Sri-Sri Janmastami Lila

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SRI-SRI JANMASTAMI LILAAs Described by Sri Siddha Krishnadas Babaji Maharaja in

his GutikaKrsna's birthday festival takes place on the eighth day of the dark

lunar quarter of the month of Bhadra, corresponding with the month of August,

sometimes September. Siddha Sri Krsna dasa Babaji here narrates both the

celebration in Navadvipa in Gaura-lila and the celebration in Vraja in

Krsna-lila. On the first day of the dark lunar quarter of the month of Bhadra

an orchestra (playing different drums as well as wind-instruments like Sanai)

sits down in Nanda Maharaja's house and starts playing auspicious music. From

that day on until the sixth day (sasthi) arrangements are being made to

beautify the palace of Nanda Maharaja and the whole village of Nandisvara. A

wonderful canopy adorned with jewelled strings is hung over the courtyard, each

door and gate is flanked by banana-trees and jugs filled with mangoes and flags

are flapping here and there. The houses of all the citizens and all the

marketplaces are also beautified like this. The royal roads and all the other

pathways are sprinkled with fragrant water, so that newcomers can understand

that there is a great festival going on in each and every home.In the evening

of the sixth lunar day Sri Nanda Maharaja sends his invitations - to the men

through Sri Subhadra (the cousin of Krsna and the husband of Kundalata) and to

the women through Dhanistha (the daughter of one of Krsna's wet-nurses). Sri

Subhadraji first goes to Vrsabhanupura, or Varsana, and tells Maharaja

Vrsabhanu: "The day after tomorrow is Krsna's birthday, and on this occasion

Sri Nanda Maharaja has invited you, saying: "This abode is yours, enjoy it as

if it's yours, I don't know anything (in terms of 'yours' and 'mine')! Please

come tomorrow morning to Nandisvara and make this invitation a success!" In the

same way Dhatri-kanya Dhanistha extends Mother Yasoda's invitation to Mother

Kirtida. The same kind of invitation is announced in Yavata (the abode of

Abhimanyu, Sri Radhika's husband) and to all other friends and relatives.(On

saptami, astami and navami, that is, on Janmastami and the preceding and

following days, Krsna does not go out to herd the cows and Sri Radhika dwells

in Nandagrama).

SAPTAMI-LILANAVADVIPA : BHAVAVESAIn Navadvipa, on the seventh day of the dark

lunar quarter of the month of Bhadra, Mahaprabhu performs His usual

morning-duties and then sits down to listen to the Srimad Bhagavata-discourse

with His devotees. Knowing Mahaprabhu's mind Gadadhara Pandita, the

Bhagavata-lecturer, describes how Sri Vrsabhanu Maharaja and his relatives come

from Varsana to Nandisvara to celebrate Sri Krsna's birthday festival. Upon

hearing this Mahaprabhu and His devotees all become absorbed in the mood of

Vraja.

