Dated: 20 February 2017
Venue: Mayapur

So we welcome you. It is our third session, third presentation of Brhad Bhagavatamrita, as part of this Sravan Utsava being held here during Mayapur festival this year. ’ Bhakti Vighna Vinasa Narasimha Maharaj was just saying this, ‘The subject matter is not easy. First of all it is not a matter, it is a spirit. And hence, it is difficult for the materialist as we are.

We beg unto the feet of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is the one. He is magnanimous one, very kind. And kindly He has made this seemingly difficult subject matter available to us, the fallen souls with the aim of lifting us up.

‘anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam’ (C.C Adi 1.4)

After long long time finally Lord appeared out of His own karunya, kindness. kalau means this age of Kali. samarpayitum, in order to deliver, give, share with us the unnata ujjvala rasa, offering rasa but not the ordinary kind. Unnata, the topmost. And that rasa is madhurya rasa. The madhurya of Vrndavana. Vrndavana is madhurya dham. This one is audarya dham. Krsna becomes extra ordinarily, audarya, magnanimous. He shares that madhurya here, in this dham, relish and share, both.

Experience that Radha bhava, that unnata ujvala rasa and share that. So we are in the right place. It’s the right time. Our time has come. This idea’s time has come for us to receive this. So Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed and inspired His team members, Sad Goswamis Vrndas to talk about, to write about, to reveal this unnata ujjvala rasa. As per ‘visesa’ of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sanatana Goswami, he is executing the will of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So are the other Goswamis. Quite a good size team. As a result, this Brhad Bhagavatamrita has come about.

Srila Prabhupada found this society for Krsna consciousness. He is making this rasa, this nectar, this madhurya available. And as we read the first day, he strongly recommended the MUST reading of this Brhad Bhagavatamrita. So it was the wish of Srila Prabhupada also that his followers, the members of his Hare Krsna movement would get this nectar, drink this nectar and become intoxicated.

And one day, like we saw what happened to Narada Muni. That is prayojana. That is the goal. I wanted to atleast briefly share the 6th and 7th chapters of the first part of Brhad Bhagavatamrita. We are only not even half way through the 6th chapter. Today I wish to, not walk through but run through this chapter. So stay alert. The eagerness, the laulyam, the greed also has to be there. Haribol!!!

I may not be able to pay attention whether you are up or not. So I am just appealing to you all to be savdhan, as King Parikshit also had said that to mother Uttara. And we were also dealing with Sanskrit texts in our previous two presentations. Now we’ll deal more with the English texts. Ready to go, take away. I was trying to translate as much as I was able to do so and convey that. But that takes little extra time.

Time is of the essence and we have no time. Time is running out. So you know where we are. You are supposed to be here. Hearing or reading is to be one thing. But that is only the beginning. That is not the end in itself. When we continue to hear what we had heard or read, we continue to contemplate upon. This is called mananam. Now we’ll not talk about all that.

So sravanam, kirtanam, mananam, is like remembering, contemplating, reflecting upon. That way we assimilate that. From accumulation, assimilation becomes possible with the help of contemplation. And the subject matter contemplated upon and then assimilated and then that has become your property. We’ll be benefited by what we assimilate. Just like after eating, we digest that, make that into rasa and get energy ; blood and other things happened. Then we are strong. Something similar is here.

So don’t leave the subject matter behind and you are moving on. Take matter with you.
‘muni jana manasa hans’, Geet Govind. The munis, you are all munis, rsis and sages. The subject matter becomes hans and begins making movement in your consciousness, in your heart.

