Mohana bhoga lagAo...

[Guest guest]

On Sat, 28 Nov 1998 bhakti-errors wrote:

Namas te VaiSNavas,

> >Aao Bhog Lagaao Mere Mohan...

>

> this reminds me of a system of thought which has roots in chaitanya

> sampradaya, known by its originator, sri kripalu maharaj, who insists on

> offering food to lord Krishna using such prayers as the one quoted here. I

> witnessed the sanyasin of that order offering food with great affection

> mentioning that "O lord Krishna, I dont have the bhakti in you like how

> shabari etc. had. Neither do I have enemity such as putana who wanted to

> poision you. hende, since, I have come here with very little bhakti and

> whatever food I could prepare with items earned by just means, please come

> and accept my humble offerings.... please do so....even from such a low

> undeserving person as myself.

 

Taking this que, allow me to quote the following verse from ZrIla

RUpa GosvAmI's anthology PadyAvalI. I'm not sure who the original author

was, but there at any rate are many similar poems:

 

dvija-strINAM bhakte mRduni vidurAnne vraja-gavAM

dadhi-kSIre sakhyuH sphuTa-cipita-muSTau mura-ripo

yazodAyAH stanye vraja-yuvati-datte madhuni te

yathAsId Amodas tam imam upahAre 'pi kurutAm

 

"O Lord Mura-ripu, just as you delighted in the succulent meals

offered by the yajJika brAhmaNas' wives, the foodstuffs of Vidura, the

dairy products of Your cows in Vraja, the puffed rice in the fist of Your

friend (SudAmA), the breast-milk of Your mother Yashoda, and the sweets

given to You by the young girls in Vraja, so I hope You will accept even

this offering."

 

As regards the humility with which such an offering should be

made, RUpa's elder brother SanAtana prayed as follows:

 

na premA zraNAdi-bhaktir api vA yogo 'thavA vaiSNavo

jJAnaM vA zubha-karma vA kiyad aho saj-jAtir apy asti vA /

hInArthAdhika-sAdhake tvayi tathApy accheda-mUlA sati

he gopI-jana-vallabha vyathayate hA hA madAzaiva mAm //

 

"I am poor in love of Godhead, and I have no asset for hearing

about devotional service. Nor do I have any understanding of the science

of devotional service, nor any cultivation of knowledge, nor any righteous

activities to my credit. I am not even born in a high family. Nonetheless,

O darling of the damsels of Vraja, I still maintain hopes of achieving

You, and these hopes are always disturbing me."

 

Finally, since three is a more auspicious number, here's another

one, which should clarify anyone's doubts about what bhoga to offer the

chuffed and gloating son of Yashoda:

 

prati-bhavanam upetyAbhIra-rAmaikSaNAnAM

abhinava-navanItaM vittam apy AdadAnaH

kavalayati balenAlokitAH sAvahelaM

hasati madhura-mandaM nanda-bAlaH sa-khelaH

 

"Having gone to each and every house of the cowherd women,

He pilfered their wealth of freshly churned butter.

Now He eats it voraciously, and when seen doing so by Balabhadra,

Nanda's boy softly, sweetly chuckles, in sport, and without any

concern whatsoever."

 

 

MT