VRAJA DHAMA : SAPTAMI LILAOn the seventh day of the dark lunar quarter everyone

in Vrsabhanupura finishes their morning duties, bathes, dresses, ornaments and

takes a light breakfast before departing to Nandisvara, taking garments and

ornaments along as presents for Krsna's birthday. Sri Vrsabhanu Maharaja and

his brothers mount elephants and leave Varsana, accompanied by musicians and

soldiers. Sri Kirtida Mata and her sisters-in-law, wet-nurses and other

relatives also depart in topmost bliss, sitting in covered palanquins, carried

by four bearers each. Sridama-candra, Sri Radhika's brother, mounts his own

horse and departs for Nandisvara with his soldiers and musicians, followed by

Sri Radhika and Her sakhis in palanquins and Candravali and the yuthesvaris

(gopi-groupleaders) in different vehicles. As Vrsabhanu Maharaja and his

brothers gradually approach Nandisvara town Nanda Maharaja and his brothers

hear their music and come forward to greet them. The guests dismount their

elephants and greet Nanda Maharaja and his brothers by embracing them,

addressing them and offering obeisances to them. Nanda Maharaja keeps the

soldiers outside and takes the guests inside, giving each of them a proper

place to stay. In the same way Sri Yasomati Mata and her sisters-in-law greet

Sri Kirtida Mata, Sri Radhika, and the sakhis and yuthesvaris with the proper

respect and affection, take them inside the palace and show them their

respective guest rooms. Then everyone takes rest in their own abode while the

servants and maidservants are engaged in their services.After this Sri

Vrsabhanu Maharaja, Kirtida Mata, Sri Radhika and all the sakhis and

yuthesvaris take a small snack. Then, on the order of Mother Yasomati, Sri

Radhika and Her sakhis engage in cooking different sweets, rice and vegetables,

that are offered to Nanda Maharaja's Narayana-deity by Madhumangala. After this

offering is done arati is performed for the deity. Servants are dancing,

singing and playing musical instruments and everyone present is very blissfully

witnessing this. After arati everyone offers prostrated obeisances unto the

deity and on the order of Mother Yasoda Madhumangala puts the deity to rest and

calls everyone for prasada. On the large yard Sri Nanda Maharaja sits down to

eat on the eastern side with his brothers Abhinanda and Upananda, Vrsabhanu

Maharaja and his four brothers, Sridama, Balarama, Subhadra and Gobhatta on his

right and Sunanda and Nandana, his other two brothers, Sri Krsna, Subala,

Ujjvala, Kokila and others on his left. Sri Krsna's maternal uncles sit facing

Nanda Maharaja and Abhimanyu and other cowherders sit facing Maharaja

Vrsabhanu. On the southern side all the local brahmanas are sitting and all

around the inhabitants of Nandisvara are seated. Sri Radha and Her sakhis serve

the side of Nanda Maharaja and Syamala, Candravali and other yuthesvaris are

serving Sri Vrsabhanu Maharaja's side. They diligently serve sweetmeats, rice

and vegetables. Everyone present eats with great pleasure, absorbed in joking

and laughter, and after eating they wash their mouths, chew betelleaves and

retire to their individual bedrooms, where their servants render them all the

services that are suitable for the time of the day. Sri Radha washes Her hands

and feet and becomes immersed in transcendental bliss by beholding Krsna's

beauty through the window as He lays down to rest. After that Yasomati Mata

calls Sri Radhika and the yuthesvaris and makes them sit down on the courtyard.

Sri Radha and Her sakhis sit in one line, Candravali, Syamala and others sit in

another line and Yasomati Mata, Kirtida Mata and other elderly gopis sit in yet

another line while Mother Rohini, Tungi Mata and Kundalata are serving. After

blissfully eating and washing their mouths all the ladies go to their

individual bedrooms and take rest, being served by their maidservants, who fan

them and serve them betelleaves. After this the (local) maidservants and the

manjaris (Sri Radhika's maidservants) also eat in order. After eating the

ambrosial food remnants of all the gopis the sadhaka dasi cleans the eating

place and the plates and then goes to Sri Radha to massage Her lotus feet and

render similar services.Later Sri Radha gets up from bed, meets Krsna for the

usual Yogapitha Milana in Gupta Kunda and returns to Nandisvara Pura again.

After taking some rest She prepares some sweets, is dressed and ornamented by

Her maidservants and then goes on abhisara on the pretext of offering surya

puja. After then playing Her usual pastimes with Krsna at Radhakunda She

returns to Nandisvara in the afternoon. The other pastimes of the day are also

as usual (nityavat).

NAVADVIPA: BHOJANA SAYANADI(Mahaprabhu takes His meal and takes rest)In

Navadvipa Mahaprabhu is absorbed in the bhogarati-kirtana of the householddeity

Lord Narayana with His devotees. Then, when Mother Saci calls Him, He ends the

kirtana and eats and rests as usual. The rest of His pastimes are also as

usual.

Thus ends the Saptami lila

ASTAMI-LILANAVADVIPA: BHAVAVESAIn Navadvipa, on the morning of the eighth day of

the dark lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadra, Mahaprabhu takes His usual

morning bath, sees the arati-ceremony for Lord Narayana and then sits down with

His devotees to listen to a Srimad Bhagavata-lecture given by Sri Gadadhara

Pandita Gosvami. As Gadadhara describes the lila of Krsna's Janmastami-abhiseka

Mahaprabhu and His devotees all become absorbed in Vraja-bhava.

