[world-vedic] Following The Residents Of Vrndavana

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Following The Residents Of Vrndavana

 

 

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BY KRSNADAS

 

EDITORIAL, Jan 22 (VNN) — Description: In the supreme spiritual abode

of Goloka Vrndavana, the Lord performs His most intimate pastimes of

Nara-lila with his premi-bhaktas, the residents of Vrndavana. That

place is permeated with the sweet aroma of spontaneous love of God, a

key ingredient that is not found in the other Vaikuntha planets.

Dressed with the foliages of the Vrndavana forest which breeds a

variety of delicately fragrant and colorful lotuses and other assorted

flowers and vines, Sri Krishna is sometimes seen frolicking the

pasturing grounds with his friends the cowherd boys playing games such

as wrestling or imitating the Vrndavana animals.

 

Once Lord Brahma became bewildered upon seeing such a scenario. "How

can this small boy playing with his friends and eating sweets be my

Lord Narayana?" thus Brahma thought to himself and decided to steal the

cowherd boys. After returning a year later, Brahma saw the same Krishna

with his friends having a wonderful time, as if nothing had happened.

He checked where he had placed the b Sometimes it can be seen that

someone takes to a process in order to capture the Supreme Lord, but

the Personality of Godhead is always inaccessible to him or her. It can

also be seen that demons try to grab hold of the Lord, as Hiranyaksa

tried to do to Lord Boar, yet the Lord was always beyond his reach. By

so many endeavors the Lord was unapproachable; yet, mother Yasoda was

able to bind baby Krishna with a thread of her love.

 

Once Laxmi Devi performed deep meditation in order to get the audience

of the Lord. After being pleased by her service, the Lord, Sri Krishna

appeared to her. She thus asked the Lord to become an associate of

Krishna, a young damsel of Vrndavana, yet she did not want to

relinquish her position as the Goddess of Fortune who serves Lord

Narayana in awe and reverence, thus she was not permitted to become a

Vraja gopis. Unlike Laxmi Devi, the gopis along with the other

residents serve the Lord with spontaneous love, devoid of awe and

reverence.

 

Placing the flute, his favorite attendant, to His lips, an object most

cherished by the Vraja gopis, Krishna enchants the whole of Vrndavana,

thus making those in motion stationary and those stationary, such as

the rocks of Vrndavana, active. The calves that were drinking milk from

their mothers suddenly stop swallowing and stare in Krishna's direction

making the milk leak down their faces. The peacocks upon hearing the

vibration of the flute, think it is raining and thus run wild, opening

tails of rainbow colors. Thus the whole of Vrndavana become enchanted

by the flute playing of Krishna, an act which steals their hearts as

the sound of the flute enters their ears and then their hearts.

 

Leaving in the early morning to herd the cows with his friends, Krishna

would say adieu to the residents of Vrndavana, which included the Vraja

gopis. This, as well as Krishna's return afforded the gopis an

opportunity to relish the nectar of Krishna lotus face without being

impeded by familial obstacles. When the sun sets and Krishna is

returning home, he plays the flute, signaling his approach, thus the

ears of the gopis search the direction of the flute and thus relish

untold bliss. In the day they would pass time by recollecting the many

pastimes of the Lord and thus ease the deep anguish of separation they

felt by the Lord's absence.

 

Unlike the hearts of conditioned souls who try to exploit the resources

of material nature, the hearts of the gopis and the other residents of

Vrndavana are unlimitedly pure and thus, their desires are also pure

for they always engage in activities that are pleasing to the senses of

Govinda. For such unalloyed service free from the blemishes of karma

and jnana, the devotees of the Lord have become most dear to the Him.

Sometimes the Lord is unable to repay his devotees for the service they

have rendered, as in the case of the gopis, and thus he sells himself

to them. The devotees thus become the owners of the Lord. By following

in the footsteps of such exalted souls as the residents of Vrndavana

and thus seeking to please the Lord's senses, one can certainly become

eligible to participate in the Lord's sweet pastimes and experience

untold ananda or bliss. As they are pleased by our service, they shall

certainly recommend us to the Lord who cannot deny their request.