The following is Chapter 6 from Kṛṣṇa – The Lord of Sweetness, First Edition by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja

 

For the last three days, I have spoken about dāmodara-līlā, the pastime of Kṛṣṇa being bound to a grinding mortar. After this pastime, all the Vrajavāsīs became worried because of the many disturbances occurring in Gokula. Many demons were coming and attacking Kṛṣṇa, wanting to kill Him. The Vrajavāsīs considered, “It is better to leave Gokula and go to a pleasant forest, where there is plenty of grass for the cows, plenty of water, a river, and a good forest in which Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva can play. Also, we should find a place that is free from disturbance or fear of demons. The forest should be pleasant, with cuckoo birds, peacocks, deer, and plenty of grass for the cows.”

Upananda said, “Mahārāja Śāṇḍilya Ṛṣi is here. He knows every nook and corner of Vṛndāvana. I also have some experience, which is why we can go there. In Vṛndāvana, Govardhana is so pleasant. There are waterfalls, a river, plenty of grass, the most beautiful Mānasī-gaṅgā, and everything needed for Kṛṣṇa to play. Also, there are numerous banyan trees, pīpala trees, forests of kadamba and tamāla trees, as well as many deer. The water of the Yamunā is very lovely. We should go there.”

Having decided to go to Vṛndāvana, Nanda Bābā had his servants make an announcement using the drum: “Tomorrow, very early in the morning, about four or five o’clock, all our cows will be directed toward Vṛndāvana, after crossing the nearby Yamunā River. All our wealth should be taken on bullock carts. The elderly, including fathers, mothers, and others, should sit on those carts, along with all young children. The rest will follow with the cows. All should ‘quickly march’ from here.”

[The following morning,] Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva sat on a big cart with Mother Rohiṇī and Mother Yaśodā. Other children were also with their mothers and elderly persons on bullock carts. The young cowherds marched with the cows. The number of cows was endless, like an ocean. There were streams of black cows and white cows. It was so beautiful.

They proceeded for miles and miles, pleasantly. They made many rafts by tightly binding together the branches of banyan trees, and hundreds of thousands of gopas and gopīs crossed on these boats. The bullocks walked across, pulling their carts behind them, and all the cows swam across. Even the little calves happily jumped in with their mothers and crossed the river. It was a very pleasant sight. Everyone took their morning breakfast on the bank of the Yamunā. After resting for some time, they quickly marched toward the village of Chaṭṭīkarā, which is on the west side of Vṛndāvana. Upon reaching there, hundreds of thousands of bullock carts formed a half-moon shape. Thorny briers were placed outside the carts, making it difficult for anyone to enter easily. They made their huts there, under the bullock carts, and they also made a gośālā (cowshed) on the outskirts of the village.

As Kṛṣṇa was coming from the bank of the Yamunā on the bullock cart, He asked Mother Yaśodā, “Mother, who is that I see standing and trembling in the distance?”

Mother Yaśodā said, “It is a pīpala tree. It is always trembling, and its leaves are always dancing.”

“And who is that person with such a long black beard?” Kṛṣṇa asked.

Mother Yaśodā replied, “That is not a person; that is a tree, and its name is a banyan tree.”

“Look! I see two beautiful golden horns jumping here and there. Who is that?”

“That is a deer.”

In this way, Mother Yaśodā was teaching Kṛṣṇa. Boys tend to inquire, “What is this? What is that? How did this happen? How did that happen?” And so Yaśodā was teaching Kṛṣṇa, and He was learning.

Eventually, they arrived at their new village. Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva Prabhu were very happy to be there, near the Yamunā River and Govardhana Hill. There were many ponds and a large and pleasant forest — Madhuvana — with great amounts of honey (madhu). Kṛṣṇa began to play there.

Kṛṣṇa left Gokula at the age of three and a half and came to Madhuvana around the age of five. Because He took so much butter, ghee, and rabaḍī (a milk sweet), He was sportive and strong in His boyhood. Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva would often wrestle and play, jumping here and there, and play with the monkeys. The monkeys would sit on the tree limbs with their tails hanging down, and Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva used to jump and catch hold of them easily. Then, when the monkeys would jump from one tree to another, Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva would follow, doing the same. Sometimes, They would play leapfrog, and sometimes They would dance like peacocks. They played in various ways.

Kṛṣṇa told His father and mother, “Now that I am strong, I want to take the cows out to graze.”

Hearing this, Yaśodā became worried. She said, “No, no. You are a small boy. You cannot go.”

“Mother, I should go because this is our tradition.” He was so obstinate. “I must go, Mother. I must go.”

