but at night its nothing & at night time the glow worms light up you sky & thinks how great it is. But in the day time in presence of the sun it is utterly insignificant. Lord Brahma was bewildered & through this process Krsna wanted to teach all the world, whoever you are, however great you may be; before God you are simply insignificant. We should not try to test Krsna rather we should surrender to Krsna. Lord Brahma was so bewildered by this that he literally became blind that was his state of consciousness. Then lord Krsna changed the whole scene & all that was left was himself standing alone with a lump of yoghurt, fruit & rice very innocently searching for his calves & his friends as he was one year before.
It is impossible to understand Krsna with our material senses / the mood of Goloka Vrindavan
When Brahma saw the beauty of Vrindavan he was struck with wonder, he saw the kalpavåkña trees, he saw how Vrindavan is a place where there is no hunger, there is no thirst, there is not a trace of animosity, even amongst animals & human who by nature should be very envious of each other because in Vrindavan everyone is living simply for the pleasure of Krsna. Srila Prabhupada explains, when there is no desire for sense gratification there is no envy & then all can be united in pleasing Krsna & that is the only condition where we can really be happy. And Srila Prabhupada explains, that is the meaning of Vrindavan; no desire for personal enjoyment, complete unity for one purpose to please Krsna, to glorify Krsna, to loudly chant his holy names, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. Srila Prabhupada gives very beautiful personal realization, Brahma saw the unlimited powers of Krsna & how the source of all that power was his sweet form as a little cowherd boy playing & laughing with his little friends. Krsna’s powers are like an unlimited ocean we should not try to measure the ocean, we should simply surrender to Krsna.
Understanding our insignificant position/ Krsna doesn’t like to see pride in his devotees
Prabhupada said, when he was in the Atlantic Ocean on Jaladuta a cargo ship, during those storms he said that he had the realization that little ship was like a tiny match box floating in the ocean utterly insignificant. That is our position within this world. One of our dear God brothers very powerful manager, he was controlling things & he was serving Srila Prabhupada very nicely but that Brahma does too who controls universes in the service of the lord. So Prabhupada wanted o teach him a good lesson too. He said, Maha Vishnu exhales & creates unlimited universes, this universe is insignificant amongst them & in this earth planet is insignificant in this earth planet the land of America is insignificant & in land of America the city of Los Angeles is insignificant speck & in this city of Los Angeles this building this temple is insignificant speck & in this temple you are just an insignificant speck & yet you are thinking you are the centre of this universe. Krsna is the centre of universe. If we are trying to look for happiness by hearing ourselves praised we gone suffer miserably. But if we find happiness in hearing Krsna praised we will eternally find unlimited joy therefore this is our glory; to glorify Krsna, to glorify devotees, to chant the holy names, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. Krsna sensed that, Brahma was little proud of of being the creator & father of all living beings in the universe & he does not tolerate pride in the heart of his devotee.
Brahma surrenders unto Krsna / Lord Brahma humbled by Krsna
When Brahma saw this, he got down off his swan carrier in this very place that we are sitting today. Lord Brahma fell & placed all of his four heads on the lotus feet of that little Gopal who is standing in the pasture of Vraja who in his left hand he held a flute & in right hand a stick. But on this particular occasion he was holding a lump of yoghurt & rice & he was just innocently looking here & there, he did not even take note of brahma the creator of universe. Lord Brahma performed repeated dandavat obeiscences at the lotus feet of Krsna & then out of humility he bathed Krsna’s lotus feet with his tears. Not far from here is Brahma kund, we just went there, but there are many thorns & it’s very muddy & it’s very small path. But at that Brahma kund where Lord Brahma washed the lotus feet of Krsna with his tears. And where we are sitting is where Brahma surrendered his life in humility & devotion to lord Krsna. The devas they usually never touch the ground however Brahma gave up all of his prestige & fell on the ground thousands of time sin obeiscences. He worshiped Krsna, he offered beautiful prayers. Srila Prabhupada quotes one great Vaishnava who brought out the spirit of Brahma’s prayers, he said, let others worship the Vedas, Puranas & Mahäbhärata in fear of material existence but as for myself I will worship Nanda maharaj in huge courtyard Krsna the supreme absolute truth is crawling around like a helpless little baby child. Brahma’s his voice was faltering, his limbs were trembling, he offered beautiful prayers of surrender to lord Krsna, & then he circumambulated him & asked Krsna’s permission for him to leave. Krsna did not say a single word to Brahma; he was just like a simple cowherd boy just looking around. Brahma received permission & he went back to his abode.
A moment of “one year”
Sanatan Goswami explains that, Brahma actually had no power to steal the gopas & the calves because they are Krsna’s personal devotees. Just like Ravana stole the false Sétä similarly Brahma also stole mäyä calves & mäyä cowherd boys. The original ones remained just right there on the bank of Yamuna; they just continued their feast as they were but by Krsna’s divine potency nobody could see them. And for them although time went on for whole rest of vraja bhumi for them time was concentrated & after Brahma got back on his swan & returned to Brahma loka one year later Krsna was still holding that same piece of yoghurt in his hand. And he came back to the place & all the boys were there all the whole time & they saw Krsna come back & said, Gopal Gopal how is it possible? You brought the all calves so soon; it’s not even a half moment since you left. In fact we have not even taken single morsel of food since you have left how could you come back & find them so quickly. Come with us & enjoy. Krsna sat with his friends again & they continued their lunch prasädam. The only difference is the children, their bodies grew one year, but they didn’t take note of it because it seemed like a half of a moment for them. So the Gopas all congratulated Krsna & they all ate together & returned home. As they were returning home Krsna showed them the totally dried up body of Aghasura & they were thinking, just a few hours ago he was killed & how quickly he dried up. And when they came back into Vrindavan village all the gopas were crying out today Krsna killed the big gigantic serpent who devoured all of us you should have seen it & all of the Vrajavasis were chanting the glories of lord Gopal. And then the Poganda Lila took & place & soon after Krsna & Balaräm were given the charge of cows.
