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Vrinda Kunda is a favorite place of pilgrimage for all Vrajavasis. Vrinda-devi herself is one of the 5 divine personalities who grant eternal residence in Vrindavan Dhama. Understanding these transcendental realities our parikrama party of nearly 500 devotees relished a day at Vrinda Kunda; hearing, chanting and enjoying each others association.
Our beloved Srila Prabhupada (video)
Srimati Mandakini Mataji’s Lecture on “Srila Prabhupada” at ISKCON Chowpatty, Oct 29, 2018
Damodarastakam explained (video)
H.H. Sivaram Swami elaborates on the meaning of the famous Sanskrit composition glorifying th...
The frog in the Well Moral Story (4 min video)
Once upon a time, there was a frog who lived at the bottom of a well. The well was the frog’s whole world, until the day the well ran dry and the bugs began to disappear…
By ISKCON-London Communications On the evening of 24th October, devotees from across London gathered at the Radha-Krishna Temple in Central London to celebrate Sharad Purnima, the beautiful full moon night of the autumn season. Sharad Purnima, which takes place on the eve of the month of Kartik, commemorates Lord Krishna performing a beautiful dance called "rasa lila" with His dear-most devotees, the gopis – the cowherd damsels of Vrindavana Continue reading "An enchanting Sharad Purnima festival leaves devotees mesmerised in London
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NEW VRINDABAN DAYS
As New Vrindaban enters its 50th anniversary (1968 to 2018), I wrote this series of articles for the Brijabasi Spirit in an attempt to give the reader not only an “understanding,” but more importantly a “taste,” of what life in early New Vrindaban was like – through the stories of one devotee’s personal journey.
The title of the series, “New Vrindaban Days,” is in tribute to the wonderful book “Vrindaban Days: Memories of an Indian Holy Town” written by Howard Wheeler, Hayagriva Dasa. He was one of Srila Prabhupada’s first disciples, a co-founder of New Vrindaban, and, a great writer. As with Hayagriva’s book, this series focuses on a period of time in the 1970’s.
I would also like to acknowledge and thank Chaitanya Mangala Dasa, for spending untold hours assisting me in refining my writing for your reading pleasure.
I have been asked to describe certain aspects of early New Vrindaban Community life such as the nature of the austerities, what it was like for a new person coming here, cooking, anecdotes about particular devotees, etc.
I attempt to tell these stories in some semblance of a chronological order, beginning with my first meeting with devotees in 1968, leading to my arrival in New Vrindaban in late 1973 and carrying through to the official opening of Srila Prabhupada’s Palace in 1979.
Advaitacharya Dasa
CHAPTER EIGHT: PROPAGANDA
The year is 1974 and it’s my first year in New Vrindaban. Everywhere I go there is talk about what New Vrindaban will be – “someday.” Someday – we will have a theme park replica of Krishna’s pastimes called Krishnaland. Someday – we will have a hand carved altar for Krishna made of the finest teak wood. Someday – people will visit from all over the world. Someday – there will be a Palace for Srila Prabhupada to live in.
The reality is we are penniless, we have very little to eat, we are in the middle of nowhere and we have no visitors. Very quickly I have come to believe all of the “somedays” are no more than propaganda meant to convince the feeble minded to stay.
When a ten foot blue print of a hand carved altar is hung up on the wall in the prasadam room for all of us to inspect, I am impressed at how far they will go to brainwash us.
I have been in New Vrindaban a matter of weeks. Despite the fact that I have burned down the community’s only source of income, the Swami seems to like me and I have quickly moved up the ladder from dragging mud, to cutting wood, to shoveling horse manure.
The head of the “plough” department is Paramananda Das, a senior devotee amongst the first that joined Prabhupada at the original Hare Krishna temple at 26 Second Avenue in New York. Paramananda is in his mid-thirties, making him much older than the younger devotees like myself. He and his family live up the road at the Madhuban farm. Paramananda is very nice to me, sometimes even taking me along when he visits local farmers he befriended.
In a conversation with Paramananda, in which I reveal that I am having trouble getting out of bed early in the morning to chant my rounds, I get a tidbit of advice that has stuck with me for over forty years.
“Have your wife prepare a bowl of fresh berries,” Paramananda says.
I am all ears.
“Pour some ice cold fresh cream over the berries,”
I’m transfixed.
“Sprinkle the berries and cream with several spoonfuls of sugar,”
I’m drooling.
“And then have her wake you up with that bowl of berries and cream right by your head.”
It is completely against any semblance of the “sense control” philosophy of the Hare Krishna movement, but he has painted the most succulent picture of an alarm clock and method of waking up I have ever heard.
Unfortunately for me, I have no access to berries, fresh cream, or sugar. Nor does it appear that I will at any time in the near future. Nonetheless, if I ever I find myself in need of a gentle way to wake a starving person out of a dead sleep, this is it.
Also working in the horse barn is Kasyapa Das (aka Varsana Swami), a brahmacari who every day makes the 3 mile walk from the ashram at the original Vrindaban farm to Bahulaban.