A priest was called, and an auspicious date was decided for His first day of cowherding. That day became known as Gopāṣṭamī. Nanda Bābā, Upānanda, and all the superior gopas decided that because Kṛṣṇa was so small, it would be better for Him to go out with other children. Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva could go to nearby places and graze small calves, but not the full-grown cows. Kṛṣṇa was happy with this, and Yaśodā, after decorating Him in an auspicious way, brought Him shoes to wear and an umbrella to use when taking the calves out.

On an auspicious day, the Vrajavāsīs worshipped Nārāyaṇa, Nṛsiṁhadeva, and Śālagrāma. Yaśodā Mā decorated Kṛṣṇa elaborately. She never actually wanted Kṛṣṇa to go cowherding, so she continued to decorate and adorn Him. Meanwhile, the auspicious time for setting off was approaching, and the priest, who was thinking about the cows he would soon receive in donation for his services, wanted Kṛṣṇa to head out. “Quickly, quickly,” he told Kṛṣṇa.

Yaśodā wanted to put the shoes on Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva and give Them the umbrellas, but Kṛṣṇa told her, “Mother, the cows are our superiors and are worshipful for us. You should try to give each cow an umbrella and four shoes. Only then will We accept these things for Ourselves.”

Why did Kṛṣṇa say this? He wanted to touch the Earth with His feet so that it would become auspicious. The Earth wanted to take Kṛṣṇa’s feet on her breasts. The breasts of the Earth are everywhere, in the form of mountains. She always wants Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet on her, and that is why Kṛṣṇa never takes an umbrella or wears any shoes.

After donating many cows, Kṛṣṇa moved toward the forest with His many calves. The calves were beautiful. Some were small, some larger, and some even larger, but all were less than a year old. Both female and male calves were present. [By this time,] Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva were with Their gopa friends – Śrīdāma, Sudāma, Subala, Madhumaṅgala, and so on – and all the Vrajavāsīs came out of the village of Chaṭṭīkarā, Vṛndāvana, to see them off.

Mother Yaśodā, however, was not in the mood to give Kṛṣṇa up. Because she wanted to keep Kṛṣṇa forever within her embrace, she did not return home; therefore, Kṛṣṇa told her, “Mother, you should go back.” She reluctantly began to return, but when Kṛṣṇa took one or two steps forward, she again wept like a cow for her calf. This happened again and again. At last, Kṛṣṇa told her, “I vow that We will return. Please return.” Hearing this, Yaśodā stopped weeping.

Nanda Bābā and the other gopas were also following Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa stopped them as well. Many gopīs and their friends, aged three, four, and five, were there as well. They were worshipping Kṛṣṇa with crooked glances, and Kṛṣṇa was accepting their worship with His eyes. They wanted to meet with Him. They sat on rooftops and balconies, in doorways and windows. Some came out of their houses and stood in their courtyards. Kṛṣṇa was beautifully decorated with a peacock’s feather, the Kaustubha jewel, and His vaṁśī (flute).

kasturī-tilakaṁ lalāṭa-paṭale vakṣaḥ-sthale kaustubhaṁ
nāsāgre vara-mauktikaṁ kara-tale veṇuḥ kare kaṅkaṇam
sarvāṅge hari-candanaṁ sulalitaṁ kaṇṭhe ca muktāvalī
gopa-strī-pariveṣṭito vijayate gopāla-cūḍāmaṇiḥ

Śrī Gopāla-sahasra-nāma-stotra (28)

[“His forehead is decorated with musk tilaka, the Kaustubha jewel rests upon His broad chest, and an exquisite pearl hangs from the tip of His nose. The flute gracefully rests in His lotus hands, and bracelets adorn His wrists. His entire form is anointed with sandalwood paste, and a necklace of pearls graces His attractive neck. All glories to the crest jewel of the gopas, who is surrounded by all the young vraja-gopīs.”]

One diamond jewel was on Kṛṣṇa’s nose, glittering brightly. His beautiful earrings always kissed His cheeks, and His tilaka was beautiful. Sandalwood, kuṅkuma (a powder made from turmeric or saffron), musk, and camphor were on His cheeks in patterns resembling spider webs, making Him look very beautiful. The fragrance they gave was cooling. [Upon seeing Kṛṣṇa so beautifully decorated,] no one wanted to turn back, especially the gopīs.

But Kṛṣṇa repeatedly told them, “You should now return. I am not going far away. I am very nearby and will return shortly.”

The Vrajavāsīs nearly fainted. All stood there, weeping. At last, Kṛṣṇa entered the forest and could no longer be seen. They could only see the dust in the sky (raised by the calves’ hooves). When the dust settled, Nanda Bābā, Yaśodā, and others somehow returned.

