Sri Sri Gaura Govinda Lilamrita Gutika Sutra - by Sri Sakhicharandas Babaji Maharaja

Sri Sri Gaura Govinda Lilamrita Gutika Sutra - by Sri Sakhicharandas Babaji Maharaja

Notes from Karunamayi dasi:
The following Gutika or "manual for meditation" was dictated in Bengali and English to me in 1989 by my Shri Gurudeva 108 Shri Krishna Das Madrasi Baba, up to the "pratah-lila"-part. Later I recorded him dictating all of the Bengali text, so it may be given to Shri Advaita dasa for an English translation of the same. Baba was also in possession of some other more lengthy Gutika of Shri Shri Gaur-Govinda's transcendental pastimes, but at that time he considered this one very practical for his disciples, as it is not too voluminous, and thus easy for them to remember. As it is not too short either, it contains also ample details of such leelas. But beside all those traits he said that because it had been personally given to him by his Shri Gurudeva 108 Shri Sakhicharan dasa Babaji who was spiritually accomplished in manjari-bhava-raganuga bhakti-yoga, it had the power to also bring such an accomplishment to any sincere aspirant-votary who will practise its recollection. Baba also gave the important warning that one should not try to detect mistakes in it with the view to correct them. He said that such a mentality is a serious spiritual offense against 108 Shri Sakhicharana Dasa Babaji who, as a Shri Shri Gurudeva, is also a prakasha (manifestation) of Shri Krishna.

Endeavouring to set right the Gutika given by a spiritually accomplished Saint Shri Gurudeva as Shri Sakhicharan Dasa Babaji, is like being in a temple, worshipping the deities of Shiman Mahaprabhu and Shri Shri Radha-Krishna, but finding defects in Their forms and adjusting Them with a burin. Witnessing such a harm committed against Shri Gurudeva or the deities will deeply hurt at heart any sensitive rasika votary of Their Lordships. In the Padma-Purana it is stated : Arche vishnau shiladhir gurushu nara matir.....yasya vai naraki sah: "To relate with the installed deity of the Supreme Lord as a work of art or to consider Shri Gurudeva as a mere human being, is an attitude worthy of a resident of hell."

I am convinced that this Gutika will be appreciated with due regard by all spiritually prepared votaries of Shriman Mahaprabhu and Shri Shri Radha-Krishna.

SRI HARI SMARANAM

Sri-Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhura Lila Sutrah:

ratryante shayanotthitah sura-sarit snato vabhau yah prage
purvahne sva-ganair lasaty upavane tair bhati madhyahnake
yah puryam aparahnake nija grihe sayam grihe'thangane
shrivasasya nishamukhe nishi vasan gaurah so no rakshatu

(Sri Vishvanatha Cakravartipada’s Gauranga Lilamrita, text 2)

Summary of Sriman Mahaprabhu's Eightfold Daily Pastimes:

In Shvetadvipa, when night is almost finished, Shriman Mahaprabhu rises from bed. In the morning, He takes bath in the Ganges and from mid-morning to afternoon, He relishes different transcendental pastimes in company of His associates, in various sub-forests. Then, after strolling through the city during the late afternoon, He comes home at twilight. At mid-evening He arrives at Shrivas Pandit’s estate to perform Shri Shri Radha-Krishna’s sankirtan throughout almost the whole night. May such a Lord Gaura grant us His patronage.

Sri Sri Radha-Govinda Ashtakaliya Lila Sutra yatha:

kunjad goshtham nishante pravishati kurute dohanannashanadyam
pratah sayam ca lilam viharati sakhibhih sangave carayan gah
madyahne catha naktam vilasati vipine radhayaddhaparahne
goshtham yati pradoshe ramayati suhrido yah sa krishno'vatan nah

(Sri Krishna Dasa Kaviraja’s Sri Govinda Lilamrita 1,4)

SUMMARY OF SRI SRI RADHA-GOVINDA’S EIGHTFOLD DAILY PASTIMES:

May Sri Krishna, who daily returns from the kunjas to the meadows at the end of night, who milks the cows in the morning and evening, and who eats then also, who plays with Sri Radhika and Her girlfriends at noon and at night, who returns to His village in the afternoon and who pleases His wellwishers in the evening, protect us!


NISHANTA LILA SUTRA
(3H.36 A.M TO 6H A.M)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu, the two Prabhus and all the other devotees recline at night on the Mandapa of Srivasa's flowergarden. At daybreak Sriman Mahaprabhu makes a gara gara sound in the mood of Sri Radha. Everyone wakes up when they hear that. Then the sadhaka dasa gets up from bed, washes his face, wakes up Sri Gurudeva, offers obeisances unto him, washes his face. In this way way he gradually serves his whole guruvarga. After this he collects all the paraphernalia for Sriman Mahaprabhu's service and beholds the beauty of Sriman Mahaprabhu as He reclines. Svarupa Gosvami wakes up Sriman Mahaprabhu through a parrot. Then the two Prabhus (Nityananda and Advaita) and the devotees go to Sri Mahaprabhu, singing the Nishanta-lila, being absorbed in their siddha deha in their individual bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In the west of the Yogapitha lotus in Vraja's Sri Vrindavana in the Hemambuja Kunja Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are surrounded by the eight sakhis and eight manjaris, Vrindadevi, Vrindarika, Menaka and Muralika who are sleeping all around Them. Everyone wakes up from the chirping of the birds at the end of the night. Then the sadhaka dasi gets up, washes her face and then renders services like washing the face of her gurudevi. In this way she serves all the guru-manjaris and arranges for all the paraphernalia that are fit for serving Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Standing on the left side of Sri Gurudevi she beholds the sweetness of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna's forms. Then on the indication of Vrindadevi a shari and shuka couple wake Them up. Then, when They are dressed and ornamented They go to the sakhis, who joke with Them and offer Them arati. Seeing the moon everyone is absorbed in bliss.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sri Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu reaches bhava shanti (His ecstasy comes to ease) and Svarupa Gosvami completes the arati-song of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Srivasa Pandita seats the Three Prabhus on a jeweled platform and washes Their faces there. The sadhaka dasa hands the Arati-plate to Svarupa Gosvami, who then performs the Arati. Then the sadhaka dasa renders Yogapitha-service and performs mantra smarana. After this Svarupa Gosvami sings a song about how Krishna beholds the Yamuna. Everyone becomes absorbed in bhava after hearing this.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja, Sridhama Vrindavana Sri Sri Radha-Krishna go to the Yamuna to have darshana of her. The sakhis and manjaris go before Them, taking all their paraphernalia of service with them. The sadhaka dasi takes a betelbox along and walks behind her Gurudevi. After they have darshana of the Yamuna's beauty in this way they go home and lie down on Their beds there.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu reaches bhava shanti. Svarupa Gosvami again sings songs with a rumbling voice about Jatila coming. Coming home in half external consciousness He gradually says goodbye to everyone and sits down on a chair. Sadhaka dasa washes His feet and makes Him recline on the bed. Then sadhaka dasa massages His feet. After massaging Gurudeva's feet he lies down at his footsoles.

Thus ends the Six danda’s (144 minutes) Nishanta lila sutra.


PRATAH LILA SUTRA
(6H.A.M TO 8H.AM)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa the sadhaka dasa gets up from bed and performs morning duties such as bathing, dressing and ornamenting. He waters Tulasi, circumambulates her and offers his dandavat obeisances unto her. He then arranges for the paraphernalia for serving Gurudeva, he wakes up Sri-Sri Gurudeva by massaging his feet. He offers obeisances to Gurudeva. Sri Gurudeva performs his morning duties and then he goes out with the guru varga to behold the beauty of Sriman Mahaprabhu as He reclines. Then Sri Shacimata comes to the house to wake up Sri Mahaprabhu. Everyone becomes absorbed in bhava when Svarupa Gosvami sings songs about how Vraja's sakhis behold the beauty of the City of Nandishvara, how they are going to Sri Radha in Yavata, how Mukhara orders Sri Radha to do Surya Puja, how Sri Radha relishes rasodgara with Shyama sakhi and how they listen to Madhurika describing how Sri Krishna gets up from bed and milks His cows.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Yavata in Vraja the sadhaka dasi arranges for the paraphernalia of the morning duties of her Gurudevi and others, beholds Srimati Radharani's beauty. On the indication of Gurudevi the sadhaka dasi massages the feet of Sri Radha, while She is having rasalapa (rasika discussions) with the sakhis. Just then Sri Mukharaji comes, orders Radha to do Surya Puja and leaves. Then Sri Radha gets up from bed, washes Her mouth and sits down on Her chair, where She relishes rasodgara with Shyamala-sakhi. After this Madhurika sakhi describes how Paurnamasi comes to Nandishvara and how Krishna gets up from bed and washes His face, how Balarama comes, how arati and makhan mishri (butter and rock candy) is offered to Them. The sakhas and Madhumangala are making different jokes and how they are milking the cows. After hearing and seeing Krishna's milking the cows Shyamala sakhi goes home. Sri Radha performs Her morning duties looks at the expertise of birds fighting in Her aviary.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu performs His morning duties amd takes His bath. He sits on the Vedi platform to be dressed and ornamented and enters into Vraja-bhava. Being absorbed in bhava Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs about Sri Radhika's bathing, ornamenting and arati, and how Hiranyangi tells Her how Sri Krishna comes home from the goshtha, bathes, dresses, sees the arati of Sri Narayana and has a first snack. Hearing this everyone becomes absorbed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha bathes, binds up Her hair, dresses and ornaments Herself. Sri Lalitaji performs the arati, after which Hiranyangi describes how Balarama and Krishna return home from the goshtha, bathe, dress, ornament, see Sri Narayana's arati and have a first snack. Sri Radha and Her sakhis have a first snack and sit on their sitting-place. The sadhaka dasi becomes absorbed in the sevananda of fanning and so on.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanta, sprinkles Tulasi with water and has darshana of Sri Narayana's arati. After having a first snack He goes to listen to the Srimad Bhagavata lecture, where He becomes absorbed in bhava. His bhava is: "I am Sri Radha, going to Nandishvara to cook for Krishna." The sadhaka dasa fans and is absorbed in her siddha deha.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Kundalata comes from Nandishvara to Yavata and attains the permission of Jatila, takes Radha along and has rasalapa with Her on the way. They behold the beauty of Pavana Sarovara and then Kundalata helps Radha meet with Krishna. Then Dhanishtha comes and shows Her the beauty of the town. Then mother Yashoda orders Sri Radha to cook, Madhumangala performs the bhoga arati of Sri Narayana. Seeing this, Balarama and Krishna become very blissful.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanta. Sri Gadadhara Pandita performs the bhoga arati of Sri Narayana. Seeing this everyone becomes absorbed in the breakfast pastimes of Balarama and Krishna. Then Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanta, offers His obeisances unto Sri Narayana. Mahaprabhu, Nitai and Sitanatha sit down with the devotees to have their meal in Sri Radha's bhojanavesha (thinking that Srimati Radharani is taking Her meal). The Gosvamis and the Guru-varga become absorbed in bhava when they see this. The sadhaka dasa pulls the string of the ceiling fan, absorbed in his own siddha deha. After the meal Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and takes rest, while the sadhaka dasa becomes immersed in the bliss of serving His lotusfeet. Sriman Mahaprabhu gets up from bed, sits down on the platform in the Yogapitha-lotus. Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs about how Radha-Krishna view the beauty of the forest and how They meet in the west of Nandishvara, and thus everyone becomes absorbed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha and Her sakhis behold the beauty of the forest and take rest in the Madana Kuhani Kunja. Just then Sri Krishna comes and meets with Sri Radha in the kunja. The sakhis and manjaris are all very happy to behold Their union.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu and His devotees sit on the jeweled throne in the Yogapitha-lotus. The sadhaka dasa is absorbed in bhavavesha in the own siddha deha and on the indication of Sri Gurudeva he will do Yogapitha-seva and mantra smarana.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
After this Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis sit on the jeweled throne on the lotus of the Yogapitha. On the indication of Gurudevi the sadhaka dasi practises the Yogapitha seva and her mantra-smarana. After this everyone goes to his/her own home and takes rest. Sadhaka dasi then renders carana seva (foot service) to Radha.

Thus ends the Six danda’s Pratah lila sutra.


PURVAHNA LILA SUTRA
(8H.24 A.M TO 10H.48 A.M)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu descends from the Yogapitha and sits on a jeweled platform. Then Svarupa Gosvami sings of how Sri Rama-Krishna are going to the goshtha in Natavara-vesha (dresses of the best dancers) and how They behold the beauty of the goshtha. Everyone becomes immersed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
After dressing and ornamenting Sri Radha in Vraja's Nandishvara Sri Yashoda Mata has Sri Balarama and Krishna dressed like the best of dancers, and then Sri Balarama and Krishna go out with Their friends, all the while looking at the goshtha. Seeing this Sri Radha and Her sakhis become very happy.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and Srivasa Pandita gives everyone garlands, sandalwoodpulp and betelleaves. After this Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Balarama and Krishna go to Vrindavana and how Sri Radha goes to Yavata. Hearing this Mahaprabhu gets ecstatic and sits on a platform at the Ganga in the eastern direction and Svarupa Gosvami again sings songs of how Sri Radha, after hearing Madanika's words, sends Tulasi to Govardhana to get indications from Sri Krishna. Everyone becomes immersed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Balarama and Krishna take leave of mother Yashoda and go to Sri Vrindavana. Sri Radhika goes to Yavata with Kundalata and takes some rest there. Then Madanika sakhi comes, sent by Vrindadevi, and tells Her how Balarama and Krishna view the beauty of the forest, how dressed like kings They play with Their friends in Bhandiravana and how, after playing flute in Vamshivata, They go to Govardhana. Hearing this, Radha sends Tulasi and Kasturi out to arrange for a tryst, making sweets for offering during Surya Puja and dressing and ornamenting according to the time, becoming eager to meet Sri Krishna. Seeing Sri Radha's sweet form the sakhis become ecstatic.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and Srivasa Pandita distributes garlands, sandalwoodpulp and betelleaves, thus refreshing everyone, Svarupa Gosvami sings songs about Srimati Radha's eagerness and the words that were spoken by Tulasi and Dhanishtha. Everyone becomes immersed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Tulasi and Kasturi (Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Kaviraja Gosvami ) come from Govardhana to tell Sri Radha of the beauty of Kusuma Sarovara, how they gave Sri Krishna Her betelleaves and garland, how they instructed Shaibya and Candravali on how to meet Sri Krishna, how Sri Krishna admired the beauty of Sri Govardhana with Vrinda, how He played in the water of Manasa Ganga with His boyfriends, how He was dressed and ornamented and how He ate the sweets that were brought to Him by Dhanishtha. Just then Dhanishtha comes and describes the forms, qualities and pastimes of Sri Krishna by comparing Him to Govardhana Hill, tells Radha that Krishna is well and thus gladdens Radha and Her girlfriends.

Thus ends the Six danda’s Purvahna lila sutra.


