Hear Krsna Katha and become free from birth and death

[Paramananda das]

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Chapter 8

Pastimes in the Forest

Purvahna Lila (8:24  a.m. - 10:48 a.m.)

When the moon from the  ocean of loveliness, Shri Krishna, collected His cows and went into the forest,  the heartache of the Vrajavasis became indescribable. The girls of Vraja were  unable to control their senses without Krishna, so they take shelter of their  friend, swoon. So, they were in a sleeping condition for a long time. That swoon  helped all the fair browed gopis in times of distress as a friend, pervading  their homes like a yogini to soothe their heartache of separation from Krishna.

That sakhis repeatedly  told Murccha (swoon), "Oh inauspicious one, are you embracing our dear friend?  Aren't you afraid of us? Leave our friend Nandini (the daughter of king  Vrishabhanu) alone!" Who can describe the ways of love, tell me? Although  Murccha pacified Shri Radhika's mind from Her severe affliction, still Her  sakhis resented her."

In an unseen way,  Lalita sent a few clever sakhis to Govardhana Hill. Coming there, these girls  were very happy to catch the fragrance of Krishna's flower garland. Hari made  His cows enter a fresh meadow on the very cool bank of a pond and played there  with His friends. Then these dutis (girl messengers) came there with food sent  by Dhanista and secretly met Him and Madhumangala there. Seeing Hari there,  these dutis became very happy. Then Krishna asked Shri Rupa manjari, who is a  limitless mine of beautiful attributes, about the condition of Shri Radhika, the  jewel of young girls.

Shri Rupa manjari told  Him, "O best of lovers, when You embrace the soil of the forest with the soles  of Your feet, it becomes very beautiful! Now Shri Radhika challenges that beauty  by embracing the soil of the pastures. O Hari, You color the forest sapphire,  offering it Your own luster. Even if the Creator could not challenge You by  discoloring the forest again, Shri Radhika could, by making it golden with Her  own complexion! You make the people of Vraja cry when they see Your face, which  is grayed by the dust thrown up by the hooves of the cows. Alas! Now Shri  Radhika is also crying and rolling in the dust of the earth, making Her sakhis  also cry. Unusual as it seems, water now comes from a lotus, although normally  lotuses grow in the water. A similar case was with Kardama Muni (Kardama also  means 'mud'), who was the son of Brahma (born from a lotus), although lotuses  normally grow from the mud! Shri Radhika's hair, dress and garland have  loosened, although they are so beautiful (sadhu). Who will remain controlled in  a kingless country? Even the sadhus (holy men) become loose there!

"Shri Radhika becomes  very upset when She hears how Your lotus feet are hurt when they tread the  forest path. She sighs deeply, no matter in how many ways we try to console Her.  When half a sentence like 'pebbles, sprouts or sharp thorns there', from the  mouths of Her friends, falls on the edge of Her ear holes, She cries out loud  and falls in a swoon. Then, when we try to break that swoon, saying false things  like, "Hey Radha, Your Priyatama has come! Get up and look at Him!", keeping  Your very fragrant garland of forest flowers beneath Her nose, She wakes up and  becomes grave. Then She will ask a friend, 'Sakhi, where is the best of dancers,  who makes His wagtail bird-like eyes dance?' The sakhi then says, 'He is hidden  in Your house.' Radhika then says 'Are you cheating Me?' upon which the sakhi  says, 'Why should I cheat you? You can smell the fragrance of His body. Isn't  that proof that I speak the truth?' Hearing this, Radhika becomes slightly  happy, but Cupid cannot tolerate that and forcibly aims his five arrows at Her  and wounds Her. Then She falls down, shivers, perspires and sprinkles Her own  body with Her tears, but alas! She cannot soothe Her cakora bird-like eyes with  the nectar from Your moonlike face when She enters Her home! Coming home, She  tells Her mind, 'O mind, why are you vainly taking the sakhis false (anrita)  words to be just like nectar (amrita)? Because of that, your affliction has  doubled!', and then She falls to the ground, again. Radhika then gets up again,  and says, 'O afflicted life of mine, you are cursed, being without My friend!'  Although She thus curses Her own life, its burdens did not become lighter, but  rather heavier. O Krishna, out of separation from You, fair browed Radhika  becomes so thin and fragile that She cannot even tolerate the blowing of Her  life airs, what to speak of the breeze from fanning Her.

Hearing this news about  His beloved, Madhusudana became afflicted at heart. His eyes were filled with  tears of love as He told Madhumangala with a faltering voice, "You speak on My  behalf."

Madhumangala told Rupa  manjari, "Bring that golden lotus Radhika to the forest, otherwise, out of the  forest, what will be Her fate? And what will become of Madhusudana, the  honeybee, if He cannot drink Her honey?"

