Radhanath Swami speaking on “Invaluable Lessons from Sri Govardhana Lila”2012 yatra, Mayapur, Day 3

Radhanath Swami

Radhanath SwamiThank you for being with us this evening, in this very holy place of Sri Navadvipa Dham, during the most sacred of all months – Kartik, we have come together on a pilgrimage. Throughout the ages, in every great religious tradition, there is the emphasis of taking time away from our much consumed lifestyles, to go to a holy place with holy and like-minded people for the purpose of exclusively absorbing ourselves in activities which are favorable to our spiritual quest.

 

Radhanath Swami explains about Navadvip dham Audarya Dham where grace is made accessible for all

A holy place is a place where the Supreme Lord has performed his pastimes on this earth.

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge

Krishna tells in ‘Gita’ that he descends into this world again and again to reestablish the true principles of religion – to annihilate ignorance, and to give pleasure to those who love him, and to attract the hearts of all fortunate beings, who are willing to gratefully receive his grace.

Place of pilgrimage may also be where holy people over the ages have performed their devotion. Sri Mayapur Dham is considered in this age of Kali the greatest of places of pilgrimages. Vrindavan is the place where once in a day of Brahma, Krishna performs his most intimate loving pastimes with his devotees, it is madhurya dham, the abode of sweetness, where the levels of ecstatic love of God are in its most intimate state. Navadvip is non-different from Vrindavan with one inclusion, it is audharya dham, and it makes the sweetness of Vrindavan accessible to everyone, to anyone, who opens their hearts to receive it. We were speaking last night, how for this treasure of prema, divine love, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to awaken in our heart? In order to overcome the ahankar, the ego, and free ourselves from the shackles of endless selfish desires and fears, it’s only possible through grace. Because there are powers beyond our intelligence, physical strength, will power that we are up against within this material manifestation.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

 

Radhanath Swami depicts three modes of material nature and how to overcome them

Krishna certifies in the Gita, that this material creation consisting of three modes, these gunas are like ropes, they keep us bound and they are so subtle, so expert in every way; they deal with us from the grossest level of physical, sensual temptation, to the subtlest level of the ego. Tamo guna – the mode of ignorance – which drives us to anger, violence, cruelty, desperation, where we take shelter of intoxication, laziness. Then there is rajo guna – the mode of passion – wherein we are pulled by these ropes with endless desires, desires for sensual experiences, to taste something, to touch something, to see something, hear something, and have sex with something; and on a subtle platform that passion for profit, greed, money, wealth, property, fame, distinction, pratistha, this is the mode of passion. And then there is sattva guna– the mode of goodness, the mode of goodness is a platform, by which we can transcend the modes of nature; but in and of itself, it’s still under the powers of material energy.

The mode of goodness is on an emotional and physical platform to feel compassion for people, to act honestly, truthfully, humbly, to be forgiving, to be philanthropic, to help those who are in need, to work unselfishly, not with greed, but in a spirit of generosity; but even the mode of goodness binds us to this material world. Unless from that platform of mode of goodness, we have a transcendental purpose in our life, where we have the understanding that whether we are in the mode of goodness, passion or ignorance, tamo guna, rajo guna or sattva guna, still whether you are pious or impious, certainly a pious life brings about pious results, where there is worldly happiness, peace, comforts. But still.

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino ’rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

We have to grow old, we have to get diseased, and we have to die.

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

And in this world, no matter what modes you are operating under, still there is danger at every step. But the atma, the eternal soul, is sat-chit-ananda – Eternal, full of knowledge, full of bliss. That living force within us is our true selves, it is untouched by any of the anxieties and sufferings or even the temporary fleeting joys of material existence. But in a dream state, when that atma is identifying with this… through this ego, ahankar, with the body and the designations of the body being a human or an animal or a lizard or a bird, or an insect, or a fish, or a tree or if we happen to be a rare human species, you may be thinking I am black or white or red or yellow, or I am male or female, or I am Indian or American or Russian, African, these are all designations.

Krishna comes to this world, to take us to live by moral principles of mode of goodness for the exclusive purpose of transcending the modes of nature. And there are various process of trying to transcend the modes of nature. But to awaken this prema, this most essential potential within us, prema pumartha mahan; The ultimate goal of to awaken that love for Krishna that is within our hearts and to naturally extend that love to every living being, seeing the relationship, that is only possible by grace. And grace cannot be attained, we can memorize thousands of entire books of scriptures, we can eat one grain of rice a day, we could sleep 5 min a day, we can build enormous temples, we can feed 1 million people, we can chant a billion names of God, and we could lead a Kirtan that mesmerizes everybody into tears. But that doesn’t necessarily attain grace. Srila Prabhupada explains that pure devotional service is very rare. Why? Because pure bhakti is so powerful – prema – that Krishna, the absolute truth, the cause of all causes, the creator, maintainer, and annihilator, of everything that exists, by his own sweet will, agrees to be subordinate.

Krishna surrenders to the love of a devotee’s heart. – Radhanath Swami

We cannot attain it, it is beyond the scope of our abilities, of our intellect; but when we are sincere, serious, humble, and eager to serve the Supreme Lord and all living beings through him with no ulterior motives then Krishna is eager, Srimati Radharani, the feminine potency, the source of all grace, is eager to deliver us.