MADHYAHNA LILA SUTRA
(10H.48 A.M TO 3H.36 P.M)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Sri Radha goes on abhisara after hearing Dhanishtha's words. In bhavavesha Mahaprabhu puts a chador on His head, goes to the Madhavi Mandapa and sits down there. After that Svarupa sings songs about Sri Radha-Krishna's mutual darshana, and how They pick flowers and so on. Everyone hears the song and becomes immersed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha and Her sakhis go to do Surya Puja to meet Sri Krishna, quarrel over flowers as they pick them, worship the five devas, the nine planets and the ten protectors of the directions, steal Krishna's flute, meet Him in the kunja, make love with Him, describe Sri Radha's limbs, return Krishna's flute and meet in the Yogapitha. Beholding this beautiful scene everyone is ecstatic.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and then stands before the Madhavi Mandapa on a jewelled throne in the Yogapitha lotus. Sadhaka dasa takes permission from Sri Gurudeva to render service in the Yogapitha and becomes ecstatic when beholding the sweet form of the Lord.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja's Sri Radhakunda, in Madana Sukhada Kunja Sri Radha Krishna and Their sakhis and manjaris are situated on a jewelled throne in the Yogapitha lotus. Sadhaka dasi takes permission from Sri Gurudevi to render service in the Yogapitha and becomes ecstatic when beholding the sweet form of Sri Radha-Krishna. At this place the sadhaka bhakta takes permission from Gurudeva and then performs service and mantra smarana in the Yogapitha.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu and His devotees descend from the Yogapitha and go to behold the beauty of the six seasonal forests and take rest on a jewelled platform. Srivasa Pandita decorates Them with garlands and sandalwoodpulp. After this Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs about how Sri Radha-Krishna wander through the six seasonal forests. Everyone is immersed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha-Krishna descend from the Yogapitha and go to the six seasonal forests in front of the kunjas of Lalita and Vishakha. In the vernal forest there are mango and Madhavi vines and birds like the Kokila, in the summer forest there are Shirisha-trees and fresh Mallika vines and Dhumrata birds, in the monsoon forest there are Kadamba-trees, Jui-latas (a flower in a creeper), peacocks and peahens, in the autumnal forest there are grape-trees, Malati-vines and male and female parrots, in the Hemanta forest there are Tamala-trees, Kamini-vines and yellow Jhinti-vines as well as Tittibha-birds, and in the winter forest there are orange trees, Kunda vines and Bharadvaja birds. Seeing a Kalpataru with eight specific gems they take rest on a jewelled platform in a particular six-seasonal forest. Vrinda-devi decorates Their divine forms with garlands and sandalwood pulp and performs arati. Seeing the beauty of Their sweet bodies everyone is immersed in transcendental bliss.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sri Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and gradually tours all the six seasonal forests - the spring, summer, monsoon, autumn, Hemanta and winter-forests, and after that the combined spring/autumn-, summer/Hemanta-, and monsoon-winter forests. Then the Lord and His devotees sit down on a jeweled platform in a Madhavi pavillion in the Ishana (north eastern) corner of Srivasa's flowergarden in the six seasonal forests. Srivasa Pandita offers garlands, sandalwoodpulp, betelleaves and/or fans according to the season and thus gladdens the Lord. Then Sriman Mahaprabhu ecstatically becomes absorbed in an avesha of how Sri Radha and Krishna tour the six seasonal forests, beginning with the Vasanta-forest.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis play Holi in the Vasanta seasonal forest (after which Vrindadevi delights them by serving rasa pana, himambu (ice-water), betelleaves and different fans). Sri Madhumangala says: "O Vrindavaneshvari! O Vrindavaneshvara! Behold the beauty of the summer forest! For Your service the phula-bangla (floral stage) is decorated. Please accept their service and thus be happy." Then Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis sit on top of the wonderful and variegated phula bangla. Maidservants then render services that are suitable to the season, such as offering betelleaves and fanning. Sri Subala-Candra shows Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis the arena of the Jhulana (swing) in the monsoon season-forest, seats Them on the swing and blissfully begins to push the swing. Everyone is immersed in bliss when seeing this beautiful scene. Then Sri Radha-Krishna descend from the Jhulana and the maidservants then delight Them by offering betelleaves and fanning. Kundalata then shows Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis the beauty of the autumnal forest, where They hear the quarrelling of the shuka and shari-parrots, and thus delights Them. Sri Nandimukhi then shows Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis the beauty of the Hemanta seasonal forest and the maidservants then delight Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis by offering them betelleaves and by fanning them. Sri Vrindadevi then shows Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis the beauty of the winter forest, then the pastime of Radha-Krishna's prema vaicittya in the combined forests of spring and autumn, she shows the nirhetu mana lila (causeless pique) in the summer/Hemanta combined forest, she shows Sri Radha-Krishna's pastimes of hide-and-seek in the monsoon/winter combined forest, and she shows how the Hindola-swing is decorated by Vrinda-devi in Lalitanandada kunja, in the royal temple of the thousand-petalled Ananga Rangambuja, as well as the pastimes of drinking honeywine, meeting in the kunja, viewing the beauty of Sri Radhakunda, watersports, forest-dressing and ornamenting. Everyone is absorbed in bliss when seeing Sri Radha-Krishna's sweet forms.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and goes into the Ganga-water with His devotees to play water-sports there. After returning on the shore and being dressed and ornamented there the devotees show Him His face in the mirror and He becomes absorbed in ecstasy. Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Sri Radha-Krishna dine and sleep in the lotustemple. Hearing this everyone becomes absorbed in their own siddha dehas.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha-Krishna and Their girlfriends take rest in the south western corner of Sri Lalita's kunja in the Padma Mandira, after having had a picknick. The sakhis and manjaris then engage in their own services, according to the time. On the indication of Sri Gurudevi the sadhaka dasi massages the Yugala lotusfeet and is immersed in transcendental bliss while beholding Their footmarks (carana cihna).

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and takes rest in the jeweled temple after having had a picknick with His devotees in Srivasa Pandita's flowergarden. The Gosvamis and the whole Guruvarga relish the Lord's adharamrita (= remnants of the Lord's meal) and render service to the three Prabhus (Mahaprabhu, Nityananda and Advaita Prabhu) according to the time. On the indication of Sri Gurudeva the sadhaka dasa massages Their lotusfeet and is immersed in transcendental bliss while beholding Their footmarks (carana cihna). When the Lord falls asleep the sadhaka dasa honours the remnants of His meal, and remaining near Sri Gurudeva becomes immersed in transcendental bliss while beholding the Lord's shayana shobha (the beautiful scene of His sleeping). After this Sriman Mahaprabhu gets up from bed, washes His face. Then on Srivasa Pandita's order the parrot begins to glorify Sriman Mahaprabhu's form, pastimes and attributes. Everyone becomes immersed in transcendental bliss and the shuka and sharis become absorbed in describing Sri Radha-Krishna's forms, pastimes and attributes and everyone becomes absorbed in their own siddha dehas.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha-Krishna get up from bed and wash Their faces. Then, on Vrinda-devi's order the shuka-sharis start glorifying Sri Radha-Krishna's forms, attributes and pastimes, singing verses such as saundaryamrita bhanga. Hearing this all the sakhis and manjaris, headed by Vrinda, become immersed in transcendental bliss and render services according to the season, such as serving betelleaves and fanning. Then, by the wish of her Ishvari Vrinda-devi fondles the two shuka shari birds by feeding them grapes and pomegranateseeds. A detailed description can be seen in Govinda Lilamrita, chapters 16 and 17.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and becomes absorbed in Vraja lila while playing dice with Gadadhara Pandita.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Radha and Krishna play dice and then perform Surya Puja. Then Sri Radha returns home, where She lies down on a jeweled bedstead. Then, on the indication of Sri Gurudevi the sadhaka dasi massages the lotusfeet of her Ishvari and becomes immersed in transcendental bliss.

Thus ends the 12 danda’s (288 minutes) Sri Gaura Sri Radha-Govinda's
Madhyahna lila sutra.


APARAHNA LILA SUTRA
(3H.36 P.M TO 6H. P.M)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In the afternoon Sriman Mahaprabhu remembers Sri Krishna's uttara goshtha (returning from the meadows with the cows) and performs kirtana and nagara bhramana (wanderings through the town) with His devotees. Then He returns home where Sri Shacimata orders Him to take a bath in the Ganga. Everyone then becomes dressed and ornamented and Sri Gadadhara Pandita offers Shitala bhoga to the deity of Lord Narayana. After that Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Sri Radha is bathed, dressed and ornamented, and everyone becomes immersed in transcendental bliss.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha and Her sakhis prepare sweets, bathe, dress, ornament and hear from Hiranyangi about how Sri Krishna is approaching for His uttara goshtha. This makes them very eager to see Sri Krishna.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sri Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti, sits on the Candrashala (moontower) and Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of the beauty of Sri Radha's viewing the uttara goshtha. Everyone is in bliss.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha and Her sakhis go to the Candrashala and become very blissful to view Sri Krishna's uttara goshtha. Sri Krishna satisfies the Cakora birds of His eyes by seeing Sri Radha's moonlike face and He delights Her by casting sidelong glances at Her. Sri Radha satisfies Her beelike eyes by seeing Sri Krishna's lotuslike face and delights Him by casting Her sidelong glances at Him. In this way They are both insatiably looking at Eachother. Sri Krishna and His friends are going to the goshtha and Sri Radha and Her sakhis descend from their watchtower to sit down on Their own sitting places.

SAYAHNA LILA SUTRA
(6H. P.M TO 8H.24 P.M)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sridhama Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti, descends from His balcony and goes to have darshana of Sriman Narayana's arati. Sri Gadadhara Pandita offers the Shitala bhoga to Sri Narayana and then performs arati while Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Dhanishtha speaks about how mother Yashoda does Sri Balarama and Krishna's arati worship, bathes Them, dresses Them and ornaments Them, how Malati-sakhi comes from Vrindavana and gives sweets in Tulasi's hands and gives garlands and betelleaves to Dhanishtha as an indication of the tryst, how Gunamala sakhi comes from Nandishvara and speaks of Balarama and Krishna's dressing and ornamentating, Their darshana of Narayana's arati and Their taking a snack. Hearing this everyone becomes immersed in transcendental bliss.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radhika and Her sakhis sit on their sitting places when Dhanishtha comes on the order of mother Vrajeshvari. Sri Radha inquires from Dhanishtha and Dhanishtha tells Her how Balarama and Krishna enter the town, bathe, dress and ornament and how the servants are ordered to bring Balarama and Krishna a snack. Hearing all this they become ecstatic, as if they are really seeing all this. Then on Vrinda's order Malati comes and gives a hint of the tryst by offering garlands and betelleaves. Then Sri Radha lets Sri Krishna know of the tryst by giving the garlands and betelleaves in Dhanishtha's hands and She also gives sweets in Kasturi's hands. Then Gunamala sakhi or Induprabha sakhi comes with Sri Krishna's remnants through sweets and so and describes how Balarama and Krishna and others take snacks in Nandalaya and Sri Radha becomes ecstatic as if She really sees this all (darshanavat).

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sri Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and sits down on the order of His mother to take a snack with His devotees. Then the sadhaka dasa becomes absorbed in feelings of "I am eating Sri Krishna's nectarean foodremnants with Radha's sakhis" and everyone becomes absorbed in bhava in their siddha dehas.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha and Her sakhis eat Sri Krishna's remnants and then sit down on their sittingplaces where the maidservants serve them betelleaves and fan them. Sadhaka dasi massages the feet.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sri Navadvipa, Sriman Mahaprabhu and His devotees eat different kinds of fruit such as coconut, mango, jackfruit, Piyalu, grapes, pomegranates and Karpura Keli and Amrita Keli that mother affectionately feeds them, just to satisfy mother Shaci. Then she washes Their mouths and the three Prabhus sit on sitting places with Their devotees .......the servants serve Them betelleaves and fan Them. Then Sriman Mahaprabhu becomes absorbed in the bhava of viewing Sri Krishna's pastime of milking the cows and goes to the Candrashala to sit down there. Sri Svarupa Gosvami, knowing Sriman Mahaprabhu's mind, sings songs of Sri Krishna's pastime of milking the cows, causing everyone to be immersed in bliss.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radha and Her sakhis go to the Candrashala and sit there while Sri Krishna comes from Nandishvara for milking His cows. Then Sri Radha sees the pastimes of milking the cows, sits on Her sittingplace, while the maidservants clean the place with the broom and light the lamps. After that Sri Lalitaji performs Rai's arati and Ananga Manjari teaches the manjaris how to play musical instruments.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In Sri Navadvipa Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti, goes to see the arati of Lord Narayana and goes to His sittingplace to sit on it. Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Jatila orders Srimati to eat, how Tulasi comes from Nandishvara and gradually tells how Balarama and Krishna see Narayana's arati, how They have Their meal, how They go to the royal assembly, drink milk, and take rest. Hearing this everyone is immersed in bliss.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
At that time in Vraja's Yavata Sri Radhika sits on Her sittingplace with Her sakhis when Kutila, sent by Jatila, tells them to eat, after which Tulasi comes from Nandishvara and tells how Balarama and Krishna see Sri Narayana's arati, eat, go to the royal assembly, drink milk, and take rest. Hearing all this Sri Radhika and Her sakhis become ecstatic.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and sees the arati of Sri Narayana and becomes absorbed in the mood of Sri Radha, who is eating.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
Sri Radhika and Her sakhis take rest after eating. The maidservants serve them betelleaves and so. Sadhaka dasi massages Their feet and is thus immersed in transcendental bliss.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and eats and takes rest. The Gosvamis, the Guruvarga and the sadhaka dasa then all eat and become ecstatic while beholding the beauty of Mahaprabhu's taking rest.

Thus ends the Six danda's Sayahna lila sutra.

PRADOSHA LILA SUTRA
(8H.24 P.M TO 10H.48 P.M)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu gets up from bed and goes to sit down on the platform on the courtyard of Srivasa in Sri Radha's bhava. Then the two Prabhus and the devotees come and sit down, thus meeting the Lord. Sri Svarupa Gosvami starts singing songs of Sri Radha-Krishna's abhisara in Vrindavana and Their consequent meeting. Hearing this song everyone becomes absorbed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
In Vraja Sri Radhika gets up from bed and sits on the Candrashala. Then Induprabha comes and tells Her of Sri Krishna's abhisara. Hearing this She dresses Herself for abhisara according to the time. Just then Malati-sakhi comes from Sri Vrindavana and tells Her that Sri Krishna has arrived in Vrindavana. Hearing this Sri Radha and Her sakhis blissfully go on abhisara to Vrindavana. When they meet with Sri Krishna they unite in the kunja, make love with Him, become dressed and ornamented, sit on a jeweled bedstead. Seeing Their sweet forms everyone is ecstatic.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and Srivasa Pandita decorates the devotees with garlands and sandalwoodpulp. Everyone is immersed in transcendental bliss by beholding this beautiful scene.

Thus ends the six danda’s Pradosha lila sutra.

12 DANDA NAKTA LILA SUTRA
(10H.48 P.M TO 3H.36 A.M)

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
In bhavavesha Sriman Mahaprabhu holds Sri Gadadhara's right hand and stands on the jeweled platform of the Yogapitha lotus. Then Srivasa Pandita decorates Them with garlands and sandalwoodpulp, places betelleaves in Their mouths, then puts garlands and sandalwoodpulp on everyone. Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Sri Radha-Krishna play the flute. Hearing this everyone becomes absorbed in bhava.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
Sri Radha Krishna and Their sakhis stand on the jeweled throne on the Yogapitha-lotus while Sri Vrindaji serves Them with garlands and sandalwoodpulp and places betelleaves in Their mouths. Then Sri Krishna performed pastimes like playing His flute, wandering through the six seasonal forests, picking flowers, dressing in a sylvan outfit, performing Cakra-bhramana (circular wandering), dancing the Rasa, singing, playing musical instruments, Holi, drinking honey, making love, watersports, dressing in sylvan outfits and having a picknick. Hearing this everyone becomes ecstatic.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti, wanders through the forest, and He, Nitai and Sitanatha take rest on three different jewelled platforms situated on the shore of the Ganga. Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of how Sri Radha-Krishna stand on the Yogapitha lotus, wander through the forest, pick flowers and dress in sylvan outfits. Hearing the song everyone becomes immersed in ecstatic love.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
Sri Radha and Krishna and Their sakhis see the Yogapitha, wander through the forest, pick flowers and then sit on a platform with a jewelled throne. Vrinda-devi decorates Sri Radha-Krishna with sylvan ornaments, performs arati and beholds Their sweet forms and thus becomes ecstatic.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti, Srivasa Pandita decorates the three Lords with sylvan ornaments, serves them articles like betelleaves and offers arati to Them. After this Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings of the Sri Rasa lila. Dancing and playing musical instruments the Lord and all the others become absorbed in ecstatic love.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
Sri Radha-Krishna and the sakhis enjoy in the forest, dress in sylvan outfits, perform Cakra bhramana, dance in a circle (mandali bandhana), perform the Hallishaka dance, the Yugma Nritya (dance in pairs), Tandava dance, Lasya dance, Eka-eka dance, sing the Prabandha Gana-dance, drink honey wine, meet in the kunja, make love, watersports, dress in sylvan outfits. Beholding Sri Radha-Krishna's sweet forms everyone becomes ecstatic.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti and Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings songs of Sri Radha-Krishna's drinking honey-wine, making love, watersports and dressing in sylvan outfits. Mahaprabhu goes down into the Ganga-water to perform watersports and is then decorated and dressed. Then Mahaprabhu becomes absorbed in the ecstasy of beholding His sweet form. Sri Svarupa Gosvami sings a song about Sri Krishna's supper, hearing which everyone becomes absorbed in Sri
Radha-Krishna lila.