So you know Krsna is still in bed. Others are at the entrance of the palace. Narada Muni has already arrived. And he has already explained why he is what he is, the way he is looking like. He has given explanation. And then different personalities assembled there are making contributions talking. Even Padmavati is talking. She is quite a talkative person. We’ll be hearing her again and again today. She makes some accusations and counter accusations. She has some misunderstanding. And others get on the case and respond to what she had just now said.
Now Rukmini is speaking. Of course everyone is speaking from their own experience, their own realization, their encounters with the Lord.

kim api kim api brute ratrau svapann api namabhih
madhura-madhuram pritya dhenur ivahvayati kvacit
uta sakhi-ganan kamshcid gopan ivatha manoharan (Chapter 6, verse 39)

At the night times, she says. She is with the Lord during the night time also. She knows, He begins calling the name of cows and Cittra and Mridanga mukhi. How many names? 900,000 cows and those many names. So He begins calling them.

‘sakhi ganan’, He calls the names of His girlfriends in the middle of the night, His cowherd boyfriends, ‘hey! Subala, Sridama! Where are you? Come here! Where are you? You are there! (Laughter).

samabhinayate vamsi-vaktram tri-bhanga-parakritim
kadacin matar me vitara navanitam tv iti vadet
kadacid chri-radhe lalita iti sambodhayati mam
kadapidam candravali kim api me karshati paöam
kadapy asrasarair mridulayati tulim shayanatah

‘abhinayate’, and then I have seen with my own eyes. In the middle of the night, He sleeps, sees some dream or Sometimes His transcendental form bends in three places ‘tribanga lalita’ and He pretends to place the flute to His mouth. Sometimes He says, “Mother, give Me some fresh butter!” Sometimes He calls to me, “Shri Radha! Lalita!”

And then He addresses me, ‘Hey chandravali! What are you doing?’ Chandravali of Vrndavana in Krsna’s Vrndavana pastimes, she is the one who takes the role of Rukmini. And Radharani is Satyabhama. The right wing gopis and the left wing gopis. That is why Satyabhama is short tempered or she gets angry on the case of Sri Krsna. Rukmini would never do that. Chandravali doesn’t do those things.

Krsna turns to Rukmini saying, Hey! What are you doing?’ and saying so, He pulls my garments. He holds my sari and He is pulling. It is like a business as usual or every other night very frequently, this goes on.

adyapi drishöva kim api svapan nishi
krandan shucasau vimanaskataturah
dattvambaram murdhani suptavat sthito
nityani krityany api nacarad bata (6.41)

Just last night, He saw something. I don’t know what? He started crying. ‘He became very depressed. Weeping in grief, He covered His head with a blanket and pretended to sleep. Today He has not done any of His regular duties. He didn’t get up, no brushing teeth. He hasn’t done this, no shower, no changing cloths. He is just in the bed.

kim api kim api kurvan jagrad apy atma-citte
shayita iva vidhatte tadrisham tadrisham ca
vayam iha kila bharya namato vastutah syuh
pashupa-yuvati-dasyo ‘py asmad asya priyas tah (6.42)

Then Satyabhama uvaca. She says to Rukmini, ‘Not only night time, I have seen Him doing same thing during day time also. What are you talking about only night time, day time also. As if He is day dreaming. We the queens are just in the name only. His real queens, dear, near ones are in Vrndavanab those gopis, ‘pashupa yavati’, the protector of the cows. The cowherd girls, they are much more dear to Him than we all queens are.That is her realization, conclusion.

shri-baladeva uvaca
tatra masa-dvayam sthita tesham svasthyam cikirshata
tan na shaktam maya kartum vagbhir acaritair api (6.46)

Balaram is speaking. Even I was there for two months in Vrndavana. First Krsna had sent Uddhava from Mathura to Vrndavana. Krsna was still there in Mathura. Then later on, from Dwarka, he had sent His brother Balaram. Balaram said, ‘I did everything possible within my might to make these Vrajbasis normal, to pacify them. But, I was not successful in doing so. All that I did or all that I said, it really did not make much difference to those Vrndavana vasis.

ananya-sadhyam tad vikshya vivdhaih shapathaih shataih
tan yatnad ishad ashvasya tvarayatragatam balat (6.47)