Madhava took the  garland of campaka flowers from His neck and handed it to Rupa manjari, saying,  "O Rupa, let this campaka garland adorn Priyaji's chest" (or 'let Priyaji adorn  My chest like a golden campaka garland.') Rupa manjari then swiftly ran back to  Shri Radhika with the campaka garland and hung it around Her neck. Thus, Shri  Radhika was revived by the embrace of Her lover's fragrance.

Then She was again  bitten by the horrible scorpion of separation from Her Priyatama and She became  very afflicted. The poison of this bite made the nectarean fragrance of  Krishna's campaka garland fade. Shri Radhika planned to deceive Her superiors  and to meet Krishna, going out of the house on the pretext of worshipping the  sun god, Surya, with Her friends. By some stroke of good luck, Jatila then came  in and, following the words of Gargi, said, "O girls, go into the forest to  worship the sun, who has a thousand rays (or 'Krishna, who has a thousand  cows')., so that we'll get billions of cows (or 'so that You'll get great  bliss'). Let the splendid Mitra ('the sun' or 'Your friend, Krishna'), who is  the god presiding over the eyes, make You happy!"

Shri Radhika and Her  friends, who were thus favored in their purpose by fate, the destroyer of  misery, collected nice eatables for Krishna's pleasure, pretending they were  meant for worshipping the sun. They took sweetmeats with them that defeated the  pride of nectar, that were prepared by Shri Radhika Herself, and that were  unobtainable even by Lord Siva, the master of Kuvera, the treasurer of heaven.  Shri Radhika was a little late due to collecting incense, lamps, nice clothes,  ornaments and garments for the puja, but Kesava could not tolerate the slightest  delay because of His intense eagerness to meet Her. The matchless ocean of His  patience and tranquility were diminished to a spoonful.

Acyuta then engaged His  duti (girl messenger) Muralika (His flute) in getting the golden garland,  Radhika, around His neck. The sakhis wore her song's on the ears as ornaments.  Muralika threw Shri Radhika into a river of eagerness. It seemed as if she had  entered into Her ears like some goddess, casting Her fear and shame far away.  Shri Radhika did not know anymore where Her lotus feet were stepping or what Her  sprout-like hands were catching. She was just shivering and showering Herself  with Her tears.

Seeing how slow Her  friends were in dressing Her in garments suitablefor Her abhisara (love journey)  into the forest, Shri Radhika admonished them and began to dress Herself. But,  out of anxiety, She adorned Her buttocks with Her Gostana necklace, Her neck  with Her waist bells, the end of Her braid with Her lalatika (an ornament for  the forehead), Her eyes of musk, Her forehead with tilaka made of eyeliner and  Her body with footlac instead of kunkuma. Then She set out, like sweetness  personified, with Her charming blus sari on, which looked like a cloud holding a  bright lunar orb within itself, on earth.

Hari's flute sang as  pleasantly as someone who knows all the scriptures, and silenced even the pika  birds, who are very sociable. When Hari called His cows with His flute it was as  if the earth showed goosebumps of ecstasy on her skin in the form of erect  blades of grass. The trees showered honey as drops of perspiration. The parrots,  pikas and peacocks became stunned. The clouds, considering themselves very  fortunate, shed tears of ecstasy and the directions fanned Hari with their soft,  cool breezes. Without Krishna's wish, all these creatures felt themselves being  addressed by the word 'cow' as Krishna's flute sang, "Come, My cows!" The cows  heard Krishna's flute song, that was actually meant for them, and replied with  their mooing. All the melodies and musical scales, as well as the goddesses in  heaven, swooned when they heard Krishna's flute song. Who can censure Krishna?  The mountains melted like no other object, although they are the hardest objects  in the world, they felt the most love for Krishna. Seeing the melted boulders  flowing here and there, the thirsty birds and deer began to drink this fluid  with great fun!

Shri Radhika said, "Aho  sakhis! These deer are justly called Krishnasara, for they take Krishna to be  the essence (sara) of things. Even if their wives are attracted to Giridhari,  the ocean of mercy, they do not become envious, rather, they follow them to make  them happy. Sakhi, look! These does very eagerly run to Krishna, turning their  backs on their bucks, but when they hear the song of Krishna's flute they become  stunned, like pictures! Look! These birds were drinking from the waterbasin when  Krishna's flute song turned the water into stone! Now their beaks are stuck  halfway in the water and they are anxious to pull them out again."

In this way, the gopis  were scented by describing the nectarean sound of Krishna's flute, drinking this  nectar through the cups of their ears and serving it to each other. Although the  inertia, horripilations and shiverings of ectasy caused by Krishna's flute song  obstructed the gopis from going near Him, they still swiftly went to the garden  named Madana Rana (erotic fight), urged by their passionate attraction to Him.

There they entered the  Sun temple where they bowed down to the Sun god and prayed to him, "O Lord! O  ocean of mercy! Quickly show us the only Lover of our hearts!"