Sri Vraja Dhama :
Sri Radha-Krishna and Their sakhis take their supper in Arunambuja Kunja and then take rest in the Nibhrita Nikunja (the present Seva Kunja). The sakhis and manjaris all render their own services according to the time. On the indication of Sri Gurudevi the sadhaka dasi massages Their feet and becomes absorbed in transcendental bliss. Then everyone takes rest in their own place. Sadhaka dasi massages the lotusfeet of her Gurudevi and then also takes rest (on her own veil) next to the footsoles of her Gurudevi.

Sri Navadvipa Dhama :
Sriman Mahaprabhu attains bhava shanti eats different kinds of fruits with His devotees. In the jewelled temple the three Prabhus take rest on their individual jewelled bedsteads. The devotees lay down to rest on the verandas of their own Lords the servants render services like massaging the feet to the three Prabhus, the Gosvamis and the Guruvarga according to the season. The sadhaka dasa then takes rest at the footsoles of Sri Gurudeva.
Thus ends the 12 danda’s Nakta lila sutra

Thus ends the Sri Gaura and Sri Radha Govinda ashtakaliya lila sutra.


Sri Gauracandra's Yogapitha service in Sridhama Navadvipa

At noontime Sri Gauracandra Mahaprabhu and His devotees in the six seasonal flowergarden of Srivasa Pandita on the bank of the Ganga (stand) on a jewelled throne in the Madhavi pavillion on the Yogapitha lotus. Sri Gauracandra, Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Sri Gadadhara Sri Srivasa - this Panca Tattva is present. Sri Svarupa Gosvami and the eight mahantas are standing in the eight directions, starting from the north. On the outer petals are the devotees that follow Sri Svarupa Gosvami, such as Acarya Ratna, starting gradually from the northern direction. In the whorl, in the north eastern corner, Sri Lokanatha Gosvami stands, along with his follower Srila Narottama µhakura Mahashaya down to Sri Gurudeva. The Guruvarga gradually stands there. Behind Sri Gurudeva the sadhaka bhakta stands on the left. Sri Gurudeva kindly takes the sadhaka bhakta and, through the Guru-parampara, takes permission from Sri Svarupa Gosvami and then orders the sadhaka bhakta to render service. The sadhaka dasa offers obeisances to the Simhasana with his head three times and starts rendering service.

The kinds of service: First of all the sadhaka dasa offers sandalwoodpulp to Sriman Mahaprabhu, then to Sri Nityananda Prabhu, then to Sri Advaita Prabhu. Then he leaves the plate and cleans his hands with a wet piece of cloth. Then he takes a plate with garlands then he offers two garlands at the feet of Sriman Mahaprabhu, rinsing his hand. Then again he takes a plate with garlands and takes a garland from it, hangs it around Sriman Mahaprabhu's neck, rinsing his hand and then hangs garlands around Sri Nityananda Prabhu's neck and around Sri Advaita Prabhu's neck. Then he puts the plate away, then he wipes his hand. Then he takes Tulasi-leaves and offers them to Sriman Mahaprabhu's lotusfeet with eight or five manjaris as a rule. Then he wipes his hands and offers the same to the lotusfeet of Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Prabhu. Then he takes the two garlands from Mahaprabhu's feet and keeps them on the plate as prasada. Then he makes Sri Gadadhara wear a garland along with sandalpaste as prasada, and gives a garland to Srivasa Pandita with sandalpaste as prasada. He washes his hands, takes a plate of betelleaves and places a pan in Sriman Mahaprabhu's mouth. Then he rinses the Lord's mouth.

After this he gives betelleaves to Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Sri Gadadhara and Srivasa Pandita and rinses Their mouths. After that he offers Sri Svarupa Gosvami and the others of the eight mahantas, and the other devotees who are situated on the outer petals prasadi garlands, sandalwoodpulp and betelleaves, after that Sri Rupa Gosvami and the other of the eight Gosvamis, after that he offers betelleaves to the Guruvarga, then he gives two garlands to Sri Gurudeva and offers dandavats. After that he performs arati on a golden plate according to the season - in the summer with flowers with sandal flowers or other (flowers with fragrant sandalpulp). In the winter arati is done with a ghi-lamp with camphor. This goes as follows: At Sriman Mahaprabhu's feet 4x, navel 2x, face 1x. Then he performs arati to Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Prabhu, and after that 7x to the Three Prabhus together from Their feet up to Their faces over the whole body, after that 3x to Sri Gadadhara, Srivasa and the other bhaktas. Then he puts the arati plate down and offers sashtanga (with eight limbs of the body) dandavats 7x. Then he offers dandavats to the lotusfeet of Sri Gurudeva. Being pleased, Sri Gurudeva gives one prasadi garland. Sadhaka dasa offers his obeisances to the feet of Sri Gurudeva and then stands on Sri Gurudeva's left side. Then, by the grace of Sri Gurudeva, he will do smarana of the Yogapitha-service of Sri Radha-Krishna in Vraja.

Sri-Sri Radha-Govinda's Yogapitha-service

After meeting at noontime in Vraja, in Sri Radhakunda's north eastern corner in Sri Vishakha's Madana Sukhada kunja, Sri Radha-Krishna reside on the jeweled throne in the Sri Yogapitha lotus. On the first petal are Lalita and her sakhis and Sri Rupa Manjari and the others of the eight manjaris. On the outer petal are all the sub-sakhis, and sub-manjaris starting from the north. In the north eastern corner the Guru-varga from Sri Manjulali Manjari down to Sri Guru-manjari-devi are standing. On the left side of Sri Gurudevi the atma sakhi is standing. Then, attaining the goodwill of Sri Gurudevi the sadhaka dasi's Guru Manjaris takes permission from everyone, following the indication of Sri Rupa Manjari offers three times obeisances to the Simhasana with the head and humbly renders service in great ecstatic love.

The kinds of service: First of all she washes her hands with a golden pitcher, taking a wet piece of cloth and a plate with sandalwoodpulp in her hands, puts sandalwoodpaste on Sri Krishna's forehead and chest, puts prasadi sandalpaste on Svamini's chest. Then she puts the sandal tray away and washes her hands. Then she takes the plate with garlands, offers a garland at the lotusfeet of Sri Krishna, wipes her hand with the wet cloth and then places another garland around Sri Krishna's neck. Then she takes the garland from (Krishna's) feet and hangs it around Svamini's neck. Then she washes her hands, takes the Tulasi-plate, and offers eight or five manjaris as a rule to Sri Krishna's feet. After each manjari she wipes her hand, so that it does not become prasadi. Then she washes her hands and offers in the same manner Tulasis to Svamini's lotus like feet. After this she washes her hand takes the betelplate and offers the pan to Sri Krishna's lips and rinses His mouth. Then she offers Sri Krishna's chewed betelleaves to Svamini's mouth, rinses Her mouth.

Then she gradually offers the prasadi garlands, sandalwoodpulp and betelleaves to Lalita and the other sakhis, and then gradually to the sub-sakhis and sub-manjaris on the outer petals, then gradually to Sri Rupa Manjari and the other of the eight manjaris, then gradually to the guru-manjari-varga. Then she hangs two garlands on her Gurudevi. Then she washes her hand and offers arati according to the season. In the summer with fragrant flowers, in the winter with ghi lamp with camphor. Kinds of arati: At Sri Krishna's feet 4x, navel 2x, the face 1x, the whole body, from head to toe, 7x. Svamini's whole body is also worshipped, from head to toe, 7x. Sri Lalita and each of the sakhis 3x. Then she washes her hand and offers obeisances with five limbs (as is prescribed for females - knees, hands and head). After that she offers daAdavats to Sri Gurudevi and stands behind her. Sri Gurudevi, being pleased with her, takes a garland from her own neck and hangs it around sadhaka dasi's neck. Sadhaka dasi offers her obeisances unto Sri Gurudevi and stands behind her, on her left side. After that in half-external consciousness, in a meditational mood, the sadhaka gradually practises the mantras and gayatris attained from Sri Gurudeva, including the kama bija/kama gayatri, offers prayers, submissions and praises and offers daAdavat obeisances. The time of practising mantra smarana: From 6 to 8.30 in the morning. In Sriman Mahaprabhu's own Mandira and in Vraja in Gupta Kunda, west of Sri Nandishvara, during the Yugala Milana. Then there will be Yogapitha Seva and mantra smarana. At midday the Yogapitha mantra smarana of the Panca Tattva is performed in Navadvipa on the bank of the Ganga in Srivasa's flowergarden, and in Vraja in Radhakunda's Madana Sukhada Kunja. Just after the first midday (Yugala) meeting the Yogapitha Seva of Sri Radha-Govinda and Sri Guru bhajana seva (special service to Sri Gurudeva's physical body according to circumstances) and mantra smarana take place.

Thus ends 108 Sri Sakhicarana Das Babaji Maharaja's
Sri Sri Gaura Govinda Lilamrita Gutika Sutra

Srila Rupa Gosvami'sUDDHAVA SANDESH

Srila Rupa Gosvami's

UDDHAVA SANDESH

1 One day in Mathura Lord Krsna was sitting on a throne in His Krida-Bhavan. As He looked out He could see the flowers had started to bloom and new leaves were sprouting on the trees. He thought to Himself that Mathura looks like a new bride. As He was appreciating that sweet scene, the remembrance of His Vrndavana pastimes bloomed in His heart.

Note: This Uddhava Sandesh is the story of Vasudeva Krsna pouring out His heart to His intimate friend Uddhava. In all there are 131 slokas.

A more confidential point is that in Mathura, Krsna's Vasudeva expansion was present who up to the time of Akrura being sent by Kamsa to bring Krsna to Mathura had been present in the body of Krsna for the purpose of killing the demons, accepting prayers from demigods and other pastimes that were tinged by the mood of awe and reverence. Krsna Himself is always enjoying intimate loving pastimes in Vraja, thus He never steps out of Vraja - Vrndavana or has anything to do with what goes on beyond the borders of Vraja Dhama or Vraja pastimes. For the purpose of satisfying the devotees who wish to reciprocate with Him in different moods which cannot be accommodated in Vraja, He has expanded Himself in unlimited forms.

Thus we find in this "Uddhava Sandesh", Vasudeva requesting Uddhava to go to Vrndavana to pacify the friends and relations of Krsna by reminding them of their pastimes with Krsna. Also Vasudeva-Krsna is lamenting His being separated from the body of Krsna and thus no longer being able to witness the intimate simple relationship between the Vrajabasis and Krsna. Having heard from the swan messenger sent by Lalita-sakhi about the intense suffering of the Vrajabasis due to their separation from Krsna (the message which was given to the swan is recorded in Rupa Gosvami's wonderful book "Hansaduta"). His own mood of separation had increased, thus He wished to reach out to the Vrajavasis through this message. He is sending Uddhava, His intimate devotee, friend and advisor, so that he may witness the pure unmotivated love of the Vrajavasis, especially the love of the Vraja gopis.

The result of Uddhava's going to Vraja-Vrndavana and seeing the love of the Vrajabasis was that he prayed for and got the benediction to reside in Vraja as a simple creeper, so that he could get the dust of the lotus feet of the Vrajabasis, Uddhava is residing eternally on the bank of Kusum Sarovar as gulma lata (a creeper).

If the question is asked where was the original Krsna if He had not left Vrndavana, the simple truth is that He was hiding in the bushes watching the fun.

Krida-bhavan - A place of recreation, where kings or princes would enjoy playing chess, gambling, etc.

2 Thereafter Lord Krsna due to the sudden remembrance of His Vrndavana pastimes started to breathe very heavily and the lotus garland around His neck began to shake. As Krsna remembered His amazing pastimes with the Vraja gopis, incessant tears flowed from His eyes. Due to His being unable to enjoy those pastimes again He became stunned and looked like a painted picture.

3 Then Lord Krsna thought for a moment how to cross to the other shore of that ocean of distress and proceeded up to the jewel-studded roof of the palace. Seeing that Uddhava had come close to Him, He wished to reveal His heart to him but due to feelings of love no words were able to come.

4 "Oh ocean of good qualities, Uddhava, you are My closest relative. Due to your advice and directions we Yadavas are enjoying full prosperity. For these reasons I wish to give you the service of fulfilling a very secret desire of Mine. If one gives ones' desired work to a person full of good qualities, then he can be sure of the result.


Note: Sukadeva Gosvami said: The supremely intelligent Uddhava was the best counsellor of the Vrsni dynasty, a beloved friend of Lord Sri Krsna and a direct disciple of Brhaspati. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10-46-1)

Uddhava is the cousin-brother of Vasudeva-Krsna.

5 O My friend! When we heard from Gandini Nandan (Akrura) Kamsa's puffed up order, we came along with him from Vrndavana to Mathura. At that time the young Vraja-gopis entered into an ocean of separation from Me. O My dear friend! Now they are somehow or other keeping their life-force within their bodies.

Note: The order of Kamsa was : Please go to Nanda's village where the two sons of Anakadundubhi are living, and without delay bring them here on this chariot.

(Srimad Bhagavatam 10-36-32)

6 O My friend! Of all those gopis, beautiful Srimati Radharani, who has no equal and is more dear to Me than My life, is somehow at this time remaining alive due to Lalita and Her other gopi friends tactfully convincing Her that I will be returning to Vrndavana very soon.

7 O best of advisers, Uddhava! You please go to Nandagram, the capitol of Nanda Maharaja, which is situated on a beautiful hill covered by wonderful creepers and the best of trees and surrounded by a wall made of priceless jewels. There kindly deliver My message to Srimati Radharani who has been bitten by the snake of separation and is feeling unlimited anguish in her heart. Please try to bring her back to life and make her happy again.

8 O My dear friend! In this universe there are many holy and important places where I appear in various Deity forms to bring happiness to My pure devotees like yourself. But I honestly swear to you that there is no place which brings more happiness to My heart than Gokula (Vraja).

9 There in Vraja-Vrndavana, what to speak of the moving beings, even the trees, creepers, grass and other non-moving living entities would have been burnt up in the fire of separation long ago, if it was not for the tears of the gopis falling on them.

10 My dear friend! When the gopis would see Me even a little distressed, they became very unhappy but they would not become even a little distressed if a mountain of unhappiness came upon them. So please do not tell them about the unlimited unhappiness I am feeling due to their separation. Simply remind them how much I love them.

11 O brother! Nandisvar Hill (Nandagram) is far from Mathura, so you please leave immediately. The road is easy and very beautiful. When you will enter into an ocean of bliss upon seeing Vraja, I will also become happy because when a highly qualified person becomes happy, his dear friends become also.

Note: By the route which Uddhava was sent, Nandagram was about 90 km from Mathura. Uddhava was sent on the same route which Krsna had come from Nandagram. The next twenty slokas describe the route which Krsna wishes Uddhava to take.