He is from New Jersey, not far from New York City where I am from. But, unlike me, Kasyapa is reserved, contemplative, and self-controlled. We are polar opposites. I talk constantly and Kasyapa seems most comfortable talking to the horses. At the time I do not know it but he is also the hardest working devotee in the community and trying to keep up with him is near to impossible. He is the first on the job, despite his three mile walk, and the last to quit at the end of the day.
In addition, he does not seem to need to eat. Even though seemingly all of the New Vrindaban residents meditate constantly on their next meal, it is not unusual for Kasyapa to take us on a long walk to an obscure field, in the middle of nowhere, with no intention of getting us back in time for lunch.
Sometimes we eat gnarly, wild crab apples found on an errant tree. Sometimes we don’t eat lunch at all. Growing up watching television in New York City there was a commercial for a Columbian coffee that plays up its mascot, the coffee bean buyer, El Exigente – The Demanding One. To me Kasyapa is – El Exigente!
It is on a Sunday morning, getting close to spring, when Kasyapa approaches me saying we will be going three miles up the road with the horses to do some work in one of the fields.
My mind catches fire immediately. “He can’t think we are going to miss the Sunday feast to work in some God-forsaken field, can he?”
No, I tell myself, afraid to ask him. He must have a couple of things to do in a small field and then we will return in time for the feast. We trudge the three miles up the state road, finally exiting into a forest.
When we come out on the other side of the woods I am looking at one of the biggest fields I have ever seen. My chest tightens, making it hard for me to breathe and my heart cracks at the realization we will most certainly be missing the feast. Besides the obvious frustration of the feast issue my mind becomes more disturbed as Kasyapa begins to explain the job at hand.
The field has been plowed at some time in the past and lies before us in torn up clumps of clay measuring about 1 ft. x 2 ft. each. Kasyapa leads me to a rusted piece of ancient horse drawn farming equipment called a “cultivator.” It lies close to the ground and is about 5 ft. x 6 ft. and has about four rows of spinning steel blades that are meant to cut through and break up the giant clumps of clay.
It sounds logical until Kasyapa hooks up the horses to it and begins pulling it across the field with me following behind them. The clumps are so hard that the blades have no effect and just bounce along the surface of the soil. Soon Kasyapa stops the team and ponders, before turning to me.
“Maybe you can stand on top of it to give it some added weight,” he suggests.
Standing on top of a rusted piece of equipment, that consists of not much more than fifteen whirling steel blades, doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but Kasyapa is fairly confident I will not get killed. I climb up struggling to balance myself as he commands the horses to pull. Lucky for me, I do not get killed – or even fall off – but it doesn’t matter because my weight didn’t make any difference to the giant clay clumps.
Kasyapa is completely frustrated at the failure of our effort. I pretend to be just as disappointed but in reality I am internally rejoicing, thinking he will give up the folly of this effort and we will rush back to the temple so I can fill my face at the Sunday Feast.
“Follow me.” he says, walking the horses to the other end of the field where we find a tarp draped over a large pile. Kasyapa removes the tarp revealing a mountain of 50 pound bags of lime, which we will spread on the field after we get it cultivated.
“Help me with these bags.” he says, and we begin stacking them any place they can fit on the cultivator without hitting the steel discs. After stacking four or five hundred pounds of lime on board Kasyapa instructs me to sit on top of the bags and again commands the horses to go. This time we actually make a minor dent on the clay clumps before Kasyapa stops the team to give them a rest.
Sitting atop the lime bags, and pondering the vastness of the task before us, I peer through the treetops where my eyes come to rest on a lone cinder block wall across a valley, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
“What is that?” I ask Kasyapa.
“That is Srila Prabhupada’s Palace.” He replies.
I am stunned. I stand on the pile of lime bags. “That’s Prabhupada’s Palace?”
“Yes,” he answers.
In that moment, I am blown away. It is really there. It is not propaganda. The devotees have actually built a fifty foot cinder block wall all by themselves.
My mind reels. Someday – there will be a Palace for Srila Prabhupada to live in.
On that day, there would be no Sunday feast for me.
But, also on that day, standing in a field with Kasyapa, I got my first glimpse of “someday,” clearly visible on the New Vrindaban horizon.
—————————————————————————————-
Did you miss any of the previous chapters? Click the links below to catch up:
Chapter 1: Every Journey Begins With a Single Step
Chapter 2: Srila Prabhupada – Jaya Radha Madhava
Chapter 3: Captured by the Beauty of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra
Chapter 4: Fired Up – We Depend On Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra
Chapter 5: The New Vrindaban Landscape – January 1974
Stay tuned for Chapter 9: Vedic Civilization
The next monthly installment will be posted December 2018!
All the cows were resting under a group of Live Oak trees which gave them a lot of shade on the hot Fall day. Almost all of these cows in the ISCOWP herd were saved when they were about to be slaughtered. While the cows were in a restful mood, Balabhadra das offered Arati to the ISCOWP Diety Giiraj and the ISCOWP herd. In celebration, the herd was fed alfalfa cubes as treats and the younger members of the herd were given access to a pasture they never roamed before. All herd members were joyful either eating alfalfa cubes or running and kicking their heels exploring the new pasture. 
A Ram bhakta gets his Bhagavatam set.
Shastrakrit Das: Remember how I met Josh a couple of months ago at my book table ?! He s...