For some days, Kṛṣṇa went to the nearby forests with Baladeva and others to take the calves out to graze. One day, a very strong demon came in the shape of a calf. A bad fragrance came from him because he took opium, flesh, meat, eggs, wine, and other bad things. A bad smell was coming from his nose and mouth. It was very severe. He came among all the calves, wanting to mix with them. All the calves held their tails high, turning them around and jumping about as they moved in fear toward Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva.

Kṛṣṇa looked toward Baladeva and thought, “What is happening today? I see that all the calves are fearful. I also see a beautiful, strong new calf.”

Baladeva spoke with His eyes, not words: “There is something wrong. We should be careful.”

That demon calf (Vatsāsura) wanted to come closer and kill Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva gradually, but Kṛṣṇa immediately caught hold of the demon’s hind legs, swirled him around in the air, and threw him into the sky. The demon fell onto a tree. Kṛṣṇa ran, following him as he tried to escape. The forest where this happened is called Khadīravana. Do you know Khadīravana? We have gone there on Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala parikramā.* Kṛṣṇa followed the demon calf into Khadīravana and killed him.

After a few days, a large demon named Bakāsura appeared. Baka means ‘crane.’ His lower beak was on the earth, and his upper beak touched the sky. He wanted to swallow Kṛṣṇa.

At first, the crane appeared to be in a trance, like a yogī standing on one leg near a pond or the Yamunā. Wanting to swallow Kṛṣṇa, he quickly picked Him up in his beak, but Kṛṣṇa became like a hot iron rod. Being unable to keep Kṛṣṇa in his throat, he vomited, and Kṛṣṇa was thrown free. The crane again wanted to attack Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa quickly placed one leg on the demon’s lower beak, and with His hand, He raised the demon’s upper beak. In this way, Bakāsura was divided into two and thus killed.

These two demons, Vatsāsura and Bakāsura, embodied duplicity and hypocrisy. Nowadays, there are many duplicitous people known as Bakāsuras. At the time of Kṛṣṇa, there was only one, but nowadays, we cannot count them.

Though some individuals may have taken initiation and are chanting the holy name, wearing tulasī beads around their necks, applying tilaka, and displaying all other external signs of being a Vaiṣṇava, they remain very tricky, hypocritical, and duplicitous. Outwardly, they seem friendly, but inwardly, they are like an enemy. Externally, they speak very sweet words, but inside, they hold a knife. Kṛṣṇa can recognise this and destroy them. We see them fall down very quickly. If anyone is chanting the holy name, hearing hari-kathā, and remaining in good association, he should avoid such duplicity.

Duplicitousness is when one chants, remembers, and appears to be a Vaiṣṇava but is still overly attached to wealth, reputation, followers, wife, children, and so forth. Those who are deceitful and always criticise and offend Vaiṣṇavas for petty reasons are offenders; they are not true Vaiṣṇavas.

But to be (falsely) detached is also not good. We should make Kṛṣṇa the centre of our life and relationships: “My wife is the beloved of Kṛṣṇa,” or “My husband is the beloved of Kṛṣṇa,” or “My children are the servants of Kṛṣṇa.” We should support and nourish this conception. [We should consider that] everyone is a servant of Kṛṣṇa and thus associate with all the Vaiṣṇavas. Whatever we do, we should do for Kṛṣṇa.

The gopīs were married, as were many associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Pāṇḍavas were also householders, and they were not too attached. We should do all these things for Kṛṣṇa because we are not qualified to be in the renounced order. But we can become qualified gradually. When we reach the age of fifty or sixty, all these things should gradually be given up. Then, we can leave everything to our sons and their spouses. At that time, we will be known as vānaprasthī (one who is retiring from material life). As a vānaprasthī, you can live with your wife; no harm. However, after some time, you should give your wife to your sons and be renounced appropriately, engaging in bhajana, as Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura did.

Family life is not bad. In it, we can learn many things. This world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world (where Kṛṣṇa is at the centre of one’s activities). It is like a ladder by which we can gradually go up. However, when family life is not structured like a ladder or a school for training one’s spiritual life, it can be very detrimental. It should be like a training school where one learns how to love Kṛṣṇa. A married person should think, “I should love Kṛṣṇa like my son or like my husband – more than my husband – like a beloved, like a friend.” This household life is like a training school. Those who have had past experiences of married life, having fully tasted it in previous lives, do not readily take to household life.

Those who pretend to be brahmacārīs but are not actually brahmacārīs will fall down after some time. They may have taken sannyāsa (the renounced order) and are preaching worldwide, but if they are internally attached to ladies and wealth, they were never qualified for this renounced order. They only pretended to be qualified for wealth and reputation. A guru should not give sannyāsa to such persons.