Radhanath Swami explains the purpose of visiting holy places of pilgrimage–begging for grace

That is why we come on pilgrimage. To focus on what is really important in life. The nature of how Maya works is, things that are not important, we are deceived to giving them such mass proportion of importance, and we don’t have time for the most important things because we are just too consumed by all the other things. It’s very difficult to balance spirituality, while living in this material world; very difficult for Grhasthas, householders, who may have jobs and children. A husband has to take care of the whole family, and the wife has to deal with husbands. As a ‘Swami’, I get around, and what I see– it is really difficult dealing with husbands, this male ego is so atrocious sometimes, and it comes out in so many ways. Anyways. I’ve never been a husband in this life. So many responsibilities, and then somebody is thinking let me become a brahmachari, Simple life, that’s what they think, Simple life. You join the ashram with that idea, but after some time you think so many things in the mind, so many things to deal with, and even when you are dealing with spiritual matters, how much we can neglect the real consciousness that makes it spiritual. To really put our heart into purely chanting the holy name, not just memorizing the verses but realizing it living by these verses. Distractions are everywhere, so we come to pilgrimage places because we need grace.

You see you cannot digest food, if you have no hunger, this is the principle of Ayurveda. Every time I go to Ayurvedic doctors, and I am sent to them many times, so many different ones, they always ask, “how is your appetite?” Because this is the basis. Digestion is the key to good health, and you can’t digest unless you are hungry. So similarly grace is everywhere, grace is all-pervading, just like the sunlight is all-pervading, but we become so habituated to live in dark places, in order to digest and assimilate that grace we have to be hungry for it. We are beggars for grace, we understand the need for grace.

Bhakti is not just about work and offering the fruits of our labor to God or someone else, that is very fundamental state; Bhakti is about crying out for grace. –Radhanath Swami

Maya is very strong, and Krishna is all-powerful, but what is the greatest power of Krishna? His beauty, sweetness, love. We are crying for that, we are trying to absorb ourselves in being attracted by the all-attractive, it’s natural. So when we are here in a holy place of pilgrimage, for many of you it is a rare thing, maybe once or twice a year, every moment should be utilized to be absorbed, that is tapasya. Inconveniences will come, if we are coming here to enjoy, we will probably suffer. There are lot of mosquitoes and so many other things like the crowds. If we are coming to serve, we will taste transcendental happiness, inconveniences are great blessings, if they help us to take shelter of that grace. And that is the subject of the festival we are celebrating today, one of the most popular festivals in all of Vrindavan and in the temples and homes of devotees all over the world. Today is Govardhan puja. Besides an incredible story, the lessons of this story are so critical for all of us. With your permission, on this holy day, in this holy place, may I try to narrate the story for you? (Audience roars “haribol”). I was hoping you would say that. Thank you.

 

Radhanath Swami narrates the story of making worst situations to best opportunities, story of Govardhan Lila

It is a story of how the worst possible situation can be the most beautiful opportunity to be with God. It is a story about how the lord’s grace comes upon a devotee not just the way we want it to be, but the way that transforms us.

Indra, according to the Vedas, is the ruler of the heavens; he is especially the universal department head of rain. Without rain, there can be no life. Can you imagine having that responsibility? That means literally everyone in this planet is totally dependent on Indra for life. What if there is no rain? –Drought, no food, nothing to drink. Our bodies – the vast majority of all physical bodies of living beings – is made up of water. So according to traditional cultures, rather than just taking, taking, taking, and not feeling any gratitude or obligation, culture is about gratitude, honoring and respecting those who help us. Honoring and respecting ultimately every living beings, because they are all part of god, that is culture. And reciprocating with those who help.

So in Vrindavan it was the tradition for many, many generations, that once a year there would be a beautiful puja for Indra, because he is giving rain. They make wonderful food for him, have pujas, do their mudras, do their yantras, do their tantras, do their mantras, and everything like that. So Nanda Maharaja following this tradition had arranged a very, very grand Indra puja.

You see, there is one God, the source of everything that exists. But that one God, the absolute truth, the personality of godhead, brahmeti paramätmeti bhagavän iti çabdyate, that one absolute truth in his transcendental identity, expands as the all-pervading impersonal Brahman, as the paramatma seated in each and every heart and as the supreme personality of godhead, Bhagavan – the all-loving personality who forever reciprocates intimacy of love with this devotees.

In the case of material creation, just like a prime minister has so many ministers who are heads of departments. So there are department heads of the universe, it is proper to offer our gratitude and respect for what they give us. Indra gives rain, but Krishna is the source of Indra. That one supreme god is the source of all the devas. If you put water in the root of the tree, automatically that water extends to every part of the tree. Similarly, when we please Krishna, by our devotion, then automatically all the avatars, all the manifestations, all the demigods, all the devas, they are all fully satisfied, because he is the root,

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

the cause of all causes.

Radhanath Swami describes the pastime of Krishna eating dirt

So, Krishna is that absolute truth. But in Vrindavan, to facilitate the sweetest loving pastimes, he appeared as a small loving child, where his parents are thinking that if I don’t protect him, he will get hurt, there are monkeys that might bite him, there are bulls that might step on him, there are birds that might scratch him, there are mosquitoes that might hurt him, there are thrones, stones in the ground that may give inconvenience to his soft feet and they are always trying to protect him, feed him. Krishna just like a little boy increases that ecstasy of the love of his parents, like the time he ate dirt and the cowherd boys, Balaram, Subal, Stoka Krishna, Sudama, they all come and tell Yashodha Mayi, Krishna ate dirt. He is only a small child just a little more than a baby.