On number of occasion, I had to promise this and that, hundreds of promises I had to give to all those residences of Vrndavana. ‘Yes, yes, for sure I will send Him to Vrndavana. I’ll bring myself, I made all these promises to those residences of Vrndavana. Somehow I managed to escape. It was very hard, they were not letting me go. You promise?! You really promise?! Are you sure you will send our Krsna back to Vrndavana?! I made so many promises and then I ended back in Dwarka. Then Balaram says to those assembled there, ‘I requested Krsna. You should find some excuse to go to Vrndavana and save their lives. If you want to see them alive, better rush. Go, go, go at once to Vrndavana.

gantasmiti mukhe brute hridayam ca na tadrisham
manasasya hi bhavasya bhavet sakshi-prayojanam (6.49)

‘Krsna said, okay okay, I will go’. But Balaram says, “The way Krsna said, ‘I will go’, I was not convinced. He said so, but I was convinced He’ll not go. Because He didn’t take my appeal very seriously. I realized, whatever He said He didn’t translate into actions. He did say He would go but it’s long long time ago. And He is still here, He has not gone. We haven’t heard of His any plan of visiting Vrndavana.
Now Krsna heard what Balaram had just now said. And this has made a big difference to Him.

idam akarnya bhagavan utthaya shayanad drutam
priya-prema-paradhino rudann uccair bahir gatah (6.50)

By hearing this, He jumped out of the bed because He is governed by the devotees’ love for Him. He came running out where everyone had assembled. As He was running toward them, He was loudly weeping.

praphulla-padma-netrabhyam varshann ashruni dharaya
sa-gadgadam jagadedam paranugraha-katarah (6.51)

They could see from His blooming lotus like eyes. They were specially blooming that morning. They were shedding not just few drops but stream of tears flowing from His eyes and His voice choked up because of compassion has now aroused in His heart for those residence of Vrndavana.
‘gadgada ruddhaya gira’ His voice is chocked up. With voice choked up, He wanted to say something.

shri-bhagavan uvaca
satyam eva maha-vajra- sarena ghatitam mama
idam hridayam adyapi dvidha yan na vidiryate (6.52)

Sri Bhagavan uvaca, ‘yes, yes. It is true. It must be truth. What you just said My dear Balaram and others also, Rohini also. You know My heart is hard hearted. How hard in my heart? Like a diamond. Diamond is supposed to be very hard. So hard like a diamond. That is the condition of My heart. Hence, it is not splitting into two parts or many parts.

balyad arabhya tair yuktam palanam vihitam ciram
apy asadharanam prema sarvam tad vismritam maya (6.53)

You know from the day I was born,I was there in Gokula, all those residences of Vrndavana, those elderly ladies, My parents and My friends, they protected Me. I was born and then brought up by all these residents. It takes a village for the child to grow. So I grew in the village. Whole village, all those villages were helping Me, playing different roles so that I could grow. They offered Me, their love and affection. Extraordinary, it cannot be compared. But trouble is, all of that I have forgotten. I must do something.

astu tavad dhitam tesham karyam kincit kathancana
utatyantam kritam duhkham krureëa mridulatmanam (6.54)

All those residences of Vrndavana are very soft and look at Me, I am cruel. I caused so much sufferings to the soft hearted souls, devotees.

bhratar uddhava sarvajna preshtha-shreshöha vada drutam
karavaëi kim ity asmac chokabdher mam samuddhara (6.55)

Oh! Uddhava, you are sarvajna-all knowing, prestha-dear, sreshta- you are topmost amongst the dear devotees. Please quickly say what should I do? Please tell Me at once. And please lift Me from this ocean of distress.’ Question was raised, asked to Uddhava but Devaki was little quick. Even before Uddhava could speak, Devaki said. What did she say? ‘You should give your best well wishers whatever they want’, she said that to Krsna. Residents of  Vrndavana are Your best well wishers. So You should give whatever they want.