Shri Radhika entrusted  Her puja paraphernalia to the fairies (vanadevis) there and proceeded to the  charming forests around Her own pond (Radhakunda). The luster of Vrishabhanuja  (Radha, 'the daughter of Vrishabhanu' or 'the sun in the month of Taurus (May)')  adorned the surroundings of Govardhana Hill, making Hari's lotus-like heart  bloom up of joy at once.

Madhusudana, the rasika  honeybee Krishna, then thought to Himself, "My beloved Padmini (lotus-like  Radhika) is now beautifying the forest around Her pond with Her dearmost  friends! Otherwise, how could My heart suddenly become so happy?"

Then suddenly a soft  breeze carried Shri Radhika's bodily fragrance in Krishna's direction. When  Krishna sensed it, He became very agitated by desires for  meeting Sri Radha  . Then  Krishna stopped playing His flute, being unable to control His restless mind,  just as the young honeybees cannot find peace without the fragrance of the sweet  malati flowers.

Madhumangala, knowing  Krishna's mind as if he were a demigod said, "O Pinchabushana (He who is adorned  by a peacock feather), I've got something to do. I'm going now. Today I went to  Bhaguri minu to learn astrology and I had a great doubt that I asked him to  dispell, but he couldn't. Fortunately, Garga muni, who is praised by all the  munis, has come to take bath at Surya kunda. He alone can clear my doubts."

Krishna, the subduer of  Kesi, replied, "O friend, My mind is also very eager to see Garga muni, but it  is not polite to go and see him with so many friends.

Madhumangala said, "If  You think its not polite to go with so many boys, then let's just go the two of  us. See! The swanlike sun has swam to the middle of the lake of the sky. It's  close to noon time! The cows are resting in the cool kadamba forest, and our  friends also want to take rest. Don't strain them unnecessarily with any more  platful games!"

Hearing Madhumangals'a  dashing words, the cowherd boys said, "O friends, You just go together." So  Krishna and Madhumangala blissfully went to Radhakunda, swiftly passing through  Pramoda vana.

Approaching Radhakunda,  Krishna said, "Madhumangala, where have We come to? This is not Govardhana, nor  Vrajabhumi, because everything here is so golden! Is it Mount Meru or Ilavrita  Varsha, that have sent expansions of themselves to Vraja? But why is Cupid then  piercing Me with his arrows as soon as I entered that wave of luster?"

While Krishna thus  spoke to Madhumangala, being very anxious to see Her, Radhika became dizzy of  His great sweetness, just looking at the bluish forest around Her pond, that  showered Her with the Nectar of His luster, like a charming cloud quenching Her  intense thirst. From a distance, Radha and Krishna took each other to be the  lightning and the campaka vine (Radha) or a cloud and a tamala tree (Krishna)?  Then, for some time they wondered, "Is this my Lover (Krishna)? Is this My  beloved (Radha)?" Aho! Then again They identified each other with the  aforementioned objects.

Thus ends chapter eight  of Shrila Visvanatha Cakravrti's "Krishna Bhavanamrita Mahakavya," describing  Krishna's morning play in the forest.

comment:

There is so many hidden rasika meanings in this chapter ,this Krsna  Bhavanamrta is only read by a few fortunate rasika vaisnavas ,in this world ,others have little taste for this sweet amrta.Srila Prabhupada has written that those who wants to remain absorbed in Krsna must read the Krsna book and the Krsna Bhavanamrta .Some of the glories of Krsnas flute I have described in my article  http://nimaipandit.ning.com/profiles/blog/show...
In Glorification Of Krsna's Flute
Krsnas respect for Bhaguri Muni and Garga Muni is also shown in this chapter, how the Supreme Lord worships His sages sets an example to us. In Vraja Vilasa Stava ,Srila Raghunath das Goswami has invoked the memory of Bhaguri Muni that is full of parental affection for Krsna: 20
Bhaguri Muni, the learned chief priest of Vraja-pura, is the personification of all the Vedas. Everyday He chants mantras for the protection of each of Krsna’s limbs. Everyday he smells Krsna’s head. Everyday he offers Krsna many benedictions. I bow down and offer my respectful obeisances to Bhaguri Muni, the best of the sages.
How must we approach  Vraja Dham ? With full love and eagerness to hear Krsnas lilas from our acaryas.This life in the material world may seem very long but it goes by very fast so we must become very eager to always hear Krsnas sweet pastimes and always chant 64 rounds daily as ordered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

In Glorification Of Krsna's Flute

nimaipandit.ning.com

— My dear Vaisnava friends. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to... Srila Prabhupada.  In the Ujvala Nilamani it has been stated: Visakha devi de…See More

Krsnas agitation for meeting Sri Radha is not like the erotic activities of men and women of the material world ,it takes place on the spiritual platform as the bodies of Radha and Krsna are Sac Cid ananda and is different from the exploitation of lust of the misrabel material world