understanding Garga Samhita 5canto chapter 19

[Paramananda das]

  well this chapter will surely make those feeling seperation from Krsna in Vrindavan happy....

 

Chapter Nineteen

Shri Krishnagamanotsava

The Festival on Shri Krishna Return

 

 

Text 1

 

 

ittham nishamya bhaktasya

     vacanam bhakta-vatsalah

smritva vakyam sva-kathitam

     gantum cakre 'cyuto matim

 

     ittham—thus; nishamya—hearing; bhaktasya—of His devotee; vacanam—the words; bhakta-vatsalah—kind to the devotees; smritva—remembering; vakyam—words; sva-kathitam—spoken by Himself; gantum—to go; cakre—did; acyutah—the infallible Lord; matim—His mind.

 

 

     Listening to the words of His devotee, and remembering His own promise, Lord Krishna, the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead, who loves His devotees, made up His mind to go to Vraja.

 

 

Texts 2 and 3

 

 

baladevam sthapyitva

     karya-bhareshu sarvatah

hemadhyam kinkini-jalam

     cancalashva-niyojitam

 

ratham aruhya suryabham

     uddhavena samanvitah

bhaktanam darshanam datum

     prayayau nanda-gokulam

 

     baladevam—Balarama; sthapyitva—placing; karya-bhareshu—in the duties; sarvatah—in all respects; hemadhyam—opulent with gold; kinkini-jalam—a network of tinkling ornaments; cancala—eager to go; ashva—horses; niyojitam—yoked; ratham—chariot; aruhya—mounting; suryabham—splendid as the sun; uddhavena—with Uddhava; samanvitah—with; bhaktanam—of the devotees; darshanam—the sight; datum—to give; prayayau—went; nanda-gokulam—to Nanda's Gokula.

 

 

     Entrusting all His duties to Balarama, and mounting a chariot rich with tinkling golden ornaments and yoked to eager horses, Krishna went with Uddhava to Nanda's Gokula to meet His devotees.

 

 

Text 4

 

 

govardhanam gokulam ca

     pashyan vrindavanam vanam

prapto 'bhut puline krishno

     krishna-tire manohare

 

     govardhanam—Govardhana; gokulam—Gokula; ca—and; pashyan—seeing; vrindavanam—Vrindavana; vanam—forest; praptah—attained; abhut—did; puline—on the shore; krishnah—Krishna; krishna-tire—on the Yamuna's shore; manohare—beautiful.

 

 

     Seeing Govardhana and Gokula as He went, Krishna came to the Yamuna's beautiful shore by Vrindavana forest.

 

 

Text 5

 

 

koöishah koöisho gavo

     drishöva krishnam vrajadhipam

adhavantyah sarvatas tam

     sneha-snuta-payodharah

 

     koöishah—millions; koöishah—and millions; gavah—of cows; drishöva—seeing; krishnam—Krishna; vrajadhipam—the king of Vraja; adhavantyah—running; sarvatah—everywhere; tam—Him; sneha—out of love; snuta—flowing; payodharah——udders.

 

 

     As soon as they saw Him, from all directions millions and millions of cows, milk dripping from their udders out of love, ran to Krishna, the king of Vraja.

 

 

Texts 6 and 7

 

 

udasya-karna-valamsh ca

     rambhamanah sa-vatsakah

mukhe kavala-samyukta

     ashru-mukhyo gata-vyathah

 

sa-ratham sarunam sashvam

     sharad-arkam yatha ghanah

rurudhus tam ratham rajann

     uddhavasya prapashyatah

 

     ut—raised; asya—faces; karna—ears; valah—tails; ca—and; rambhamanah—mooing; sa-vatsakah—with calves; mukhe—in the mouth; kavala-samyukta—with a mouthful; ashru-mukhyah—tears in their eyes; gata-vyathah—their unhappinesses gone; sa-ratham—with his chariot; sarunam—with the arunas; sashvam—with his horses; sharad-arkam—the autumn sun; yatha—as; ghanah—clouds; rurudhuh—stopped; tam—that; ratham—chariot; rajann—O king; uddhavasya—as Uddhava; prapashyatah—looked.

 

 

     As Uddhava watched, the mooing cows and calves, their faces, ears, and tails erect, the cud still in their mouths, and their sufferings now gone, blocked the chariot, as autumn clouds block the sun-god, riding in his chariot pulled by many horses and accompanied by the arunas.