tatah padmavati rajya-dana-bhita vimudha-dhih
mahishi yadu-rajasya vriddha matamahi prabhoh
apy uktashravanat purvam rama-matravahelita
sva-bhartu rakshitum rajyam caturyat parihasavat (6.57)

And when Padmavati heard this, she thought, ‘what if Krsna would decide to give the whole kingdom of Dwarka? Anticipating that Krsna might even offer to the residences of Vrndavana, ‘take whole Dwarka. I offer that unto you.’ So Padmavati said, ‘No no no no. Don’t make this offer.’ She is pretty smart lady. She said, ‘You know, Krsna was there in Vrndavana for 11 years. So all that residents of Vrndavana spent on Krsna for His maintenance, His lodging, His boarding, clothing, some transportation, whatever the grand total of all those expenses, we’ll make them twice as much and give them to the Gokula vasis. Let them be happy. Because they maintained Krsna, took care and all the expenses. And while Krsna was in Vrndavana, He was herding the cows. They had employed Him but they were not paying any salary.’ And she says, ‘I will ask Garga muni. He is very expert in calculations. I will ask him to do all these calculations, how much maintenance, lodging, boarding, this and that expenses and also the daily wages. All day He used to herd the cows. So daily wages per hour, 20 dollars per hour, whatever. (Laughter)
At least we’ll let them know this salary they should have paid. It is up to them. We will not insist. If they are not going to pay, that’s also okay. But who will pay? Whatever they have spent on maintenance of Krsna, we’ll pay this.

Although Krsna had distinctly heard what Padmavati had said, but Krsna just ignored her. As if He had not heard what she had to say. And He continues His presentation.

bho vidvad-vara tatratya-khilabhipraya-vid bhavan
tesham abhishöam kim tan me kathayatv avilambitam (6.61)

Sri Bhagavan says, ‘please tell Me, Oh Uddhava. You are sarvajna also. You visited. I had sent you on that mission. What do they really want from Me? What is their expectation from Me? Please tell.’

shrimad-uddhava uvaca
na raja-rajeshvarata vibhutir na divya-vastuni ca te bhavattah
na kamayante ‘nyad apiha kincid amutra ca prapyam rite bhavantam (6.63)

Uddhava says, ‘same thing like ‘na dhanam na janam na sundarim’. They don’t want any of these items. They have no interest, they don’t want kingdom. ‘na divya vastuni’, no items, no gifts they are interested in. ‘na kamayente’, even the heavenly pleasures, they are not interested, except You, they don’t want anything else. Only You and You they want. They don’t care for anything else.

Then Uddhava is sharing experience from his Vrndavana visit. He had gone with Krsna’s letter and met everybody there. That time he found out, that will need little explanation. That Krsna and Balaram had gone to Mathura. Intention was to kill Kamsa. And that mission was accomplished successfully. Some cowherd men and some cowherd boys also had gone with Krsna or ahead of Krsna. So after wrestling match was over, when killing was over, residents of Vrndavana were ready to go back to Vrndavana. But Krsna surprised them all. He surprised Nanda Maharaj. He said, ‘Baba, baba, Nanda baba, you may leave.’ ‘What do you mean, you may leave?’ ‘You, and I’ll stay behind. But here are some jewels and other gift items. Give them to all My dear and near ones; to My mothers, those young girls and others different items. And I’ll return.’ So as He had promised gopis when He was leaving Vrndavana for Mathura, ‘I’ll return’, and second time now to Nanda Maharaj, ‘I’ll come. I’ll come.’