12 O wise one! The first place you will see on your journey is Gokarn Ksetra where the husband of Gauri (Siva) stays in the form of Gokarn, just to rescue the living entities from the ocean of distress. Very close to Gokarn Ksetra is the sangam of the Sarasvati and Yamuna rivers which fulfils all the desires of the living entities.

13 When I first arrived in Mathura it was at Yamuna-Sarasvati sangam that the beautiful women of Mathura welcomed Me with their beautiful sidelong glances. One beautiful lady had addressed her friend thus: "Oh, that Krsna, Who by the sweet playing of His flute caused the clothes of the gopis to loosen, is today standing before you. All glories to you."

14 O Uddhava, next happily proceed to Ambicavan which bestows the topmost bliss. In that Ambicavan I freed the Vidyadhar of the name Sudarshan from the form of a snake who had come suddenly from Kaliya lake and tried to swallow My father Nanda Maharaja. When I had freed My father, the gopis became very happy.

15 O patient one! You then sit on your chariot but you do not need to go to that place on the bank of the Yamuna where I hurled the tusks of the elephant Kuvalyapida, because gentle persons have nothing to do with the demons.

16-17 First proceed south and then to the north. You will arrive at Tirthraj Akrura ghat, where there are many varieties of flowers and birds. Then go ahead from that place where I had shown Akrura My four-armed form and the Vrajabasis Goloka. Now you will pass the residences of the Yajnic-brahmins who had refused to feed Me even though I had requested them. You may not wish to see them but still you should pass close to their houses and even if you do not wish to see their wives who are always singing about My pastimes, still you should take their darshan and purify your eyes.

Note: The residence of the Yajna-brahmins is known as Bhojana-sthali or Bhatrol.

18 Uddhava, you please next quickly pass through Kotik Tirth which is full of many varieties of flowers and trees. The first time I went through that area a chaste flower girl looked at Me with spontaneous love and raised her two arms while gently smiling.

Note: The area between Akrura-ghat and Chatikara is known as Kotik Tirth-The topmost.

19 In the same way you should proceed into the area of Sattikara (Chatikara) which is under the control of the black bees. Once while I was playing in that place, Sridama took on the form of Garuda and I sat on his back for twelve days (as Visnu).

Note: There is a temple of Garuda-Govinda in Chatikara with a deity of Govinda having twelve arms sitting on the back of Garuda. This is the spot where Krsna lived after leaving Mahavana (Gokula).

20 O Uddhava! When I was coming to Mathura. I passed through that forest (Sattikara) and the ladies spoke to each other like this: "O infatuated ones, look, Syamasundara is looking towards only me." In that way the young ladies of that place stared at Me innocently.

21 On the left hand side of that forest are many villages and on the right hand side is the Kaliya lake. Avoiding those places, take the path which is shaded by creepers which are so thick that the sun cannot penetrate and is skirted on one side by ponds full of lotus flowers.

22 Next you will arrive in Mrigahara Tirth (Maghera), where the deer stay and which is covered by creepers and flowers. In the morning I would go to that forest for playing and when I played my sweet sounding flute, the impatient deer would come and thus gain relief from the pangs of separation they had felt throughout the long night.

Note: This forest is known as Mrigahara because of the many deers (Mriga) which stayed here. It is also known as Magahara the road (Maga) which Krsna travelled by. Today it is known by the name, Maghera.

23 When I was being brought to Mathura by Akrura, the young gopis who were like budding flowers and whose faces were shining like freshly blooming flowers, were looking at Me from a distance and shooting thousands of arrows in the shape of their sweet clever glances.

24 "Friends, just see, there is Madhava who caused Radha to first fall in love with Him by the power of His lusty glances and is now sitting in a chariot going off to Mathura."

O Uddhava, when in this way the wonderful pastimes of the young gopis and the sweet memory of Radha awoke in My heart, I started perspiring profusely and sat just like a painted picture.

25 Near Nagendra Bhog (Govardhan area) is the place where Radharani massaged My feet while I happily slept. Be sure to visit that village which has the fragrance of Ksirsagar, where My hands had been tied. I enjoyed unlimited pleasure there.

26 My dear friend Uddhava! There the sound of the churning of curd is heard in all directions up to a distance of sixteen miles. It will bring you great joy.

I swear there in that place is a large herd of blissful cows created by Brahma that can satisfy the whole world with the amount of ghee they produce.

27-28 Next visit Shalmala Gram (Sahara) which brings victory to the Vrajabasis. There you will see thousands of buffaloes and in every lane cowherd children enacting My various pastimes.

In that Sahara Gram, which, when seen even from a great distance brings happiness to the eyes, lives Upananda. When I was being brought to Mathura on the chariot, I had eaten very tasty pure butter there.

Note: Upananda is the elder brother of Nanda-Maharaja.

29 Next you may proceed to Rahela (Rahera), where the gopis would enjoy wonderful pastimes. In the evening I would go there and through My flute I would call the gopis. When all the gopis heard the flute call, they came running, not caring if they were properly dressed or not.

30 Uddhava! When the gopis were busy churning the curd, I used to steal their butter and then feed it to My boyfriends, thus making them very happy. That pastime place is full of flowering trees and is famous by the name of Pritashavas. You will certainly be relieved of your fatigue there.

31-32 With banana trees shaken by agitating winds and full of fragrant ashoka flowers, that beautiful, wonderful transcendental abode (Nandagram) of Nanda Maharaja will bring you unlimited bliss.

On the southern side of that Nandagram is the place that even today is called Vidyutkari (Vrajavari). When the gopis saw I was going to Mathura, they became grief-stricken and bewildered and fell as if they had been struck by lightening bolts.

Note: Nandagram extends up to this place.

33 O Uddhava, ahead, Akrura, who was overwhelmed with love, had seen Me returning from the goshalla. Even though he was worried in his heart that Kamsa had sent him to take Me to Mathura, still, tears of bliss flowed from his eyes and watered the kadamba trees that adorned that place which is famous as Souyatrika Tirth.

Note: Souyatrika Tirth is located on the path which runs from Vrajavari into the present town of Nandagram.

34 There you will see many calves that look like white crystals as they run around after freeing their tails from the hands of the cowherd boys. You will also see many calves frolicking after having smelled the tips of new grass.

35 O Uddhava, behind the goshalla is My sitting place made of white stone which is eternal and from where a wonderful fragrance emanates. When the gopis glance at that place it gives rise within them to an emotion called mottayita.

Note: Mottayita is defined in Rupa Gosvami's Ujjvala-nilamani (11.47) when a heroine remembers, hears or sees her hero or anything in connection with him, love for him is aroused in her heart and she hankers for his association.

36 One gopi told her friend, "Look carefully, that is not the dust raised by the cows but the smoke coming from the fires and that sound which you think is coming from Krsna's flute is the sound of bamboo whistling in the wind. The sun has not set in the

west yet, come I will paint a picture on your breasts."

Note: Here starts a twelve sloka sanskrit sentence, which finishes with text forty 47, in which Vasudeva Krsna remembers some of the sweet conversations of the gopis.

37 One gopi tells her restless friend as Krsna goes into the forest, "The sound of Krsna's flute is coming from the forest but you must not run there, the dust of the cows can no longer be seen. So adjust your loose clothes and come into the house immediately, for the elders are also standing here."

38 "O sakhi, you have been trying to string that flower garland since early morning, now it is evening. Have you not been able to finish it yet?"

O enchanted one. The grey dust from the hooves of the cows has formed clouds and covered the sky thus relieving the thirsty eyes of the gopis.

Note: This conversation between Padma and Candravali is quoted by Rupa Gosvami in his Ujjvala-nilamani (10:83) in the chapter vibhaves-uddipana (That which stimulates ecstatic love) due to seeing the dust by the cows their ecstatic love was stimulated.

39 You talkative old woman, why are you uttering such harsh words? What young girl's heart would not be attracted on seeing Krsna entering the goshalla, wearing a malati garland covered with the dust raised by the hooves of the cows and His bodily fragrance sweetening all directions. To have a glimpse of Krsna every one is eager and anxious.

40 Give up your fear of the superiors and Your shyness and come to the main door at least. You wait anxiously the whole day to see Krsna and do not leave Your apartment even to come to the veranda to have a glimpse of Krsna. O sweetnatured Girl, look! Mukunda, Who has stolen the heart of the gopis is coming in this direction, surrounded by bumblebees who are attracted by His sweet aroma and gunja mala.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter eighteen: sanbhoga-prkarana (union) (18.12). Visakha is talking to Radharani.

41 O Mandit-angi! When Krsna is entering the goshalla, He is enchanted by the sound of your bangles, so what is the need to try and enchant Him with Your eyes? If a deer can be enchanted by a sweet song then who would use a net to capture Him? So drop the net of Your sweet glances.

Note: mandit-decorated, angi-body, Manditangi is a name for Srimati Radharani.

42 O Candravali! The sweet sound coming from your ankle bells has entered into Krsna's heart. Thus He has become confused and is wandering back and forth in the goshalla, having forgotten the path to Nanda Maharaja's house. O sakhi, from where have you learnt this art?

43 O beautiful girl, look! Filled with motherly affection, mother Yasoda is waiting for Krsna by the door. Krsna is simply standing here taking long slow breaths and shivering (due to not seeing Your face.) Therefore, give up Your vivvok-bhava and show Your lotus face to Him through the leaves of this creeper.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has described Vivvokbhava in his Ujjvala-nilamani (11.52) as indifference towards a beloved through pride.

Syama addressed Radharani: Krsna, the killer of Aghasura, now stands before You, gazing at Your face and waiting for a response. O mad girl, You glance at Him with a deeply contemptuous smile, and then ignore Him, and start stringing Your garland of forest flowers.

(Ujjvala-nilamani 11.54)

44 O Radhe! Just see the destroyer of Kamsa! Sri Krsna has dropped His stick and His flute is slipping from His hand along with His buffalo-horn.

Nanda Maharaja is also watching from a distance. I request You thus to stop looking at Krsna in this lusty way and not embarrass Him in front of His superiors.

45 O Radhe! Just to have a glimpse of You, Krsna is eagerly looking from the goshalla again and again towards Your door.

So why are You without reason staying inside and trying to satisfy your heart by looking through the slits in the window. Kindly give up Your vanity and come out into the courtyard and satisfy the Lord of your life.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter sixteen: Mana-Prakar (16:31)

46 Look my friend! Krsna is again and again calling Gouri (Radhika). In front of us She is pretending to be so shy and chaste and is not going to the door. But the shrubs, creepers and trees know how chaste and shy She is when She is running into the forest upon hearing the sweet sound of Krsna's flute.

47 O Uddhava! When I was staying in Vraja - every evening those blue-eyed smiling gopis who always desired to enjoy loving pastimes with Me would discuss My various pastimes.

48-49 In that Nandagram early in the morning as the gopis would start churning the curd, their arms looked wonderfully beautiful and drops of perspiration decorated their cheeks. Their hair covered their foreheads, making them look very beautiful, and with their lotus-mouths they would sing about My pastimes. When the sound of the bangles decorating the arms of those lotus-eyed gopis mingled with the sound of the churning and singing, I would happily awaken from My sleep.

50 My dear friend (Lalita). You keep telling Me not to give into Krsna, so, all-right, you paint a picture of Krsna for Me and I will sit in My room all day with My ears plugged up (so I do not hear His flute calling) remaining angry at Him. If Krsna's picture is in front of Me I can have His darshan all the time and I will be able to follow your order.

Note: The next fourteen slokas form one sanskrit sentence.

Vasudeva-Krsna is trying to describe Nandagram to Uddhava but whenever He tries He remembers the topmost love of the Gopis and thus once again starts describing their unique love for Krsna.

51 (One day Visakha said to Me (Krsna): Here in Vraja there are many worthy young girls to please You but there is no one so affectionate and worthy as my friend (Radha).

So please never displease Her. You are no doubt the Guru of cunningness, but just see in front of You my friend (Radha) is aiming the arrows of Her glances on the bow of Her eye-brows to cut You down to size.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter seven dutibheda (Varieties of messengers). (7.71)

52 O clever messenger! Don't talk about that person (Krsna), who is always enjoying on the bank of the Yamuna in front of me. I will never go near Him. I am famous in this world for being stone-hearted and don't think that I am shivering because of hearing of Krsna. It is due to the wind blowing.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter thirteen vyabhicari (one who transgress) (13.63)

53 O Krsna! Stop all this sweet flattering talk. My friend (Radha) has waited alone the whole night in the garden for You. It is a pity that You have to keep relations with all the gopis. Now You may stay in my courtyard and make Your home there.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter eight sakhi-prakarana (Srimati Radharani's Friends). (8.86)

54 O beautiful young lady (Radha)!Your malati-garland is shrivelled up and strewn on the ground. Krsna is waiting in a dejected mood by Your door. You have been awake all night and Your friends are crying. O my dear friend! What taste do You get from this anger? I do not see why every one is unhappy without reason?

55 O black bee (Krsna)! Why are you hovering around, trying to take the fragrance from my lotus face and not allowing me to do my duties to my husband. If you must restlessly hum (Play your flute), then go to the dense Punnakunj. (garden).

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala nilamani in chapter five: nayikabheda-prkarana (varieties of heroines 5.30)

56 O friend! Even if Krsna is standing in front of Me, I do not get afraid and run and hide in the kunj when you are present. Because you are very strong and will protect Me.

(Lalita replies) What to speak of Pitambhara (Krsna). No one can touch You in front of me.

57 O cunning one! On the pretence of bringing me to pick flowers. You have brought me to this distant garden. Why are you singing loudly and sweetly laughing?

(Krsna replies) I am singing loudly again and again, simply to attract the Krsna sarmrig (a type of deer).

58 My dear friend! I know the real reason why you are coming to the Yamuna again and again. You have fallen in love with Pundrikeksan (white lotus or lotus eyed Krsna).

What do you and me have to do with white lotuses? I am again and again coming to the bank of the Yamuna to enjoy loving pastimes with Raktapadma (Krsna, whose eyes are like red lotus petals).

59 O restless One (Radha)! You are always staying among deceitful-natured ladies. So why do you wish to embrace that Krsnakantha?

My friend, what you say is right, but that lusty arrogant king of peacocks, Who had defeated the Kaliya-snake, forcefully attacks me.

Note: Here Krsna is being compared to a peacock and the gopis to snakes. The peacock is the natural enemy of the snakes, He always attacks and defeats them.

Krsnakantha: Krsna, whose neck is dark blue like a peacock's.

60 O anxious girl (Candravali)! Do not keep running to the door to see if Krsna is coming, otherwise you will burn up in the fire of disappointment.

O foolish girl! If I do not see Krsna today, who destroys all distress, then I will enter that fire!

Note: Saibya Gopi is addressing Candravali.

61 O my dear friend! Today Krsna, whose eyes are intoxicated with lust, caught hold of me with His lotus-hand. That is why I am shivering.

O foolish girl, speak softly, your superiors are close by. They can overhear you!

(The first gopi changes the meaning of what she said before).

Today I was on the bank of the Yamuna when suddenly a black intoxicated elephant caught hold of me from a distance with his lotus-like trunk. That is why I am uncontrollably shivering.

62 Friend! The many wonderful pastimes Krsna performed here in Vrndavana have awakened intense eagerness in me. Now what am I to do.

O mischievous girl! Now I understand your ardent desire for that Nandanandan (Krsna).

O friend, do not misunderstand. It is the Krsnasar (deer) which I love and remember.

63 My dear Uddhava! In this way those beautiful gopi-girls had spoke such soft words which were full of deep meaning and love. Due to their pure and simple nature I would enthusiastically listen to those talks. Where is the chance to hear those sweet words now?

64 O gentle girl (Visakha)! Who is that beautiful dark-complexioned girl?

"A cowherd man's daughter"

"Why has she come here?"