 

 

Text 8

 

 

shri-gopalo haris tasam

     vadan nama prithak prithak

shri-hastena tad-angani

     sprishan harsham jagama ha

 

     shri-gopalah—the protector of the cows; harih—Krishna; tasam—of them; vadan—saying; nama—the name; prithak—one; prithak—by one; shri-hastena—with His hand; tad-angani—their bodies; sprishan—touching; harsham—happiness; jagama—attained; ha—indeed.

 

 

     Then Lord Krishna, the protector of the cows, called each cow by name. Touching them with His glorious hand, He became happy.

 

 

Text 9

 

 

tat-samipe gavam vrindam

     gatam vikshya vrajarbhakah

shridamadya vismitash ca

     durad ucuh parasparam

 

     tat-samipe—near Him; gavam—of cows; vrindam—the multitude; gatam—gone; vikshya—seeing; vrajarbhakah—the boys of Vraja; shridamadya—headed by Shridama; vismitah—surprised; ca—and; durat—from afar; ucuh—said; parasparam—among themselves.

 

 

     Seeing the cows clustered around the chariot, the gopas headed by Shridama became filled with wonder and spoke among themselves.

 

 

Text 10

 

 

shri-gopa ucuh

ratham sa-kumbha-dhvaja-vayu-vegam

     su-kamsya-patra-dhvani-nihsvanam tam

shatashva-yuktam shata-surya-shobham

     gavah katham va rurudhuh sakhayah

 

     shri-gopa ucuh—the gopas said; ratham—chariot; sa-kumbha—with a canopy; dhvaja—flag; vayu—wind; vegam—fast; su-kamsya-patra-dhvani-nihsvanam—making a rumbling sound; tam—that; shatashva-yuktam—with a hundred horses; shata-surya-shobham—splendid as a hundred suns; gavah—cows; katham—how?; va—or; rurudhuh—stopped; sakhayah—O friends.

 

 

     The gopas said: O friends, how is it possible that these cows have stopped such a chariot decorated with with canopy and flag, splendid as a hundred suns, and making a great rumbling sound as, pulled by a hundred horses, it goes as fast as the wind?

 

 

Text 11

 

 

anyo na casmin hi gavam praharshanair

     ayati kintu vraja-raja-nandanah

sphuranti cangani hi dakshinani nah

     shri-nilakanöhah pratanoti toranam

 

     anyah—another; na—not; ca—and; asmin—in this; hi—indeed; gavam—of cows; praharshanaih—with the joys; ayati—goes; kintu—however; vraja-raja-nandanah—the prince of Vraja; sphuranti—trembles; ca—and; angani—the limbs; hi—indeed; dakshinani—right; nah—of us; shri-nilakanöhah—the peacock; pratanoti—extends; toranam—arched gateway.

 

 

     This is none other than Shri Krishna, the prince of Vraja, that has come. The cows are filled with happiness. Our bodies tremble on the left side, an auspicious sign. The peacock has made an arch for Krishna to pass under.

 

 

Text 12

 

 

shri-narada uvaca

ittham vicarya manasa

     gopah sarve samagatah

dadrishur madhavam mitram

     gatam vastu yatha janah

 

     shri-narada uvaca—Shri Narada said; ittham—thus; vicarya—considering; manasa—with the mind; gopah—teh gopas; sarve—all; samagatah—cane; dadrishuh—saw; madhavam—Krishna; mitram—friend; gatam—come; vastu—in truth; yatha—as; janah—the people.

 

 

     Shri Narada said: Thinking in this way, all the gopas went and saw their friend Krishna. They gazed on Him as people who have suddenly realized the truth.

 

 

Text 13

 

 

avaplutya rathat krishnah

     paripurnatamah svayam

puro nidhaya tan sarvan

     dorbhyam tat-prema-vihvalah

 

     avaplutya—jumping; rathat—from the chariot; krishnah—Krishna; paripurnatamah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam—Himself; purah—before; nidhaya—placing; tan—them; sarvan—all; dorbhyam—with both arms; tat-prema-vihvalah—overcome with love.

 

 

     The Lord Krishna, the perfect Supreme Personality of Godhead, jumped from the chariot and, overcome with love, embraced them all.