So when Nanda Maharaj returned to Vrndavana, everyone was expecting Krsna also to return. But where is Krsna? Nanda Maharaj said, ‘here are some gifts for you. Krsna sent some jewellery. Take them, have them.’ All those residences were totally disappointed and they blasted Nanda Maharaj. ‘Why did you leave Krsna behind and come with the gifts? We don’t care for these gifts. We want Him, we want Him. We condemned you!’ They were very heavy with Nanda Maharaj. For three days, he was so utterly miserable that he couldn’t even say one word. He became speechless. He was just hiding. He was not able to show his face to residents of Vrndavana thinking, ‘I committed a great blunder. I didn’t bring Krsna with me.’ But then after 4th day, he addressed the assembled residences of Vrndavana.

‘You know He has sent these gifts as token of His love for all of you. Please accept. I guarantee you. He’ll definitely return. And He is a gentleman. Promise is a promise. He will definitely return. I guarantee you.’ So he kind of managed to pacify the Vrajvasis. And they put on those jewellery and different gifts thinking that when He does return and see us with His gifts around our neck or waist, He’ll be pleased. He will be happy with us. Extra blessings He’ll offer.

shrimad-uddhava uvaca
shrutva te tatra vishvasya sarve sarala-manasah
bhavat-pritim samalocya-lankaran dadhur atmasu (6.70)

All the residents were simple. They accepted the words of Nanda Maharaj. But then Uddhava says, ‘You know Your father promised them that You’ll return. For sure You’ll return. But that hasn’t happened. You didn’t keep Your promise. You were there for 18 years in Mathura. You didn’t go to Vrndavana. Instead you have come to Dwarka, very far away from Vrndavana. They almost died from disappointment. I also promised but they were disappointed. I was just making promises. I made every effort to keep them alive by promising that You would surely come back. And then I returned. But You haven’t gone. Please ask Your elder brother what state they are in. I went and returned. You also sent him, He has come back. You can ask him state of affairs in Vrndavana.’

Lord Krsna, Dwarkadhish, so much feelings have aroused that He wants to communicate with residences of Vrndavana. ‘Please get me some papers and ink. I want to write a letter addressing each one of them. I will do it with My personal handwriting. I will not get it typed by someone else. I will handwrite and sign also; yours affectionately Sri Krsna.’

The essence of what He is thinking of writing this is, He is addressing, ‘My dear friend, please know that as soon as I settle the duties before Me and satisfy My relatives here, I will return in no time. I will be there.’ So another promise. He could have gone. But He is ending up with only writing a letter instead. So Krsna is writing.

But Uddhava is reminding again, ‘Those people want nothing but Your lotus feet. What will this letter do? It was quite a serious moment. But Padmavati also wants to say something, ‘ahah! So foolish Devaki, now I understand.’ Because Devaki had earlier proposed that the well wisher should be given whatever they want. Padmavati was remembering, ‘I understand why you are in favor of Krsna’s going there, back to Vrndavana. Uddhava is also proposing. I know those residents of Vrndavana want Him back in Vrndavana, so that Krsna could herd their cows. They are so lazy. They don’t want to take care of their own cows. They just want to employ our Krsna. I know, that’s why they want Him back in Vrndavana. Now I understand why they want Krsna. They want Him to go herding cows’ every day. So they could sit and relax, watch television and have good time. Let Krsna herd the cows in the forest. What kind of forest?

bhishaëe durgame dushta-sattva-jushöe sa-kaëöake
samrakshayitum icchanti dhurtah pashu-ganan nijan (6.80)

Oh! That forest is very dangerous forest. It is very difficult to walk through. In the middle of the day, they are sometimes dark thick forest, thorns everywhere, the fierce animals, snakes everywhere and tigers everywhere. And they want Krsna to herd the cows in such a forest. Oh, I see.’

But Rohini responded to what Padmavati had just said. She said sarcastically, ‘you virtuous lady.’ Rohini is making the point, ‘No no, they can’t survive. Herding cows or not herding cows is not the issue. They just want to have Him, see Him, be with Him, serve Him, take care of Him, love Him. Sometimes while He is moving, something comes in the way passing by some tree trunk. He is kind of hidden. He is little boy. Tree trunks are big in size. So momentarily they are not able to see Him. They get afflicted for the fraction of section as He is not visible.
‘sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda virahena me’

If the trees are the obstacles, block Krsna from the side even briefly, His companions start shedding tears and calling anxious, drawn out voices, Krsna! Krsna! Krsna! And she glorifies Vrndavana to her heart content. Rohini, she knows Vrndavana.