"To tie the knot of friendship with You,"

"I accept her as my close friend."

"Then embrace her tightly."

O Uddhava! When Radha embraced Me, she realised I was Krsna. Radha became embarrassed at that time.

65 In Vraja there are many kunds on the banks of which we drove many beautiful stakes into the ground. I made them with My own hand along with the cowherd-boys out of pure stone to tie the frolicsome happy calves, who were always trying to run away.

66 O Fair One! What kind of future has the creator written for us gopis! In the evening the kings messenger (Akrura) arrived in Nandagram and was whispering some secret thing in Krsna's ear in private.

67 O restless girl! Following the order of Nanda Maharaja, the police officer is announcing in the market place:

"Today Krsna is going to Mathura."

My right eye is twitching again and again, giving the sign of something inauspicious and my heart is breaking into pieces. Who knows what out destiny will be?

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani, chapter seventeen, vipralambha (sentiment of love in separation) (17.8)

68 O my dear friend! When I heard that Krsna would be going to Mathura tomorrow I prayed to the night to go slowly, but just see that sinful night showed her real nature (by passing so quickly). It is true that black things in the mode of ignorance (night) never care for others.

69 O fair one! In the time which remains before Akrura takes Krsna off to Mathura, I wish to beg you to take care and water the malati creeper which is growing in my courtyard and has always provided flowers for decorating Krsna's ears.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani, chapter thirteen. vyabhicari (transgressing the bonds of marriage) (13.50). Radha is addressing Lalita.

70 O infatuated girl! Don't you see lightening bolts are falling on my head and you are thinking about protecting this flower creeper. O I am going to die right now! Come out of the house right now and look Krsna has already sat in the chariot for going to Mathura.

71 O noble lady, is no one in the whole of Vraja trying to stop Him? Are the legs of these sinful horses not going to break? Is something not going to happen to the chariot wheel? What! The killer of the Kesi demon, Krsna, is really going to Mathura?

72 O Akrura! Just see in front of you, that beautiful girl with a slender waist, who has given up all shame. What unparalleled thing is she about to do?

Until you do not put this shining Krsna off your chariot, she will not put down the shining sword she is holding in her hand (for committing suicide).

73 O mystified girl! Open Your eyes and have a last look at Krsna. Give up this illusory state and do not cheat Yourself out of a last glimpse of Krsna. Oh no! This merciless Akrura, even after hearing our crying appeals is quickly driving the chariot away.

74 O slender girl (Radha)! Not being able to see your face tears are profusely pouring Krsna's eyes. But due to the dust raised by the hooves of the horses, misunderstanding will be there (people will understand that it is due to the dust raised by the horses hooves going into Krsna's eyes that He is crying).

75 O Akrura! In this way do not kill the woman of Vraja (by taking Krsna away) and destroy the fame of the Yadu dynasty.

(Krsna) O Uddhava, when I was leaving for Mathura the Vraja-gopis were lamenting in this way and thus they threw every one into an ocean of lamentation.

Note: He who is doing this merciless deed should not be called Akrura. He is so extremely cruel that without even trying to console the sorrowful residents of Vraja, he is taking away Krsna, who is more dear to us than life itself.

(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.39.26)

Akrura means "not cruel".

76 Near Nandagram is the pure Pavan-sarovara. The gopis would go there on the pretext that they were filling their water pots. Surrounding that pond are many secret groves where we would enjoy. They are dense and shaded and full of the fragrance of lotuses and unlimited numbers of black bees are hovering around.

Note: Pavan-sarovara is Krsna's favourite sarovara, it was created by Pavan, Visakhadevi's father for Krsna's pleasure.

It appears that Vasudeva-Krsna is first having Uddhava perform parikrama of Nandagram, but as He remembers each pastime place He again starts describing the ecstatic love of the Gopis.

77 O friend (Visakha)! The area surrounding Nandagram is full of Krsna-pastime spots and the land is decorated with His lotus footprints. For the people of this world this place is indescribably wonderful and all-attractive, but alas! Now this wondrous place is setting my heart on fire.

Note: Here starts a fourteen sloka sanskrit sentence which ends with text 90.

78 O Sumukhi (Radha)! The sweet fragrance of Your pure love for Krsna will today or tomorrow definitely cause Krsna to come and embrace you like a garland around Your neck! So why are You speaking these words which are like lightening bolts striking the hearts of Your friends?

79 O despondent girl (Radha)! Why are You doubting that Krsna will come back? Krsna will definitely return so don't say continuously in this way.

O sakhi! Due to the forceful fire of separation, all my vital organs are being burnt and crushed. I would happily give up this body but my body beyond compare due to my having been embraced by Krsna.

80 O slender girl (Radha)! Why are you lamenting in this heart-breaking way and thus throwing the whole world into an unlimited ocean of unhappiness? Just be patient in your heart, because if that king of cunning people does not remember His promise (I will return very quickly to Vraja) and does not come back, every one in the three worlds will blame Him.

81 O sakhi! I thought my Krsna, the killer of the madhu demon, will never leave Vraja and I will always enjoy loving pastimes with Him. Thinking in that way I used to get angry with Him and misbehave. But who knew that the guru of wickedness, the most cruel Akrura (uncruel) would come and throw a lightening bolt on our head (take our Krsna away from us)?

82 O sakhi! I do not even have a drop of love for Krsna in my heart. I have appeared in this world simply to teach everyone how to love Krsna. That is why I am crying and this is the reason I am still alive even though I cannot see beautiful Krsna whose favourite attendant is the flute.

Note: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu expressed the same mood.

"My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead within My heart. When you see Me crying in separation, I am just falsely exhibiting a demonstration of my great fortune. Indeed, not seeing the beautiful face of Krsna playing His flute, I continue to live My life like an insect, without purpose.

(Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya lila 2.55)

83 O sakhi, I keep telling myself, Krsna will return soon but how long can I stay alive fooling myself in this way?

After all, I am just a weak woman here in Vraja. The blossoming trees and the places where Krsna enjoyed His pastimes are forcefully reminding me of Him. Thus my heart is being crushed and I am being thrown to the ground again and again.

84 O sakhi, when will that sweet-smiling Krsna, the destroyer of cupid's fame, whose lusty glances are shot on the bow of His beautifully curved eyebrows, come and pacify my mind?

85 O sakhi! It is not good that Krsna has of His own desire gone to Mathura to live but that pain I can tolerate. But the pain caused by the nail of His promise ("I will come back in two or three days") is piercing my heart and does not allow me to give up my life. That pain is burning internally and continuously growing in intensity.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani chapter seventeen vipralambha (Love in separation) (17.10)

86 O sakhi! When will it be possible for my tongue to taste the sweet lips of Krsna? When will my body be embraced by His cooling body and my eyes see His beautiful decorated body, my nose smell His sweet fragrance and my ears hear His sweet-flowing words? O when will I be able to engage my five senses fully in Krsna's service?

87 O sakhi! When will the son of Nanda Maharaja, Krsna who satisfies everyone's senses return to Nandagram and bring everyone back to life so that once again everything will be green and fresh and thus relieve my eyes of their unlimited suffering by displaying His amazing pastimes in front of me.

88 O Krsna! Previously I had taken You for granted and did not give proper respect to You. Now I will never become angry at You and I will be submissive. I am begging You, please appear on the path of My eyes again.

Even if it is not written in My destiny to have Your service, still I have the desire to serve You. so please I am remembering Your unlimited mercy and am begging You in this way.

89 O Krsna! I will take You to the cottage in the nikunja (the bower) and lay You down on a soft flower-bed while laughing and frolicking with You, I will place a tasty betelnut in Your mouth. I will happily serve You.

90 O Uddhava! When the gopis were totally absorbed in that way in Karunabhava and their loud cries of lamentation filled the whole of Vraja, travellers who were passing, on the road upon hearing their loud cries of lamentation covered their ears and with tears pouring from their eyes they ran far from Vraja.

91 O Uddhava! When your chariot which is pulled by horses wearing golden jewellery arrives at Nandagram, Radha and the other gopi girls will come running, thinking I have arrived. You should stop your chariot next to them.

92 O learned one! Please offer My full blessings to those beautiful pure trees and creepers of Vrndavana who are always being kissed by many humming bees. Whose new shoots and buds the Vraja-gopis had adorned themselves with and thus attracted Me to them.

Note: Now Vasudeva-Krsna starts telling Uddhava the messages to be delivered.

93 O Uddhava! To those beautiful cows who upon hearing the sweet song of My flute became restless and leaving aside their calves, rushed to Me with tears gushing from their eyes.

You kindly go close to them and sing My glories loudly and inquire with great love how they are.

94 When Brahma had stolen their calves, I had taken the form of those calves and drunk the sweet milk of those cows. You please offer My obeisances again and again to my mothers (cows).

95 When I would go to the forest to see the flowers, Sridama and My other dear friends would come rushing happily to touch me, shouting: "I will be first, I will be first."

Taking My name and inquiring about their well-being, affectionately embrace them over and over on My behalf.

96 After I had killed Kamsa in front of everyone I had spoken sweet and gentle words of enlightenment to Nanda Maharaja and sent him back to Vraja. Taking My name you should very gently and respectfully surrender at his lotus feet, saying, "Krsna offers His unlimited obeisances."

97 Next taking My name on your lips offer My full obeisances to the lotus feet of My mother. I am her only son, she is thus feeling unlimited pain and has become very skinny. She again and again raised her finger cursing Kamsa, "You have taken my Krsna away, so you will be destroyed!"

98 She (Mother Yasoda) is always singing My names and in a deep mood of separation she takes long slow breaths, (the sound) "Ha Krsna, Ha Krsna." comes from her throat. She becomes bathed in her own perspiration and her body withers while tears gush from her eyes, soaking her clothes, she stares intently at the road to Mathura waiting for My return.

99 The hot summer Akrura has forcefully drawn out the water of their soul leaving the earth of their heart cracked and without water. The lake of their bodies has all but dried up. Their lotus like faces have withered and the turtle of those gopis life force has hidden in the damp mud of their hope.

Note: In this analogy Akrura is compared to the hot summer and Krsna to the water in the lake (the gopis bodies). The gopis heart is compared to the cracked earth at the bottom of the lake after the summer sun has evaporated the water, and their faces are compared to the withered lotuses.

The turtles (their life airs) who are harassed when the water of the lake is reduced thus try to take shelter in the damp mud (the gopis hope that Krsna will return).

100 O ocean of good qualities (Uddhava)! You are going to Nandagram as the messenger of this offender. There the gopis are suffering under the distress of separation. Each and every one of their limbs are agitated. Maybe they can curse you but if you present yourself before them in a self controlled humble way with your hands folded, they will see that this sinless servant is repentant for his master's actions.

101 When the gopis see you are wearing the same clothes as Me and look just like Me, they will come close to you(thinking you to be Me). But when they realise their mistake they will become very surprised, restless, doubtful and their mind fickle.

Various other moods will rise within them and then they wills tart talking among themselves but you stay there without obstructing them and slowly deliver My captivating message.

102 (First introduce yourself) "I am the secretary for conjugal affairs to that person who has a strong desire to enjoy in the forest on the banks of the Yamuna, who is the master of the sixty four arts, who was taken away to Mathura by Akrura. I have come to you as His messenger. My name is Uddhava."

103 O gentle ladies! Due to intense separation Krsna is taking deep long breaths and His beautiful full lips have faded. He has no interest in any kind of pleasure. His throat is white like foam, He is always remembering your unlimited qualities with a distressed heart. Your Beloved sends this indescribable message to you.

104 O gentle gopis! Now no demons are coming to frighten you like before. Are you all happy and peaceful? Do you ever remember the sweet groves of Vrndavana, where I used to enjoy with you according to your desires?

105 My parents and other relatives are keeping Me tied up with their sweet pleading words and various auspicious works. Thus I have to stay in Mathura. I remember all of the loving pastimes we enjoyed, thus I am passing My days with great difficulty here in Mathura.

106 I am aware of your transcendental nature, so kindly forgive Me but the truth is that you are all responsible for breaking My heart and driving Me mad by causing love for you to sprout in My weak heart. It is very difficult for Me to pass even half a moment without you.

107 O cunning young ladies! Although every night in your dreams You enjoy rasa dancing with Me (Krsna) there in sweet Vrndavana, still again and again you call out "Krsna has deserted us!"

Do you not feel ashamed of yourselves for making such false accusations?

108 O Candravali! Due to the sweet loving movements of your eyes and the amorous movements of your eyebrows, I had the strength to defeat the three worlds.

Now when I remember those same amorous movements of your eyebrows My heart is crushed down.

Note: Now Vasudeva-Krsna is giving specific messages for the principle eight gopis Radharani, Candravali, Lalita, Visakha, Syama, Padma, Bhadra and Saibya.

109 O beautiful soft bodied Visakha! Do you remember that day when I was with great joy again and again pulling at your clothes in one nice forest? When along came an old lady seeing her I said, "O crooked girl, give back My gunja garland that you are hiding under your cloth. When I said that I felt ashamed.

110 O Visakha! You are fortunate because you can express the pain and anguish of your heart to your girlfriends and thus gain a little relief.

But unfortunately I have no one here in Mathura to express My heart to.

111 O Syama, even now my heart is throbbing due to the remembrance of your sweet intoxicating words enveloped in Your gentle patience-destroying laughter.

112 O Padma! You will remember that, one day when I was pretending to sleep in the lata-kunja, You had tried to steal My flute. At that time I had again and again pulled at Your clothes with both hands, when I remember what pastimes we enjoyed on that day, My heart is torn asunder.

113 My dear Lalita! In a lonely place You used to enjoy embracing and other love sports with Me. You must be rolling in the dust due to intense feelings of separation in that enfeebled, melancholy state, how are You remaining alive?

114 O beautiful Bhadra, Your beloved Krsna to whom You rendered heart wining wonderful service every night in the kunjas of Vrndavana is now being served in Mathura by new persons who are bereft of pure love.

I am unhappily quietly accepting their services.

115 O Saibya, You please try to tolerate the strong influence of cupid. I will return in two or three days to satisfy all your conjugal desires.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter seventeen vipralambha (17.12)

116 O Uddhava! When You have in a polite and captivating way presented My message to those lotus eyed gopis, they will be relieved of their grief and distress.

Next You may kindly approach Radharani who resides in the temple of My heart, She is feeling tormented and helpless.

117 In that splendid Vrndavana Radharani must be lying on a bed of fresh lotus leaves surrounded by Her maid servants, continuously crying. Her body will have become very skinny but You will understand that Her life force is still present by the flickering vibration of Her neck.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter thirteen vyabhicari (13.47).

118 That madhavi creeper (Radha) must be very restless and surviving with great difficulty since Madhava (spring, Krsna) has gone.

At the time I when I was coming to Mathura that virtuous Lady Radha looked very lonely and dejected. I had promised Her I would return quickly. She is alive due to that hope.

119 O Uddhava! You please take this ever-fresh flower garland of five colours (Vaijayanti). Radha is lying in a state of unconsciousness close to death. This garland has the power to bring lotus eyed Radha back to consciousness.

120 Due to the fragrance of this garland Radha will come to external consciousness and with tears in Her eyes start looking here and there.

Then very humbly you should approach Radha who will manifest ecstatic symptoms.

121 Holding the garland in your hand you should approach that bed of lotus petals with a pure heart after first taking permission from Radha's maid servants with your eyes, you should sit down next to the bed and give My message to Radharani.

122 O patient one (Radha)! That person who You consider more dear than all Your relations. That same person who considers You more dear than all His relations, who is more dear to you than Your life, to whom You are more dear than His life, O devi (Radha) that Krsna's heart is burning due to separation from You.

123 I know the sun of separation has dried up the lake of Your heart and the fish of Your life force is gasping for breath in Your throat. But what am I do here! The wind of my relations is stopping Me from coming close to You and thus I am drowning in the ocean of My desire (to meet You).