By Varaha Das Following in the footsteps of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, who was an exponent of bridge preaching and unity in diversity, his disciples in West Africa and in Togo particular have been participating actively in interfaith dialogue with other major religious faith in the country. It was decided that the Hare Krishnas should host the national day of Prayer for Peace this year by the Commision Permanent De L'espirit d'assise, the Commitee in charge of organising the annual Prayer for Peace in TOGO. The event which took place on the 27th of October was attended by many religious denominations, the government was represented by the Minister of Interior and Territorial Collectivities as well as the Mayor of Lomè. Continue reading "National Inter-Faith Prayer For Peace In the Spirit of Assisi Held in Hare Krishna Temple In Togo
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By Bhaktisiddhanta Swami In the Padma Purana, Kartika Mahatmya, it is stated that Radha-kunda is very dear to Sri Hari and is situated near Giri Govardhan hill. By taking bath in Radha-kunda on the eight day of waning moon in the month of Kartika[Bahulastami] one can greatly please Lord Hari who enjoys His pastimes there. This Kunda is as dear to Sri Krsna as Radha Herself. As a result of the killing of the Aristasura demon, a lila of mutual purification followed with the appearance of Syama-kunda from Krsna’s kick, and most importantly Radha-kunda from Radha/gopi’s dig, an invitation to all celestial rivers and then a bath; now this has become an annual midnight celebration. Continue reading "Bahulastami: Dipa Dana, Snana, and Cleaning 2018
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Answer Podcast
Transcription :
Question: How can we know which spiritual path to follow?
Answer: This is a valid concern by many who think of practising a spiritual path. We may think, there are so many teachers, books, paths – how do I know that my path is right? To understand what is good for us, we need to be pragmatic. If our conception of spirituality is – there is one right path and finding it will make my life successful and not finding it means failure – then such understanding of spirituality will make our life insecure. Instead we should see and understand that there is a purpose to life.
Look at our existence right now. While speaking, we formulate some thoughts and then speak. However, the entire mechanism of thoughts getting converted to voice is unknown. Similarly, how food gets digested and converted to energy is unknown. We can see that there is something beyond us which sustains our existence and enables our basic functions in life. We need air, water, food for survival which is provided to us. We need heat and light for functioning which is also provided to us. If such survival and functional needs of life are provided for then the need for a spiritual path should also be provided for by a similar arrangement.
If we use our intelligence and consider all the teachers, books, paths available around us we may get confused. How to choose between so many options? Whichever option we chose, we may think that there still might be a better option available. However, if we think that there is some higher divine being or force who is sustaining my existence and based on my intelligence take a step forward in that direction, we can have two possibilities. If my path is right, I will realize about that divine higher being. If my path is not right, I will not realize. Here we should understand that realizing that my path is not right should not be seen as a failure This should be seen as a step in my evolution. When we are sick, we do not explore all the possible treatments available. We take what is workable using our experience and intelligence. If the treatment works, we continue. However, if it does not work, we explore other ways. Similarly, if we do not get intended results after choosing a spiritual path, we explore other ways.
We do not have to wait for a mystical revelation to begin our spiritual journey. We can take small steps using our intelligence and experience and do a course correction if we realize that the teacher or the path is not the best for me. We will be given this intelligence from inside because, we are not just putting faith in a particular teacher, we are putting faith in the divine.
To summarize, we do not have to wait infinitely to choose a spiritual path. At the same time, we do not have to gullibly just jump into whatever comes in front of us. We use our God given intelligence to make the best choice and leave it to the higher force to guide us further.
End of transcription.
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast
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[Talk at Calgary University, Calgary, USA]
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The Ultimate Parikrama (8 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: The parikrama around Govardhan Hill is the ultimate parikrama. This vi...
Please distribute Srila Prabhupada’s nectar! (15 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Vrindavan does not require to be modernized because Krishna’s Vrindavan is transcendental village. They completely depend on nature’s beauty and nature’s protection. The community in which Krishna preferred to belong was Vaisya community because Nanda Maharaja happened to be a Vaisya king, or landholder, and his main business was cow protection. It is understood that he had 900,000 cows and Krishna and Balarama used to take charge of them, along with His many cowherd boy friends, and every day, in the morning He used to go out with His friends and cows into the pasturing grounds. Letter to Hayagriva, June 14, 1968.
Harvest of The Heart - Have we loved much? And have we loved well? Audio lecture by Garuda Das.
Due to heavy rains in the area, one of the villages of Faridabad (Haryana, India) was heavily flooded. In this time of distress, ISKCON Food Relief Foundation, branded as "Annamrita" offered humanitarian and generous support to the flood victims and provided nutritious and sumptuous meals to the victims in extremely short span of time. There has been both the online coverage and the offline coverage of the news. 
In the sublime atmosphere of Giriraja Govardhana, immerse yourself in the magical world of Krsna’s pastimes in the association of HH Sacinandana Swami, HG Bhurijana Prabhu, HG Jagattarini Mataji, HG Madhavananda Das and HG Adi Purusha Prabhu during the annual VIHE Govardhana Retreat. Please join us for a unique opportunity to enliven your devotional life with unforgettable devotional experiences in Vraja. This year the retreat will be on Dec 6-13. 
By Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami After Nityananda Prabhu, the greatest branch is Virabhadra Gosani, who also has innumerable branches and sub-branches. It is not possible to describe them all. Although Virabhadra Gosani was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He presented Himself as a great devotee. And although the Supreme Godhead is transcendental to all Vedic injunctions, He strictly followed the Vedic rituals. He is the main pillar in the hall of devotional service erected by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He knew within himself that He acted as the Supreme Lord Visnu, but externally He was prideless. It is by the mercy of Sri Virabhadra Gosani that people all over the world now have the chance to chant the names of Caitanya and Nityananda. I there take shelter of the lotus feet of Virabhadra Gosani so that by His mercy my great desire to write Sri Caitanya-Charitamrta will be properly guided. Continue reading "Srila Virabhadra Prabhu – Appearance
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By Giriraj Swami Another event that took place during Kartik was Lord Krishna’s killing of the demon Arista, who had assumed the form of a bull. Thereafter, Lord Krishna manifested Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda. Because today is celebrated as the appearance day of Radha-kunda, we shall read a relevant verse from The Nectar of Instruction, an authorized English presentation by Srila Prabhupada of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Sri Upadesamrta. Continue reading "Sri Radha-kunda’s Appearance Day
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By Kadamba Kanana SwamiWherever in this world there were great manifestations of love between Radha and Krsna, not only was it an extraordinary experience for those who were present there, but actually that entire place also became transformed. Various places in Vrindavan, where Radha and Krsna had great exchanges of love, are very potent with powerful mercy that becomes available to us as well. The appearance of Radha-kund, the lake of Srimati Radharani, is a most special occasion, as it is said that Radha kund is the most sacred space in the entire universe – because it is made of liquid prema, pure love of Radha and Krsna who perform many pastimes on the banks of those sacred waters. Continue reading "The appearance of Radha-kund
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Kartik is a very auspicious time for spiritual advancement. Another name for Kartik is Urja-vrata. Urja means power. The supreme power, the original power, is Srimati Radharani. So Urja-vrata, or Kartik-vrata, is for Srimati Radharani. Many important pastimes took place in the month of Kartik. On the full moon night, Lord Krishna played on His flute and enjoyed the rasa-lila, which is considered the best of Krishna’s pastimes. Also during Kartik, Lord Krishna saw that the residents of Vrindavan were preparing to worship Indradeva, and He convinced them not to worship Indra but to use the same paraphernalia to worship Govardhana Hill, the brahmans, and the cows. When Indra saw that his worship had been stopped, he became furious and wanted to take revenge against Krishna and the Vraja-vasis. So he sent torrential rains and hail. And to give protection to the residents of Vrindavan, Lord Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill and kept it aloft for seven days on the little finger of His left hand. Thus King Indra’s pride was shattered and he came to beg forgiveness from Lord Krishna.
Also in the month of Kartik, our beloved founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, left this world and entered the eternal pastimes of Krishna.
Another event that took place during Kartik was Lord Krishna’s killing of the demon Arista, who had assumed the form of a bull. Thereafter, Lord Krishna manifested Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda. Because today is celebrated as the appearance day of Radha-kunda, we shall read a relevant verse from The Nectar of Instruction, an authorized English presentation by Srila Prabhupada of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Sri Upadesamrta.
The Nectar of Instruction, Text Ten:
karmibhyah parito hareh priyataya vyaktim yayur jnaninas
tebhyo jnana-vimukta-bhakti-paramah premaika-nisthas tatah
tebhyas tah pasu-pala-pankaja-drsas tabhyo ’pi sa radhika
prestha tadvad iyam tadiya-sarasi tam nasrayet kah krti
karmibhyah—than all fruitive workers; paritah—in all respects; hareh—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; priyataya—because of being favored; vyaktim yayur—it is said in the sastra; jnaninah—those advanced in knowledge; tebhyah—superior to them; jnana vimukta—liberated by knowledge; bhakti-paramah—those engaged in devotional service; prema-eka-nisthah—those who have attained pure love of God; tatah—superior to them; tebhyah—better than them; tah—they; pasu-pala-pankaja–drsah—the gopis who are always dependent on Krsna, the cowherd boy; tabhyah—above all of them; api—certainly; sa—She; radhika—Srimati Radharani; prestha—very dear; tadvat—similarly; iyam—this; tadiya-sarasi—Her lake, Sri Radha-kunda; tam—Radha-kunda; na—not; asrayet—would take shelter of; kah—who; krti—most fortunate.