VRAJA-DHAMA: ABHISEKAIn Nandisvara, on the astami-day, Sri Radha is bathed,

dressed and ornamented by Her maidservants as usual. Then Kundalata comes and

says: "O Radhe! Come and behold Sri Krsna's abhiseka-ceremony!" Hearing this,

Sri Radhika takes Her sakhis and manjaris along and comes to the place of the

abhiseka. The young and old villagers, men and women and all others who are

called also arrive at the spot.Sri Krsna is also bathed as usual, after which

His servants dress Him with a white garment, place a pearl in His nose, hang a

golden necklace around His neck, place armlets on His arms, bangles on His

wrists, a belt with small bells around His waist and golden anklebells on His

feet. Then Krsna goes to the bathing platform and sits down on a golden chair

studded with jewels. Musicians play different instruments, brahmanas chant

Vedic hymns, women chant 'Jaya Jaya!' and bards and panegyrists recite

different praises. Sri Bhaguri Rsi recites the abhiseka-mantras and the servant

boys perform the abhiseka. First of all they bathe Krsna with Mahausadhi

(herbal) water and then gradually with pancagavya (five kinds of

dairy-products) pancamrta (five kinds of nectar), a hundred jugs of water, then

with a thousand streams of water and finally with sankhodaka (water from a

conchshell). Then they dry Him off and dress Him in His Pitambara, after which

Krsna sits down on a jewelled seat on His srngara vedi (altar for

ornamentation), where He is ornamented by His servants.

NAVADVIPA: ABHISEKAIn Navadvipa Mahaprabhu sits down on the bathing platform,

immersed in transcendental bliss. The servant-boys bring the paraphernalia for

the abhiseka and Sri Advaita Prabhu performs the abhiseka according to the

prescribed rules. Then the servants dry Mahaprabhu off and dress Him in His

Pitavasa. Then Mahaprabhu takes His seat on a jewelled throne in His

srngara-mandapa (pavilion for ornamentation), where the servants arrange His

hair, put His tilaka on, adorn Him with sandalwood-pulp, garlands and jewelled

ornaments and place a mirror before Him. Then Svarupa Damodara performs the

arati of Mahaprabhu. After this, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami gradually sings

kirtana-songs about Sri Krsna's dressing, ornamentation and breakfast. All the

devotees who hear it then become absorbed in Vraja-bhava and relish the mellows

of these pastimes.

VRAJA-DHAMA: SRI KRSNA'S ORNAMENTATION AND THE NANDOTSAVAIn Nandalaya Krsna sits

on His srngara mandapa, where His servants decorate His hair and place a golden,

jewel-studded crown with peacock-feathers on His head. They make gorocana tilaka

on His forehead and leaf pictures on His cheeks, hang a pearl in His nose,

Makara-earrings on His ears, a jewelled necklace around His neck,

Angada-ornaments on His arms, bangles on His wrists, a sash of small bells

around His waist and jewelled anklebells on His feet. Bhaguri Rsi worships

Krsna seven times with Durva-sprouts in his hand and all the brahmanas offer

blessings. Sri Vrsabhanu Maharaja and others bless Krsna and offer Him golden

trays with clothes and ornaments, Sri Kirtida Mata and other elderly ladies

with motherly love offer their gifts and bless Krsna, and Sri Radhika offers

Krsna a golden tray with garments and ornaments and hangs a jewelled necklace

around His neck. In the same way Candravali and the other yuthesvaris offer

different presents. Then Krsna donates a milk cow-with-calf, with gold-plated

horns and silver hooves, bedecked with golden cloth and decorated with

different ornaments, to Bhaguri Rsi. Sri Nanda Maharaja also gives thousands

and thousands of cows in charity to the brahmanas. Then Krsna descends from the

altar and offers His obeisances to Paurnamasi-devi and the other brahmanas. Then

He bows down to His mother and father and to Sri Vrsabhanu Baba and Kirtida

Mata, as well as to all His other superiors, that are like His father and

mother. Then Sri Krsna is called by mother Yasoda to come to the dining room

with His friends to take a snack. Sri Radha and Her girlfriends and yuthesvaris

also all take a snack, after which mother Yasoda engages them in cooking.