Yashoda mayi said, “Why have you eaten dirt, don’t you know how sick you can get by eating dirt?” Krishna said “I did not eat dirt.”

“Then why are your friends saying you ate dirt.”

“They are lying”

“Balaram is always on your side. Why did he lie?”

“Because we played and I won the game”.

Yashoda mayi turns to the cowherd boys and they say, “No, we saw him in a secluded place and he,  was eating dirt.”

Yashodha was not seeing him as God. We know about the universal form the virata rupa, the virata rupa is a mere expansion of expansion of expansion of Krishna. Virata rupa is eating the whole universe, but for Yashoda he was a little child, helpless without her.

She said, “Open your mouth.” Krishna said, “Yes I will open my mouth” and he opened his mouth, the reality is he did eat dirt and Yashoda mayi is going to see the dirt. Now Krishna could have erased it but that would not have attracted our heart 5000yrs later. He has acintya shakti, inconceivable potencies, sometimes we rationally try to adjust the absolute truth to the conventional ideas of what is possible, but everywhere we see in nature the impossible happening–From a little seed a banyan tree is coming. Can anyone put a banyan tree or a redwood tree inside a seed?

In fact everyone that is here at one time not long ago were all seeds. The father does not know what’s going on. They have no engineering plan and all of a sudden that seed miraculously develops limbs, organs, senses. This little soul, little atma, has the power to create more seeds like that, more children, there are miracles everywhere. This light, “what a miracle!” I don’t know where it is coming from, but I know where it came from, light came from the sun. All light, heat and energy is coming from the sun, Sun shines on trees, the trees absorb that energy of the sun and when ignited, fire is brought out from tree. After many years when the tree goes underground it becomes coal and after millions of years the coal becomes oil but power of sun is still there. Oil and coal have not seen a ray of sun for millions of years but still the energy is still stored in it and when you ignite it, the fire comes out. Incredible! The baby is crying there we could be disturbed there but we could think what an incredible miracle, the baby is crying! This tiny thing so much volume, disturbs thousands of people. It’s amazing!

 

Radhanath Swami depicts various miracles created by Krishna

So when Krishna comes to earth, Krishna is absolute truth the cause of all causes, so if he wants to do something there is nothing he can’t do. If he can create the entire cosmos with all the universes and sun planet which is millions and millions of times bigger than the earth and it’s just shining, it’s not that the sun has some pipes coming from the Middle East to keep it burning; from millions of millions of millions of millions of years the sun keeps burning and nobody is keeping fuel into it. We look at the sun and say, “oh! It’s getting into my eyes!” Why don’t we see what an incredible miracle? And if our planet gets a little close to it will get burnt, and if it’s a little far from it, it will freeze and all life ceases; it’s just going on for millions after millions years the whole creation is inconceivable.

So Krishna as a little baby and Yashoda is looking in his mouth, and He doesn’t want her to see the dirt in His mouth. So he distracted her attention, all of a sudden his lila shakti, his energy of pastimes, manifested by his will and when she looked in His mouth she saw – all the oceans, all the mountains, all the planets, the universe in Krishna’s mouth. It’s not that the mouth got bigger! How big is the universe? But yet she saw, it’s not that there was a ‘zip file’ of the universe in Krishna’s mouth, he does not have to do that; he can show the entire universe in a mouth this big(hole made by joining thumb and first finger in circular shape). She could see all the space between everything, she even saw herself looking at Krishna’s mouth, she became very reverential that, “I am in such an illusion, just see the power of maya, I am thinking that I am the queen of Vrindavan and Nanda maharaj is my husband and Krishna is my son.” Even though she was in such reverence of what was happening the nature of her motherly affection, there was no inclination to think that Krishna was anything but her little son.

She was thinking ‘People in Vrindavan say that he is like Narayana, because Garga Muni said so.’ “But who is Garga Muni? What does he know? What do all these people know? So much gossip is going on. Krishna knows who he is and I know who he is. When Krishna is hungry, he cries and comes to me; if I don’t feed him my milk he is not pacified. When Krishna hears thunder, he come to me afraid and unless I kiss him and embrace him, he is shaking. Krishna is naughty, if he is the absolute truth, he can’t tell lies. He says, “I don’t steal butter” but he steals butter. So let them say He is Narayana, but I know who he is, he is my son that’s all. And I am his mother, that’s all. And we both know our love for each other. That is the highest truth.” That was Yashoda’s philosophical conclusion- siddhanta.

But still she was thinking that Vishnu’s maya is making me think all these things so she was reverential and Krishna closed his mouth and smiled and seeing the sweetness, gentleness and helplessness of smile her heart flooded with affection, she simply embraced him and forgot all about universe, and he was successful, he accomplished his purpose because she even forgot about the complaint that ‘he ate dirt.’

