Follow the Residents of Vrndavana

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In the supreme spiritual abode of Goloka Vrndavana, the Lord performs His most intimate pastimes of Nara-lila with his premi-bhaktas, the residents of Vrndavana. That place is permeated with the sweet aroma of spontaneous love of God, a key ingredient that is not found in the other Vaikuntha planets. Dressed with the foliages of the Vrndavana forest which breeds a variety of delicately fragrant and colorful lotuses and other assorted flowers and vines, Sri Krishna is sometimes seen frolicking the pasturing grounds with his friends the cowherd boys playing games such as wrestling or imitating the Vrndavana animals. Once Lord Brahma became bewildered upon seeing such a scenario. “How can this small boy playing with his friends and eating sweets be my Lord Narayana?” thus Brahma thought to himself and decided to steal the cowherd boys. After returning a year later, Brahma saw the same Krishna with his friends having a wonderful time, as if nothing had happened. He checked where he had placed the boys, but they were still there, “then who was sitting with Krishna?” Brahma thought. Thus the Lord bewildered Brahma. Having compassion, the Lord revealed to Brahma the identity of the boys he saw with Krishna. And to his amazement, they were Visnu expansions of the Lord, all emanating from Krishna and then once again returning into His body. Present were all a variety of demigods who offered select prayers unto the Lord. Finally, Brahma, with heartfelt tears, approached the Lord to beg his pardon. And thus he addressed the Lord, ”Are you not, therefore, my father; Narayana?” Brahma goes on to state that Krishna is indeed the source of all incarnations.

 

Though he is not adorned with four but two hands, and though he is a cowherd boy of Vrndavana, his position as the Supreme Personality is not diminished. This same Supreme Personality can sometimes be seen sneaking in to the homes of the elder gopis and stealing butter and yogurt. Sometimes he is alone and other times he is with Baladeva or his friends the cowherd boys. Having eaten enough, young Krishna would feed the local monkeys, but upon seeing the monkeys throw away the eatables Krishna thinks, “This is not good, even the monkeys don’t want it.” Thus he throws everything away and shatters everything. Performing such pastimes, the Lord not only steals butter, but also the hearts of the elder gopis, who jokingly complains to mother Yasoda about naughty Krishna.

 

Sometimes it can be seen that someone takes to a process in order to capture the Supreme Lord, but the Personality of Godhead is always inaccessible to him or her. It can also be seen that demons try to grab hold of the Lord, as Hiranyaksa tried to do to Lord Boar, yet the Lord was always beyond his reach. By so many endeavors the Lord was unapproachable; yet, mother Yasoda was able to bind baby Krishna with a thread of her love.

 

Once Laxmi Devi performed deep meditation in order to get the audience of the Lord. After being pleased by her service, the Lord, Sri Krishna appeared to her. She thus asked the Lord to become an associate of Krishna, a young damsel of Vrndavana, yet she did not want to relinquish her position as the Goddess of Fortune who serves Lord Narayana in awe and reverence, thus she was not permitted to become a Vraja gopis. Unlike Laxmi Devi, the gopis along with the other residents serve the Lord with spontaneous love, devoid of awe and reverence. Once, after the rasa dance, Lord Krishna disappeared from the view of the gopis, and thus the gopis went in search of the Lord. Trying to play a trick on His devotees, Krishna took on the guise of Lord Narayana and approached the gopis. When the gopis saw the Supreme Lord with four hands, they offered their obeisances and said thus, “Dear Lord Narayana, do you know where we might find our Krishna?” It can be seen from this pastime that the gopis are not wavered in their love to Lord Krishna no matter the situation.

 

Placing the flute, his favorite attendant, to His lips, an object most cherished by the Vraja gopis, Krishna enchants the whole of Vrndavana, thus making those in motion stationary and those stationary, such as the rocks of Vrndavana, active. The calves that were drinking milk from their mothers suddenly stop swallowing and stare in Krishna’s direction making the milk leak down their faces. The peacocks upon hearing the vibration of the flute, think it is raining and thus run wild, opening tails of rainbow colors. Thus the whole of Vrndavana become enchanted by the flute playing of Krishna, an act which steals their hearts as the sound of the flute enters their ears and then their hearts. Leaving in the early morning to herd the cows with his friends, Krishna would say adieu to the residents of Vrndavana, which included the Vraja gopis. This, as well as Krishna’s return afforded the gopis an opportunity to relish the nectar of Krishna lotus face without being impeded by familial obstacles. When the sun sets and Krishna is returning home, he plays the flute, signaling his approach, thus the ears of the gopis search the direction of the flute and thus relish untold bliss. In the day they would pass time by recollecting the many pastimes of the Lord and thus ease the deep anguish of separation they felt by the Lord’s absence.

 

Unlike the hearts of conditioned souls who try to exploit the resources of material nature, the hearts of the gopis and the other residents of Vrndavana are unlimitedly pure and thus, their desires are also pure for they always engage in activities that are pleasing to the senses of Govinda. For such unalloyed service free from the blemishes of karma and jnana, the devotees of the Lord have become most dear to the Him. Sometimes the Lord is unable to repay his devotees for the service they have rendered, as in the case of the gopis, and thus he sells himself to them. The devotees thus become the owners of the Lord. By following in the footsteps of such exalted souls as the residents of Vrndavana and thus seeking to please the Lord’s senses, one can certainly become eligible to participate in the Lord’s sweet pastimes and experience untold ananda or bliss. As they are pleased by our service, they shall certainly recommend us to the Lord who cannot deny their request. So ultimately, it is the love of the devotee that captures the Lord as is the case with the residents of Vrndavana who are perfect examples of loving God in its highest state.