Nandotsava Celebrations (13th Aug'2001) in Gokula

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Nandotsava Celebrations in Gokula

 

SB 10.5.1-2

 

Sukadeva Gosvami said: Nanda Maharaja was naturally very magnanimous, and

when Lord Sri Krsna appeared as his son, he was overwhelmed by jubilation.

Therefore, after bathing and purifying himself and dressing himself

properly, he invited brahmanas who knew how to recite Vedic mantras. After

having these qualified brahmanas recite auspicious Vedic hymns, he arranged

to have the Vedic birth ceremony celebrated for his newborn child according

to the rules and regulations, and he also arranged for worship of the

demigods and forefathers.

 

PURPORT

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has discussed the significance of the

words nandas tu. The word tu, he says, is not used to fulfill the sentence,

because without tu the sentence is complete. Therefore the word tu is used

for a different purpose. Although Krsna appeared as the son of Devaki,

Devaki and Vasudeva did not enjoy the jata-karma, the festival of the birth

ceremony. Instead, this ceremony was enjoyed by Nanda Maharaja, as stated

here (nandas tv atmaja utpanne jatahlado maha-manah). When Nanda Maharaja

met Vasudeva, Vasudeva could not disclose, "Your son Krsna is actually my

son. You are His father in a different way, spiritually." Because of fear of

Kamsa, Vasudeva could not observe the festival for Krsna's birth, Nanda

Maharaja, however, took full advantage of this opportunity.

 

The jata-karma ceremony can take place when the umbilical cord, connecting

the child and the placenta, is cut. However, since Krsna was brought by

Vasudeva to the house of Nanda Maharaja, where was the chance for this to

happen? In this regard, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura desires to prove with

evidence from many sastras that Krsna actually took birth as the son of

Yasoda before the birth of Yogamaya, who is therefore described as the

Lord's younger sister. Even though there may be doubts about the cutting of

the umbilical cord, and even though it is possible that this was not done,

when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, such events are regarded as

factual. Krsna appeared as Varahadeva from the nostril of Brahma, and

therefore Brahma is described as the father of Varahadeva. Also significant

are the words karayam asa vidhivat. Being overwhelmed with jubilation over

the birth of his son, Nanda Maharaja did not see whether the cord was cut or

not. Thus he performed the ceremony very gorgeously. According to the

opinion of some authorities, Krsna was actually born as the son of Yasoda.

In any case, without regard for material understandings, we can accept that

Nanda Maharaja's celebration for the ceremony of Krsna's birth was proper.

This ceremony is therefore well known everywhere as Nandotsava.

 

SB 10.5.3

Nanda Maharaja gave two million cows, completely decorated with cloth and

jewels, in charity to the brahmanas. He also gave them seven hills of grain,

covered with jewels and with cloth decorated with golden embroidery.

 

SB 10.5.4

O King, by the passing of time, land and other material possessions are

purified; by bathing, the body is purified; and by being cleansed, unclean

things are purified. By purificatory ceremonies, birth is purified; by

austerity, the senses are purified; and by worship and charity offered to

the brahmanas, material possessions are purified. By satisfaction, the mind

is purified; and by self-realization, or Krsna consciousness, the soul is

purified.

 

PURPORT

These are sastric injunctions concerning how one can purify everything

according to Vedic civilization. Unless purified, anything we use will

infect us with contamination. In India five thousand years ago, even in the

villages such as that of Nanda Maharaja, people knew know to purify things,

and thus they enjoyed even material life without contamination.

 

SB 10.5.5

The brahmanas recited auspicious Vedic hymns, which purified the environment

by their vibration. The experts in reciting old histories like the Puranas,

the experts in reciting the histories of royal families, and general

reciters all chanted, while singers sang and many kinds of musical

instruments, like bheris and dundubhis, played in accompaniment.

 

SB 10.5.6

Vrajapura, the residence of Nanda Maharaja, was fully decorated with

varieties of festoons and flags, and in different places, gates were made

with varieties of flower garlands, pieces of cloth, and mango leaves. The

courtyards, the gates near the roads, and everything within the rooms of the

houses were perfectly swept and washed with water.

 

SB 10.5.7

The cows, the bulls and the calves were thoroughly smeared with a mixture of

turmeric and oil, mixed with varieties of minerals. Their heads were

bedecked with peacock feathers, and they were garlanded and covered with

cloth and golden ornaments.