 

 

Text 14

 

 

muncan netrabja-varini

     parirebhe prithak prithak

aho bhaktesh ca mahatmyam

     vaktum ko 'sti mahi-tale

 

     muncan—shedding; netrabja-varini—tears from His lotus eyes; parirebhe—rembaced; prithak—one; prithak—by one; ahah—Oh; bhakteh—of devotion; ca—and; mahatmyam—the glory; vaktum—to say; kah—who?; asti—is; mahi-tale—on the earth.

 

 

     Shedding tears from His lotus eyes, He embraced them all, one by one. Who in this world can describe the love they all felt?

 

 

Text 15

 

 

te sarve rurudur gopa

     muncanto 'shruni maithila

pravaktum na samarthah shri-

     krishna-vikshepa-vihvalah

 

     te—they; sarve—all; ruruduh—wept; gopa—gopas; muncantah—shedding; ashruni—tears; maithila—O king of Mithila; pravaktum—to speak; na—not; samarthah—able; shri-krishna-vikshepa-vihvalah—overcome with love for Shri Krishna.

 

 

     O king of Mithila, all the gopas wept, shedding tears. Trembling with love for Krishna, they could not speak.

 

 

Text 16

 

 

paripurnatamah sakshad

     devo madhuraya gira

ashvasayam asa natan

     premananda-samakulan

 

     paripurnatamah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sakshat—directly; devah—the Lord; madhuraya—with sweet; gira—words; ashvasayam asa—comforted; natan—bowed down; prema—of love; ananda—with the bliss; samakulan—overcome.

 

 

     With sweet words the Supreme Personality of Godhead comforted the gopas, who were all overwhelmed with the bliss of love.

 

 

Text 17

 

 

uddhavo preshito vaktum

     shri-krishnenarbhakaih saha

agatam kathayam asa

     shri-krishnam nanda-paööane

 

     uddhavah—Uddhava; preshitah—sent; vaktum—to speak; shri-krishnena—with Krishna; arbhakaih—the boys; saha—with; agatam—come; kathayam asa—told; shri-krishnam—Shri Krishna; nanda-paööane—in Nanda's village.

 

 

     Then Krishna and the boys sent Uddhava into Nanda's village to say that Shri Krishna had returned.

 

 

Text 18

 

 

shrutvagatam nanda-sunum

     shri-krishnam gopa-vallabham

anetum nirgatah sarve

     paripurna-manorathah

 

     shrutva—hearing; agatam—returned; nanda-sunum—Nanda's son; shri-krishnam—Krishna; gopa-vallabham—the dear friend of the gopas; anetum—to bring; nirgatah—left; sarve—a; paripurna-manorathah—their desires fulfilled.

 

 

     Hearing that Krishna, the son of Nanda and the dear friend of the gopas, had returned, everyone, now their desires all fuflilled, left the village to escort Him back.

 

 

Text 19

 

 

bheri-mridangaih paöahaih kala-svanair

     apurna-kumbhair dvija-veda-ghoshanaih     gandhakshatair mangala-laja-mishritaih

     shri-nanda-rajo 'bhiyayau yashodaya

 

     bheri-mridangaih—with bheris and mrdangas; paöahaih—with patahas; kala-svanaih—with the sweet sounds; apurna-kumbhaih—with full pots; dvija—brahmanas; veda—of the Vedas; ghoshanaih—with sounds; gandha—fragrances; akshataih—unhusked grains of rice; mangala—auspicious; laja—with fried grains; mishritaih—mixed; shri-nanda-rajah—King Nanda; abhiyayau—went; yashodaya—with Yashoda.

 

 

     Accompanied by the sweet sounds of bheris, mridangas, paöahas, and brahmanas chanting Vedic mantras, and bringing full waterpots and auspicious fried rice mixed with raw and unhusked rice, King Nanda and Yashoda-devi came to meet Krishna.

 

 

Text 20

 

 

tatah puraskritya madonnatam gajam

     sindura-shunda-dhrita-hema-shrinkhalam

samayayau shri-vrishabhanu-mukhyo

     bhavan kritis tatra kalavati-yutah

 

     tatah—then; puraskritya—coming before; mada—intoxicated; unnatam—great; gajam—elephant; sindura-shunda-dhrita—its trunk anointed with red sindura; hema-shrinkhalam—with gold ornaments; samayayau—came; shri-vrishabhanu-mukhyah—King Vrishabhanu; bhavan—bring; kritih—piety;; tatra—there; kalavati-yutah—with Kalavati.