Those who are duplicitous in this way are like Bakāsura. We should be cautious of this Bakāsura. You cannot kill him yourself. Who can kill him? Only Kṛṣṇa or Baladeva.

One day, Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva were grazing the calves in Tālavana. All the boys were thirsty and hungry. What happened then? Govinda-bhakata should speak.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: I don’t know the story so well.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: I have told it many times. (Playfully) If you don’t remember, I will make you remember by twisting your ears. Then, very quickly, you will remember.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Shortly after Kṛṣṇa had killed Bakāsura, He and the cowherd boys were again taking care of the calves. They were not yet five years old. The demons Pūtanā and Bakāsura had a younger brother.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Pūtanā had two brothers: Bakāsura and Aghāsura. One of them, Bakāsura, was killed. Now, Aghāsura became furious.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Aghāsura was angry that his elder brother and sister had been killed. Kaṁsa incited him to take action.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He promised Kaṁsa, “I will take revenge, and I will surely kill Kṛṣṇa today.”

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Under the influence of Yogamāyā, Aghāsura was able to enter Vṛndāvana. He was a great mystic yogī, and he came in the form of a serpent, but not just any ordinary serpent. He took the form of a python and expanded his body to eight miles long, then lay on the forest path. Just as Bakāsura had previously opened his mouth with his upper beak touching the sky, Aghāsura opened his mouth so that his upper jaw was in the clouds. The cowherd boys were playing. As he opened his mouth, a very foul, fishy smell emanated from within, from his intestines.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: All the cowherd boys said, “What is this?”

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: The cowherd boys, seeing this big structure, looked at each other and said, “What is this?”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “This is like a mountain.”

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Initially, they thought, “This looks like a huge mountain going up into the sky.” On closer examination, they thought, “No, this is not a mountain; it is a huge cave.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: The cave of that mountain…

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: The look of the entrance gave them the impression it was a cave. On closer examination, they saw it was a giant snake.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No, no. They saw that the tongue was like a big red carpet.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: (Laughing) There was a big red carpet.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: They thought, “We should go in, whether it is a serpent, mountain, or cave – no harm. Kṛṣṇa is here. He is coming right behind us. He will save us if anything happens.”

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: They quickly and confidently proceeded into the mouth of Aghāsura because they had the confidence that Kṛṣṇa was with them and that whatever would happen, He would protect them.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: And what was Kṛṣṇa doing?

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: He was scratching His head, wondering what was happening here.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He was in the last row…

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Yes. He was behind the others but did not join them. He stayed outside and looked on.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “Where are they going? I cannot save them, and they walked inside.” He scratched his head, wondering what to do.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: It is explained that even though the cowherd boys had walked into the mouth of the demon, Kṛṣṇa looked on in amazement, thinking, “How could Mahāmāyā, the material illusory energy, manifest such a wonderful thing as this big snake?”

The cowherd boys had walked in, but Aghāsura was not satisfied because he wanted Kṛṣṇa. Finally, Kṛṣṇa followed the cowherd boys and walked into the serpent’s mouth. The serpent, being satisfied that Kṛṣṇa was within, closed his jaws.

In the mouth of that serpent, the cowherd boys fainted.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: All the calves also went in.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: All the young calves that the cowherd boys had been caring for also went into the mouth of Aghāsura and fainted. Now that Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boys, and the calves were within his mouth, Aghāsura wanted to devour them all, but Kṛṣṇa suddenly became very, very hot.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Where?

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Within the demon’s jaw.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No. (Points to the throat)

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: (Laughing) That is what I meant.

Within his throat.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He could not breathe, either.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Aghāsura could not breathe. He was choking.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What was he doing? He was struggling for his life.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Aghāsura was fighting for his life and moving his head left and right, trying to get Kṛṣṇa out. He wanted to vomit Him out, just as Bakāsura had previously done. But this time, Kṛṣṇa did not allow that. Kṛṣṇa got hotter and hotter and hotter, and the heat increased within the head of Aghāsura. His head was about to burst. His eyes, like big rasagullās, popped out of his head.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He rolled down…

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Aghāsura, the enormous serpent, rolled, squiggling all over the place. Finally, the life air of Aghāsura could no longer take the intense pain and heat, and it burst out through a hole in the top of his skull.