Every living entity is naturally attracted to Krsna
When they were returning to the village it is explained that Krsna on that day was walking behind all the calves & as the cows were approaching the cows in separation from their children were ‘mooing’ & their milk was just flowing out of affection. The front legs of the calves were running like anything to go & drink the milk of their mothers but the back legs of the calves were not moving at all because they wanted to stay with Krsna as Krsna was behind them. So their hind legs & their front legs were simply not conscious-operating at all. Parikshit maharaj asked Sukadev Goswami, how is it possible that some can love someone else children more than their own? This is just utterly unnatural & unseen in this world. Sukadev Goswami explained that Krsna is the soul of all souls; it is because every living being is part & parcel of him that is why they have attraction. He is the paramatma in everyone’s heart; he is the ultimate object of love, whatever love, whatever affection, whatever attraction we have for anyone or anything it is due to our natural attraction for Krsna. But in ignorance we forget that, we do not understand what we are really attracted to. But as we become purified we realise that, Krsna is all attractive, he is the ultimate supreme reservoir of love. When you love Krsna you naturally love everything & everyone, without love of Krsna there can be no love at all.
Benefits of hearing Brahma-vimohana Lila
Sukadev Goswami tells us that anyone who hears this narration of Brahma vimohana Lila, all of his or her spiritual desires will certainly be fulfilled. We are hearing this Lila in the month of Kartik in the very place where it is eternally being enacted. And this darkness is very very nice because there is nothing to distract our attention at least to our eyes, we can’t see, the only sense we can really use right now is our ears. Krsna has mercifully offered us the perfect arrangement for our Krsna consciousness. Sukadev Goswami says, boys continued playing every day in this way, building bridges, hide & seek, plating the churning of the ocean of milk & Nanda maharaj seeing Krsna not getting little older he told Yashoda mayi that I have built a separate room for Krsna &we will build a separate room for Balaräm also. And Yashoda mayi said, no no he has to stay with us. Nanda maharaj said, no now he is already going six years old, he should have his own room. Yashoda mayi said, no no he is only born a few days ago, can’t you see, he is only a baby.
Pride is the first step towards fall down / One cannot attain the lotus feet of Krsna with prideful heart
Bhaktivinod Thakur explains the anartha which this bewilderment of Brahma represents is mundane activities & speculative scholarships. Speculative scholarships means to try to understand without understanding what is beyond our intellect. In transcendental subject matters it is very very essential that our faith is based on truth & sound authorative philosophical principles. However the conclusion of the truth or the conclusion of the philosophy is to know that Krsna is beyond the reach of our capacity or understand. When we come to the conclusion of real philosophy we just surrender to Krsna with faith. In this regard Prabhupada told us a story: Narada muni met brahmana very learned Brahman. After some time he asked Narada, where you are going? To Vaikuntha. Oh you are going to Vaikuntha, when you see Narayan you ask him, when I am going back to him. And then he saw a simple cobbler, not learned, he greeted him nicely. Where are you going? I am going to Vaikuntha to see Narayan. Please ask him, I am so unqualified, I am so insignificant, will there ever be a time when I will be able to separation him? After seeing Narayan, Narada Muni asked, when will they come? Narayan said, that Brahman after thousands of birth, the cobbler in this very life. If they ask you what I was doing when you saw me, tell them I was threading elephant through the eye of needle. So he saw the Brahman. The Brahman asked, when I am going to Vaikuntha, did you ask? Yes, replied Narada muni, after thousands of births. Thousands of births? You didn’t see Narayan get out of here. What he was doing when you saw him? Its nonsense, nobody threads an elephant through eyes of a needle, impossible! Get out of this place, you rascal, you have offended the Brahman class. Then he went to the cobbler. When I will attain the lotus feet of my lord? In this very life, you are going back to godhead. Oh, how merciful, I don’t deserve it, causeless love, and such compassion of my lord. What was he doing when you saw him? He was threading elephant through the eye of an needle. Oh, how nice. Do you believe this? Of course I believe this, my lord can do anything. You see this banyan tree, so many flowers & fruits on this banyans tree, each fruit has hundreds & hundreds of little seeds & in each these tiny little seeds my lord has put an entire banyan tree like this; if he can do this in this material world he can do anything he has inconceivable potency. That is the type of faith of Vrajavasis. Simple faith.
Firm faith in guru & shastra will ultimately take us to Krsna
Then we see great scholar like Jiva Goswami, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, they can uphold all the highest principles & annihilate all opposing deviations but yet in their heart of hearts such simple, natural faith & love for supreme personality of godhead. Prabhupada would roar like a lion when Mäyäväda philosophy was to be devastated. But he was like the most simple innocent child in his total faith & loyalty & devotion to guru & Gauranga. Therefore we should not think that our big big intelligence, our B.A., M.A., PhD. or the great training that we have with our intellect is a qualification; it is a qualification to be used in Krsna’s service, if it is used with humility & faith. It is a great thing. However we have seen many scholars who become proud, become offensive, and try to measure the absolute through their own facilities & fall down. This is an anartha that is latent within every condition soul. So we must rise above speculation & learn to humbly accept the philosophy, the teachings of the great acharyas. Everyone has to have faith somewhere; the atheist has faith in other atheist or they have faith in their mind & senses. But we want to have faith in truth,
evaà paramparä-präptam
imaà räjarñayo viduù
And that truth as descended through the acharyas of our parampara. If we trust their words, there would not be any obstruction on the path back home back to godhead.
Thank you very much.
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