Note: Krsna is comparing Himself to a cloud here which is being blown to the wind's desire. One of Krsna's names is Ghanasyama.

124 O Vidhumukhi! The meeting which takes place every night between You and Me is not a dream. I am suffering due to not getting any sleep because You have knowledge of some power for pulling forcefully Me away from the Yadavas.

Note: Krsna is enjoying every night with Radha who thinks she is dreaming. Here Krsna is accusing Radha of having some power to forcefully take Him every night to Her, thus He is unable to sleep.

125 The son of Nanda Maharaja is agitated with love for You, humbly requests You not to look upon that madhavi-kunja on Govardhana Hill which witnessed our first conjugal pastimes.

Note: Srila Rupa Gosvami has quoted this sloka in his Ujjvala-nilamani in chapter 10: vibhavonuddipanah (that which stimulates ecstatic love: 10.89)

126 O Radha, very soon I will appear before Your eyes with My flute placed in My mouth and decorated with the red pigment of Nandisvara Hill. At that time I will relieve You of Your distress and drive away the pain You are feeling in all Your limbs and shower You with love.

127 Due to intense love rising within Me tears will flow from My eyes and under the strong influence of cupid I will kiss Your cheeks which become yellow and tightly embrace Your shimmering neck. Thus I will definitely cause You to enjoy a festival of love.

128 O highly intelligent Uddhava! You are the foremost of learned persons. So kindly in this way deliver My glorious message to those blue-lotus-eyed gopis and show them the shore of that ocean of separation.

Please stay for some days in Vraja to bring happiness to everyone.

129 O My friend! Your going to Nanda Maharaja's Nandagram will not just serve My purpose but you will attain the topmost benefit when you see the spontaneous loving mood of the Vrajavasis towards Me.

And when you remember these sweet words of Mine, you will understand their mood.

130 He who always relishes Krsna's transcendental Vraja pastimes and who dances in great ecstasy all over Mathura mandala, whose lotus feet Rupa Gosvami eternally takes shelter of.

May this poem cause that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's heart to overflow with ecstatic love.

131 That most merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, Who enjoys childhood pastimes with Sridama and the other cowherd boys, Who dances with the young beautiful gopis and also playfully destroys many demons, should be remembered for He will deliver you to the other shore of the ocean of birth and death.

El Encuentro de Uddhava con Nanda Maharaja.

El Encuentro de Uddhava con Nanda Maharaja.

Capítulo doce del libro Mathura Meets Vrindavan
Autor: Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja
Traducción al español: Aniruddha Das




Introducción:

Sri Gour Govinda Maharaja fue un devoto de la más alta jerarquía. Desde que se reunió por primera reunión con Srila Prabhupada, Su Divina Gracia lo acogió con mucho cariño y respeto. Ese mismo día, tras ser preguntado por su selecto grupo de asistentes personales, Srila Prabhupada respondió: “Él ha sido devoto desde su nacimiento. ¡Ustedes son los principiantes! [new men!]”. En virtud de su erudición y su devoción sin par, apenas unos meses después de haberse rendido, Srila Prabhupada le confirió el mismo día las tres iniciaciones juntas: harinama, diksa y sannyasa. Pronto fue objeto de envidia por parte de la mayoría de sus hermanos espirituales gurús y/o GBCs. Esta envidia la sintieron hasta el último día que Maharaja estuvo entre nosotros. A estos prabhus no les “gustó” su alto nivel de realización, su carisma, y tampoco que Maharaja fuese un “devoto con un criterio intelectual independiente” bien ilustrado. La GBC lo quiso “expulsar” de ISKCON en 1996. Jagadisa Pandit, un discípulo suyo de origen australiano, me contó personalmente que Maharaha, un día de las reuniones anuales de la GBC en Mayapur de 1995, ya entrada la noche salió muy turbado de la sala y le dijo: “Prabhu, …¡estas personas quieren patearme [“kick me out”] de la misión de mi maestro espiritual”. Sin embargo, no les dio esa satisfacción. Un día antes que la moción de “expulsión” fuese aprobada en 1996 por mayoría simple, Maharaja abandonó el cuerpo a voluntad, en un momento que describía con genuina emoción devocional a unos hermanos espirituales cómo Krishna se volvió a reunir con Radharani luego de transcurridos más de cien años de separación. Tras decir el siguiente párrafo: “Luego de un largo período de separación Krishna regresó a Vrajabhumi y entonces los ojos de Krishna se posaron en los ojos de Srimati Radharani…¡Eye to eye union! [“los ojos de Ambos se unieron”]”. Sobrecogido de sentimientos de amor extático e intolerable separación por la Divina Pareja, Maharaja no pudo hablar más e impartió su instrucción final a los discípulos suyos que lo rodeaban: “¡Nama kora! ¡Nama kora! [¡Canten los santos nombres! ¡Canten los santos nombres!]". Y de ese modo glorioso partió a la morada de Krishna. La partida de Maharaja, que en los últimos meses de su predicación estuvo reiterando la célebre frase de Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: “Este mundo material no es un lugar para caballeros”, coincidió con el día que se conmemora la aparición de éste último maha-bhagavata, nuestro param-gurudeva. La historia esta repleta de ejemplos de grandes personalidades que no fueron reconocidas en su tiempo. Sea pues esta serie de traducciones de sus clases un tributo póstumo a la memoria de tan venerable vaisnava. —A.d.

___________ 0 ____________

Una vez adorado así por el Señor Parasurama, Jamadagni fue devuelto a la vida con toda su memoria, y pasó a ser uno de los siete sabios en el grupo de las siete estrellas.

SIGNIFICADO

Las siete estrellas que giran alrededor de la estrella Polar en el cenit del firmamento reciben el nombre de Saptarsi-mandala. En esas siete estrellas, que forman la parte más elevada de nuestro sistema planetario, residen siete sabios: Kasyapa, Atri, Vasistha, Visvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni y Bharadvaja. Las siete estrellas se ven todas las noches, y cada una completa su órbita alrededor de la estrella Polar en un período de veinticuatro horas. Junto con ellas, todas las demás estrellas siguen también su órbita de Este a Oeste. La parte superior del universo se denomina Norte, y la parte inferior, Sur. Incluso en nuestras actividades cotidianas, cuando miramos un mapa, consideramos que la parte superior es el norte.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.16.24

El valor de la oscuridad

Lo único que Srila Prabhupada habla en este significado es sobre las estrellas. Pero puede surgir una pregunta: las siete estrellas son visibles todas las noches. Ellas orbitan alrededor de la estrella Polar, Dhruva. Durante el día no se las puede ver porque la luz del sol lo impide. Sólo pueden ser vistas durante la noche. Esto contiene un punto filosófico: hay personas que necesitan de la oscuridad. Para las personas que únicamente quieren ver la estrella Polar, la luz solar es un impedimento.

¿Cuál es el mensaje del Bhagavata? El Bhagavata te va a informar que todas las jivas son desdichadas. La jiva es desdichada, pero quiere felicidad. A veces experimenta un poco de felicidad temporal, una felicidad fugaz, pero nunca queda satisfecha. La ansia de su corazón es experimentar felicidad constante, sin interrupción. Esa felicidad, ese ananda, se llama brahmananda. De una manera consciente o inconsciente, todos desean este brahma-vastu, el verdadero objeto espiritual —el Señor Supremo, Bhagavan—. Algunas lo buscan directamente, y otras, indirectamente. Un alma condicionada no sabe cómo buscarlo. Por lo tanto, todas las escrituras védicas y los acaryas védicos han mostrado el camino.

El sac-cid-ananda-ghana-vastu, la realidad eternamente consciente y gozosa, es Bhagavan Krishna. Los sastras y los acaryas afirman que si tú te ocupas en su bhajana, en su servicio devocional, y lo alcanzas, entonces experimentarás felicidad eterna, bienaventuranza y paz. Una persona afortunada puede entender esto. Si ella se ocupa constantemente en bhagavata-bhajana, siguiendo los pasos de los mahajanas, alcanzará a Krishna y experimentará gozo y paz permanentes. Pero los que tienen mala fortuna, los que no saben ejecutar bhajana, están flotando y sufriendo en este terrible océano de la existencia materialista. El mundo material está lleno de estas personas.

Por consiguiente, el Srimad-Bhagavatam ha aparecido en la Tierra justo con el advenimiento de Kali-yuga. El Bhagavata trae un mensaje completamente nuevo para las jivas de Kali-yuga. Todos los sastras nos instruyen que ejecutemos bhajana. Pero el Bhagavata dice algo más. El Bhagavata dice: “¡Hey, jiva!, no tienes las calidades para ejecutar bhajana. No tienes la cualificación para pedirle al Señor que se presente ante ti”. El Bhagavata dice: “¡Abre tus oídos! ¡Escúchame! ¿Cómo puedes llamarlo? En realidad, ¡tú debes escuchar cómo Él te está llamando! ¡Su corazón se partiendo por ti! Tú no estás llorando por Él, ¡pero Él sí está llorando por ti! …¡Te está llamando!

La Deidad del Bhagavata es Krishna muralidhara. Muralidhara está sosteniendo una flauta contra Su labio inferior y te está llamando: “¡Ven a Mí! ¡Ven a Mí!, ¡Ven a Mí!” ¿Lo escuchas? ¿Tienes oídos? Sarva-bhuta-manoharam: las melodías que Krishna toca con su flauta cautiva las mentes de todas las entidades vivientes. No tienes el poder de llamarlo, por eso Él te está llamando. Como tú no puedes ir ante Él, Él viene a ti. Por ti, ¡Él desciende a este mundo material! Sosteniendo una flauta contra Su labio inferior, mohana-vamsuriya, Él te está llamando. Este es el mensaje más maravilloso del Srimad-Bhagavatam. El Bhagavata dice: “¿Quién soy? Nigama-kalpa-taror-galita-phala: “Yo soy el fruto más maduro, más dulce, …el jugo más nectáreo del árbol védico. Así que el Bhagavata ha aparecido en este mundo y Krishna muralidhara, tras dejar Golok Vrindavan, ha descendido aquí, al Gokul de Vrajabhumi, en la ribera del Yamuna, Kalindi. Este es el mensaje que llena las páginas del Srimad-Bhagavatam. También está aquí en esta página. Pero no puedes verlo. Tú sólo oyes que las siete estrellas y la estrella Polar están siendo explicadas aquí. Nada más. ¿Dónde está ese mensaje aquí? Una persona ciega no puede verlo. Pero este mensaje está a todo lo largo del Bhagavata, en cada una de sus páginas.

Bhagavan llora por Su bhakta

Tras untarse un veneno muy potente en los pezones, la demonia Putana llegó a Vrajabhumi con la intención de matar a Krishna. ¡Ella albergaba un motivo tan perverso! Pero Krishna es muy misericordioso. El Bhagavatam (3.2.23) describe:

aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam
jighamsayapayayad apy asdhvi
lebhe gatim dharty-ucitam tato ‘nyam
kam va dayalum saranam vrajena

¡Ay de mí! ¿Cómo voy a refugiarme en alguien más que no sea aquel que confirió la posición de madre a una bruja [Putana], a pesar de era infiel y preparó un veneno letal para que fuera chupado de su pecho?

Krishna es tan misericordioso que le confirió a Putana la posición de madre. Nunca vas a encontrar en ningún país, en ningún período de la historia, en ningún grantha, en ningún sastra, a un Señor tan misericordioso como Krishna. Este es el mensaje del Srimad-Bhagavatam. El hombre anhela a Bhagavan, pero el mensaje del Bhagavata es que Bhagavan anhela al hombre. El bhakta está llorando por Bhagavan, pero más dulce y más hermoso que esto es que Bhagavan está llorando por el bhakta. Krishna bebé está llorando porque quiere mamar el pecho de madre Yasoda. En Sus pasatiempos infantiles Krishna está deambulando por las junglas de Vrindavan y buscando a Sus queridos terneros. Mientras sostiene Su mohana-murali, su flauta encantadora contra Su labio inferior, Él está llamando a las damiselas de Vrajabhumi, gopi-jana-vallabha. Este es el mensaje de el Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhagavan está llorando por Su Bhakta.

Para comunicar Su mensaje, Krishna envía a Uddhava a Vrajabhumi. A este episodio se lo llama Uddhava-sandesa. Uddhava es un devoto muy querido de Krishna.

Reunión con Nanda Maharaja

Uddhava es un jñani-bhakti, no un premi-bhakta. Él es discípulo de Brihaspati, un jñana-guru, un pandita. Uddhava conoce a fondo las escrituras. Él es un pandita, un erudito, pero al mismo tiempo, también es un devoto. Él tiene jñana-misra-bhakti, devoción mezclada con jñana. No es bhakti puro. Por mandarlo a Vrajabhumi, Uddhava desarrollará bhakti puro. Cuando conozca a Nanda Maharaja, a Yasoda y a las gopis, especialmente a Radha, el podrá entender. Entonces se sentirá avergonzado. Su orgullo de creerse un gran pandita será aplastado. Y seguidamente llorará y mendigará el polvo de los pies de loto de las vraja-gopis. Él dirá: “Si puedo obtener ese polvo, mi vida será un éxito. De lo contrario, inútil”. Este es el beneficio que obtendrá. Esta es la gracia que se le está regalando.

Cuando Uddhava llegó a Vrajabhumi estaba pensando en Nanda Maharaja porque había reparado que Krishna a menudo hablaba de Su querido padre. En el momento que Uddhava se reunió con Nanda Maharaja, éste le preguntó primero sobre su amigo Vasudev y su esposa Devaki. Les preguntó sobre ellos porque eran amigos. A continuación, le preguntó sobre Krishna:

distya kamso hatah papah sanugah svena papmana
sadhunam dharma-silanam yadunam dvesti yah sada

Afortunadamente, a causa de sus propios pecados, el pecador Kamsa ha sido matado junto con todos sus hermanos. Él siempre odió a los santos y virtuosos Yadus.

Nanda Maharaja dijo: “Mi hermano Vasudev y su esposa Devaki fueron objeto de mucha persecución y hasta fueron encarcelados. Ahora que Kamsa ha sido matado, ellos de nuevo recuperaron la libertad. Aquellos que acosan a los a los sajjanas, a los devotos, serán quemados en el fuego que producirán sus propias actividades pecaminosas. De modo que los Kamsas, los demonios, reciben el castigo de ser quemados. La buena noticia es que ahora los Yadavas están felices” Acto seguido, Nanda Maharaja preguntó por Krishna: “¿Está Krishna en Mathura? ¿Por qué no viene? Escuché que mi hermano Vasudev envió a Krishna y a Balaram al guru-grha, a vivir en la casa del guru de Ellos. Ahora han sido iniciados y han recibido el cordón sagrado, yajña-upavita”. Krishna Vrajabhumi no tiene cordón sagrado. Algunos pujaris le ponen cordón sagrado a Krishna Vrajabhumi, pero no es siddhanta*.

* En el comentario que Srila Visvanatha Thakura del verso 10.45.3 del Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura declara que mientras estuvieron en Vrindadavan, Krishna y Balaram nunca recibieron iniciación brahmínica.

¿Nos recuerda?

Nanda Maharaja prosiguió: “Escuché que mi hermano Vasudev envió a Krishna y Balaram a la casa del gurú de Ellos, al ashram de Sandipani Muni en Avantinagar. ¡Ay, cómo me duele el corazón, Uddhava! Ellos se han vuelto brahmacaris. Tienen que salir todos los días a la calle y mendigar para su gurú. Tienen que conseguir leña para los yajñas. ¡Oh, Uddhava!, mi hijo Krishna es un niño alimentado con leche y come diez veces en un danda [un lapso de veinticuatro minutos]. ¡Les han impuesto una responsabilidad tan pesada! Tienen que internarse en la selva para conseguir leña, combustible para que en el ashram de su gurú se pueda cocinar y celebrar sacrificios. Esta tarea no es para mi hijo Gopal, que siempre ha sido alimentado con leche. Uddhava, mi corazón se rompe por escuchar todas estas noticias”.

