Gopastami

[Guest guest]

"The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Karttika is

known by authorities as Gopastami. From that day, Lord Vasudeva served as

a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves."

 

 

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TRANSLATION

 

Sukadeva Gosvami said: When Lord Rama and Lord Krsna attained the age of

pauganda [six to ten] while living in Vrndavana, the cowherd men allowed

Them to take up the task of tending the cows. Engaging thus in the company

of Their friends, the two boys rendered the land of Vrndavana most

auspicious by imprinting upon it the marks of Their lotus feet.

 

PURPORT

 

Lord Krsna wanted to encourage His cowherd boyfriends, who had been

swallowed by Aghasura and then stolen by Lord Brahma. Therefore the Lord

decided to bring them into the palm-tree forest called Talavana, where

there were many delicious ripe fruits. Since Lord Krsna's spiritual body

had apparently grown slightly in age and strength, the senior men of

Vrndavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja, decided to promote Krsna from the

task of herding calves to the status of a regular cowherd boy. He would

now take care of the full-grown cows, bulls and oxen. Out of great

affection, Nanda Maharaja had previously considered Krsna too small and

immature to take care of full-grown cows and bulls. It is stated in the

Karttika-mahatmya section of the Padma Purana:

 

suklastami karttike tu

smrta gopastami budhaih

tad-dinad vasudevo 'bhud

gopah purvam tu vatsapah

 

"The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Karttika is

known by authorities as Gopastami. From that day, Lord Vasudeva served as

a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves."

 

The word padaih indicates that Lord Krsna blessed the earth by walking on

her surface with His lotus feet. The Lord wore no shoes or other footgear

but walked barefoot in the forest, giving great anxiety to the girls of

Vrndavana, who feared that His soft lotus feet would be injured.

 

SB 10.15.2

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TEXT 110

 

TEXT

 

prabhu hasi' kaila, -- tumi kichu na janila

purve ami achilan jatite goyala

SYNONYMS

 

prabhu -- the Lord; hasi' -- smiling; kaila -- said; tumi -- you; kichu --

anything; na -- not; janila -- know; purve -- in the past; ami -- I;

achilan -- was; jatite -- by caste; goyala -- cowherd.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When the astrologer was speaking so highly of Him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

stopped him and began to smile. "My dear sir," He said, "I think you do

not know very clearly what I was, for I know that in My previous birth I

was a cowherd boy.

 

Adi 17.111

 

TEXT 111

 

TEXT

 

gopa-grhe janma chila, gabhira rakhala

sei punye hailan ebe brahmana-chaoyala

SYNONYMS

 

gopa-grhe -- in the house of a cowherd; janma -- birth; chila -- there was;

gabhira -- of the cows; rakhala -- protector; sei punye -- by those pious

activities; hailan -- became; ebe -- now; brahmana -- of a brahmana;

chaoyala -- son.

 

TRANSLATION

 

"In My last birth I was born in the family of cowherd men, and I gave

protection to the calves and cows. Because of such pious activities, I

have now become the son of a brahmana."

 

PURPORT

 

The words of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the greatest authority, herein

clearly indicate that one becomes pious simply by keeping cows and

protecting them. Unfortunately, people have become such rascals that they

do not even care about the words of an authority. People generally

consider cowherd men lowly members of society, but herein Caitanya

Mahaprabhu confirms that they are so pious that in their next lives they

are going to be brahmanas. The caste system has a specific purpose. If

this scientific system is followed, human society will get the greatest

benefit. Heeding this instruction by the Lord, people should serve cows

and calves and in return get ample quantities of milk. There is no loss in

serving the cows and calves, but modern human society has become so

degraded that instead of giving protection to the cows and serving them,

people are killing them. How can they expect peace and prosperity in human

society while committing such sinful activities? It is impossible.

 

Adi 17.112

 

TEXT 112