Radhanath Swami sketches the subjective nature of this world

So Krishna the absolute truth in this beautiful sweet form, his eternal forms, is walking around Vrindavan, is now seven years old. He asks Nanda Maharaj, “What is all this puja going on? Why all this ingredients, food, cooking and so much efforts? What are you doing? And just because I am a little boy doesn’t means you shouldn’t tell me, because among family members there should be no secrets. Nanda Maharaj said, “Indra is the deva, who is the head of the department of rain. He goes by different names in different cultures throughout the history of the world. And because we are farmers, ‘vaishayas’, we make our living by growing crops and taking care of cows and bulls so we require rains.”
Sometimes in cities we don’t like when it rains because it’s inconvenient. We have to go through the austerity of turning on the wipers in our cars. But if you are a farmer you celebrate when it rains. It’s amazing when things are so subjective in this world as they say one man’s food is another man’s poison. In my own life I was always observing situations, my father went through total bankruptcy and somehow or other he had the spirit of hope and he kept going, selling cars and kept going and then he started fixing cars and was quite successful. In Chicago, where we grew up, in the winter there is so much snow and ice and in summer sometimes big storms and nobody liked the storms except my father. He would be so happy, if there was massive snow and massive ice he would wake up and be happy. “Why are you so happy?” He said, ‘Because all this ice, snow, people are going to crash their cars; so the people who crash cars are miserable but my father was very happy. He never wanted anyone to get hurt except the cars. “Just keep hurting your cars and crash your cars. Put on your safety belts and crash your cars.” This is life, so everything is very subjective.

So Krishna, he was telling Nanda Maharaj, “Tell me everything.” And Nanda Maharaj was telling, “We need rains, that’s how we survive. So it has been the tradition of our forefather that we offer our respect and gratitude to Indra every year, so that he will keep giving rains. And not only for that are reason but we really grateful to Indra for doing it.” Little seven year old Krishna became very philosophical and said, “Actually, we don’t have to worry about Indra because within this material creation, everything is happening according to ‘karma’ – karma mimamsa. If we do well we are going to get good, if we do bad we will get bad. The devas, whoever they may be, all they can do is be instruments to deliver our karma. But it is on the basis of choices we make and the actions we perform that’s creating the karma. So if we do good, Indra has to give rains.”

Krishna continued, “You see this mountain Govardhan, this beautiful Giriraj is king of mountains, It is giving so much water and green grass for cows. We should worship ‘Govardhan hill’ and worship the cows and worship the Brahmana’s because they are teaching us the virtuous ways of living. Krishna was really a true spiritual environmentalist. If we take care of nature nicely with gratitude and love, then nature reciprocates.

Now Nanda Maharaj and braja vasis, for them it wasn’t about Indra or Govardhan it was just about pleasing Krishna. He spoke so sweetly, that Nanda Maharaj said, “Alright, after we do Indra puja we will do Govardhan puja.” But Krishna can fulfill so many purposes at the same time, he understood that Indra was his devotee but he was proud. Although he had a very powerful position on behalf of God, it got to his ego.

The prestige, fringe benefits, honor, opulence, false pride destroys devotion. It’s the greatest impediment to devotion – the ego and selfishness – Radhanath Swami

Even such a devotee as Indra was trapped by circumstances into thinking, ‘I am proprietor of what I own, I am the controller of so many necessities within world, and I am the enjoyer.’ But out of love, compassion and mercy for Indra, Krishna knew what it took to cure him of this disease of ego. Even in this world doctors in order to cure they don’t give things you like, but it works. Krishna did not give Indra what he wanted but gave what he needed.

Krishna said to Nanda maharaj, “Just don’t waste your time with Indra. Let’s give everything we made for Indra and give it to Govardhan hill.”

“Ok let’s do it. Just tell me how to do it.”

“So let’s make mountains and mountains of food and ponds liquid food, bhoga and offer to it all to Govardhan. And we will have yajnas and pujas and have kirtans and we will celebrate. And then we will circumambulate Govardhan hill to honor him.”

To please Krishna all the braja vasis were so excited. This was incredible, they made so many mountains of rice, rotis, samosas, malpovas, burfis and rasgullas. Made so many lakes of khir, condensed milk and mountains of subjis. There were miles of food, so much chanting going on people playing musical instruments, Brahmana’s were ecstatically chanting mantras and hymns.

Krishna stood with all gopas and gopis and then Krishna did something that was incredible – His little seven year old form was there and then he expanded himself into an enormous form on top of Govardhan hill. And Krishna said to Nanda Maharaj, “just see Govardhan has manifested as a person to us because he is pleased and He is going to accept our offerings.” Then Krishna bowed down to himself as Govardhan hill and all gopas and gopis bowed down with him. And they made the offering and Govardhan hill in front of every one’s eyes, two gigantic arm manifested and he took all mountains in his mouth and ate everything and drank all the lakes of bhoga and then he cried out “Anior”. Anior means more, they didn’t have anything else everything in entire village was offered to him. But Krishna understood what He wanted. And he had someone offer a tulsi leaf and Govardhan was satisfied. And just as he ate, it all he manifested all the mountains and lakes and kunds of bhoga as Giriraj Mahaprasad. And Krishna arranged everyone should eat, “Feed all, the cows, the dogs, the deer and insects all categories of humans”. There was a big feast, they decorated themselves beautifully and there was music being played and they all circumambulated Govardhan hill together. Because Krishna revealed Himself that day that he is Govardhan hill. It is his own manifestation.