 

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has instructed in Bhagavad-gita (18.44),

krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma-svabhavajam: "Farming, cow protection

and trade are the qualities of work for the vaisyas." Nanda Maharaja

belonged to the vaisya community, the agriculturalist community. How to

protect the cows and how rich this community was are explained in these

verses. We can hardly imagine that cows, bulls and calves could be cared for

so nicely and decorated so well with cloths and valuable golden ornaments.

How happy they were. As described elsewhere in the Bhagavatam, during

Maharaja Yudhisthira's time the cows were so happy that they used to muddy

the pasturing ground with milk. This is Indian civilization. Yet in the same

place, India, Bharata-varsa, how much people are suffering by giving up the

Vedic way of life and not understanding the teachings of Bhagavad-gita.

 

SB 10.5.8

O King Pariksit, the cowherd men dressed very opulently with valuable

ornaments and garments such as coats and turbans. Decorated in this way and

carrying various presentations in their hands, they approached the house of

Nanda Maharaja.

 

PURPORT

When we consider the past condition of the agriculturalist in the village,

we can see how opulent he was, simply because of agricultural produce and

protection of cows. At the present, however, agriculture having been

neglected and cow protection given up, the agriculturalist is suffering

pitiably and is dressed in a niggardly torn cloth. This is the distinction

between the India of history and the India of the present day. By the

atrocious activities of ugra-karma, how we are killing the opportunity of

human civilization!

 

SB 10.5.9

The gopi wives of the cowherd men were very pleased to hear that mother

Yasoda had given birth to a son, and they began to decorate themselves very

nicely with proper dresses, ornaments, black ointment for the eyes, and so

on.

 

SB 10.5.10

Their lotuslike faces extraordinarily beautiful, being decorated with

saffron and newly grown kunkuma, the wives of the cowherd men hurried to the

house of mother Yasoda with presentations in their hands. Because of natural

beauty, the wives had full hips and full breasts, which moved as they

hurried along.

 

PURPORT

The cowherd men and women in the villages lived a very natural life, and the

women developed a natural feminine beauty, with full hips and breasts.

Because women in modern civilization do not live naturally, their hips and

breasts do not develop this natural fullness. Because of artificial living,

women have lost their natural beauty, although they claim to be independent

and advanced in material civilization. This description of the village women

gives a clear example of the contrast between natural life and the

artificial life of a condemned society, such as that of the Western

countries, where topless, bottomless beauty may be easily purchased in clubs

and shops and for public advertisements. The word balibhih indicates that

the women were carrying gold coins, jeweled necklaces, nice cloths, newly

grown grass, sandalwood pulp, flower garlands and similar offerings on

plates made of gold. Such offerings are called bali. The words tvaritam

jagmuh indicate how happy the village women were to understand that mother

Yasoda had given birth to a wonderful child known as Krsna.

 

SB 10.5.11

In the ears of the gopis were brilliantly polished jeweled earrings, and

from their necks hung metal lockets. Their hands were decorated with

bangles, their dresses were of varied colors, and from their hair, flowers

fell onto the street like showers. Thus while going to the house of Maharaja

Nanda, the gopis, their earrings, breasts and garlands moving, were

brilliantly beautiful.

 

PURPORT

The description of the gopis, who were going to the house of Maharaja Nanda

to welcome Krsna, is especially significant. The gopis were not ordinary

women, but expansions of Krsna's pleasure potency, as described in the

Brahma-samhita (5.37,29):

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis

tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih

goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(5.37)

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-

laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam

laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(5.29)

Krsna is always worshiped by the gopis wherever He goes. Therefore Krsna is

so vividly described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has also

described Krsna in this way: ramya kacid upasana vrajavadhu-vargena ya

kalpita. All these gopis were going to offer Krsna their presentations

because the gopis are eternal associates of the Lord. Now the gopis were

more jubilant because of the news of Krsna's appearance in Vrndavana.

 

SB 10.5.12

Offering blessings to the newborn child, Krsna, the wives and daughters of

the cowherd men said, "May You become the King of Vraja and long maintain

all its inhabitants." They sprinkled a mixture of turmeric powder, oil and

water upon the birthless Supreme Lord and offered their prayers.

 

SB 10.5.13

Now that the all-pervading, unlimited Lord Krsna, the master of the cosmic

manifestation, had arrived within the estate of Maharaja Nanda, various

types of musical instruments resounded to celebrate the great festival.