TRANSLATION
In the sastra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jnanis], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Krsna, is superior to him. The gopis are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Sri Krsna, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the most dear to Krsna. Her kunda [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Krsna as this most beloved of the gopis. Who, then, will not reside at Radha-kunda and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [aprakrta-bhava], render loving service to the divine couple Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, who perform Their astakaliya-lila, Their eternal eight-fold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Radha-kunda are the most fortunate people in the universe.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
At the present moment almost everyone is engaged in some kind of fruitive activity. Those who are desirous of gaining material profits by working are called karmis, or fruitive workers. All living entities within this material world have come under the spell of maya. This is described in the Visnu Purana (6.7.61):
visnu-saktih para prokta
ksetrajnakhya tatha para
avidya-karma-samjnanya
trtiya saktir isyate
Sages have divided the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead into three categories—namely, the spiritual energy, marginal energy, and material energy. The material energy is considered to be the third-class energy (trtiya saktih). Those living beings within the jurisdiction of the material energy sometimes engage themselves like dogs and hogs in working very hard simply for sense gratification. However, in this life, or, after executing pious activities, in the next life, some karmis become strongly attracted to performing various kinds of sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas. Thus on the strength of their pious merit, they are elevated to heavenly planets. Actually those who perform sacrifices strictly according to Vedic injunctions are elevated to the moon and planets above the moon. As mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (9.21), ksine punye martya-lokam visanti: After exhausting the results of their so-called pious activities, they again return to the earth, which is called martya-loka, the place of death. Although such persons may be elevated to the heavenly planets by their pious activities and although they may enjoy life there for many thousands of years, they nonetheless must return to this planet when the results of their pious activities are exhausted.
COMMENT by Giriraj Swami
The lowest category mentioned here is the karmi. The principle of the karmi is to work to get money for sense gratification. Ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are karmis, and they fall into two categories: those who are regulated according to Vedic principles and those who are not regulated. Those who are not regulated are like animals, cats and dogs and hogs. They simply want to eat, drink, and enjoy. They engage in all sorts of sinful activities, and as a result they are pushed down into hellish conditions. Those in the other category, the regulated, follow the Vedic injunctions in order to enjoy a higher standard of material happiness. By performance of pious activities, such as Vedic sacrifices, such persons can be elevated to the heavenly planets, where they enjoy the results of their pious deeds. But after their pious credits are exhausted, they again fall down to earth.
One time on a morning walk in New York City, Srila Prabhupada pointed to some blades of grass growing up between the cracks of the concrete pavement. “What is this?” he asked, and a devotee replied, “It’s grass, Srila Prabhupada.” “Yes, I know it is grass,” he said. “But how did it come up here between the cracks?” Nobody could answer. Then Srila Prabhupada explained that after the fruitive workers exhaust their pious credits on the higher planets, they fall down to earth. And how do the spirit souls get here from the higher planets? They come in the rain. The rain falls on the earth, between the cracks of the sidewalk, and the living entities who were enjoying life in the heavenly planets take birth as blades of grass or sprouts of grain on earth. This is because their pious credits have been exhausted.
From the point of view of one in Krishna consciousness, that happiness of sense gratification is not real happiness. But even if someone is on a lower level and thinks that material enjoyment is happiness, still he cannot enjoy for long. As soon as his pious credits are finished, he will have to suffer. Therefore, intelligent persons do not try to enjoy the material world.
PURPORT (continued)
This is the position of all karmis, including those who act piously and those who act impiously. On this planet we find many businessmen, politicians, and others who are simply interested in material happiness. They attempt to earn money by all means, not considering whether such means are pious or impious. Such people are called karmis, or gross materialists. Among the karmis are some vikarmis, people who act without the guidance of Vedic knowledge. Those who act on the basis of Vedic knowledge perform sacrifices for the satisfaction of Lord Visnu and to receive benedictions from Him. In this way they are elevated to higher planetary systems. Such karmis are superior to the vikarmis, for they are faithful to the directions of the Vedas and are certainly dear to Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita (4.11), Krsna says: ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. “In whatever way one surrenders unto Me, I reward him accordingly.”
COMMENT
In shastra, Lord Krishna states that “the injunctions of the Vedas are My orders, and one who goes against the injunctions of the Vedas goes against Me.” So, one who follows the Vedic injunctions follows the orders of Krishna, and he tends to be dearer to Krishna than one who goes against them.
PURPORT (continued)
Krsna is so kind that He fulfills the desires of the karmis and jnanis, what to speak of the bhaktas. Although the karmis are sometimes elevated to higher planetary systems, as long as they remain attached to fruitive activities they must accept new material bodies after death.
COMMENT
In the Bhagavad-gita (8.16) Lord Krishna says, a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna: from the highest planet in the material world, Brahmaloka, down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein there is repeated birth and death. So even if one is elevated to a heavenly planet, he still has to die and take birth again. As stated in the Gita (2.27), “For one who has taken birth, death is certain. And for one who has died, birth is certain.” He remains caught in the repetition of birth and death.
PURPORT (continued)
If one acts piously, he can attain a new body among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, or he may attain some other position in which he can enjoy a higher standard of material happiness. On the other hand, those who are engaged in impious activities are degraded and take birth as animals, trees, and plants. Thus those fruitive actors who do not care for the Vedic directions (vikarmis) are not appreciated by learned saintly persons. . . .
One should therefore be eager to understand the science of the soul (atma-tattva). Unless one comes to the platform of atma-tattva, by which one understands that the soul and not the body is oneself, one remains on the platform of ignorance. Out of thousands and even millions of ignorant people who are wasting their time simply gratifying their senses, one may come to the platform of knowledge and understand higher values of life. Such a person is called a jnani.