Radhanath Swami narrates the descend of Govardhan hill to this world

In the Garga samhita it describes in the spiritual world of Goloka Vrindavan, Srimati Radharani was once with Krishna in a secluded place and she said, “my beloved, please create the supreme most wonderful place for us to enjoy our past times.”

And Krishna he, searched into the very core of his heart with his consciousness and from his heart came a brilliant effulgent seed and that seed came from his heart into the air and then onto the sacred chintamani ground of Vrindavan and instantly it began to grow and grow and grow into the most beautiful Mountain with caves, and rivers and lakes and trees, the most pleasant. In Goloka Vrindavan it is Radha Krishna’s favorite place to perform their leelas. And for Krishna Balaram and the gopas it is the favorite place for them to perform their past times.

And when Krishna told Srimati Radharani that, “I’m going to descend to this earth, once in a day of Brahma in my original form of Krishna I descend to the world to attract the people towards my transcendental love.”

Srimati Radharani said, “I must come with you.

He said, “Of course, you must come with me.”

But Srimati Radharani said, “I won’t be happy there without the forest of Vrindavan, the river Yamuna and the Govardhan hill”

Krishna said, “I have already understood your desire. They are already there waiting for us.”

This is Govardhan hill. The Acharya tell us in the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is actually coming from the mouth of Srimati Radharani herself, the Govardhan hill is unique. He is the supreme Lord Krishna, non-different than Krishna and he is in the role of ‘Haridasvarya’, the greatest devotee. The gopis are explaining why he is the greatest devotee, because he knows what pleases Krishna, he gives grass to the cows, he gives nice places for Krishna’s devotees to drink water and the water is like nectar and the caves are very cool. In winter the rocks are warm and in summer they are cool. Govardhan has mastered the art of pleasing Krishna by giving service and pleasure to all Krishna’s devotees. As they were circumambulating, doing Parikrama of Giriraj, they were so happy. There was nothing but ecstasy, everyone was looking at Krishna smiling and that was there bliss.

There was only one person that wasn’t happy. Who is that person? Indra! He could not believe that what he was expecting! You see this is the nature of human ego. We become so filled with anxieties when we have expectations. Because the nature of this world, you always don’t get what you expect. If we expect good weather and it is bad weather, very disturbing. If we expect respect from our husband, or wife, our friends, our god brothers, from the god sisters, from the world, we are not always going to get it. And the more we expect the more we suffer. When we don’t get and we are not going to get and the more we get, the more we expect and when we don’t get the more we suffer. This is human psychology.

Renunciation, detachment means to be self-satisfied. We don’t need anything, when we are self-satisfied, “ananda mayo…”– Radhanath Swami

The soul which is Ananda, which is full of bliss, it is trying to find it somewhere. We are not finding it in ourselves. If we are not finding it in our love for Krishna and our compassion for all living beings, we are going to expect somewhere.

And as we say, Indra was getting it and getting it, every year and he was getting it from places all over the universe. The ego is such a thing, that even if you have so much and one thing goes wrong and that’s what you focus on. It’s not that Nanda Maharaja is the only person in the universe who was doing Indra Puja, in those days everyone was doing. There were millions of places who were doing Indra puja.

 

Radhanath Swami sketches the ego of Indra using example of body

We sometimes give the example of this body, because we can understand life from examples. We can be in perfect health and everybody is nice to you. Your business is going really well; you have got good grades in school, everything is just so good, I have accomplished so much, and we are going to temple to thank Krishna for all the goodness that he has given us. And we step on a thorn– now how much space in the body the thorn takes up? About like this, a pin head. Hardly a millimeter in diameter is the amount of space that the thorn consumes. So 99.99999% of your body is fine but that one little pinpoint, does not even make noise when it goes in the foot. Just like this. And what do you think about it? When there is that thorn in your foot, do you think, my ear is so peaceful? And my eye brows feeling so happy. And my heart is nice; my liver is working fine! Or you think about “O! That thorn!” Your entire consciousness is consumed by that one little thorn in your foot.

So that was Indra, one little place, a little village in Vrindavan, they didn’t do puja and Indra was outraged because he was expecting it and because of his false ego he could not tolerate. ‘Gita’ tells that for one who is respected, dishonor is worse than death. He wasn’t thinking,’ well there are so many places doing the puja, one less is no problem.’ His whole intelligence was consumed with getting revenge! It was like his reputation was at stake. “If they get away with it, then other people may think that they can get away with it, is too much. I have to set an example.” Just see he was so illusioned, by his false ego he was so intoxicated and infatuated by his false anger that he forgot that Krishna is the God that gives him all his powers.

He called, the samvartaka clouds– they are not the clouds; they are not the insignificant clouds that flood Mayapur during rainy season. The samvartaka clouds are the clouds of Pralaya, the planetary disillusions, they are massive clouds. And Indra said, “Go and destroy all of Brijbhumi, Vrindavan. They have chosen to listen to that talkative 7 yr. old little boy instead of honoring me, I will show them… Destroy everything…”

And meanwhile, all the Braja vasis were happy and they went to their home after this wonderful festival. Suddenly the clouds formed and there was pitch darkness. These clouds were so thick and these clouds were so full of inconceivable quantities of water, that the sun, not even a ray could penetrate them. But because Krishna was in Vrindavan he was lighting up the whole place. And suddenly thunder! Lightning! And everyone, “what’s happening?”