Aghāsura’s soul, or ātmā, came out and hovered in the sky. Meanwhile, all the demigods above looked at the scene and wondered what was happening. When Kṛṣṇa had gone into the serpent’s mouth, they thought, “Alas, Kṛṣṇa will be killed! What a calamity! What a tragedy!” They wondered what would happen next when they saw Aghāsura’s soul floating in the air.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Then Kṛṣṇa opened Aghāsura’s mouth, and they all came out.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: Kṛṣṇa opened the mouth of Aghāsura. He revived the cowherd boys and the calves, and they all walked out. Kṛṣṇa came out, and Aghāsura’s soul, which was seen hovering in the sky, merged into the body of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No, into His feet.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: He merged into His feet. (Laughing) It is explained how fortunate this Aghāsura was that, though he was a demon, he still attained brahma (the impersonal, non-dual effulgence emanating from Kṛṣṇa’s form). His soul merged into Kṛṣṇa’s foot.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (To Prema-prayojana dāsa) Can you say something about this? Do you know any prayers by Brahmā? Try to remember something more.

Prema-prayojana dāsa: Kṛṣṇa came out of the mouth of Aghāsura, and Aghāsura was relieved of all his false ego. Some say that Kṛṣṇa killed him, but this is not true. Kṛṣṇa destroyed all his false ego and sinful body and liberated his soul. Seeing this, all the demigods became overjoyed. They began to beat drums and dance. They chanted and showered flowers on Kṛṣṇa.

At that time, Brahmā, the creator of this universe, the highest demigod, travelled in the sky on his swan carrier. He wondered, “What is going on? What is all this celebration about?” When he came closer, he saw the soul of Aghāsura enter into the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. He was very astonished.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (To Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī) What became of Aghāsura’s soul? You should explain.

Govinda-bhakata Brahmacārī: But he (Prema-prayojana dāsa) knows all the prayers. We are waiting for that.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He should know the essence and the conclusive truths. You can only learn this in the association of high-class Vaiṣṇavas, realised souls; otherwise, not. We can remember the verses and many things, but some things are understood only in the association of Vaiṣṇavas.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Bakāsura attained liberation. There are five kinds of mukti (liberation): sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, and sāyujya. Of these five, devotees don’t like sāyujya liberation.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is sāyujya?

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Sāyujya means ‘to merge with brahma (the impersonal effulgence emanating from Kṛṣṇa’s form).’

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What happens there?

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: A person undergoing an operation has no sense of anything; he doesn’t know what is going on. Similarly, in sāyujya-mukti, the soul cannot understand whether or not it even exists. He is just like a stone. He does not realise he is a soul; his soul performs no activity. Kṛṣṇa did not give Aghāsura this type of liberation; He gave him sārūpya-mukti.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is sārūpya-mukti?

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Sārūpya means attaining a form like that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: A form like Nārāyaṇa’s – four-armed. Not a two-armed form like Kṛṣṇa’s, although some similarities will be there. And what is sāmīpya?

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Sāmīpya means ‘near to.’

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Anyone who is liberated and receives sāmīpya-mukti goes to a planet in Vaikuṇṭha that is near Kṛṣṇa’s planet. And there is also sārṣṭi.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Sārṣṭi means having the same opulence as Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Opulence like Kṛṣṇa’s, but not the same, not as much. What kind of liberation does the Supreme Lord, as Kṛṣṇa or Rāmacandra, give to the enemies He kills?

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Sāyujya.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: At first, some devotees, like Śukadeva Gosvāmī (and the four Kumāras), had some attraction to this type of (impersonal) liberation. This is also high-class. But Vaiṣṇavas don’t accept this sāyujya-mukti, and (Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, the followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu) do not want sāmīpya, sārūpya…

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: …sālokya, sārṣṭi.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Kṛṣṇa mercifully gave Aghāsura sārūpya-mukti, and he received a form like Nārāyaṇa’s, near one of His spiritual planets. But (Gauḍīya) Vaiṣṇavas do not want this.

Lord Brahmā was thinking, “This liberation is quite rare. Millions of brahmavādīs (those who have realised the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth) do not receive liberation, but upon being killed by Kṛṣṇa, Aghāsura has easily attained it.” He realised, “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not a demigod or anything else. I want to see some…”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: “…more pastimes.” Some say that Brahmā wanted to test Kṛṣṇa, but this is not so. Brahmā is an ācārya (a great spiritual master who instructs all by his example). He could not even think of testing Him.

Brahmā wanted to make an effort to see more of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Why? Because Yogamāyā inspired him to do so. In Vraja, Kṛṣṇa would go out in the evening to milk the cows, and at that time, all the cows would think, “If Kṛṣṇa were my calf, then I could give Him my milk.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “If He were my son…”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Also, all the friends of Mother Yaśodā thought, “If Kṛṣṇa were to become my son, it would be my very good fortune.” [They desired this because often,] on the way back from cow-grazing, all Yaśodā’s friends, one after another, would take Kṛṣṇa on their lap.

