Vasanta pañcamī

[Paramananda das]

Vasanta pañcamī
If the first day of spring ,in Radha Krsnas lilas it is significant ,,yellow flowers are offered to the Arca Vigrahas in Vrindavana and Mayapure from the fields on this day
from this day Lord Caitanya started celebrating Holi festival all the way to Gaura Purnima which is the last day of Holi , I was once introduced to some classical ragas of Vasanta Raga and it is so beautiful
Holi festival of Lord Caitanya in Navadvipa and how Vasanta devi prepares for Lord Caitanyas apperance

dear devotees
Please accept my humble obaisences
all glories to Srila BV Narayan Maharaja Guru and Gauranga
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
I want to share something very confidential in Gaura lila:
HOLI PASTIMES OF GAURANGA From the first day of spring, Vasanta Pancami (Visnupriya's appearance day) until Gaura Purnima, Lord Gauranga plays Holi for 40 days continuously. On each day of these 40 days, Sri Gaurasundara performs Holi lila ...in the homes of His various confidential devotees. First Holi is in Advaitacarya's house on Vasanta Pancami. Then on Trayodasi, He plays Holi in Nityananda's house. In this month on Sukla Sasthi (March 6) , Gauranga plays Holi in Gauridasa Pandita's house. Then on astami, in Uddharana Datta's house. On Purnima, Mahaprabhu plays Holi in own home. Holi Pastimes of Gauranga On the bank of the Ganga, Sri Gauranga divided His intimate devotees into two groups: One team with Gauranga, and one team with Gadadhara Pandita. In Gadadhara’s team, there were Svarupa Damodara, Mukunda, Vasu Ghosa and many others. Gauranga's side was led by Gauridasa Pandita. As previously in Krsna-lila, all the sakhis and manjaris sided with Radha and all the sakhas teamed up together with Krsna to attack the sakhis. And now in Nadiya, the same devotees sided with either Gaura or Gadadhara respectively. Picking up pichkaris (syringes), Gauranga's team squirted Sri Gadadhara and his team. Then in retaliation, Svarupa Damodara and others began to hurl coloured powders bombarding Gauranga and His party from all sides. As the fun pastimes of Holi progressed, Gauridasa started clapping his hands and shouting excitingly, "Gauranga has won, Gauranga has won!" Then Svarupa Damodara angrily replied, “No, Gauranga has lost. The winner is my Gadadhara!" At this instant, some devotees slapped their chests and others sang and danced raising their hands into the sky, “Haribol! Haribol! Gaura Haribol!” (Mohandasa, disciple of Srinivasa Acarya)
This is my comment : Vasanta devi spring personified prepares for Lord Caitanyas appearance this has been explained by Kavi Karnapure in this Caitanya Carita:
thirteen months passed in this way the very auspicious month of Phalguna, which is the place of happiness for all the worlds, came at last.
25 Thinking, "The Lord will now come", Springtime, the king of all seasons, came early. He was very eager to see the Lord.
26 Wishing to accompany her hero, the goddess of the beauty of spring placed her foot in the forest, a foot decorated with anklets of wandering buzzing bees, a foot resting upon the vines and new buds.
27 Thinking, "the Lord will appear," the goddess of spring carefully arranged her garments and ornaments. When her husband approached, she sweetly smiled. She yearned to see Him.
28 The beauty of spring gently smiled and that smile maddened the cuckoos and made them coo very sweetly and playfully. That smile made the flowers bloom and filled them with sweetness and honey.
29 The beauty of spring tied in braids the sweetness of the tamala forest that was her hair, and made the black bees and blossoming vines that were here eyebrows dance with joy.
30 Her beautiful eyes wide open, she made a crown of new flowers. Garlanded with lavanga flowers, she built a cottage of lotus stems.
31 She happily decorated her kesara-bud breasts with asoka flowers, kunkuma, sweet flower-pollen and sandal paste.
32 Then the ten directions became clear and pure, the sky became clear and pure, very pure breezes blew, everyone's heart became clear and pure, and the rivers' waters also became clear and pure.
33 Then, pleasing everyone in the world, happily embracing the full-moon day, and again and again kissing the face of the eastern horizon, the full moon shone with great splendour.
34 It was springtime, the best of seasons. It was the bright fortnight. It was the full-moon day, the best of days. Everything was virtuous and auspicious.
35 Wildly happy with the appearance of spring, the cuckoos sand the word "Glory!" The bees gracefully danced. A breeze blew from the south.
36 Bearing the scents of many bunches of flowers and many drops of warm water mixed with lotus pollen, and embracing each vine one by one, a gentle breeze blew from the Malaya Hills.