It began with few drops and within seconds there was not drops but rivers coming down from the sky. Can you imagine? It was like clouds were a dam and the dam was opened and that’s how the water was falling. The scriptures tell “It was like an ancient Banyan Tree and that’s how it was coming down.”

Everything was filling with water. There was freezing cold and high hurricane like winds. And on the pasture grounds, the cows, they were only concern for the little calves, the mother cows, they have flesh under their neck, traditional cows in India, they were using those to cover the calves, seeing how the calves were crying in the cold in the rain, trembling, the mothers were crying helplessly.

 

Radhanath Swami describes the surrender of Braja Vasis to Krishna and Krishna lifting Govardhan hill

All the Braja vasis they were in helpless condition. What could they do? Krishna was just a child, their friend, their lover. But in times of desperation they understand that only he can save us and even though they know that he can only save us, still it does not interfere with their intimacy of relationship. “Krishna Krishna mama bhava.”

The Braja vasis came with the little cows and the calves in the front and said, “Krishna please protect us. We listened to you and just see how angry Indra is! He is destroying us.” Krishna smiled and he said, “Why should we worry about this little Indra? We pleased Giriraj Govardhan hill. So he will protect us”

What does that mean? So Krishna effortlessly going to Govardhan hill, he lifted the Govardhan hill, just like a child who would lift up a mushroom flower from the ground. Effortlessly he lifted the Govardhan hill and with one hand, he balanced the enormous mountain, Giriraj, the king of mountains with peaks, on the tip of the little finger of his left hand. Now how do you balance a mountain like that? Krishna can balance all the planets and the universes. For him this is just playing. And with a very sweet voice he told all the Braja vasis, “Now just see, because we have given this nice puja, this worship to Giriraj, he is so happy. He has become an umbrella; Let us have a wonderful festival under the Govardhan hill. And just see around, how Giriraj, He has made such a beautiful, enjoyable environment. There are crops growing.”

When Krishna lifted Govardhan hill, the sound of Govardhan hill coming out from the ground into the air was enormous and it shook the world. And as Giriraj is Krishna himself, as he was being lifted, Earth came all around to make like a border wall around him so that any water coming off the umbrella will not go inside. Very expert.

He said, “Bring all your valuables and your loved ones and come, let us enjoy” So everyone came under Govardhan hill. How beautiful! How wonderful! Giridhari, the form of Krishna is the lifter of Govardhan hill; He had 3 bends in his body, the neck, his hip and his knees. He was holding Govardhan hill and all the gopas, and gopis, were thinking that Krishna is looking only at me and not only were they thinking it but Krishna was only looking at each and every one of them. Now they were in a circle around Krishna. It was not that Krishna manifested thousands of heads to look at everyone with millions of eyes. It’s not that he was turning around like this. You know little person like me, I’m looking at couple of persons at a time. If I’m looking at this way; I can’t look at that way. I want to look at everyone, but I’m like this.

But Krishna is Rasbihari. It means he is unlimited on how he can give pleasure to his devotees. So each Krishna was personally smiling sweetly at everyone and each of the glances and each of the smiles that he was giving to everyone at the same time. It wasn’t that the people were waiting in queues for the glance. The glance never ended. And each one was unique. Unique according to that particular person’s relationship with Krishna. You know sometimes you go to those Crazy places and you have those mirrors; they are all the same…

But Krishna is reciprocating with the core of the heart with each and every unique devotee, through his glance and his smile and his expressions. There is communication with them. Every calf, every dog, every bore, every deer, every Brahman, Kshatriya and Vaisya, Everyone and they were all thinking that Krishna is only with me.

It was an experience of joy that they never had because, ‘Krishna is constantly just looking at me.’ The younger gopis were grazing at Krishna and Krishna was grazing at them. In their eyes, through his glance Krishna was entering into their glance. Through his smile he entered into the core of their heart and he was embracing them so intimately and they were embracing him. And to all the gopas, through his glance, through his smiles, through his expression, through their eyes, he was entering into their hearts, and joking with them, and playing with them just according to their desires. And to the parents of Krishna, and all the elderly gopas and gopis, he was intimately personally experiencing and giving them the experience of their love. Yashoda Mai was seeing Krishna in this situation.

Sometimes, the ecstasy of love is in pain. But when in spiritual love that pain is ecstasy. When pain is due to frustrated ego or frustrated selfish desires, pain is pain. But, when pain is born of unselfish compassion with a spirit of service and love that pain is anand, pain-anand. – Radhanath Swami

Everybody was so happy seeing Krishna and Yashoda Mai is thinking, “Oh! My beloved little boy, look, he is so small, and his finger is so soft and he is lifting this gigantic hill. Krishna! I see perspiration on your head. What am I going to do?”

And one of Krishna friends, Madhumangal said, “Yashoda Mai, what are you saying. This is blissful.”

Yashoda Mai said, “Krishna, why are you so mischievous, why are you so restless? Why did you interrupt into Indra’s puja, don’t you know that devas are so powerful. We can’t just meddle with their lives. Now see what you have done, the wrath of Indra is upon us.”

And Madhumangal said, “That’s good! That’s good! For wasn’t for the wrath of Indra, we wouldn’t be having this beautiful darshan of Krishna as Giridhari, smiling upon us, seeing him in his beautiful form.”