After this, Mother Yaśodā took Kṛṣṇa to her residence. The other motherly gopīs thought, “If only I could have Kṛṣṇa as my son, even for a moment. Mother Yaśodā is so fortunate. She sleeps with Kṛṣṇa and nourishes Him always. If Kṛṣṇa were to become my son, then I could nourish Him as Yaśodā does. This would be my good fortune.”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: All the young vraja-gopīs are little girls. They think, “Kṛṣṇa will be my husband.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “Kṛṣṇa is so sweet and beautiful.”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: “He is so sweet and attractive.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “He is so strong. We want Kṛṣṇa to be our husband.” Kṛṣṇa knew all those young gopīs who were not yet married.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: This refers to those gopīs who were Kṛṣṇa’s same age, from five to ten years old.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: In India, little children take pots full of water and go to Śaṅkara, Lord Śiva. They then perform a sacred bathing ceremony for him and pray, “We want a very attractive husband.” Though they are not yet mature, they still pray for this.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Kṛṣṇa can accomplish many tasks with one action. He gave an order to Yogamāyā, then Yogamāyā…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No, not ordered. He desired it, and…

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: He desired.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: And Yogamāyā at once came.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: She came and wanted to fulfil Kṛṣṇa’s desire. Then Brahmā came.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yogamāyā inspired Brahmā.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Yogamāyā inspired Brahmā, and then Brahmā stole all Kṛṣṇa’s calves. At first, Kṛṣṇa and His friends were having their meal under a tree as the calves grazed nearby. Brahmā stole away all the calves and hid them near Tapovana, near the banks of the Yamunā. All the cowherd boys wondered, “Where are our calves?” They could not find them.

Kṛṣṇa said, “I shall find out where they are. If I cannot, I shall play My flute; then all the calves will come.”

The cowherd boys said, “No, You can sit here. We will go.” They left Kṛṣṇa and went there to search for their calves. Then Brahmā…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No, they remained sitting there. Kṛṣṇa told them, “You cannot search. I will quickly look for them. You stay here and take milk. I will come back very shortly.”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: When Kṛṣṇa went in search of the calves, Brahmā came and quickly took away all the cowherd boys and hid them in the same place (he had hidden the calves near Tapovana). Kṛṣṇa came back, but He could not understand what had happened. He was thinking, “What happened? There are no calves or cowherd boys.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He was searching.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: He thought, “When I go back home, how shall I explain this?” On that day, it was the birth star, or birth constellation (birthday), of Baladeva Prabhu, and so He was not with Kṛṣṇa and the cowherd boys and calves. Kṛṣṇa was thinking, “All the cowherd boys’ mothers will ask Me, ‘O Kanhaiyā, You came alone. Where is my son?’ What shall I say to them?” Due to His performing nara-līlā (human-like pastimes) at that time, He became so confused that His face became dry. There were some foodstuffs in His hand – some rice and yoghurt – but because He was searching here and there, He forgot to eat them. With the help of Yogamāyā, He came to understand that Brahmā had stolen all the calves and cowherd boys, and keeping them in a cave by the banks of Yamunā, had gone to his abode, Brahmaloka.

Kṛṣṇa changed His form to resemble Brahmā and proceeded to Brahmaloka. He said to Brahmā’s servants, “Somebody wants to cheat Me.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “He wants to cheat you all.”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: “He wants to cheat you all. He is coming here in a four-headed form that looks like my own. Be careful. Don’t be cheated by him.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “Don’t let him come here.”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: “He is an impostor, so don’t let him come here.”

Later, Brahmā himself came. Since he was entering his residence, he did not need to ask anyone for permission, yet his watchman said, “Do not enter! Who are you?”

Brahmā asked, “Are you mad?”

“No, we are not mad. You are mad. If you advance any further, we shall break your leg.”

Brahmā wondered, “What is happening here? On any other day, they would never insult me, but now they even want to beat me.” Surprised, Brahmā came back and meditated on this. In his meditation, he saw that Kṛṣṇa Himself was the cause of this incident. He became very sorry for his behaviour and returned to Vraja, where he saw Kṛṣṇa grazing the calves.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: With all the calves!

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: And with all the cowherd boys.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He was wandering here and there with them, playing.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Kṛṣṇa was playing as if nothing had happened. Brahmā rubbed his eyes and saw that all those calves and cowherd boys had become four-armed. Why? The worshipful deity of Brahmā is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is four-armed. Kṛṣṇa wanted to show Brahmā, “What to speak of Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even My calves and cowherd boys, as well as their sticks and clothes, are not less than Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. They all are transcendental.” Brahmā paid his obeisances again and again to Kṛṣṇa and offered Him prayers.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: But then he again saw Kṛṣṇa alone…

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: …searching for His calves and cowherd friends.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Feeling very sad, Brahmā began to pray, “You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I could not understand You.”