 

 

     With a great intoxicated elephant shackled with golden links and its trunk decorated with red sindura preceding them, King Vrishabhanu and his queen Kalavati also came to meet Krishna.

 

 

Text 21

 

 

nandopananda vrishabhanavash ca

     gopash ca vriddhas tarunarbhakash ca

srag-venu-gunja-paripiccha-yukta

     vinirgatah purna-manorathas te

 

     nandopananda—the Nandas and Upanandas; vrishabhanavah—the Vrishabhanus; ca—and; gopah—the gopas; ca—and; vriddhah—adult; taruna—youths; arbhakah—boys; ca—and; srak—gfarlands; venu—flutes; gunja—gunjas; paripiccha—peacock feathers; yukta—with; vinirgatah—came; purna-manorathah—their desires fulfilled; te—they.

 

 

     Carrying garlands, flutes, gunja, and peacock feathers, and their desires now fulfilled, the young, adolescent, and adult gopas also came to meet Krishna.

 

 

Text 22

 

 

gayanta aran nripa-nanda-nandanam

     nrityanta acalita-pita-vasasah

vamshi-dhara vetra-vishana-panayah

     praharshita darshana-lalasa bhrisham

 

     gayantah—singing; aran—near; nripa-nanda-nandanam—the son of King Nanda; nrityantah—dancing; acalita—moving; pita—yellow; vasasah—garments; vamshi-dhara—holding a flute; vetra—a stick; vishana—a buffalo horn bugle; panayah—in hand; praharshita—delighted; darshana-lalasa—yearning to see Him; bhrisham—greatly.

 

 

     Flutes, sticks, and bugles in their hands, very happy, and eager to see Krishna, the gopas sang and danced, shaking their yellow garments.

 

 

Text 23

 

 

sakhi-mukhebhyo harim agatam param

     nishamya radha-shayanat samutthita

tabhyah sva-bhushah pradadau praharshita

     prita sva-gandhim nava-padmini yatha

 

     sakhi-mukhebhyah—from the mouths of Her gopi friends; harim—to Krishna; agatam—come; param—great; nishamya—hearing; radha—Radha; shayanat—from bed; samutthita—risen; tabhyah—to them; sva-bhushah—own ornaments; pradadau—gave; praharshita—happy; prita—pleased; sva-gandhim—own scent; nava-padmini—a new lotus; yatha—as.

 

 

     Hearing from Her friends' mouths that Krishna had returned, Radha at once rose from bed and, pleased with them as a new lotus is pleased with its own sweet fragrance, at once gave them Her own ornaments.

 

 

Text 24

 

 

dva-trimshad ashöau kila shodasha dve

     yuthair yuta maithila gopikanam

aruhya radha shibikam manojnam

     samayayau shridhara-darshanartham

 

     dva-trimshat—thirty-two; ashöau—eight; kila—indeed; shodasha—sixteen; dve—two; yuthaih—groups; yuta—endowed; maithila—O king of Mithila; gopikanam—of gopis; aruhya—climbing; radha—Radha; shibikam—a palanquin; manojnam—beautiful; samayayau—went; shridhara-darshanartham—to see Lord Krishna, the husband of the godess of fortune.

 

 

     O king of Mithila, accompanied by thirty-two, eight, and sixteen groups of gopis, Radha rode on a beautiful palanquin to see Lord Krishna, the husband of the goddess of fortune.

 

 

Text 25

 

 

tatha hi gopyah kila koöishash ca

     tyaktvatha sarvam sva-grihasya krityam

vyatyasta-vastrabharana nripesha

     samayayuh prema-calan-mano-'ngah

 

     tatha—then; hi—indeed; gopyah—gopis; kila—indeed; koöisah—millions; ca—and; tyaktva—abandoning; atha—then; sarvam—everything; sva-grihasya—of their own homes; krityam—the duties; vyatyasta—in disarray; vastra—garments; abharanah—and ornaments; nripesha—O king; samayayuh—came; prema—with love; calat—trembling; manah—hearts; angah—and limbs.

 

 

     O king of kings, leaving their household duties undone, their garments and ornaments in disarray, and their hearts and limbs trembling with love, millions of gopis came to meet Krishna.

