Krsna Never leaves Vrndavana

[Guest guest]

Krsna Book

Uddhava Visits Vrndavana

Chapter 46

 

Nanda Maharaja returned to Vrndavana without Krsna and Balarama. He was accompanied only by the cowherd boys and men. It was certainly a very pathetic scene for the gopis, mother Yasoda, Srimati Radharani and all the residents of Vrndavana. Many devotees have tried to make adjustments to Krsna’s being away from Vrndavana because, according to expert opinion, Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, never goes even a step out of Vrndavana. He always remains there. The explanation of expert devotees is that Krsna was actually not absent from Vrndavana; He came back with Nanda Maharaja as promised.

 

When Krsna was starting for Mathura on the chariot driven by Akrura and the gopis were blocking the way, Krsna assured them that He was coming back just after finishing His business in Mathura. He told them not to be overwhelmed and in this way pacified them. But when He failed to come back with Nanda Maharaja, it appeared that He either cheated them or could not keep His promise. Expert devotees, however, have decided that Krsna was neither a cheater nor a breaker of promises. Krsna, in His original identity, returned with Nanda Maharaja and stayed with the gopis and mother Yasoda in His bhava expansion. Krsna and Balarama remained in Mathura not in Their original forms but in Their expansions as Vasudeva and Sankarsana. The real Krsna and Balarama were in Vrndavana in Their bhava manifestation, whereas in Mathura They appeared in the prabhava and vaibhava expansions. This is the expert opinion of advanced devotees of Krsna. Externally, however, They were absent from Vrndavana. Therefore, when Nanda Maharaja was preparing to return to Vrndavana, there was some discussion between him and the boys concerning how they could live in separation. The conclusion to separate was reached by mutual agreement.. . . "

 

HDGACBSP

[Kripamoya]

But, it appeared that he had left Vrindavan.

The gopis would have died in seperation had not Uddhava come to give them proper guidance how to live in seperation.

 

without Krishna there is no Vrindavan, no Nanda and Yashoda, no Radharani and no gopis.

 

But, he appeared to be absent by the power of yogamaya.

 

Krishna is the supreme spirit.

He is everywhere.

But, sometimes he is invisible.

[Guest guest]

 

But, it appeared that he had left Vrindavan.

The gopis would have died in seperation had not Uddhava come to give them proper guidance how to live in seperation.

 

In that sense Uddhava is the guru, but from another angle of vision the gopis are the gurus. aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam

ramya kascid upasana vraja-vadhu-varga-ya kalpita srimad-bhagavatam amalam puranam prema pumartho mahan sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah. Ramya kascid upasana vraja-vadhu-varga-ya kalpita, the highest form of worship of Krsna is that of the damsels of Vraja, not Uddhava. After getting a glimpse of the supreme position of the gopis self-sacrificing ("to the extreme") nature Uddhava said:

 

asam aho carana-renu-jusam aham syam

 

vrndavane kim api gulma-latausadhinam

 

ya dustyajam sva-janam arya-patham ca hitva

 

bhejur mukunda-padavam srutibhir vimrgyam

 

"The gopis of Vrndavana gave up their husbands, children, and families who are very difficult to renounce, and sacrificed even their religious principles to take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, which are sought after even by the Vedas themselves. O! Grant me the fortune to take birth as a blade of grass in Vrndavana, so that I may take the dust of the lotus feet of those great souls upon my head."

Does the guru put the dust of the disciple on his head?

[Kripamoya]

Krsna Book

 

 

All the gopis were solaced by the instruction of Uddhava, and they requested him to stay in Vrndavana for a few days more. Uddhava agreed to their proposal and stayed with them not only for a few days, but for a few months. He always kept them engaged in thinking of the transcendental message of Krsna and His pastimes, and the gopis were feeling as if they were experiencing direct association with Krsna. While Uddhava remained in Vrndavana, the inhabitants enjoyed his association. As they discussed the activities of Krsna, the days passed just like moments. Vrndavana's natural atmosphere, with the presence of the river Yamuna, its nice orchards of trees decorated with various fruits, Govardhana Hill, caves, blooming flowers--all combined to inspire Uddhava to narrate Krsna's pastimes. The inhabitants enjoyed Uddhava's association in the same way as they enjoyed the association of Krsna.

 

He always kept them engaged in thinking of the transcendental message of Krsna and His pastimes, and the gopis were feeling as if they were experiencing direct association with Krsna.

[Kripamoya]

 

The inhabitants enjoyed Uddhava's association in the same way as they enjoyed the association of Krsna.

 

This is very deep.

Only a materially infected soul would be envious of Uddhava.

 

Rasa-lila ki-jaya!

[Guest guest]

Srila Sridhar Maharaja would say that everything can be harmonized within the Krsna conception which he considered all-accomadating. In the harmony of the Krsna conception opposites become haromized because everything that exists, exists within Krsna and therefore the Krsna conception.There is no need to create an artificial rift over who was the guru and who was the disciple in relation to Uddhava and the Gopis. The previous acaryas are simply looking at Krsna lila from different angles of vision. When we take sides between one vision or another in a partisan way, we are only imposing the dualities of our materialistic minds. We have to be careful when approaching these subjects because we are delving in to a land which according to Srila Sridhar Maharaja is made of higher stuff than ourselves. We also have to be careful that we are not offending one of the previous acaryas who has given a realisation and angle of vision of which we may not be aware. I remember in the eighties on ISKCON leader attacked, as knee jerk reaction, a statement that he thought was given by Srila Sridhar Maharaja. In reality the statement was from Srila Prabhupada? How absurd! We best be careful when we deal with this subject matter or we can fall into the same trap. "Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread" applies to taking things cheaply on many levels. When Srila Sridhar Maharaja would speak of high topics he would end by chanting, "dayal Nitai" and Nitai Gaura Hari bol". He was so unaware of his own exalted nature that he thought he was purifying himself but actually he was setting the example for all of us. We are all guilty of self deception to one degree or another. So it is best to look within for the faults and give up the occupation of a "sewer examiner".