COMMENT
Higher than the karmis are the jnanis. The karmis are bound to remain in the material world to enjoy and suffer the fruits of their work. They may enjoy for a while, but mainly they suffer. The jnanis are more intelligent because they see that fruitive work causes one to suffer, but they don’t know about devotional service. They know only material activity, and that material activity brings material misery. So, to become free from material misery, they resolve to refrain from all activity. But the soul by nature is active. The soul cannot remain inactive for long. So, the jnani too must engage in activity, and having no knowledge of spiritual activity, he will again engage in material activity, and thus he will fall down. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam says that although jnanis imagine that they are liberated, actually they are not, because they neglect the service of the lotus feet of the Lord.
ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah
“O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.” (SB 10.2.32)
Because they neglect the Lord’s service, they fall down. Such impersonalists, after renouncing material activities, become restless. They want some activity. And because they are unaware of the spiritual activities of bhakti-yoga, devotional service, they fall into material activities and become karmis again. There are many examples of impersonal jnanis and yogis who went to the Himalayas to become one with Brahman, declaring, brahma satya jagan mithya: Brahman is truth, and the world is false. They left the world to engage in impersonal meditation, but they could not maintain it; they fell down. They come back to the world they declared was false, back to the cities, and engage in material welfare activities such as opening schools and hospitals, and sometimes they fall so low that they become involved in politics. So, patyanti adah: they fall down.
The impersonal philosophers don’t have real knowledge. If someone actually has knowledge, he surrenders to Krishna and engages in devotional service.
bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyante
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah
“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Gita 7.19) After being a jnani for many lifetimes, when the jnani actually becomes wise, he surrenders to Krishna and becomes a bhakta, a rare great soul.
The bhakta is superior to the karmi and the jnani. The bhakta begins with the process of sadhana-bhakti, but even the sadhaka is considered higher than the best of the karmis and jnanis. And when the sadhaka becomes more advanced, he attains krsna-prema. Among the devotees, he who has prema is the best. And among the devotees who have prema, the active servants are better than those who have neutral appreciation; the friends are higher than the servants; the fathers and mothers are higher than the friends; and the lovers, or the young gopis, are the best of all. And among the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the best. She is the best of all.
PURPORT (continued)
Of all these devotees, the gopis are recognized as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Krsna. Nor do the gopis expect any return from Krsna.
COMMENT
The gopis are the best because they have no personal desire for enjoyment. They want only Krishna’s happiness. Srila Prabhupada told the story of the time Krishna declared that He had a headache and that only the dust of the feet of His devotee could cure Him. He sent His messenger to so many devotees, but they all said, “If the dust of our feet goes on the Lord’s head, we will commit a great offense and have to go to hell.” So they all refused. The messenger became discouraged. He went back to Lord Krishna, and the Lord said, “You should go to the gopis of Vrindavan and ask them.” So he went, and all the gopis gathered around him and inquired, “How is Krishna?” The messenger replied, “Krishna is not well. He has a headache.” The gopis immediately became disturbed. “Krishna has a headache! What can we do? What can we do?” The messenger said, “The only thing that will cure Krishna’s headache is the dust of the feet of His devotee.” “Oh, then take as much dust as you like, take it all!” “But if the dust from your feet goes on Krishna’s head, you will be committing a great offense and could go to hell,” the messenger said. And the gopis replied, “As long as Krishna’s headache is cured, we don’t care if we go to hell.”
This is the standard of the gopis’ love. They have no desire for personal happiness. They want only Krishna’s happiness, and if their unhappiness gives Krishna happiness, they consider their unhappiness to be the greatest happiness. We cannot experience such feelings in the material world. Only someone who has come to the stage of bhava- or prema-bhakti can know, to some extent, what such selfless love is. “Of all these devotees, the gopis are recognized as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Krishna.”
Srila Prabhupada often gave the example that Krishna would go into the pasturing grounds and the gopis would be at home, crying. Why were they crying? Because they were thinking that the paths of Vrindavan are filled with so many thorns and stones and that if the soft lotus feet of Krishna were pricked by some pebble or thorn, He would feel pain. And thinking of Krishna’s pain, they would cry.
“Nor do the gopis expect any return from Krishna.” Srila Prabhupada said that when Krishna returned from the pasturing grounds in the afternoon, the gopis would not approach Him and say, “Krishna, You have been working all day. What have You brought for me? Let me look into Your pocket and see if You brought something for me.” Generally, in the material world the husband goes to work all day, and when he returns in the evening the wife asks, “Well, what did you bring for me?” Indirectly, Srila Prabhupada says that the gopis are not like that.
PURPORT (continued)
Nor do the gopis expect any return from Krsna. Indeed, sometimes Krsna puts them into extreme suffering by separating Himself from them. Nonetheless, they cannot forget Krsna.
COMMENT
In the material world we may think that we love someone, but after some time we may forget. Somebody will die, and we will cry for some days, but gradually we may forget. But the gopis can never forget Krishna.
PURPORT (continued)
When Krsna left Vrndavana for Mathura, the gopis became most dejected and spent the rest of their lives simply crying in separation from Krsna. This means that in one sense they were never actually separated from Krsna. There is no difference between thinking of Krsna and associating with Him.