 

 

Text 26

 

 

sarvam vrajam padapa-go-mriga-dvijam

     prematuram vikshya samagatam kim u

shri-nanda-rajam pitaram ca mataram

     nanama krishnah krita-mastakanjalih

 

     sarvam—all; vrajam—Vraja; padapa—trees; gah—cows; mriga—deer; dvijam—and birds; prematuram—overcome with love; vikshya—seeing; samagatam—come; kim u—how much more?; shri-nanda-rajam—King Nanda; pitaram—father; ca—and; mataram—mother; nanama—bowed down; krishnah—Krishna; krita-mastakanjalih—placing folded hands to His forehead.

 

 

     Krishna glanced at the trees, cows, deer, birds, and all the living entities in Vraja. Filled with love, they had come to meet Him. Seeing His father King Nanda and His mother Yashoda, Lord Krishna placed His folded palms to His forehead and bowed down before them.

 

 

Text 27

 

 

shri-nanda-rajas tanayam ciragatam

     pragrihya dorbhyam hridaye nidhaya tam

samsnapayam asa su-netrajair jalair

     yashodaya prapta-manorathash cirat

 

     shri-nanda-rajah—King Nanda; tanayam—his son; cira—after a long time; agatam—come; pragrihya—embracing; dorbhyam—with both arms; hridaye—to his heart; nidhaya—placing; tam—Him; samsnapayam asa—bathed; su-netrajaih—with tears from his eyes; jalaih—with water; yashodaya—with Yashoda; prapta—attained; manorathah—desires; cirat—long cherished.

 

 

     Their long-cherished desire now fulfilled, King Nanda and Queen Yashoda embraced their long-absent son, with both arms holding Him to their hearts. They bathed Him with tears from their eyes.

 

 

Text 28

 

 

nandopanandan vrishabhanu-vriddhan

     sarvam namaskritya ca tat-kritashih

tatha vayasyaish ca parasparam va

     laghumsh ca hasta-grahanaih sthito 'bhut

 

     nandopanandan—the Nandas and Upanandas; vrishabhanu-vriddhan—the great Vrishabhanus; sarvam—all; namaskritya—bvowing down; ca—and; tat-kritashih—their blessings; tatha—then; vayasyaih—with His friends; ca—and; parasparam—together; va—or; laghun—younger; ca—and; hasta—hands; grahanaih—holding; sthitah—stood; abhut—was.

 

 

     Lord Krishna bowed down before the Nandas, Upanandas, and Vrishabhanus and respectfully received their blessings. Then He grasped the hands of the boys His age and younger.

 

 

Text 29

 

 

tatah samaruhya ratham harih svayam

     nidhaya nandam ca gaje yashodaya

nandopanandaih sahito gavam ganaih

     shri-nanda-rajasya puram vivesha sah

 

     tatah—thern; samaruhya—mounting; ratham—the chariot; harih—Krishna; svayam—Himself; nidhaya—placing; nandam—Nanda; ca—and; gaje—on the elephant; yashodaya—with Yashoda; nandopanandaih—with the Nandas and Upanandas; sahitah—with; gavam—of tyhe cows; ganaih—with the multitudes; shri-nanda-rajasya—of King Nanda; puram—to village; vivesha—entered; sah—He.

 

 

     Placing King Nanda and Queen Yashoda on the elephant, and Himself mounting the chariot, in the company of the Nandas, Upanandas, and the great multitude of cows, Lord Krishna entered King Nanda's village.

 

 

Text 30

 

 

tadaiva devah kila pushpa-varsham

     acara-lajan pura-gopikash ca

pracakrire tatra jayeti mangalam

     shabdam ca gopa griham agate harau

 

     tada—then; eva—indeed; devah—the demigods; kila—indeed; pushpa-varsham—a shower of flowers; acara-lajan—rice; pura-gopikah—the gopis; ca—and; pracakrire—did; tatra—there; jaya—victory; iti—thus; mangalam—auspiciousness; shabdam—sound; ca—and; gopa—the gopas; griham—home; agate—came; harau—Lord Krishna.

 

 

     As Krishna returned to His home the demigods showered flowers, the gopis showered grains of rice, and the gopas made a great auspicious sound of "Victory!"

 

 

Text 31

 

 

dhanyah sakha te param uddhavo 'yam

     anena sakshat kila darshito 'tra

tvam jivanam gopa-janasya gopa

     ucur gira gadgadayedam artah

 

     dhanyah—fortunate; sakha—friend; te—they; param—then; uddhavah—Uddhava; ayam—he; anena—by him; sakshat—directly; kila—indeed; darshitah—shown; atra—here; tvam—You; jivanam—the life; gopa-janasya—of the gopas; gopa—the gopas; ucuh—said; gira—with words; gadgadaya—choked with emotion; idam—this; artah—overcome.