Meanwhile hundreds of brahmanas are engaged elsewhere in cooking large amounts

of food.Yasomati comes to inspect all the preparations and then orders

Madhumangala to offer them to the household-deity, so Madhumangala comes and

offers a little bit of each preparation to Lord Narayana. After the bhoga he

performs arati and then puts the deity to rest. Then on different courtyards

the Dadhikada-game commences. On the outer yard Sri Nanda Maharaja plays with

Maharaja Vrsabhanu, his brothers and all the other elderly cowherders and on

another yard Balarama and Krsna and other cowherdboys become mad with playing

Dadhikada.In the inner quarters of the house Vrajesvari Mata, Kirtida Mata and

their sisters-in-law are playing, and on another inner yard Sri Radha,

Candravali and other yuthesvaris are maddened by the Dadhikada-game, which is

accompanied by dancing, singing and the playing of musical instruments. Mukhara

and other elderly gopis are dancing in the middle, wielding sticks. Everyone

throws yoghurt, milk, ghi, buttermilk, butter, oil, turmeric, liquid

sandalwood, vermilion, water and kesara (pollen tubes) at each other. Out of

excitement everyone forgets who is superior and who is junior; everyone tries

to pelt everyone else with yoghurt and milk. The thrown yoghurt and milk

streams through the drains like a virtual river, and when the pollen-tubes and

the butter form balls in the drains and thus cause them to clog, small lakes of

milk and yoghurt are being formed on the yards. Later, when these stoppages are

removed, the released milk and yoghurt streams away as fast as rivers. When the

demigods in the sky see this festival of bliss they shower flowers and some of

them assume human forms and dance amongst the cowherders. Other demigods assume

the form of birds and eat up the stoppages of butter. The singers, players and

the male and female dancers dance in ecstasy and the bards and panegyrists

consider themselves blessed by singing the glories of Gokula and Sri

Krsna.After completing the Dadhikada-game in this way everyone proceeds to

Pavana Sarovara and begins to play in the water of this lake. In the northern

Ghata (bathing place) are Vraja Raja Nanda, Maharaja Vrsabhanu and others, in

the eastern Ghata Balarama, Krsna and Their cowherd boyfriends, in the southern

Ghata Vrajesvari Yasoda, Kirtida Mata and others and in the western Ghata Sri

Radha, Candravali and others are playing in the water, splashing each other.

When they climb back on the shore their servants and maidservants wipe off

their bodies, massage them with oil and give them another bath. After this they

dry them off and dress them in dry, fresh clothes. When everyone returns to the

palace Nanda Maharaja presents each person, according to his social status,

with clothes and ornaments and Vrajesvari does the same with the lady-guests.

Everyone is then dressed and decorated with these gifts by their own servants

or maidservants. After this, Nanda Maharaja first seats the brahmanas on the

courtyard and feeds them the most exquisite sweets and fried things. After the

brahmanas have eaten Mother Yasoda has the brahmacaris call everyone for the

feast.

NAVADVIPA: LORD NARAYANA'S BHOGAMahaprabhu sits on the srngara mandapa with His

associates, absorbed in the Vraja-bhava, while in the inner courtyard

Laksmipriya, Visnupriya and others are preparing different kinds of sweets,

fried things and vegetables for the offering to Lord Narayana. Then, on the

order of Mother Saci Isana Dasa comes and says: "O Mahaprabho! The offering for

Lord Narayana is ready! Mother is calling You to do the offering!" Hearing this,

Mahaprabhu roars and returns (from Vraja-bhava) to external consciousness. The

devotees also return to external consciousness and Svarupa Damodara ends his

descriptive kirtana. Then, on Mahaprabhu's order, Gadadhara Pandita offers the

bhoga to Lord Narayana. Mahaprabhu and His devotees sit down in the

Narayana-temple and become absorbed in singing about Radha and Krsna and Their

friends eating in Nandisvara in Vraja.

VRAJADHAMA: FEASTING AND RESTINGVrajesvari Mata orders the brahmacaris to call

everyone for the feast and Vrajesvara Nanda sits down with Vrsabhanu Raja and

his sons, friends and fellow-villagers on the large courtyard and blissfully

starts feasting, just like the previous day. After eating they all wash their

mouths and chew betelleaves before retiring to their individual rooms to lie

down and digest the feast. Everyone is then served by their own servant or

maidservant as is required at that time of the day.Meanwhile Vrajesvari Mata

serves Kirtida Mata, Sri Radhika and all the other gopis a feast on the inner

yard of the palace, just like the previous day. The ladies also wash their

mouths, chew betelleaves and retire to their individual rooms to lie down and

digest the food. Vrajaraja then offers the brahmanas clothes, ornaments and

monetary donations and honours them before they leave. After this he offers

clothes, ornaments and monetary donations to the bards, panegyrists, dancers

and singers and serves them a great feast, and then he also feeds and honours

the beggars and destitutes before they leave. Then he goes to his own room and

takes rest. Sri Radha and Krsna and Their sakhis then perform Their daily

midday pastimes just as on the previous day or on any other day.