Yashoda Mai said, “You think is beautiful blissful form? What do you think, it is blissful for Krishna to be standing holding up this mountain all by himself?”

Madhumangal said, “Krishna is not holding it up. I am investing my brahman-tejas and empowering him to hold it up. And besides that, this is wonderful.”

And then Krishna says, “My dear mother, please don’t worry about me. Because we pleased Govardhan so nicely by our puja, Govardhan is just floating in the air by his own sweet will, and I’m just an instrument standing with my finger like this.”

And Yashoda Mai said, “Then why are you perspiring? If that’s true, then tell Govardhan to just flying around so that I can see that he is not on your finger.” And then Yashoda Mai with tears of love for her child, she started praying to Govardhan, “O Govardhan! If we have pleased you, if I’m a good devotee, please grant me one wish – As Krishna is holding you up, be very soft on his finger, and be very light so that he experiences no pain.” This was the rasas, the loving relationships that Krishna was sharing.

 

Radhanath Swami explains Krishna playing flute while lifting Govardhan

Meanwhile on top of the hill there was lightning bolts crashing down; there was massive massive deluge of rains pouring, and Govardhan was completely happy. It was like an abhishek. It is described that on top of the hill, there were big dark clouds with rainbows and lightening and rain, and under the hill, Krishna’s complexion – shyamsundar, ghanshyam – was like a big dark cloud, and his peacock feather was like a rainbow, and his glances on all devotees and his beautiful clothes were like lightening, and the exchanges of love between Krishna and all the Brijwasis was like a downpour of rain. So there were two storms going on.

Meanwhile Yashoda Mai was so worried that, “Krishna you haven’t eaten!” And Krishna while he was holding the mountain with his left hand little finger, just to intensify the happiness of all his devotees, from his belt he slipped out his flute and started playing beautiful songs with one hand. Oh! So charming! So Charming!

Let me tell you something about this belt. When Krishna wants to humble his devotees, he does it with precision, mercy. We see Kaliya and other asuras, before Krishna would fight with them, he would always tighten his belt. Yes! You have read that. When it came to lifting Govardhan hill for defeating Indra, Krishna didn’t even bother to tighten his belt. It was just, ‘Indra is too irrelevant to even waste time tightening my belt.’

He took his flute and he was playing sweet songs and everyone was so happy. Wouldn’t you love to have been under that hill? (Everyone says, Haribol!) 7 days and 7 nights of Krishna gazing upon you and playing his flute and reciprocating every intimate loving exchange with you. As he was playing, Madhumangal became very worried. He said, “Krishna, please stop playing you flute. It’s giving us the ultimate happiness but we have seen what happens when you play the flute. We have seen how the rivers become solid and solid things melt in ecstasy. So if Giriraj Govardhan, in his ecstasy, if you are playing the flute, he may fall from your hand and then we will all be crushed.”

And somebody else said, “What if he melts in ecstasy? If Giriraj melts in ecstasy then we will all be drowned!”

Then somebody else said, “Giriraj is a very great personality. When great personalities, even when they are in ecstatic trance, they somehow or other compose themselves for the welfare of others.” And in this way Krishna, for 7 days and 7 nights, he was playing upon his flute, exchanging with his devotees while carrying Govardhan hill.

Our acharyas tell us that at one point Srimati Radharani cast this glance on Krishna that totally overpowered him and his limbs began to tremble by her love, and mountain started to wobble. So the elder gopas were thinking that Krishna is tired and they got their cowherd sticks and they stuck it under the hill, they were holding the hill.

Madhumangal said, “Why are you wasting your time? My friend Krishna is young brother of Balaram. He does not need your sticks. You are just scratching bottom of Govardan hill.”

Krishna said to him, “Why are you discouraging this? Out of fatherly love for me, they are trying to help me. Give them encouragement.”

And Yasoda Mai is telling to Krishna, “I have given Subala some nice food to eat. He has it in his hand. Take your flute away so he can put in your mouth.”

Madhumangal said, “Very good idea! We should all have prasad now.” So these were loving exchanges of everyone. Brahmans were reciprocating Krishna by giving blessings, and Krishna is receiving blessings. The parents were worrying worrying and worrying, and Krishna was accepting their worries, and increasing their worries. The gopas were joking with Krishna and dancing for Krishna, and Krishna was joking with them and dancing in their hearts with them. Gopis were embracing heart to heart in the deepest most confidential love of the soul.

 

Radhanath Swami narrates the frustration of Indra and concern of elder gopas

On top of hill Indra came to see what is happening. He saw nothing was happening. Everyone was blissfull under Govardan hill. Indra said to Samvartaka clouds and he got all the big storms and winds and he himself on elephant, they were the strongest hurricanes, tornados, cyclones, lightning, and it is unbelievable. But in 7 days and 7 nights, this is how thorough Krishna is to humble his devotees, Indra could not remove a single leaf from all the 100s and 1000s of trees at Govardan hill. Indra could not lift, the samvartaka cloud with all winds could not lift even a single grain of dust from Govardan hill. And all the dears and animals on top of Govardan hill were all smiling; they could not even put them in anxiety. They were just looking up at the storms like, “Thank you for refreshing shower.” Not even a blade of grass could be moved, what to speak of pushing Govardhan off Krishna’s finger tip. When he saw this, he was even more tormented with anger. He was putting all the power of life into getting revenge.

