flute

[Guest guest]

O dear sakhis, although the flute is male, we cannot imagine what sort of

sadhana and bhajana he must have performed in his previous births that in

our very presence it is drinking the nectar of Damodara's lips, which

rightfully belongs to us alone. He is not even sparing a drop of that rasa

for us. On the pretext of their blossoming lotus flowers, the rivers, which

have nourished the flute with their water ( rasa), are exhibiting symptoms

of ecstatic horripilation. The trees, who are forefathers of the flute, are

equal to the best of men. Seeing their descendant filled with such intense

love for the Lord, they have become overjoyed, and tears of ecstasy are

flowing from their eyes.

 

Gopi means that another gopi is speaking. The gopis are telling each other

about the good fortune of the flute. Although the flute is male, it must

have performed so much pious activity in its past birth to have earned the

chance to sit on Krishna's lips and act the part of a gopi. Only the gopis

are authorized to drink the adhara-sudha, the nectar of Krishna's lips, but

right in front of us, this flute, even though he is a male, is taking all

the nectar and not even leaving us a drop. The venu does not care about us.

He is drinking the nectar in defiance of us. Therefore, they call the flute

nadir, fearless. “We want to know what tapasya this flute has performed in

previous births to have achieved this position so that we too may perform

those same austerities and achieve the same result of drinking the nectar of

Krishna’s lips in front of our husbands, fathers, fathers-in-law, and other

superiors. What do we have to do to become so daring?”

 

This speech is the speech of madwomen who are experiencing maha-bhava. The

gopis speak spontaneously, as if everyone has a madhurya relationship with

Krishna. They speak desperately, with no control over their minds and senses

in the madness that has overwhelmed them. By seeing their son’s desperate

thirst, the parents of the flute are happy to see their son become Krishna’s

flute and thus able to drink the nectar of His lips. The venu is bamboo.

Therefore, the bamboo trees are rejoicing to see the good fortune of their

relative. The kadamba trees, mango trees and other large trees are also

laughing because they are all family members of the bamboo. All of them

recognize the good fortune of their child. Tears of happiness ( anand-asru)

come from their eyes in the form of running sap, and their hairs are

standing on end in the form of blossoming flowers. Like fathers and mothers

who become happy to see their children prosper, the trees and flowers weep

in happiness for their child, the flute. Hradinyah here means water - the

ponds and rivers. The water is also the flute’s mother, because the bamboo

grows in the rivers’ water, and the bamboo sustains its body by drinking the

milk (water) of the rivers. Therefore, the rivers simultaneously laugh and

cry to see their child so fortunate. Their laughter takes the form of lotus

flowers. When someone cries out of sorrow, their tears will be hot, but if

they cry out of happiness, their tears will be cool. Because the rivers’

tears are cool, the gopis think that the rivers are happy for their son.

“Even Brahma and Siva cannot attain this position, so how is it that our

son, a bamboo stick, is able to taste the nectar of Krishna’s lips?”

 

To the gopis, the flute is their rival. The venu does not care for their

claim on the nectar of Krishna’s lips but is drinking all of it himself. He

doesn’t even leave them a drop. Therefore, the gopis want to perform the

same austerities performed by the flute in his past life in order to become

Krishna’s flute in their next birth. Krishna is never separated from His

flute. He carries His flute everywhere; the flute is even with Him when He

sleeps. The gopis aspire to always be with Krishna too, when He is sleeping,

when He is going to the forest to take care of the cows, and at all other

times. Yet they cannot attain this because they are blocked by their

relatives. Thus the flute is a rival. The flute is free to go with Krishna

everywhere, but they are not. Therefore, although the mother and father of

the flute are happy to see their son drinking the nectar of Krishna’s lips,

the gopis are envious. They are hoping to take birth as the flute in their

next birth so that they will always be in Krishna’s association without

anyone abusing them, criticizing them, or questioning their behavior.

 

The gopis are experiencing mahabhava, and within that mahabhava, their mood

is adhirudha-bhava. The gopis are expressing their feelings. Everything is

being experienced within their own hearts. It is the nature of the

maha-bhagavata devotee to see everything and everyone as if they are in the

same bhava. The flute may or may not be conscious, but the gopis see it as a

rival for the nectar of Krishna’s lips. Therefore, seeing through their eyes

means seeing through their bhava. To see anything and be reminded of our

love for Krishna is called uddipana-bhava. The gopis see things in their

minds and hearts according to madhurya-rasa, which makes everything in

Vrindavana seem

like it is exchanging with Krishna in conjugal love. An uttama-adhikari can

follow this mood and see like this, in uddipana-bhava.

 

 

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