 

PURPORT

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (4.7):

yada yada hi dharmasya

glanir bhavati bharata

abhyutthanam adharmasya

tadatmanam srjamy aham

"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O

descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I

descend Myself." Whenever Krsna comes, once in a day of Brahma, He comes to

the house of Nanda Maharaja in Vrndavana. Krsna is the master of all

creation (sarva-loka-mahesvaram). Therefore, not only in the neighborhood of

Nanda Maharaja's estate, but all over the universe-and in all the other

universes-musical sounds celebrated the auspicious arrival of the Lord.

 

SB 10.5.14

In gladness, the cowherd men enjoyed the great festival by splashing one

another's bodies with a mixture of curd, condensed milk, butter and water.

They threw butter on one another and smeared it on one another's bodies.

 

PURPORT

>From this statement we can understand that five thousand years ago not only

was there enough milk, butter and curd to eat, drink and cook with, but when

there was a festival it would be thrown about without restriction. There was

no limit to how extensively milk, butter, curd and other such products were

used in human society. Everyone had an ample stock of milk, and by using it

in many varied milk preparations, people would keep good health in natural

ways and thus enjoy life in Krsna consciousness.

 

SB 10.5.15-16

The great-minded Maharaja Nanda gave clothing, ornaments and cows in charity

to the cowherd men in order to please Lord Visnu, and thus he improved the

condition of his own son in all respects. He distributed charity to the

sutas, the magadhas, the vandis, and men of all other professions, according

to their educational qualifications, and satisfied everyone's desires.

 

PURPORT

Although it has become fashionable to speak of daridra-narayana, the words

visnor aradhanarthaya do not mean that all the people satisfied by Nanda

Maharaja in this great ceremony were Visnus. They were not daridra, nor were

they Narayana. Rather, they were devotees of Narayana, and by their

educational qualifications they would satisfy Narayana. Therefore,

satisfying them was an indirect way of satisfying Lord Visnu.

Mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika (Bhag. 11.19.21). The Lord says, "Worshiping My

devotees is better than worshiping Me directly." The varnasrama system is

entirely meant for visnu-aradhana, worship of Lord Visnu. Varnasramacaravata

purusena parah puman/ visnur aradhyate (Visnu Purana 3.8.9). The ultimate

goal of life is to please Lord Visnu, the Supreme Lord. The uncivilized man

or materialistic person, however, does not know this aim of life. Na te

viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum (Bhag. 7.5.31). One's real self-interest lies

in satisfying Lord Visnu. Not satisfying Lord Visnu but instead attempting

to become happy through material adjustments (bahir-artha-maninah) is the

wrong way for happiness. Because Visnu is the root of everything, if Visnu

is pleased, everyone is pleased; in particular, one's children and family

members become happy in all respects. Nanda Maharaja wanted to see his

newborn child happy. That was his purpose. Therefore he wanted to satisfy

Lord Visnu, and to satisfy Lord Visnu it was necessary to satisfy His

devotees, such as the learned brahmanas, magadhas and sutas. Thus, in a

roundabout way, ultimately it was Lord Visnu who was to be satisfied.

 

SB 10.5.17

The most fortunate Rohini, the mother of Baladeva, was honored by Nanda

Maharaja and Yasoda, and thus she also dressed gorgeously and decorated

herself with a necklace, a garland and other ornaments. She was busy

wandering here and there to receive the women who were guests at the

festival.

 

PURPORT

Rohini, another wife of Vasudeva's, was also kept under the care of Nanda

Maharaja with her son Baladeva. Because her husband was imprisoned by Kamsa,

she was not very happy, but on the occasion of Krsna-janmastami, Nandotsava,

when Nanda Maharaja gave dresses and ornaments to others, he also gave

gorgeous garments and ornaments to Rohini so that she could take part in the

festival. Thus she also was busy receiving the women who were guests.

Because of her good fortune in being able to raise Krsna and Balarama

together, she is described as maha-bhaga, greatly fortunate.

 

SB 10.5.18

O Maharaja Pariksit, the home of Nanda Maharaja is eternally the abode of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His transcendental qualities and is

therefore always naturally endowed with the opulence of all wealth. Yet

beginning from Lord Krsna's appearance there, it became the place for the

pastimes of the goddess of fortune.

 

PURPORT

As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.29),

laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam govindam adi-purusam tam aham

bhajami. The abode of Krsna is always served by hundreds and thousands of

goddesses of fortune. Wherever Krsna goes, the goddess of fortune naturally

resides with Him. The chief of the goddesses of fortune is Srimati

Radharani. Therefore, Krsna's appearance in the land of Vraja indicated that

the chief goddess of fortune, Radharani, would also appear there very soon.

Nanda Maharaja's abode was already opulent, and since Krsna had appeared, it

would be opulent in all respects.