Venue: Los Angeles. So everything ready to go, everything is getting loaded into, into what?  Big trucks?  carts, bullock carts. Every family had at-least one cart or more.  So many cows, so many bulls and that’s the mode of transportation. Krishna had never gone His travels were more kind of limited to this brahad van,  He was more in Gokul, into the town, just  around on the bank of Jamuna just near. It’s the first time He is going for a very long travel, very  very long,  its like going to another country for him. “Oh! Mummy mummy, where are we going? Where are we going? (laughs) “beta we are going to Vrndavan.” “Vrndavan, why Vrndavan?”  “You know there are big big playgrounds. You could play there”. So Krishna was delighted, He was jumping in the cart.

So there are so many many carts big line, cart after cart, after cart, after cart. Carts were mainly for the elderly folks, old people and children, ladies were in the carts. Everyone else they were down to the earth, they were on the ground, walking. And the cows, Sukhdev Goswami describes, cows were all the way in front and Purohit the priests are there they are chanting prayers and cows, where is the cow? Coming (video being played in the background).

And they also have weapons for the protection of cows. Cows have been described repeatedly; they describe cows as the Go-dhan, wealth of the residents of Vrindavan, so they wish to protect this.  When comes to cows, so many cows, so many cows, this pastime is coming up. So they are going, they left Gokul, Gokul has been deserted, there’s no one in the Gokul, no one in Gokul. They all left, ghost town and they are going in north, northerly direction and because it had taken some time everyone to load their belongings and everyone getting into the carts. It is mentioned there’s a special cart wherein there is Krishna and Balarama and Yasoda and Rohini, four of them are in one cart. It’s a talk that we also hear that everyone would like to have his cart next to Krishna’s cart and Krishna lets them experience there were times, during those travels everyone was thinking “hey! My cart is next to Krishna’s cart, hey! My cart is….”   Everyone else is far; you know behind, ahead, my cart is just next to Krishna’s cart, Balarama’s cart.

This is Krishna expanding, His cart has been expanded, He has expanded, He is with all those carts.  So because it was getting late it was sunset time, they camped on the bank of Jamuna, they camped out. In the same side as Gokul just some distance in the north. This whole camping has been described how they had everything was there. The next morning as they got up they wanted to cross, so what they do for crossing. There are different things they do, how they cross Jamuna. They tied carts, cart one cart another cart, another cart, another cart….   What is this going on? What is this? Bridge. they are walking and crossing there are many bridges like that and people are going in their carts.  Tying carts you understand match box one another one cart.  Where the others the cowherd men they are carrying cows little baby calf on their shoulders and  swimming Jamuna going across and if they are swimming across with the calf on the back, who is swimming right behind you think?  Mother cow. So many men are carrying the baby calf on their shoulders and they are swimming and the cows are swimming right behind. Thousands of them are trying to swim across like that. Go-mata ki jai………………………………

And now they all have reached Vrindavan, Vrindavan dhama ki jai………Vrindavan they all are in Vrindavan now. Vrindavan is again, there are twelve forests. All of them put together is we call Vrindavan but one of those twelve forests is also Vrindavan forest, between Jamuna and Govardhan it is all Vrindavan forest. Vrindavan is not just forest (video is being played in the background).  We are getting feeling we are in Vrindavan. We are there it’s the real thing, now where they go and park is, they park all the carts in semi circular format. “sakatair ardha-candravat vrndavanam sampravisya” (S.B 10.11.35)

After entering Vrindavan they park their carts in the semi circular format and made that as a compound and they were they started staying there, residing there. This makes shift temporary housing and facilities and they stay there for long time several years. According to Vishvanath Chakraborty Thakur, Krishna stayed 3 years and 4months in Gokul and He stays 3 years and 4 months where they have just now come this place is called sakatavarta you have heard name of Chatikara Chatikara you know Chatikara, you go from Delhi highway, Delhi- Agra highway and then you turn to go to Krishna Balarama temple that Bhaktivedant marg so that at that junction highway there then turning left to go to Vrindavan Krishna Balarama temple. So at that junction is a village even now called Chatikara, Chati, sakata. So that’s where they had parked all the carts, big area. So three years and four months there and finally from there they go to Nandagram and Krishna spends three years and four months in Nandagram. And then comes Akrura from Mathura to invite Krishna and Balarama to Mathura. So just to give an idea where is Krishna now and where is the family. So here at this place Krishna’s is going to be, “vatsa-palau babhuvatuh” (S.B 10.11.37) Sukadev Goswami describes here Krishna becomes a calf herd boy.