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī:

śrī-brahmovāca
naumīḍya te ’bhra-vapuṣe taḍid-ambarāya
guñjāvataṁsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhāya
vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu-
lakṣma-śriye mṛdu-pade paśupāṅgajāya

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.1)

[“(Lord Brahmā said:) ‘My dear Lord, You are the only worshipable Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore I offer my humble obeisances and prayers just to please You. O son of the king of the cowherds, Your transcendental body is dark blue like a new cloud, Your garment is brilliant like lightning, and the beauty of Your face is enhanced by Your guñjā earrings and the peacock feather on Your head. Wearing garlands of various forest flowers and leaves, and equipped with a herding stick, a buffalo horn and a flute, You stand beautifully with a morsel of food in Your hand.’ ”]

Brahmā is praying, “O Paśupāṅgajāya.” Here, Brahmā is confirming that Kṛṣṇa is the son of Nanda Bābā. How? Paśupa means ‘he who takes care of the cows,’ and that person who has taken birth from him is paśupāṅgajāya. This ‘person who takes care of the cows’ is Nanda Bābā, and He who came from Nanda Bābā is Kṛṣṇa.

Brahmā says, “I fall down at His lotus feet.” Whose feet? “Naumīḍya te ’bhra-vapuṣe – He whose body is like a new cloud.” Then taḍid-ambarāya. Just as there is lightning in a cloud, His yellow garment is like lightning on His body. His body is like a new cloud, and His yellow garment is like lightning.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: His cādara (shawl).

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: What is His ornamentation?

Guñjāvataṁsa – one kind of fruit.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Guñjā is one thing, and avataṁsa is another thing; they are not the same. Guñjā beads are made into a garland and are placed on His neck. Avataṁsa means ‘earrings’ – so beautiful. They are made from flowers.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: On His head, there is a paripiccha (peacock feather). Vanya-sraje. He is decorated – His whole body, from top to bottom – with wildflowers from the jungle. Kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu. In His hands are some foodstuffs and a stick for cow grazing, and He keeps a flute at His waist.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is lakṣma-śriye?

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Lakṣma-śriye means there are many auspicious symbols on the soles of His feet.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What are they?

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Thunderbolt, chariot, lotus, fish, and many others. When Kṛṣṇa walks around, all these marks are impressed upon the Earth.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Mṛdu-pade.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Mṛdu-pade means ‘moving very slowly.’

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Slowly, like a young elephant – very beautifully.

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Kṛṣṇa is carefree. He walks freely and slowly.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Smiling…

Navīna-kṛṣṇa Brahmacārī: Smilingly. Brahmā prays, “I bow down at Your lotus feet.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: (To Prema-prayojana dāsa) Do you know any verse in this regard? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya nāmanta eva.

Prema-prayojana dāsa: Brahmā climbed down from his swan carrier and fell again and again, offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa. In a faltering voice, with his hair standing on end, and with tears flowing from his eight eyes, he began to offer many prayers, like this beautiful prayer Śrīla Gurudeva has just quoted.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What did he see? Was Kṛṣṇa eating something?

Prema-prayojana dāsa: He saw how Kṛṣṇa was standing like an ordinary boy, holding food in His left hand – some yoghurt and rice. It was dripping through His fingers. Brahmā offered a prayer:

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.3)

[“Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.”]

Brahmā said, “The endeavour for knowledge should be given up. Rather, one should simply pay one’s obeisance to Kṛṣṇa.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is jñāne-prayāsam?

Prema-prayojana dāsa: Jñāne-prayāsam means ‘the endeavour to acquire knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth.’ Furthermore, the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s opulence is an obstacle, a stumbling block, for those who want to enter the sweetness of Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa has said:

aiśvarya-jñānete saba jagat miśrita
aiśvarya-śithila-preme nahi mora prīta

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 4.17)

[“(Lord Kṛṣṇa thought:) ‘All the universe is filled with the conception of My majesty, but love weakened by that sense of majesty does not satisfy Me.’ ”]

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Can we explain nirviśeṣa-jñāna?

Prema-prayojana dāsa: Nirviśeṣa-jñāna is to think that the Absolute Truth is formless, impersonal, with no qualities, no pastimes, no abode, no associates, and no activities. This should be rejected.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: That is not told here. Here, jñāne prayāsam means devotional service mixed with speculative knowledge. This means thinking that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that He is Nārāyaṇa. This should also be stopped (if one wants to enter the eternal realm of Vraja, where Kṛṣṇa performs charming human-like pastimes).