COMMENT
Krishna is absolute. Therefore Krishna’s name, Krishna’s form, Krishna’s qualities, and Krishna’s pastimes are all Krishna. So when one remembers Krishna’s name, form, qualities, or pastimes, one is in Krishna’s association. In the extreme mood of separation from Krishna, the gopis actually experience Krishna’s presence. And they feel great ecstasy. The bodies of the gopis are ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabis (Bs 5.37). They’re made of ananda cinmaya-rasa, or mahabhava. Their constitution is ananda-maya, full of bliss. It cannot be anything but bliss. And not only bliss, but the highest ecstasy of mahabhava. Their feeling of separation appears externally to be misery, but actually it is not misery—it is ecstasy. Srila Sanatana Gosvami gives the example for extreme separation, that ice acts like fire. For example, dry ice. Dry ice is so cold that if you touch it you get burned. It’s cold, but it produces the opposite effect—burning. So, the mood of the gopis’ separation is so extreme and intense that in separation they experience meeting Krishna, and they experience ecstasy in Krishna’s association.
PURPORT (continued)
There is no difference between thinking of Krsna and associating with Him. Rather, vipralambha-seva, thinking of Krsna in separation, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did, is far better than serving Krsna directly.
COMMENT
We should try to develop Krishna consciousness in the mood of separation. We are not liberated now, not in Krishna’s pastimes now. And if we imagine that we are meeting Krishna and serving Krishna and not factually realizing it, we can become sahajiyas. Srila Prabhupada didn’t want us to become sahajiyas. He wanted us to worship in the mood of separation, like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Six Gosvamis.
PURPORT (concluded)
Thus of all the devotees who have developed unalloyed devotional love for Krsna, the gopis are most exalted, and out of all these exalted gopis, Srimati Radharani is the highest. No one can excel the devotional service of Srimati Radharani. Indeed, even Krsna cannot understand the attitude of Srimati Radharani; therefore He took Her position and appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, just to understand Her transcendental feelings.
In this way Srila Rupa Gosvami gradually concludes that Srimati Radharani is the most exalted devotee of Krsna and that Her kunda is the most exalted place. . . .
yatha radha priya visnos
tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva-gopisu saivaika
visnor atyanta-vallabha
“Just as Srimati Radharani is dear to the Supreme Lord Krsna, so Her bathing place is equally dear to Krsna. Among all the gopis, She alone stands supreme as the Lord’s most beloved.”
Therefore everyone interested in Krsna consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Radha-kunda and execute devotional service there throughout one’s life. This is the conclusion of Rupa Gosvami in the tenth verse of Upadesamrta.
COMMENT
We’re not really qualified to discuss Radha-kunda, but because today is Radha-kunda’s appearance day, we may say something about the appearance of Sri Radha-kunda, which we can respect and appreciate from a distance—not too close.
As I mentioned earlier, Krishna killed the bull demon, Aristasura, and after killing him He approached the gopis for pastimes, but they refused. “You have killed a bull,” they said. “So you are contaminated. We do not want to associate with You.” Krishna asked, “What do I have to do to become purified from the sin?” The gopis replied, “You must take bath in all the sacred rivers in all the sacred places in all the three worlds.” Then Krishna thought, “Better I call all the holy places here.” He pushed His heel in the ground and immediately all the personified holy places came before Him and started offering prayers and obeisances. Srimati Radharani said, “I don’t see any holy places.” So Lord Krishna told the holy places to identify themselves, and the holy places personified did so: “I am Yamuna,” “I am Ganga,” “I am Sarasvati,” “I am Sindhu,” “I am Prayag,” “I am Puskhara,” and so on. Then, on Krishna’s indication, they became liquid and flowed into the kunda created by the impression of Krishna’s foot and filled it up with water. Thus Krishna-kunda, or Syama-kunda, came into existence. Krishna took His bath and then announced to the gopis, “Now I am completely pure. I have taken bath in all the sacred places in all the three worlds. But you are not pure. You are contaminated, because although Aristasura was in the form of a bull, still he was a demon. You took the side of a demon, so you are contaminated. So you also have to take bath and become purified. Take bath in My kunda, and you will be free.”
Srimati Radharani said, “No, no. Your kunda is contaminated by the terrible sin of killing the bull. I am not going to take bath in Your kunda. I am going to make My own kunda.” Aristasura’s hooves had made a shallow ditch just west of Sri Krishna’s pond. So the gopis began digging up lumps of soft mud with their hands, and very quickly they manifested a beautiful kunda. Srimati Radharani had said from the beginning, “I will make My kunda more beautiful than Krishna’s.” Now Krishna said, “Well, Your kunda is very beautiful, but it has one defect: it has no water in it. So why don’t You take some water from My kunda?” “No, no, no, no. Your water is contaminated by your sin. We will bring our own water.”
There were thousands and millions of gopis. On Srimati Radharani’s indication, they made a long chain from Manasi-ganga to Radha-kunda, filled pots with water, and passed the pots from one gopi to the next to the next, all the way from Manasi-ganga to Radha-kunda. But Lord Krishna, seeing the labor of the gopis, was not happy, because He cannot bear to see even one drop of perspiration on the face of Srimati Radharani. So He appealed to Her, “Please take water from My kunda.” But She refused—“No!” Then Lord Krishna called the representative of all the holy places, who began to offer prayers to Srimati Radharani: “Even Krishna likes to serve Your lotus feet, and He rejoices and feels most fortunate simply by satisfying the tips of the toes of Your lotus feet. So we also want to serve Your lotus feet. If You fulfill our desire, our lives will be successful.”