He was given the task of herding just a calf. He is a little boy and He can only manage herding little cows, cows “Choti Choti Gaiyan, Chote Chote Gwaal Choto so Choto so madana gopal”. Everything is chota chota, Krishna chota, gaaya choti, cows choti choti gaiyan, everything is small small. Now He was very anxious Krishna is very anxious to do this take this assignment.  Now with this His sakha bhava,  in Gokul basically “vatsalya bhava”  He is spending time with Yashoda and Rohini and the parents and like that and little bit sakhya few friends.  But having come to Vrindavan now the friends becomes more dominant Sakha bhava. So He has to be away from home playing with the friends so this calf herding pastime activity would give more opportunity to be with the friends and more play, so it is also excuse to be away from the family so that they could play with the friends. So there was a time when Krishna first time proposed   Yashoda flat “no no no you aren’t going to forest, forget it”. She was not ready she was not ready “no no stay home, stay home. You are still little tiny baby, don’t have to go to work at this age” but He was insisting and then Nanda Maharaj took Krishna’s side. Father mother they were debating and Krishna and Nanda Maharaj won the debate and Krishna was able to now go out as a calf herd boy.  First day Nanda Maharaj they gathered a small group of calf’s and few other friends they had their small group of cows also and Nanda and Yashoda personally were accompanying  Krishna Balarama and cowherd boys and training them how to control cows how to turn them this way, “stop stop” they gave little ropes little ropes in the hands of Krishna and Balaram, little sticks and “but don’t go deep into the forest okay and come back before lunch”.  “yes yes daddy yes  yes mommy” Nanda Yashoda “yes we’ll be back” and they are proceeding towards the forest and then lots of play and come back and this is going on for some days and one day kadacid once upon a time Yamuna-tire on the banks of Jamuna other side now on the eastern bank now they are staying on the western bank everyone is staying on the western bank.  Now Krishna and Balarama the cowherd boy have gone across Jamuna and eastern bank of Jamuna they are herding their cows and “ Krsna balayor jighamsur daitya agamat” (S.B 10.11.41)

One demon, one demon arrived in the scene Rukhmini Dwarkadhish ki jai……….. With the aim of killing Krishna and Balarama he has come “tam vatsa-rupinam viksya” (S.B 10.11.42) Krishna noticed and this demon has come in the shape of a calf easy right, so many cows there one more calf. So many cows were there one more calf. So this demon thought it’s easy no one would notice me but there was Krishna he noticed not only he noticed he brought to the ….. aye! Balarama Balarama, you see you see. Not the other one, no no just near next to him you know. Ha! ha! Yes yes what about him you know that’s not regular calf strange kind of “yes yes something we have never seen such a calf, this is extra one extra one”

“darsayan baladevaya” He showed, Krishna showed it to Balarama “sanair sanair” and Krishna is moving forward He showed to Balarama. Krishna is making advances He is getting closer and closer and closer and closer to that particular calf as He got there Grhitva caught hold of that calf’s apara-padabhyam his hind legs apara-padabhyam two and the hind legs saha-langulam with the tail,  two hind legs and tail together “saha-langulam acyutah” (S.B 10.11.43.) Krishna has done this and the next thing He did started whirling and (shuuuuuuuu……) and it fell on a top of a big tree. And it’s because Krishna moving so fast he lost his life, the demon lost his life in this process shook his life out it could through a dead body.  “bhramayitva kapitthagre prahinod gata-jivitam” (S.B 10.11.43) and he was so and as he was been thrown whirled around and thrown, this calf was no more a little calf assumed a gigantic form his original demon form calf was not a original form he had a so heavy that the tree fell down so many other trees fell.

“devas ca parisantusta babhuvuh puspa-varsinah” (S.B 10.11.44) Devatas Demigod were highly pleased santusta and they started showering flowers many flowers the flowers are being showered “tam viksya vismita balah” (S.B 10.11.44) And all the cow boys friends they were kind of hiding (laughs) when Krishna was handling (laughs) the demon they were not sure what is going to be outcome of this, so they were maintaining safer distance and watching from behind the trees.