 

 

     With voices choked with emotion, the gopas said to Krishna, "Your friend Uddhava is a great saint. He has shown to us You, the life of all the gopas."

 

 

Text 32

 

 

idam maya te kathitam nripesha

     punar vraje hy agamanam haresh ca

kim icchasi shrotum atho surasuraih

     param caritram shubhadam vicitram

 

     idam—this; maya—by me; te—to you; kathitam—spoken; nripesha—O kin gof kings; punah—again; vraje—in Vraja; hi—indeed; agamanam—coming; hareh—of Krishna; ca—and; kim—what?; icchasi—you wish; shrotum—to hear; athah—then; surasuraih—by the demigods and demons; param—transcendental; caritram—pastimes; shubhadam—auspicious; vicitram—wonderful.

 

 

     O king of kings, now I have described to you Lord Krishna's return to Vraja. Lord Krishna's wonderful and transcendental pastimes brings auspiciousness to both the demigods and demons. What more do you wish to hear?

.pa

 

 

and  we can read in Nectar of devotion 2 chapters come to mind:

 

 

 

Chapter 38: Indifference and Separation

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Nectar of Devotion

In the Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta Bilvamańgala Ṭhākura has explained his restlessness as follows: "My dear Lord, Your naughtiness in boyhood is the most wonderful thing in the three worlds. And You Yourself know what this naughtiness is. As such, You can very easily understand my flickering mind. This is known to You and me. Therefore, I am simply yearning to know how I can fix my mind on Your lotus feet."

Another devotee expressed his impudence by saying, "My dear Lord, without considering my lowly position, I must confess to You that my eyes are just like black wasps, desiring to hover at Your lotus feet."

In the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Chapter, verse 37, the great sage Nārada informs Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was a devotee from the very beginning of his life. The proof of Prahlāda's natural devotion is that even when he was a small child he did not play with his playmates, but was always eager to preach the glories of the Lord. Instead of joining in their sportive acrobatic feats, he remained an inactive child because he was always in trance, meditating on Kṛṣṇa. As such, there was no possibility of his being touched by the external world.

The following statement is about a brāhmaṇa devotee: "This brāhmaṇa is very expert in all kinds of activities, but I do not know why he is looking up without moving his eyes. It appears that his body is fixed motionless just like a doll's. I can guess that in this condition he has been captivated by the transcendental beauty of that expert flute-player, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and being attached to Him, he is simply staring at the black cloud, remembering the bodily hue ofŚrī Kṛṣṇa." This is an example of how a devotee can become inert due to ecstatic love.

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Fourth Chapter, verse 40, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that even in his childhood, when he was loudly speaking the glories of the Lord, he used to dance just like a shameless madman. And sometimes, being fully absorbed in thought on the pastimes of the Lord, he used to imitate such pastimes. This is an instance of a devotee's being almost like a madman. Similarly, it is said that the great sage Nārada was so ecstatically in love with Kṛṣṇa that he would sometimes dance naked, and sometimes his whole body would become stunned. Sometimes he would laugh very loudly, sometimes he would cry very loudly, sometimes he would remain silent, and sometimes he would appear to be suffering from some disease, although he had no disease. This is another instance of becoming like a madman in the ecstasy of devotion.

In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is stated that when Prahlāda Mahārāja was thinking himself unfit to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he immersed himself in great distress, in an ocean of unhappiness. As such, he used to shed tears and lie down on the floor as though unconscious.

The students of a great devotee once talked among themselves in this way: "My dear Godbrothers, our spiritual master, after seeing the lotus feet of the Lord, has thrown himself into the fire of lamentation, and because of this fire the water of his life has almost dried away. Let us now pour the nectar of the holy name through his ears, and by our doing so the swan of his life may again show signs of life."

When Lord Kṛṣṇa went to the city of Śoṇitapura to fight with Bali's son Bāṇa and to cut off all his hands, Uddhava, being separated from Kṛṣṇa and thinking of His fight, was almost completely stunned into unconsciousness.

When a devotee is fully in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there may be the following symptoms due to his feelings of separation from the Lord: a feverish condition of the body, withering of the body, lack of sleep, nonattachment, inertness, appearing diseased, madness, unconsciousness and sometimes death.