Srimati Radharani was pleased, and, glancing at Krishna from the corners of Her eyes, She smiled and replied, “Please come.” So, the holy waters in Syama-kunda broke through its boundary walls and quickly filled Radha-kunda. Then Sri Radha and the gopis took bath, and in the end Krishna was so pleased that He told Her, “Your kunda will become even more famous than Mine. I will always come here to bathe and enjoy My water pastimes. Your kunda is as dear to Me as You are.” Srimati Radharani was pleased, and She said to Lord Krishna, “I will also come and take bath in Your pond, even if You kill hundreds and thousands of Aristasuras. Anyone who has devotion for Your lake and bathes or resides there will become very dear to Me.” Both Sri Radha and Krishna became so pleased after the formation of Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda that They inaugurated a great festival of rasa dance.
I’ll mention just one more point from the verse. The Sanskrit in the verse concludes, prestha tadvad iyam tadiya-sarasi tam nasrayet kah krti: “What fortunate person will not take shelter of Radha-kunda?” This is what the Sanskrit says. But what does Srila Prabhupada say? “Who, then, will not reside at Radha-kunda and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings, render service to the divine couple who perform Their eternal eight-fold daily pastimes?” In other words, this is what it really means to take shelter of Radha-kunda—not to go there and live like a monkey. Once, when a disciple told Srila Prabhupada that he wanted to go and stay in Radha-kunda, Srila Prabhupada replied that there were already enough monkeys at Radha-kunda; they didn’t need another one.
So, taking shelter of Radha-kunda doesn’t mean going there and living like a monkey, thinking of the demands of the body. Monkeys appear to be very renounced because they don’t wear clothes, eat only fruits and berries, and live in the jungle in trees. But Srila Prabhupada says that each monkey has two dozen girlfriends. So they actually are not renounced. Now, if someone goes to Radha-kunda without being able to take shelter of the holy name as described by Srila Prabhupada in the translation, he may become just like a monkey—outwardly appearing renounced but internally full of desires for sense gratification. Therefore, we go step by step. Srila Rupa Gosvami describes the exalted position of Srimati Radharani and Radha-kunda and asks, “What fortunate person will not take shelter of Radha-kunda?” But here we are at the end of Rupa Gosvami’s instructions. There are so many instructions earlier in the book, and to take shelter of Radha-kunda properly, we have to follow all the other instructions, from text one to text nine—not jump like monkeys to texts nine, ten, and eleven.
What is the first instruction? Vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam/ jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam—we have to control the urges. First is the urge to speak. We speak so much nonsense. Whenever we get the chance, we discuss politics, we discuss boy-girl affairs, or still worse, we criticize devotees. So, vaco vegam, and then manasa krodha-vegam: we have to control the mind. Anyway, I need not elaborate. We all can assess our present positions. And we should proceed step by step from the first verse up to the last ones—nine, ten, and eleven.
By the mercy of Srimati Radharani, Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Srila Prabhupada, we have had the opportunity to remember Sri Radha-kunda and discuss the conclusions of Srila Rupa Gosvami given here in Sri Upadesamrta, so kindly explained by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
Hare Krishna!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Radha-kunda’s appearance day, November 7, 1993, Bombay]
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Music as Meditation-the kirtan experience.
Laksmi Nrsimha Das: I’m sure many musicians have had a meditative experience while playing in a band or orchestra or even playing one’s instrument alone. Long ago, in the early 70’s, I was a percussionist for a well-known NYC folksinger named Steve Baron. Steve and I had a music connection that ran deep. We never rehearsed, yet many of our concerts, small and large, would catapult us into an almost meditative trance, free of anxiety or loss of focus. Our audience would similarly get swept up in our sometimes joyful, sometimes melancholy songs. It was this type of performance experience which led me to the conclusion that music can be a profound meditative experience.
Even as a listener or appreciator of music, the act of attentively listening to one’s favorite form of music can cause moments, minutes or hours of rapture. Music is so captivating that it induces pleasant concentration with blissful ease. With that said it comes as no surprise that the ancient yogis developed a form of music that is a powerful meditation; a meditation made easy through melody and rhythm. This form of meditation is known as kirtan.
A dear friend of mine, Swami Dhanurdhara, wrote about kirtan-“The test of any meditational practice is its ability to facilitate focus on the object of one’s mediation, usually a mantra that is heard. As proper melody and rhythm spontaneously allure the mind, mantra couched in music naturally makes mantra meditation easier. And as the focus in kirtan is the very object of the practitioner’s devotion (the divine names of God), extraordinary feelings, such as devotion and joy, naturally arise as one’s meditation deepens.” This in short describes the kirtan meditation. As the setting for a precious jewel enhances the beauty of the jewel, the setting of melody and rhythm in kirtan enhances the captivating beauty and concentrative power of the mantra in focus. through continued experience of kirtan, gradually the participant connects with an inner dimension of simultaneous joy and heightened awareness of the true nature of the self.
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Bhakta Omkar gets his Srimad Bhagavatam set.
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