Luego le preguntó a Uddhava: “¿Krishna todavía se recuerda de nosotros? ¿Recuerda todavía a Sus amigos, los vaqueritos? ¿Recuerda a sus muy queridas vacas y terneros, a quienes alimentaba con Sus propias manos? ¿Recuerda cuando se le olvidaba comer y dormir por estar jugando en esta jungla de Vrindavan? ¿Recuerda a Giriraj Govardhan? Sus pisadas aún pueden ser vistas ahí. Giriraj Govardhan aún las conserva en su superficie. ¡Ese Giriraj Govardhan está llorando por Él! …¿Se conduele Krishna de su llanto? ¿Tiene Krishna esta clase de sentimientos?”

Nanda Maharaja continuó: “¡Oh, Uddhava, Krishna es un niño muy cándido. Él no pensaba en nada en ningún momento. Pero ahora tiene que soportar tantas ansiedades. Jarasandha atacó Mathura y los Yadavas se vieron forzados a darle protección. Aunque es un niño pequeñito, ¡le han impuesto una carga tan pesada! Cuando pienso en estas cosas, ¡oh, Uddhava, el corazón se me parte en mil pedazos!”

No podemos sobrevivir

Uddhava respondió: “¡Oh, Nanda Maharaja!, Krishna no es un niño ordinario. Él tiene una inteligencia extraordinaria. Jamás comete un yerro o una equivocación. Además, siempre piensa en Vrajabhumi. ¡Oh, Nanda Maharaja!, lo he visto con mis propios ojos: Krishna siempre piensa en ustedes y, debido a tales recuerdos, lágrimas le brotan de los ojos”.

Nanda repuso: “¿Acaso Krishna piensa en nosotros? Si Él está pensando en nosotros, ¿por qué no ha venido a visitarnos? ¿Por qué no ha venido? Cuando Krishna se estaba marchando de Vrajabhumi, nos dijo jñatim vo drastum esyamo vidhaya suhridam sukham: ‘Tengo que ir a Mathura para cumplir un deber que he contraído con los Yadavas. Iré a hacer una diligencia sólo para que ellos se sientan cómodos. Luego regresaré para estar con ustedes nuevamente’. Él nos los aseguró, Uddhava, pero, ¿cuándo llegará ese día? ¿Cuándo llegará? ¿Cuándo regresará a Vrajabhumi para hacernos felices otra vez?”

“Hombres y mujeres, ancianos, niños, ¡todos en Vrajabhumi hemos sido puestos en el fuego ardiente que es sentir separación de Krishna! Todos se están quemando, consumiendo poco a poco. Krishna nos salvó de muchos peligros. Pero ahora todos estamos quemándonos en el fuego de la separación de Él. No podemos sobrevivir. ¡Moriremos! Cuando alguien yace en su lecho de muerte, incluso si un pariente suyo vive en un lugar muy lejano, éste deja todo y va corriendo adonde está el moribundo: ‘Mi pariente está muriendo. Tengo que ir a verlo’. Así que, ¿por qué no viene Krishna? …Nosotros nos estamos muriendo”.

Tras decir estas palabras, Nanda Maharaja no pudo seguir hablando. Lágrimas corrían profusamente sobre sus mejillas. Con el ojo de la meditación, Nanda Maharaja contempló el hermoso rostro de Krishna Gopal. Luego le dijo a Uddhava:

apyayasyati govindah sva-janan sakrd iksitum
tarhi draksyama tad-vaktram su-nasam su-smiteksanam

¿Regresará Govinda siquiera una vez más para reunirse con Su familia? Y si regresa, ¿podremos contemplar de nuevo Su hermosa cara, con sus hermosos ojos, nariz y sonrisa?

“Uddhava, ¡qué hermosa es la cara de mi Gopal. ¡Qué linda sonrisa dibuja con Sus labios. Su sonrisa es muy hermosa. Y también, ¡qué hermosa es Su nariz! ¡Qué hermosas son Sus mejillas¡ ¡Qué ojos tan hermosos! ¡Qué voz tan dulce tiene! ¿Volveremos a ver Su cara otra vez? Oh, Uddhava, ¿qué más puedo decir? Todos los hombres tienen un hijo, pero, ¿quién tiene un hijo dotado de las cualidades que hace gala Krishna? Krishna tiene ilimitadas cualidades. No las puedo describir en su totalidad. Tras perder ese tesoro, de una u otra manera todavía estoy sobreviviendo. Esto es maravilloso. Kevala, todo se ha acabado; sólo ha quedado esta vida vacía y sin sentido. Todo el tiempo nos la pasamos llorando. Es lo único que hacemos. Sarva nah sitial kriyah: he cesado todas mis actividades. Esta casa ahora se ha convertido en una cárcel para mí. ¿Comprendes, Uddhava? En ocasiones salgo de la casa para tratar de olvidarme de Krishna. Sin embargo, …¡no puedo olvidarlo! ¿Cómo puedo? Dondequiera que voy, de inmediato recuerdo: ‘Oh, sí, Krishna estuvo aquí haciendo aquel prodigio’. Mientras deambulo por los parajes selváticos de Vrajabhumi, todos estos recuerdos espontáneamente me afloran a la memoria. Así que, ¿cómo puedo olvidar? A veces voy a la ribera del Yamuna, y entonces recuerdo: ‘¡Oh, Krishna solía venir aquí a realizar muchos juegos acuáticos!’ Y cuando voy a la colina de Govardhana, en el acto me acuerdo: ‘Krishan levantó la colina de Govardhan tan fácilmente como si fuera un pequeño hongo, y luego la mantuvo suspendida con el dedo meñique de Su dedo izquierdo durante siete días consecutivos’. En la superficie de esa colina todavía se pueden ver las marcas de Sus pisadas. Giriraj todavía las conserva. De modo que, ¿cómo puedo olvidarme de Krishna?” Nanda Maharaja le hablaba de este modo a Uddhava.

Consuelo

Mientras se dirigía a Mathura, Uddhava pensaba en Nanda Maharaja. Él reparó en las muchas veces que Krishna lloraba lastimeramente y hablaba sobre Su amado padre y Su amada madre. Uddhava iba a Vrajabhumi con la intención de consolarlos. Él pensó: “En el mundo material, si alguien está llorando porque ha perdido a su hijo, ¿qué se le puede decir para consolarlo?: ‘No llores. Este hijo material y esta relación material, ambos son temporales. ¿Por qué estás llorando por la pérdida de relaciones temporales, por la pérdida de un hijo material? Esos vínculos no son permanentes’. Pero, ¿cómo puedo decirle a Nanda Maharaja que no llore? Él está llorando por Krishna. Si alguien tiene que llorar, y ese llanto es por Krishna, ¿cómo le puedo decir a esa persona: ‘no llores?’ Ello sería asastriya, contrario a los preceptos del sastra. Todos los sastras recomiendan: ‘Llora por Krishna’. No encuentro las palabras apropiadas ni cómo decírselas. Oh, ¿cómo puedo consolar a Nanda Maharaja?”

Uddhava es sastra-jña, un conocedor de los sastras. Él es un pandita, pero también es un bhakta. Él sabe muy bien que la perfección suprema de la vida es alcanzar a Krishna Bhagavan. Y, ¿cómo puede alguien alcanzar a Krishna a menos que llore por Él? ¡No puede! Aquellos que lloran por Krishna son personalidades sumamente raras. Ellas son personas muy afortunadas. En el mundo material, todos lloran por alcanzar riqueza material, buen nombre, prestigio, adoración, disfrute y opulencia. Pero, ¿quién está llorando por Krishna? ¿Me pueden mostrar a alguno? Una persona que llora por Krishna es sumamente rara. Llorar por Krishna es la perfección suprema de la vida humana.

Incluso si Uddhava ejecuta tapasya o sadhana por crores [unidad numérica sánscrita que equivale a 10 millones] de vidas, dicho llanto nunca brotará de su corazón. El corazón de Uddhava es duro en virtud de sastra-jñana. Jñana es como la luz del Sol. Cuando el Sol zurca el firmamento, la estrella Polar y las estrellas donde viven los saptarsis no son visibles. Este es el mensaje que encontramos en cada página del Bhagavata. El corazón de Uddhava es muy duro en virtud del árido sastra-jñana. Jamás le será posible al corazón de Uddhava llorar por Krishna. Con todo, Uddhava desarrolló este deseo: “¿Cómo puedo tener el amor que Nanda Maharaja siente por Krishna? Su corazón esta repleto de ese amor, un amor sin mezclas. ¿Cómo puedo desarrollarlo? Dejaré todo y ejecutaré severas austeridades para tener ese amor?” Ese es el deseo que surgió en el corazón de Uddhava.

¡Llora más!

Uddhava continuó razonando: “El amor que alberga Nanda Maharaja en su corazón no tiene émulo en millones de universos. Entonces, ¿cómo puedo yo ir ahora ante él y decirle: ‘Por favor, no llores?’ Si yo digo esto, todos los sastras se apersonarán aquí y me taparan la boca. Los sastras afirman que el llorar por Krishna es la meta máxima de la vida”. Uddhava es la personificación del sastra. Él está pensando de conformidad con el sastra: “¿Cómo puedo decir algo que es contrario al sastra? Más bien, debo decirle a Nanda Maharaja: ‘¡Llora más! ¡Llora más! ¡Llora más! …¡Llora sin parar yuga tras yuga, milenio tras milenio! ¡Sigue llorando! ¡Sigue llorando! ¡Derrama un mar de lágrimas!’ Pero, ¡ay de mí!, esto no es consuelo en absoluto. Si digo cualesquiera palabras de consuelo, ello estará en abierta contradicción con el sastra. ¿¡Por qué he venido aquí!? Me es completamente imposible ofrecer consuelo a Nanda Maharaja. Uddhava sabía a la perfección el sastra-jñana. El sastra dice sarva dharma parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: abandona todas las variedades de dharma y tan sólo ríndete a Krishna. Piensa siempre en Krishna y llora por Krisna. Así que, ¿cómo puedo decirle a Nanda Maharaja que no llore por Krishna. Si se lo digo, sería una acción pecaminosa de mi parte. ¿Cómo puedo cometer semejante pecado? Incluso estando en Vrajabhumi, ¿he de cometer ese gran pecado?” Uddhava llegó a entender claramente: “Me es completamente imposible consolar a Nanda Maharaja”.

Tras revelar muchas interioridades, Nanda Maharaja adoptó una mentalidad humilde. Él dijo: “Uddhava, no tengo las calidades para ser el padre de Krishna. Krishna no es un niño ordinario. Cuando vino aquí para el nama-karana-samskara, para celebrar la ceremonia de concesión de nombre, Gargamuni dijo: ‘Nanda Maharaja, tu Krishna es el Propio Narayan, el Señor Supremo. Todos los grandes sabios y munis están meditando continuamente en estos dos muchachos, Krishna y Balaram.’ A veces esta aseveración aflora a mi mente y llegó a la siguiente conclusión: ‘Sí, lo que dijo Gargamuni es verdad.’ ¡Oh, Uddhava!, tú lo viste con tus propios ojos: Kamsa era un demonio muy poderoso, y su fuerza corporal era igual a la de diez mil elefantes. No obstante, Krishna lo mató en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. Tras recibir una sola patada de Krishna, Kamsa cayó al suelo y murió”.

“No es tu hijo”

Las almas condicionadas tienen que cosechar su karma-phala, el resultado de su karma. Por lo tanto tienen que nacer y morir reiteradamente. Pero Krishna no tiene karma-phala; nunca nace y nunca muere. Tras escuchar este punto, alguien puede preguntarse: “Entonces, ¿por qué Krishna vino a la Tierra? Kridartham so ‘pi sadhunam paritranaya kalpate: Él vino aquí para jugar y para salvar a los sadhus, paritranaya sadhunam. Krishna lo ha asegurado en el Gita, y también lo confirma el Décimo Canto del Bhagavata, bhakta-gana-raksana: Krishna viene aquí para proteger a Sus queridos devotos y para realizar Sus pasatiempos.

El bhakta es sadhu. ¡El bhakta es muy querido por Krishna! El dharma de Krishna es proteger a los sadhus, sadhu-raksya. Si un impedimento aparece en el bhajana de Su bhakta, Krishna aparta ese impedimento y hace todo lo necesario para rodearlo de circunstancias favorables. Si un bhakta quiere que Bhagavan se vuelva su hijo, su amigo o su marido, entonces Krishna aparece en esa forma. A decir verdad, Krishna no es hijo de nadie. Pero según el humor en que las personas ejecuten su bhajana, Krishna aparece en esa forma particular ante ellas.

Uddhava le dijo a Nanda Maharaja:

yuvayor eva naivayam atmajo bhagavan harih
sarvesam atmajo hy atma pita mata sa isvarah

El Señor Supremo Hari definitivamente no es tu hijo. Más bien, por ser el Señor, Él es el hijo, el alma, el padre y la madre de todos.

“¡Oh, Nanda Maharaja!, desde cierto punto de vista, es verdad que Krishna es tu hijo. Sin embargo, desde otro de punto de vista, no es verdad”. Uddhava es un pandita, un filósofo, y está hablando filosofía. “Tu corazón está lleno de un vatsalya-rasa muy intenso; por lo tanto, podemos decir que Krishna es tu hijo”. Ye yatha mam prapadyante, tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: Si analizamos tu caso desde esta lógica, Krishna es tu hijo. Krishna ha prometido: ‘Sea cual fuere el humor con que una persona ejecuta bhajana, Yo apareceré en esa forma para corresponder con ella’. Tu corazón está lleno de un vatsalya-rasa muy intenso, y por consiguiente, desde ese ángulo en particular, Krishna es tu hijo. Pero si piensas en Krishna de la manera que la mayoría de las personas piensa en sus propios hijos —o sea, totalmente convencidos de que tienen una relación de padre a hijo, janya-janaka-sambhanda—, tal conclusión no es verdad en absoluto. Krishna es el alma de todas las almas. Él es el ser más querido de todos. Krishna Mismo ha dicho pitaham asya jagato matha dhata pitamahah: ‘Yo soy el padre, la madre, y el creador de este jagat, de este universo. Yo soy el abuelo de todos’. Esto es tattva, krsna-tattva. De conformidad con tu vatsalya-rasa, Krishna es tu hijo. Ese es tu abhimana, tu concepción. Sin embargo, en todos los millones de universos no hay nada excepto Krishna. Todo lo que oyes, todo lo que ves, todo en el pasado, todo en el presente, y todo lo que será en el futuro —móvil, inmóvil, grande o diminuto— no es diferente de Krishna, porque Él es paramatma, la Superalma. Él es param-asraya, el refugio de todo y de todos, sarva-svarupa.

Uddhava le dijo a Nanda:

dristam srutam bhuta-bhavad-bhavisyat
sthasnus carisnur mahad alpakam ca
vinacyutad vastu taram na vacyam
sa eva sarvam paramatma-bhutah

Se puede afirmar que nada existe independientemente del Señor Achyuta. Nada de lo que ha sido escuchado o visto; nada en el pasado, el presente y el futuro; nada que se mueva o sea inmóvil, ni nada que sea grande o pequeño. En verdad Él es todo porque es el Alma Suprema.

La ceguera de Nanda

Con la exposición de todos estos argumentos, Uddhava pintó un cuadro hermoso de krsna-tattva y lo sostuvo delante de Nanda Maharaja.