And once the demon was killed they stepped forward saying Sadhu sadhu sadhu sadhu sadhu well done well done.  And next thing they are doing ,some special kind of fruit tree so trees fell so there are so many fruits (laughing) all the cowherd boys they are running after the fruits it was the breakfast time they are kind of hungry. Someone lost the life (laughs) and no big deal they just want to enjoy fruit.  So like that they ran for the fruit so like that they would have good time herding cows calves and playing with the friends.

And another day they were all thirsty, these two pastimes one demon killing which is Vatsasura and there’s more to talk about there was a news that Vatsa the calf. So some residents of Vrindavan  hey! Krishna He is a sinner, He has killed cow killed cow, He has to take bath He has to take holy dip now for his self purification.  He should go take bath in Ganga now Krishna was willing but He doesn’t leave Vrindavan to go take bath in Ganga so how does He manage,He creates Ganga from His mind and that is Manasi Ganga. When you do Govardhan parikrama on the way take darshan of this Govardhan Town is Manasi Ganga. So that comes from mind is born in minutes from mind of Krishna Krishna takes bath and everyone one is taking bath in that Manasi Ganga. So that is related some other pastimes are also mentioned in connection with this Manasi Ganga and this is one of them. So another day the boys are thirsty (Maharaj telling the audience – we have some dramas coming up for your pleasure Rukhmini Dwarkadhish theater is gonna be performing drama).

So that was another demon coming, he is Bakasura he is brother of Putna.  Putna has been killed now second member of the family is about to and he has come as a big buck big duck. So they drank water and then suddenly they saw this big big huge size duck and (quacking sound) everything is here [laughing] you name it cow is here birds ducks.  So “bako nama mahan asuro” (S.B 10.11.48) “baka-rupa-dhrk”. So he comes Sahasa suddenly comes and big nose pointed beak beaks and he catch holds Krishna and swallows.

Where is Krishna now? He was playing, He was playing with friends and the demon came and just swallowed and cowherd boys were right there and where is Krishna? Where is Krishna? His friends disturbed and Krishna inside the throat He is becoming very very hot and very bitter also. Then would you swallow something that is so hot and so bitter? what do you do next you vomit? So this demon vomited what did come out?  Krishna came out and next thing Krishna He did He held, what did He held?  The two beaks of this demon and broke them, he went up also.

Bakasura was also killed we are rushing because idea was to kill another demon today (laughs) which is Aghasura.  So putna his sister Bakasura and Aghasura, Bakasura and Aghasura are two brothers and sister Putna. So this Aghasuras time for killing. So “ghor darshana”    “aho brahma vidham vaco nasatyah santi karhicit” (S.B 10.11.57). The cowherd boys as the news spread of Krishna killing this another demon residents of Vrindavan Nanda Maharaj they are reminded of Garga Muni’s predictions and this would happen that would happen killing of demons but Krishna will come always victorious always depend upon Him He will protect you and exactly. “gargo yad aha” the way he said, had predicted is exactly happening  all talk about this “iti nandadayo gopah krsna-ram-katham muda” (S.B 10.11.58). So these topics are giving great pleasure to the residents nandayah gopah gopa gops   protectors of the cows Nanda Maharaj and the others and kurvanto ramamanshchya this Ram Krishna katha they are absorbed this is their life

“mac citta mad-gata prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca” (B.G 10.9) Krishna said in Bhagvat gita  same thing here  residents’ of Vrindavan are ramamanashcya   they are busy absorbed in talking about Krishna we also wish while hearing before you talk what you have to do?,what you have to do? you have to hear you have to read otherwise what will you talk about, you will talk about Iraq affairs,  whatever you hear about you talk about, simple thing what goes in   input that is output.  If katha goes in, katha will come out you will relish and then it will come out.  So we also wish to how Krishna katha is our topic we are devotees   Krishna is expecting that we always talk  about Krishna so, we have to hear about Krishna, so  wish to hear more and more and then do manthanam mananam. You hear and hear and come back tomorrow to hear more but in mean time what happen mananam contemplation contemplate  bring those past time back to the mind and contemplate  relish and take them in again. Just like a cow or animal they eat twice atleast twice  first time gobble up  grazing and then  they sit down and what do they do just like chewing,  they bring whole thing back into the mouth and then they chew it make it finer and they assimilate and that goes into the system they get nourished.  Not necessary by just first time they eat so here we have rush we kind of feed, we gobble up in couple of hours then we have 22 hours more to do what chewing this katha or bringing this pastimes back into the mouth and take a look at them,  relish them  then they become our property  then we will not forget it.