As far as the feverish condition of the body is concerned, Uddhava once told Nārada, "My dear great sage, the lotus flower that is a friend of the sun may be a cause of distress for us, the fire in the ocean may cause us some burning sensation, and Indīvara, the friend of a demon, may distress us in various ways — we do not mind. But the most regrettable factor is that all of them remind us of Kṛṣṇa, and this is giving us too much distress!" This is an instance of the feverish condition which is due to being separated from Kṛṣṇa.

Some of the devotees who went to see Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā and were detained at the door said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, O friend of the Pāṇḍus, as the swan loves to dive into the water among the lily flowers and would die if taken from the water, so we wish only to be with You. Our limbs are shrinking and fading because You have been taken away from us."

The King of Bahula, although very comfortably situated in his palace, began to think the nights very long and distressing because of his separation fromKṛṣṇa.

King Yudhiṣṭhira once said, "Kṛṣṇa, the chariot driver of Arjuna, is the only relative of mine within the three worlds. Therefore, my mind is becoming maddened day and night with separation from His lotus feet, and I do not know how to situate myself or where I shall go to attain any steadiness of mind." This is another example of lack of sleep.

Some of the cowherd friends of Kṛṣṇa said, "Dear Kṛṣṇa, O enemy of the Mura demon, just think of Your personal servant Raktaka. Simply because he saw a peacock feather, he is now closing his eyes and is no longer attentive to pasturing the cows. Rather, he has left them in a faraway pasture and has not even bothered to use his stick to control them." This is an instance of mental imbalance due to separation from Kṛṣṇa.

When Lord Kṛṣṇa went to the capital of King Yudhiṣṭhira, Uddhava was so afflicted by the fire of separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa that the perspiration from his inflamed body and the tears from his eyes poured from him, and in this way he became completely stunned.

When Śrī Kṛṣṇa left the city of Dvārakā to seek out the Syamantaka jewel and He was late returning home, Uddhava became so afflicted that the symptoms of disease became manifest on his body. Actually, due to his excessive ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava became known in Dvārakā as crazy. To his great fortune, on that day Uddhava's reputation as a crazy fellow was firmly established. Uddhava's craziness was practically proved when he went to Raivataka Hill to minutely observe the congested black clouds. In his disturbed condition, he began to pray to these clouds, and he expressed his jubilation by bowing down before them.

Uddhava informed Kṛṣṇa, "My dear leader of the Yadu dynasty, Your servants in Vṛndāvana cannot sleep at night thinking of You, so now they are all lying down on the bank of the Yamunā almost paralyzed. And it appears that they are almost dead, because their breathing is very slow." This is an instance of becoming unconscious due to separation from Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa was once informed, "You are the life and soul of all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. So because You have left Vṛndāvana, all of the servitors of Your lotus feet there are suffering. It is as if the lakes filled with lotus flowers have dried up from the scorching heat of separation from You." In the example given here, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana are compared to lakes filled with lotus flowers, and because of the scorching heat of separation from Kṛṣṇa, the lakes — along with the lotus flowers of their lives — are being burned up. And the swans in the lakes, who are compared to the vitality of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, are no longer desiring to live there. In other words, because of the scorching heat, the swans are leaving the lakes. This metaphor is used to describe the condition of the devotees separated from Kṛṣṇa.

 

 

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Nectar of Devotion

There is another instance of a dreadful situation with Kṛṣṇa as the object as follows. After being sufficiently chastised by child Kṛṣṇa in the Yamunā River, the Kāliya snake began to address the Lord, "O killer of the Mura demon, I have acquired many mystic powers by my austerity and penances, but before You I am nothing; I am most insignificant. Therefore, please be kind upon a poor soul like me, and don't be angry with me. I did not know Your actual position, and out of ignorance I have committed such horrible offenses. Please save me. I am a most unfortunate, foolish creature. Please be merciful to me." This is another instance of the ecstasy of dread in devotional service.

When the Keśī demon was causing disturbances in Vṛndāvana by assuming a large horse's body that was so big that he could jump over the trees, motherYaśodā told her husband, Nanda Mahārāja, "Our child is very restless, so we had better keep Him locked up within the house. I have been very worried about the recent disturbances of the Keśī demon, who has been assuming the form of a giant horse." When it was learned that the demon was entering Gokula in an angry mood, mother Yaśodā became so anxious to protect her child that her face dried up and there were tears in her eyes. These are some of the signs of the ecstasy of dread in devotional service, caused by seeing and hearing something that is dangerous to Kṛṣṇa.