NAVADVIPA : LORD NARAYANA'S ARATRIKA In Navadvipa Mahaprabhu and His devotees

end their song about the feast in Vraja-lila. Gadadhara Pandita takes the

enjoyed offering from the altar, washes the mouth of the deity and performs

aratrika. Mahaprabhu and His devotees then offer prostrated obeisances to the

deity and go to the veranda of Mahaprabhu's bedroom and sit down there. Then,

after the usual meeting in the Yogapitha they wander through the forests and go

to Sri Advaita Prabhu's house in the afternoon, where they have been invited.

There they have darsana of the arati of Prabhu Sitanatha's deity Sri Madana

Gopala and perform kirtana. After enjoying fruits and milk-products they all

take rest in the house of Sri Advaita Prabhu. After this they perform their

usual nocturnal pastimes such as abhisara (love-journey) and return to Sri

Advaita Prabhu's house again at night's end to take rest.

Thus Ends the Astami Lila

NAVAMI LILANAVADVIPA : FEAST IN ADVAITA PRABHU'S HOUSEIn the morning Mahaprabhu

wakes up in Sri Advaita Prabhu's house, performs His morning-duties, bathes, is

dressed and ornamented and takes a snack before going to hear a discourse on

Srimad Bhagavata and becoming absorbed in Vraja-bhava. After hearing the

Bhagavata-lecture the Lord views the arati of Sriman Madana Gopala and performs

kirtana in front of the deities. After the deity is put to rest the Lord

performs the Nandotsava Kirtana and plays the Dadhikada-game with His devotees.

Then He performs His famous Nagara-bhramana (wandering through the town of

Navadvipa), dances, sings and plays Dadhikada in the house of each devotee

before returning to the house of Sri Advaita Prabhu. Then all the devotees go

to the Ganga for a holy dip and watersports and again return to the house of

Advaita Prabhu, who presents Mahaprabhu, Nitai Cand and all the other devotees

with gifts of clothes and ornaments. After taking prasada all the devotees take

a little rest and then they have the usual Yogapitha-meeting and wander through

the forests of Nadiya. In the afternoon Mahaprabhu returns to His own home.

After this all of Mahaprabhu's pastimes are as usual. In the evening Svarupa

Damodara, knowing Mahaprabhu's mind, describes Radha and Krsna's

evening-pastimes in Vraja. Hearing this all the devotees become absorbed in

Vraja-bhava.

VRAJA DHAMAIn the morning in Nandisvara Sri Radha and Her sakhis wake up as

usual, perform their morningduties, bathe and are ornamented and dressed before

they go to enjoy the remnants of Krsna's breakfast-snack. Then Vrajesvari orders

them to cook. Madhumangala offers these preparations to the deity of Lord

Narayana and then puts the deity to rest. Then, as on the previous day,

everyone eats, takes rest and has the Yogapitha meeting.In the evening, after

Sri Nanda Maharaja, Sri Vrsabhanu Maharaja and Sri Krsna had their snacks Sri

Radha and Her sakhis take their snacks. Then Vrsabhanu Maharaja begs permission

from Nanda Maharaja to leave and return home. Nanda Maharaja then respectfully

says goodbye to them while offering them clothes and ornaments once more.In the

same way Sri Vrajesvari Mata also says goodbye to Sri Kirtida Mata and the other

lady-guests by offering them garments and ornaments. Sri Radha and Her sakhis

and yuthesvaris offer their obeisances to Vrajesvari Mata and she blesses them

while embracing them, kissing them and smelling their heads. Thereafter all the

guests mount their own vehicles and return to their individual homes, being

followed by Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja for a while.After Sri Radhika and

Her sakhis return home they watch from their moontowers how Krsna milks His

cows in the evening. After that the lila is nityavat, as usual.

Thus ends Siddha Sri Krsna dasa Baba's description of Sri Janmastami lila.

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