Remembrance of the Vrindaban pastimes

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In the Bhagavatam, 3.2.27, the great bhakta Shri Uddhava said:

 

parIto vatsapair vatsAMz

cArayan vyaharad vibhuH

yamunopavane kUjad-

dvija-saGkulitAGghripe

 

"In His childhood, the Almighty Lord was surrounded by cowherd

boys and calves, and thus He traveled on the shore of the YamunA River,

through gardens densely covered with trees and filled with vibrations of

chirping birds."

 

Here is how Shrila Prabhupada commented on these words:

 

PURPORT

"Nanda MahArAja was a landholder for King KaMsa, but because by

caste he was a vaizya, a member of the mercantile and agricultural

community, he maintained thousands of cows. It is the duty of the vaizyas

to give protection to the cows, just as the kSatriyas are to give

protection to the human beings. Because the Lord was a child, He was put

in charge of the calves with His cowherd boy friends. These cowherd boys

were great RSis and yogIs in their previous births, and after many such

pious births, they gained the association of the Lord and could play with

Him on equal terms. Such cowherd boys never cared to know who KRSNa was,

but they played with Him as a most intimate and lovable friend. They were

so fond of the Lord that at night they would only think of the next

morning when they would be able to meet the Lord and go together to the

forests for cowherding.

"The forests on the shore of the YamunA are all beautiful gardens

full of trees of mango, jackfruit, apples, guava, oranges, grapes,

berries, palmfruit and so many other plants and fragrant flowers. And

because the forest was on the bank of the YamunA, naturally there were

ducks, cranes and peacocks on the branches of the trees. All these trees

and birds and beasts were pious living entities born in the transcendental

abode of VRndAvana just to give pleasure to the Lord and His eternal

associates, the cowherd boys.

"While playing like a small child with His associates, the Lord

killed many demons, including AghAsura, BakAsura, PralambAsura and

GardabhAsura. Although He appeared at VRndAvana just as a boy, He was

actually like the covered flames of a fire. As a small particle of fire

can kindle a great fire with fuel, so the Lord killed all these great

demons, beginning from His babyhood in the house of Nanda MahArAja. The

land of VRndAvana, the Lord's childhood playground, still remains today,

and anyone who visits these places enjoys the same transcendental bliss,

although the Lord is not physically visible to our imperfect eyes. Lord

Caitanya recommended this land of the Lord as identical with the Lord and

therefore worshipable by the devotees. This instruction is taken up

especially by the followers of Lord Caitanya known as the GauDIya

VaiSNavas. And because the land is identical with the Lord, devotees like

Uddhava and Vidura visited these places five thousand years ago in order

to have direct contact with the Lord, visible or not visible, Thousands of

devotees of the Lord are still wandering in these sacred places of

VRndAvana, and all of them are preparing to go back home, back to

Godhead."

 

 

MDd