After the Pūtanā witch had been killed, some friends of mother Yaśodā inquired from her about the incident. Mother Yaśodā at once requested her friends, "Please stop! Please stop! Don't bring up the incident of Pūtanā. I become distressed just by remembering this incident. The Pūtanā witch came to devour my son, and she deceived me into letting her take the child on her lap. After that, she died and made a tumultuous sound with her gigantic body."

In the ecstasy of devotional service in dread, the unconstitutional symptoms are drying up of the mouth, exuberance, glancing behind oneself, concealing oneself, bewilderment, searching after the endangered lovable object and crying very loudly. Some other unconstitutional symptoms are illusion, forgetfulness and expectation of danger. In all such circumstances the ecstatic dread is the steady or constant factor. Such dread is caused either by offenses committed or by dreadful circumstances. Offenses may be committed in varieties of ways, and the dread is felt by the person who has committed the offense. When dread is caused by a fearful object, this fearful object is generally a person who is fearsome in his features, nature and influence. An example of an object which caused ecstatic dread is the Pūtanā witch. Dread may be caused by mischievous demoniac characters, such as King Kaḿsa, and it may be caused by great powerful demigods, such as Indra or Śańkara.

Demons like Kaḿsa feared Kṛṣṇa, but their feelings cannot be described as ecstatic dread in devotional service.

Ghastliness

It is understood from authoritative sources that an attachment for Kṛṣṇa because of feelings of disgust sometimes presents a ghastly ecstasy in devotional service. The person experiencing such ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa is almost always in the neutral stage of devotional service, or śānta-rasa. A description of ecstatic love caused by ghastliness is found in the following statement: "This person was formerly interested solely in the matter of lust and sense gratification, and he had perfected the greatest skill in exploiting women to fulfill his lusty desires. But now how wonderful it is that this same man is chanting the names of Kṛṣṇawith tears in his eyes, and as soon as he sees the face of a woman, he immediately becomes disgusted. From the indication of his face, I would think that now he hates sex life."

In this mellow of devotional service in ghastliness, the subecstatic symptoms are spitting upon the consideration of one's past life, contorting the face, covering the nose and washing the hands. There is also trembling of the body, forcible twisting of the body, and perspiration. Other symptoms which may be present are shame, exhaustion, madness, illusion, frustration, humility, self-pity, restlessness, eagerness and stunning of the body.

When a devotee, lamenting for his past abominable activities, shows special symptoms on his body, his feeling is called ecstasy in devotional service in ghastliness. This is caused by the awakening of his Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In this connection there is the following statement: "How can a person take pleasure in the enjoyment of sex life in this body, which is a bag of skin and bones, filled with blood and covered by skin and flesh, and which produces mucus and evil smells?" This perception is possible only for one who is awakened toKṛṣṇa consciousness and who has become fully cognizant of the abominable nature of this material body.

A fortunate child in the womb of his mother prayed to Kṛṣṇa as follows: "O enemy of Kaḿsa, I am suffering so much because of this material body. Now I am trapped within a mess of blood, urine and liquid stool, within the womb of my mother. Because I am living in such a condition, I am suffering great pangs. Therefore, O divine ocean of mercy, please be kind to me. I have no ability to engage in Your loving devotional service, but please save me!" There is a similar statement by a person fallen in a hellish condition of life. He addressed the Supreme Lord thus: "My dear Lord, Yamarāja has placed me in a situation which is full of filthy and obnoxious smells. There are so many insects and worms, surrounded by the stools left by different kinds of diseased persons. And after seeing this horrible scene, my eyes have become sore, and I am becoming nearly blind. I therefore pray, O my Lord, O deliverer from the hellish conditions of life. I have fallen into this hell, but I shall try to remember Your holy name always, and in this way I shall try to keep my body and soul together." This is another instance of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa in an abominable situation.

It is to be understood that any person who is constantly engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, HareHare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare — has attained a transcendental affection for Kṛṣṇa, and as such, in any condition of life, he remains satisfied simply by remembering the Lord's name in full affection and ecstatic love.

In conclusion, it may be stated that ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa in ghastliness appears during the development of dormant neutrality into developed affection.

........to me it is all nectar,I am very thirsty for these things...