Remembrance of the Vrindaban pastimes

[Guest guest]

Long ago, this was posted by a devotee somewhere else:

 

 

Krishna wants to go to the forest to tend the cows, and His mother

fondles Him, not wanting to let Him go. Everyday Krishna has to convince

whole of Vraja not to come with Him to the forest. (Because they all want

to follow Him).

 

Anxiously Mother Yasoda holds her son to her chest and tells Him, while

bathing Him in her own tears:

 

"My heart is filled with fire and many streams (of tears) flow from my eyes.

My heart is breaking out of misery!... How can I tolerate this burning

feeling?"

 

"O child of my heart! Don`t we have enough wealth in the house already? You

are not from a poor family! Why do You have to go to the forest then?

Let the cowherdboys go out with the cows into the forest!"

 

"Exept for You I don`t know anyone else, so if you accidentally become hurt

I`ll be driven blind! Being My suckling boy, why are you taking your cows

into the forest? Can I just remain at home, peacefull watching it?"

 

"Your body is even softer than butter! I`m shivering of fear when I think

what will happen when the harsh sunrays will touch You. How will you

tolerate such heat?"

 

"I`m afraid the big Kusha-grassroots will hurt You like javelins. Hearing it

I sprinkle my body (with tears). How will Your footsoles, that are more

tender than Shirisha-flowerpetals, run over this ground?"

 

"Hearing His mother`s pitiful words, Gokula-mani, Krishna, explains His

mother in so many ways: "Don`t be sad at heart! There is nothing to fear in

the forest!", and Raaya Shekhara is the witness!

 

When Krishna, the jewel of Gokula, hears these pitiful words He consoles His

mother by saying: "Maa! you have not seen the forest of Vrindavan! Don`t

worry in vain! The forestpaths are softened by flowers falling from the

trees and vines and there are no sharp pebbles or thorns there. We always

play in the shade of the trees and the sharp sunrays cannot harm us! The

bumblebees zoom around the blooming honey-filled flowers, different birds

are blissfully chirping and we enjoy eating the sweet and ripe pomegranates

that fall from the trees. In the evening we simply blow our flutes in the

flowergardens to call our peacefully grazing cows together before we return

home.

 

Maa! Will you deprive us of this festival of bliss by keeping Me locked in

the house the whole day? On the strength of your footdust nothing will

happen to us, Maa! And what`s more, the cows do not want to go in the forest

without Me!"

 

Mother Yasoda thinks: "Aha, if my Gopala feels so happy in the forest,

then let Him go."

 

Then she utters the Nrishimha-Mantras for Gopal`s protection.