Venue: Vraj Mandal Parikrama
Dated: 2008

(Maharaj says) – So when devotee was walking with Umbrella and he was trying to hold it over me, immediately I was reminded of one past time. When first time Krishna has to leave for cow-herding then mother Yashoda approached, “Krishna! Please take this umbrella and also take a pair of shoes”. Krishna refused, “No ! No no ! I can’t wear the shoes, cows don’t have shoes. But if you insist that I wear the shoes then bring the shoes for all the cows first”. So Nanda Maharaj had 900 thousand cows and each cow has four feet, so how many shoes are required? 36 Lakh! So which Bata-Tata company would provide those many shoes? (Laughter). So mother Yashoda gave up the idea of insisting, you wear the shoes idea.

She said, “O! At least take the umbrella, it’s very hot out there”. Again Krishna’s condition was first get the umbrella for cows. So how many umbrellas required? 9 Lakh. Then Krishna says, “The cows have feet but they don’t have hand. So we would require someone to carry the umbrella. So we need 900 thousand (9 lakh) people also working next to the cows holding umbrella”. Mother Yashoda also gave up that idea (Laughter). Who could manage 9 lakh? So during all the cowherd pastimes of Shri Krishna in Vrindavan, He always walks bear-feet behind the cows.

Do not think you are the only ones going on Braj-mandal parikrama without shoes, Krishna also has gone around without shoes around Vrindavan. So He has gone around without shoes without umbrella. And He little preaching to mother Yashoda. He said, “Mother! ‘Dharmo rakshati rakshitah’. If we protect Dharma then that Dharma will in-turn protect to us”. So Krishna says “serving cows taking care of cow this is our Dharma”. Then our own protection is guaranteed if we take care of the cow, protect the cow, serve the cow. So Lord Krishna not only has delivered talk, discourse on this topic but He has practically demonstrated throughout His Lilas the importance of the cows and importance of serving the cow. So cow is the center of our culture and religion. Krishna’s one of the principle pastimes is Gocharan-lila cow-herding, calf-herding pastime. What does our God do? This morning question also came up? What does God do every day? That minister or that priest, he was not able to even settle that question. But we know the answer is very simple. I know you also know the answer now; we already have given you some clue. So what does Krishna do every day? He is cow-herd boy, He is herding the cows. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Master or Controller of all the universes all that He does in Vrindavan during the day is He is herding the cows, taking care of the cows.

‘namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krishnaya govindaya namo namah’

So this way Krishna has established the importance of the cows and the brahmanas in Krishna consciousness. So we are doing puja of cows today as it was instructed by Krishna to Nanda Maharaj on this occasion. So Krishna said worship cows, brahmanas and Giriraj. So we have done some Puja of the cow ‘Go-mata ki Jay!’ And we should worship serve the vaishnavas, brahmanas.

‘vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca kripa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah’

And then soon we will be worshiping Giriraj and this way we will to this day Krishna’s instruction get followed. Giriraj Govardhan ki Jay ! So the cows and the Govardhan they are very closely connected closely related. You could hear if you hear the name ‘Govardhan’ there is cow connection right there in the name of Govardhan. So cows become healthy or they become hale and hearty because of the grass that is available at Govardhan, the water, the shades of the trees as all are available at Govardhan.

So cows enjoy being around Govardhan. The cow-herd boys also are very very happy being around cows and Govardhan. So let us contemplate meditate upon Govardhan and Krishna, cow-herd boys and the cows around Govardhan. So that one day we also would be promoted, we will also get assignment as the cow-herd boys. You may say, “No! I am an engineer, come on I am a doctor! I cannot be a cow-herd boy”. But Krishna is a cow-herd boy. If you want to just be a doctor or engineer, just continue in this world. But if you want to come back home then be prepared to be the cow-herd boy, herding cows, taking care of cows. Anyone interested coming back, going back home, back to Krishna going to Vrindavan ? Haribol. Then pray to this Dham, pray to these cows, Giriraj so that you will have, you will become eligible; you will have that adhikar of entering Krishna’s pastimes and being a cowherd boy.
Go Mata ki jay! So before you leave it was offer your obeisance to the cow deep within your heart and pray to the cow, touch the feet of cows.