Srila Prabhupada nectar

[Guest guest]

One evening when he entered, he made his obeisances before the altar, but

instead of standing up again he remained on his knees. He had noticed one of

the pictures and stopped to examine it. A devotee asked, "Swamiji, what does

this picture mean?" It was a print from India of Vasudeva crossing the river

with Krsna. The picture showed the river Yamuna holding Krsna and offering

Him back to Vasudeva. Srila Prabhupada explained that Yamuna-devi wanted to

play with Krsna and arranged for this pastime. It was also a pastime to be

with Prabhupada and hear his explanation while we were all down on our

knees, which seemed to be the best way for looking at a picture of Krsna.

 

During that same visit, Prabhupada explained other pictures. One was the

famous Indian print of Radharani worshiping Krsna with flowers. She is

looking up at Krsna, and His cadar is floating in many wavy lines. Devotees

liked that picture very much, and ISKCON artists had copied it. Radharani is

at Krsna's feet, and He is playing the flute in His youthful pose. That

picture was on the altar, and one night he looked at it while lecturing. He

began to explain how people misunderstand Radha-Krsna's pastimes. He told

the story of a cow who had survived a fire in a barn. Now, wherever that cow

saw red, she thought, "There is the fire!" and was afraid. Similarly, when

the nondevotees see Radha-Krsna pastimes, which resemble sexual

relationships of people in this world, they also mistake it.

 

Prabhupada Meditations 2.6.5: Drops From the Ocean