37 When the time came for the appearance of supremely auspicious Lord Caitanya, the world became peaceful and pure. With His transcendental power the Lord defeated the darkness of this world.
38 When Lord Caitanya appeared all directions were filled with splendour. It was as if many moons and many lightning flashes had suddenly fallen on the earth.
This is from Chapter 2 of this book, daily the various seasons personified worship Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna.This take place in Sri Navadvipa Dhama and Sri Vrindavana Dhama
At Radha Kunda during the noon pastimes of Radha Krsna ,the various seasons personified serve the Divine couple.These seasons have transcendental forms in the spiritual world but manifest
also in some capacity in the material world.Birth is sometimes compared to the spring in the Vedas , youth to the summer season, and Autumn to old age and winter to death.In Bhagavad Gita 10.35 ,Krsna also states:
brhat-sama tatha samnam gayatri chandasam aham masanam marga-sirso 'ham rtunam kusumakarah
SYNONYMS
brhat-sama--the Brhat-sama; tatha--also; samnam--of the Sama Veda songs; gayatri--the Gayatri hymns; chandasam--of all poetry; aham--I am; masanam--of months; marga-sirsah--the month of November-December; aham--I am; rtunam--of all seasons; kusuma-akarah--spring.
TRANSLATION
Of hymns I am the Brhat-sama sung to the Lord Indra, and of poetry I am the Gayatri verse, sung daily by Brahmanas. Of months I am November and December, and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.
PURPORT
It has already been explained by the Lord that amongst all the Vedas, the Sama Veda is rich with beautiful songs played by the various demigods. One of these songs is the Brhat-sama, which has an exquisite melody and is sung at midnight. In Sanskrit, there are definite rules that regulate poetry; rhyme and meter are not written whimsically, as in much modern poetry. Amongst the regulated poetry, the Gayatri mantra, which is chanted by the duly qualified brahmanas, is the most prominent. The Gayatri mantra is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because the Gayatri mantra is especially meant for God realization, it represents the Supreme Lord. This mantra is meant for spiritually advanced people, and when one attains success in chanting it, he can enter into the transcendental position of the Lord. One must first acquire the qualities of the perfectly situated person, the qualities of goodness according to the laws of material nature, in order to chant the Gayatri mantra. The Gayatri mantra is very important in Vedic civilization and is considered to be the sound incarnation of Brahman. Brahma is its initiator, and it is passed down from him in disciplic succession. The months of November and December are considered the best of all months because in India grains are collected from the fields at this time, and the people become very happy. Of course spring is a season universally liked because it is neither too hot nor too cold, and the flowers and trees blossom and flourish. In spring there are also many ceremonies commemorating Krsna's pastimes; therefore this is considered to be the most joyful of all seasons, and it is the representative of the Supreme Lord Krsna.
Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
The Lord has already said that he is the Sama among the Vedas. Here he says that among the verses to be sung he is the Brhat Sama in the verse which begins tvamrrddhim havamahe. (Rg Veda 6.46.1) Among meters I am gayatri, and among seasons I am spring (kusumakarah), filled with flowers.
The seasons are known as rtunam in Sanskrit and of all the seasons spring
is also Krsnas vibbhuti and manifests flowers
kusumakarah.
Krsna also tells us to tolerate the material world just like the changes of seasons: Krsna focuses in Bhagavad Gita 2,14 on the winter and summer seasons as a contrast :
matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah agamapayino 'nityas tams titiksasva bharata
SYNONYMS
matra--sensuous; sparsah--perception; tu--only; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; sita--winter; usna--summer; sukha--happiness; duhkha-dah--giving pain; agama--appearing; apayinah--disappearing; anityah--nonpermanent; tan--all of them; titiksasva--just try to tolerate; bharata--O descendant of the Bharata dynasty.
TRANSLATION
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
How does a devotee tolerate this material world? By being fully engaged in Krsna katha ! Satatam Kirtanyto mam..constantly chanting Hare Krsna and fully absorbing himself in Gaura lila.
Gauranga das das anu das
Paramananda das