This Padmavati has never ever seen Vrndavana. What does she know? Rohini knows. There are lakes with sparkling water. There are fragrant lotuses everywhere. The swarm of bees and birds flying everywhere. There is a cool fragrant breeze. They are fragrant, cool and gentle. When the air is like this, then it is very pleasing. Air should be cool, fragrant and gentle, gently flowing.

Contrary to this, it’s not pleasing. You could imagine that. So air in Vrndavana is like that. Yamuna maiya ki jai!! There is Yamuna maiya with full of lotuses. And the waves are like hands of Yamuna. She holds those lotuses in her hands, as if extending offering them to Sri Krsna. ‘Have them please. Here, here they go.’
Then there is Govardhan. Giriraj Govardhan ki jai!! So much you could talk of Vrndavana. She spoke some things.
On the banks of Yamuna there is the soft and cool sand. Everything is ‘ramaniya ramyam’, pleasing and the flowers, twelve forests of Vrndavana.

It takes one month to go around. Navadvipa is very kind. So you could go around in one week. Bhakti Purusotama Maharaj says, ‘In Jagannatha Puri, it is even more kind. In one day you can complete Sri Ksetre Parikrama.’ So it takes one month. At every step you could experience the glories, the beauty of the Vraja. You say this forest is full of fierce and dangers. ‘himsa rahite’ This forest is ‘himsa rahite’, it is devoid of violence. There is no violence. Even animals are gentle like cows.

Like when Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was going through that Jharkhand forest chanting
‘Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”

What happened? All those animals were no more like animals. They looked like animals but they were like residences of Vrndavana. Could you imagine deer and tiger walking next to each other, rubbing shoulders. Deer is not scared at the tiger. He knows tiger is next to me. And Mahaprabhu has seen tiger and deer. They were embracing each other. And next scene was, Caitanya Mahaprabhu noted, they were kissing each other. When Mahaprabhu saw that scene, Vrndavana! Vrndavana! This is Vrndavana. He was on His way to Vrndavana. Jharkhand forest is like a half way through. But in that forest, He felt like being in Vrndavana. Because even animals there had no hatred, no violence. They were friendly. After hearing this, Padmavati said, ‘if this is true, then why those animals in Vraja are now in danger of dying? Because no one is taking care of them. (Laughter) They want Krsna to come and take care of them. That’s why the animals are in danger. No one is looking after them. They want our Krsna to go and become cowherd boy and herd cows. Now I understand.

Krsna, He is addressed here as Gopala of Vrndavana. He is still in Dwarka but addressed as Gopala. So hearing all these, Gopala felt anxiety as He kept hearing and His face dried up. As He glanced at Balaram’s face, what did He see? He saw that Balaram’s eyes were full of tears. He was shedding tears profusely.

Baladeva uvaca. He said, ‘not just the cows and not the human residents of Vrndavana but the whole entire existence of vraja, all aspects of Vraja, the creepers, lushes, bushes, even the rivers and mountains, they all are going through this vipralambha bhava. Sambhoga and vipralambha, union and separation. They are all suffering the pangs of separation from you. They are losing their weight all these animals. They stopped eating. They are thin, emaciated. The peacocks, river Yamuna and mountains like Govardhan, residence of Vraja were on the verge of death. He is talking on when he visited.

What to speak of the cows, the bulls, the calves Lord Krsna used to herd. Oh dear brother Krsna, some of the people live only on the hope that your promises were true. Better not to ask to hear more news than this. Krsna, I can only tell You if You don’t show Your kindness to them soon, then what would happen? Yamaraj will soon show them his kindness.’