No obstante, Uddhava no sabía que Nanda Maharaja estaba ciego. ¿Qué clase de ciego es él? Krsna-premandha: un ciego imbuido de krsna-prema. Todos en este mundo material están ciegos por el disfrute material, bhogandha. Pero Nanda Maharaja es krsna-premandha. Así que a pesar de que Uddhava presentó un bonito cuadro de krsna-tattva y lo sostuvo delante de Nanda Maharaja, éste no podía verlo porque estaba ciego. Aquí en este mundo material vemos todos los objetos gracias a la luz solar. Pero no podemos ver en la negra oscuridad. Sastra y jñana son como la luz solar. Ante la luz solar todo es claro y visible. Todas las verdades son desveladas. Cuando el sol de sastra y jñana brilla, brahma, la tendencia a cometer errores, y moha, la tendencia a caer en un estado de ilusión, se desvanecen como la oscuridad. Nanda Maharaja está llorando por Krishna. Uddhava sabe que las personas lloran debido a la ilusión, moha: “Oh, mi hijo se ha ido”. Todos en este mundo lloran debido a la ilusión. Y la ilusión proviene de la ignorancia. Si alguien aprende tattva-jñana, su ilusión desaparece. Cuando la ignorancia es erradicada, la ilusión se va, y entonces la persona jamás volverá a llorar. Uddhava trató de presentar la luz de sastra-jñana ante Nanda Maharaja. Uddhava es un jñana-sadhaka, un jñani-bhakta. Él es la personificación del sastra. Él sabía muy bien que con la ayuda de jñanaloka, la iluminación del jñana, la persona puede ver toda la verdad. Con todo, hay algunas cosas que únicamente son visibles en la oscuridad. Las innumerables estrellas se vuelven visibles sólo cuando el sol se pone y reina la oscuridad. Para aquel que ha hecho el voto vitalicio de ver la estrella Polar sin pestañear, la luz del sol se constituye en un gran impedimento. Será un impedimento para mantener su voto. Esto no es un tema fácil de comprender. Este mensaje es revelado en cada página del Srimad-Bhagavatam.

“¡Krishna es mi hijo!”

Goparaj, Nanda Maharaja, siempre está mirando sin pestañear, en la dirección norte, a la estrella Polar, que para él es krsna-rupi dhruva-naksatra: la estrella Polar en la forma de Krishna. Para él, la iluminación del sastra-jñana, la iluminación del sastra, la luz solar del sastra, es una obstrucción. Uddhava es un sastra-sadhaka, un estricto seguidor de las reglas y preceptos del sastra; por tal motivo, todo lo que diga a Nanda Maharaja sobre sastra-jñana y krsna-tattva, es muy, pero muy difícil que lo entienda. Para Nanda Maharaja, dicha elevada presentación filosófica es avantara-katha, información irrelevante.

El abhimana de Nanda Maharaja es: “Yo soy el padre de Krishna”. “¡Krishna es mi hijo!” Este es el sentimiento interno que alberga Nanda Maharaja en lo más profundo de su corazón. ¿Hay alguna posibilidad de que otra concepción entre en el corazón de Nanda Maharaja?: No, no hay ninguna posibilidad en absoluto.

“Uddhava, tan sólo eres un niño”

Uddhava hizo una extensa exposición de krsna-tattva. Uddhava es la personificación del sastra, y la presentación que hizo fue anavadya, intachable; sin embargo, estaba fuera del ámbito de comprensión de Nanda Maharaja. Tras escuchar todo este tattva-katha, Nanda Maharaja dijo: “Uddhava, en edad, tú eres un niño. En mi corazón tenía la idea que tenías una inteligencia madura e ilustrada. Pero ahora puedo darme cuenta de que no sólo eres un niño en lo que a edad se refiere, sino que tu inteligencia también se corresponde con la de un niño. Dijiste muchas cosas, pero en realidad no sabes de qué estás hablando. Dijiste que yo y mi esposa éramos muy, pero muy bhagyavan, afortunados. Pero si tuvieras algo de inteligencia, ¿cómo pudo semejante afirmación haber salido de tu boca? …¡Nosotros somos las personas más infortunadas del mundo! El que pierde un hijo es una persona infortunada. Pero aquel que pierde un hijo como Krishna, ¡es de lo más infortunado! ¡Alguien totalmente infortunado! ¡Totalmente infortunado! Somos las personas más infortunadas, pero, ¡tú vienes a decirnos que somos muy, pero muy afortunadas! No tienes inteligencia porque no sabes qué decirle a los demás. La mayoría de la gente tiene un hijo, pero, ¿acaso alguien tiene un hijo como Krishna? En el pasado, ¿alguien ha tenido un hijo como Krishna? Y, en el futuro, ¿alguien tendrá un hijo como Krishna? ¿Acaso hay una persona que haya tenido un hijo tan hermoso, tan dulce…; un hijo que se sonríe de una manera tan arrobadora, que es tan amoroso, pero a la vez, que tiene un temperamento tan variable? ¿Acaso hay una persona que tenga un hijo que toque la flauta tan melodiosamente y que se exprese con palabras tan amorosas? En todo el universo, ¿hay o habrá alguna vez alguien que haya perdido un tesoro tan inapreciable? A aquellos que están llorando porque han perdido un tesoro inapreciable, les dices: ‘Oh, ustedes son muy afortunados’. Te estás burlando de nosotros, Uddhava. Si hubieras dicho que en el mundo no hay personas tan infortunadas como nosotros, entonces yo hubiese quedado muy contento y satisfecho contigo. Así mi angustia, causada por el ardiente fuego de la separación, se hubiera extinguido en alguna medida. Pero por habernos dicho que somos muy afortunados, has hecho que ese fuego se torne aún más abrasador.

“Krishna no es Dios”

“Oh, Uddhava, tú has explicado bhagavat-tattva. Yo no conozco el sastra, pero he escuchado de labios de los sadhus, y yo mismo tengo esa fe, de que hay un Bhagavan y que Él es el gurú y el controlador del universo. Él es el mula-karana, la causa original de purusa y prakriti, las entidades vivientes y la naturaleza material. Él también es anadhi, aquel que no tiene comienzo. Ese Bhagavan es sarvesvara, el controlador supremo. Sí, yo sé que Bhagavan es Narayan. Él está presente en nuestra casa en la forma de salagrama. Uddhava, has dicho que mi Krishna es Narayan. Pero como eres solamente un niño, te excuso. Yo no he leído el sastra, pero he escuchado de boca de los mahatmas que Narayan es Dios, el Señor Supremo. A pesar de mis limitados conocimientos, conozco cuáles son las características de Bhagavan. Y te digo: ni una sola pizca de estas características está presente en Krishna. ¿Cómo puedes decir que mi Gopal Krishna es Narayan? Te excuso porque eres un niño solamente. No sabes qué estás diciendo. Has dicho que Narayan es la causa de todas las causas, la causa de todo el universo. Pero mi Krishna es un niño ordinario, un niño alimentado con leche. Narayan es puro. Narayan es pacífico. Narayan es apapa-vidha, libre de todo pecado. En cambio, mi Krishna tiene un temperamento muy variable, es codicioso e irascible. ¿Dónde hay siquiera una de las características de Narayan en Krishna? Narayan es puro y está libre de toda contaminación, suddha-sattva-guna-maya. ¡Mi Krishna es un ladrón y un mentiroso, abhimani! Narayan es el refugio del universo entero; en cambio, mi Krishna depende de mí y de mi esposa. ¿Dónde hay siquiera una característica de Narayan en Krishna? ¡Oh, Uddhava!, ¿qué más puedo decirte? No hay sadrsya, similitud entre Narayan y mi hijo Gopal. Narayan es satya-sankalpa, veraz. En cambio, mi Krishna es experto en decir mentiras. He escuchado que Narayan es apta-kama, que está satisfecho consigo mismo. Él no necesita de nada. Él está más allá del hambre y la sed. Sin embargo, Gopal…, ¡con mis propios ojos lo he visto llorar cuando siente hambre! Él se pone muy inquieto cuando tiene hambre y sed. Uddhava, Narayan es digno de ser adorado por todos, pero yo he visto a mi Gopal acarrear mis sandalias de madera sobre Su cabeza. ¿Dónde está la similitud con Narayan? Puede que yo cometa un error, pero Bhagavan, nunca comete uno solo. Si Krishna es Bhagavan, ¿por qué comete errores? Si Krishna es Bhagavan, ¿por qué nos llama baba y ma, padre y madre? Tú dices que Él no tiene baba ni ma. Pero Krishna siempre depende de nosotros para todo. Cuando no recibe nuestra ayuda, Él se siente completamente asahaya, indefenso. ¿Dónde está la característica de Narayan en Krishna, mi Gopal? Sólo eres un niño, Uddhava. No tienes inteligencia en absoluto. Y también tu inteligencia se corresponde con la de un niño. Por lo tanto, te excuso. Nunca he visto tales características en Krishna. Es un hecho que gracias a la misericordia ilimitada de Narayan hemos tenido un hijo como Krishna. Pero aparte de eso, yo sé perfectamente bien que Krishna es nuestro hijo. Este es un sentimiento muy, pero muy profundamente arraigado en mi corazón, Uddhava. Uddhava, ¿cómo puedes decir que no es verdad?

El fuego arde más

“Escucha, Uddhava. Hay otra consideración. Supón que tus palabras son ciertas y que Krishna no es un niño ordinario, sino que es Bhagavan. Si dices que Krishna es Bhagavan, y que Él no es una persona ordinaria, ¿cómo es posible que tales aseveraciones puedan aliviar nuestros corazones? Tras escuchar tu krsna-tattva, el ardiente fuego de la separación de Krishna que está quemando mi afligido corazón, se ha incrementado miles de miles de veces más. Lo único que conseguiste es hacerlo arder con mayor voracidad. Nosotros solamente creíamos que habíamos perdido a un hijo, pero tras escuchar de ti que Krishna es mula-bhagavan, ahora me doy cuenta de que no perdimos a un niño ordinario, sino que, ¡perdimos a Bhagavan! Yo creí que había perdido un adorno de cobre. Pero ahora, tras escuchar de ti, ¡caigo en la cuenta de que he perdido un enorme diamante! Uddhava, tras haberte escuchado, el candente, el intenso fuego de la separación que ha estado ardiendo en mi corazón, se ha vuelto aún más voraz. ¡Oh, Uddhava!, tú eres un niño solamente. Por eso no puedes extinguir este fuego pavoroso. ¿Estás tratando de extinguir este fuego vertiendo gui sobre él? ¡Oh, Uddhava!, tú eres un niño nada más. Por tal motivo, te excuso”. Tras decir estas palabras, a Nanda Maharaja se le entrecortó la voz y lágrimas comenzaron a brotar profusamente de sus ojos, como si fuese una lluvia torrencial.

Amor impenetrable

En el momento que Krishna le mostró a Arjuna la forma universal, el sakhya-rasa de Arjuna se constriñó. Por consiguiente Arjuna ofreció disculpas, tat-ksamasva: “¡Tú eres lo más grande!” Cuando Devaki y Vasudev vieron que el Vishnu de cuatro brazos, que apareció como su hijo, asumió una forma de dos brazos, ellos ofrecieron oraciones. Su vatsalya-rasa se constriñó. Tras matar a Kamsa, en el momento que Krishna y Balaram fueron a ofrecer Sus reverencias a Vasudev y a Devaki, ellos sintieron temor de recibirlas. Incluso tras reunirse con su hijo luego un largo período de separación, ellos no pudieron mostrar un vatsalya-pirti de la envergadura de Nanda Maharaja. Antes bien, ellos sintieron temor de recibir reverencias, pranams, de Krishna.

Uddhava había pensado: “Si hablo krsna-tattva y lo vierto en el corazón de Nanda Maharaja, entonces él se debilitará como Vasudev y Devaki”. Sin embargo, Uddhava se dio cuenta de que no pudo obtener el resultado que esperaba tras explicar sastra-jñana a Nanda Maharaja.

A pesar de haber escuchado bhagavatta, las glorias de Krishna, el vatsalya-priti de Nanda Maharaja nunca se constriño. Por el contrario, su vatsalya-sneha, su amor paternal, se volvió mucho más intenso. El krsna-vatsalya de Nanda Maharaja es mucho, pero muchísimo más profundo que el vatsalya de las personas ordinarias. Por ello el tattva-katha de Uddhava no pudo constreñirlo. Si el anuraga [apego profundo] se derrite, entonces podrás inyectar aisvarya-priti, jñana o aisvarya en él. Pero si se vuelve más y más profundo, si se hace más y más condensado, ¿cómo puedes inyectar jñana o aisvarya en él? El agua es líquida, y por eso puedes introducir la mano en ella. Pero, ¿puedes introducir tu mano en una troza de madera? No puedes porque no es líquida. Con la ayuda de un martillo puedes introducir un clavo en la troza. El krsna-priti de Nanda Maharaja es más duro que una troza de madera. Incluso un clavo de hierro no puede penetrarlo.

“Ten paciencia”

Jñana y aisvarya únicamente le causaron dolor al corazón de Nanda Maharaja. Ambos fueron completamente inútiles y no pudieron penetrar el corazón de Nanda. Jñana y aisvarya pudieron penetrar en el sakhya-priti de Arjuna y en el vatsalya-priti de Vasudev y Devaki. Pero no es posible que penetren el corazón de Nanda Maharaja. En el corazón de Nanda solamente hay pensamientos amorosos relacionados con Krishna, nada más.

Por lo tanto, Uddhava no pudo tocar el vatsalya-priti, el anuraga que Nanda tenía en su corazón. La realización de Nanda no la tiene Uddhava. ¿Cómo puede él llegar a comprenderla? Uddhava desarrollo bhakti por Krishna tras tener conocimiento de que Él es Bhagavan. Esta es la norma general. Por supuesto, es algo muy bueno, es maravilloso: tras llegar a saber que Él es el Señor Supremo, la persona debe desarrollar bhakti por Bhagavan. Pero el vatsalya-rati, el vatsalya-prema de Nanda Maharaja es muy profundo. En el vatsalya-prema de Nanda Maharaja no hay absolutamente ninguna traza de jñana o aisvarya. Ahora él está escuchando de boca de Uddhava que su hijo es Bhagavan. Al escuchar esto, el anuraga de Nanda Maharaja no se constriñe. Antes bien, se vuelve más y más recio, más y más condensado. Sastra-vidhi, los preceptos de las escrituras, enseñan que uno debe desarrollar bhakti por Bhagavan. El krsna-priti, el afecto de Uddhava siente por Krishna está fundamentado en sastra-vidhi. El hetu, la causa del krsna-priti de Uddhava, es que él sabe que Krishna es Bhagavan. Pero el krsna-priti de Nanda Maharaja es ahaituki, sin causa; no tiene causa. Es svayam-siddha, perfecto en sí mismo. ¿Puedes tocar el lejano horizonte simplemente con extender la mano? Con el krsna-anuraga de Nanda Maharaja sucede lo mismo. Uddhava no pudo comprenderlo. Uddhava extendió su mano sástrica para tocarlo, pero no tuvo éxito. No pudo tocarlo. Esta es una filosofía muy profunda.

Uddhava dijo: “Oh, Nanda Maharaja, no te lamentes. Tu amor Lo traerá aquí. Todos tus deseos serán satisfechos”.

agamisyaty adirghena kalena vrajam acyutah
priyam vidhasyate pitror bhagavan satvatam patih

El infalible Krishna, el Señor de los devotos, pronto regresará a Vraja para satisfacer a sus padres.

Uddhava pronunció este verso, que dice: “Nanda Maharaja, por favor no te sientas tan duhkhare-katara, con el corazón tan abatido a causa de tu profundo pesar. Ten paciencia. Considera tu situación desde todos los puntos de vista. Tú eres el líder de Vrajabhumi. Si te dejas agobiar por la impaciencia, ¿cómo vas a consolar a los demás? Esta es la petición que te hago. Tu Gopal es un niño alimentado con leche. Pero Él es también el refugio de todas las jivas que hay en todo el universo”.