Prema-prayojana dāsa: One might say, “If we give up this knowledge of the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then how will we understand anything?” Therefore, Brahmā is giving the actual suggestion. What is that? “Jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām – one should hear the descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s sweet pastimes.” From where? From the lips of a pure devotee. That means not from any tape, not from any book, not from any video, folio, internet, or database. That will not do.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: These other things will not do.

Prema-prayojana dāsa: Brahmā then said sthāne-sthitāḥ. This has different meanings. One meaning is ‘to stay where you are.’ There is no need to make any external arrangements or change anything. If you are a brahmacārī (celibate student), then remain a brahmacārī. If you are a gṛhastha (a householder), stay a gṛhastha. If you are a vānaprastha (one who has retired from family life) or a sannyāsī (one in the renounced order), stay in that position. There is no need to make any external arrangements. Just subject yourself to the flow of nectar coming from the mouth of any pure Vaiṣṇava.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: The second meaning?

Prema-prayojana dāsa: The other meaning is ‘stay in that place where a pure devotee is speaking the sweet pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, and never leave.’ Always constantly hear hari-kathā from the lips of a pure Vaiṣṇava.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What would a person do there?

Prema-prayojana dāsa: Not hear for enjoyment, but completely surrender one’s body, mind, and words to that pure Vaiṣṇava. Then, that hari-kathā will truly enter one’s heart.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No. Offering praṇāma (humble obeisance) to that place, to the person who is giving hari-kathā, to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from which he is reading, and to those who have arranged for hari-kathā to take place. Those who make such arrangements think, “The Vaiṣṇavas should come to take part in this,” and thus they invite all the Vaiṣṇavas.

We should also offer praṇāma to those who arranged prasādam, those who arranged places to sit, and anyone who broomed. Offer praṇāma to them with your whole body.

What do we do with our minds? We think, “How lucky I am that I am hearing hari-kathā.” Do praṇāma with the heart and mind as well. Offer respect to all, especially to those who are speaking hari-kathā. Such as who? Baladeva Prabhu, one’s guru, or Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Parīkṣit Mahārāja had great faith, honour, and confidence in Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

Prema-prayojana dāsa: A question may come to mind, “If I give up the endeavour for jñāna, how will I control the mind?” One should not fear this. Brahmā is saying ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām. Many sages and yogīs endeavour to control their minds and senses, but…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: They don’t want to control their mind; the mind is insignificant. They want to control Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by any of them. For those who hear hari-kathā, Kṛṣṇa is very soon controlled by them. And gradually, sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti, and prema-bhakti come, and their life becomes successful. Anything more?

Prema-prayojana dāsa: What to speak of controlling our mind, simply by hearing hari-kathā, Kṛṣṇa easily comes under control.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Don’t put so much faith in reading. Everything (in the scriptures) is locked and concealed. “Yāha, bhāgavata paḍa vaiṣṇavera sthāne – if you want to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you must approach a self-realised Vaiṣṇava and hear from him” (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 5.131).

We may think, “I will read by myself and become a topmost Vaiṣṇava.” But you cannot understand even a word of the scriptures on your own. If the Vaiṣṇava, the guru, is bona fide and knows Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then he has the key to unlock it, and you will know and realise these things; otherwise, using the mind, using the intelligence, through reading, and so forth, you cannot know them, and you will fall down. You should hear from Vaiṣṇavas. Then?

Prema-prayojana dāsa: By hearing hari-kathā, Kṛṣṇa…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What will happen? If a person hears in this way, Kṛṣṇa will come into his heart in the form of words, hari-kathā, and He will clear all kinds of doubts, all kinds of anarthas and offences, and his heart will become pure and melt. Kṛṣṇa will make him realise everything about bhakti-yoga. This is the process. You should try to hear from a qualified Vaiṣṇava. If that is not possible, then you can read. But when that Vaiṣṇava again comes, hear from him.

You may have read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam many times, but you have never heard how we explain it.

After hundreds of thousands of births (of independent endeavour), you will not become qualified to know all these things. We first heard from our gurudeva and many Vaiṣṇavas – Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, and others – and then we attained something, very little, like a stone on the shore of an endless ocean.

Try to hear and keep what we hear in our hearts. When we leave here, remember what I have spoken and what the Vaiṣṇavas have spoken. As you go to sleep, try to remember all this, and in your sleep, thoughts of what you have heard and remembered will come to you. If you are not doing this, and if you go from here and leave all you have heard behind, only remembering worldly things, then it will be of no value to you at all.

*Circumambulation of the sacred tract of land known as Vraja.

Source: Purebhakti.com

Image(s) made possible by Pixabay.com, Krishnapath.org.in and/or Bhaktiart.net
Unless indicated differently, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)