Ultimately Samvartaka clouds were so exhausted that they fell at feet of Indra and said, “We give up! We are finished!” Indra realized Krishna is Supreme Personality of Godhead, ‘whatever strength, whatever power I have is from him. What have I done?’ He became very sober and he left. Storms were done, sky was clear, sun was shining, it was a beautiful day.

Krishna smiled and said, “We have spent 7 days and 7 nights together, now all of you go back to your homes, let us enjoy.” No one wanted to go, but it was Krishna’s will. So they left. Cowherd boys were taking cows from under Govardhan hill but when all cows saw Krishna was still standing, they all ran back because they did not want to give up Krishna’s darshan. With his glance, Krishna herded each and every individual cow by his eyes. Then as simple as child puts flower on ground, he dropped Govardhan hill on ground just as it was before. Then he went to walk around Govardhan hill to see how things were.

Meanwhile, just after this happened, the cowherd men, the elder gopas approached Nanda Maharaj and they said, “Nanda Maharaj how did that happen? Who is Krishna? We have seen him do too many things. Today he lifted Govardhan hill for 7 days with his little finger. When he was just as baby of hardly a couple of days old, Putana, with his lips – his lips are soft and sweet as bandhuli flower – he actually sucked off her life of this massive raksasi. And Sakatasura, this ghostly being in form of cart, Krishna whose feet are softer than the soft as petals of lotus flower caused the whole cart to crash. And Krishna who was so light, when he was only one year old we all would pick him up and play with him and throw him in air and catch him, and throw him in the air and catch him, but when Trinavarta took him into sky and he became as heaviest as universe and crashed down. And Vatsasura, Bakasura, Aghasura! Who is this Krishna? How does he do this?

And Nanda Maharaj said, “When Gargamuni came, he told me during name giving ceremony that my son is as equal to Narayana and he will perform incredible pastimes. He has appeared in this world in many forms, many colors, with many identities throughout ages, and now he has appeared as my own son.”

“But still, he is Krishna and we still love him he is Krishna.” And they were all satisfied.

Meanwhile Indra first went to Bruhaspati, his guru. “I just tried to destroy Krishna and his family, his devotees and his abode of Vrindavan. What a fool I am? What I am going to do.”

Bruhaspati told, “You should go and see Brahma.” He went to Brahma in Brahma-loka.

And Brahma said, “I cannot help u. I did same thing. I stole all Krishna calves and cowherd boys for 1 year. I cannot show my face to Krishna for this. You should go to Surabhi, the mother of cows.” Now here is king of heaven, so full of power, regal opulence and he is coming before a simple mother, and pleading for her help. You see, this is the lesson we all require to understand.

When we have separated ourselves from grace of Lord, due to our own misgivings, and our own egoistic ways and choices, we cannot approach Lord directly. We must approach through those who love Lord. And through grace of those who love the Lord, then we can actually approach Lord directly. – Radhanath Swami

 

Krishna is not concerned with our power, possession, he is not concerned with our educational qualification, and he is not concerned with our popularity. Krishna is attracted by this simplicity of heart. – Radhanath Swami

 

Radhanath Swami elaborates on simplicity and bhakti

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur told that the first basic foundation that bhakti has to be built on is – simplicity. What does simplicity mean? It has many levels. On one level, simplicity means without duplicity, without ulterior motives, to be humble and honest. That’s a quality of simplicity. To be humble and honest means, “Krishna you have given me my intelligence, you have given me the abilities, you have given me breath to live with, you have given me everything. I am dependent on you.” That is honesty.

Another quality of simplicity, without ulterior motives, is to be happy with simple things. Srila Prabhupada explained the quality of a true devotee, is whether we are living in a palace or living under a tree, we are happy just chanting Hare Krishna. We can use enormous amounts of technology and complicated scientific items in Krishna’s service, but we don’t need those things. What really makes a devotee happy? Not things: things like position, things like prestige, things like wealth and items. Certain things we require, but our happiness is in chanting Krishna’s name, in serving Krishna, in chanting Krishna’s name, in serving Krishna, in taking little prasad, in loving relationships, these simple things brings happiness. But life in this world, we become so distracted – weapons of mass distraction are everywhere – we lose touch with the simple things that are actually real wealth of life.

Vrindavan is the land of simplicity, and we can only really connect with Vrindavan in our meditation, in our sadhana, in our service, when our hearts are pure and simple. – Radhanath Swami

One of my dear God-sisters, Hladini Devi, not long ago passed away from this world. She was always absorbed in talking about Vrindavan; she was so simple. She was a pujari in America, and I remember, I believe it was the one and only time when she went to Vrindavan, I took her there. We were going around to different places, and I remember we were on a mountain in Barsana, Sri Radharani’s home. And she was just seeing these Braj Vasis, they were just chanting, “Radhe, Radhe, Radhe,” and they were carrying buckets of water on their heads, they were doing some simple things, plowing with oxen, and they were just happy. And there were just broken down, old, hundreds of years old little house with dirt floor, that is where we were, and she started to cry; she cried incessantly. She said, “These people are just so simple! Now I am beginning to understand really what Vrindavan is – simplicity.”

Srila Prabhupada maintained same simplicity even when he was organizing and maintaining international societies and using technologies and flying in airplanes. Simplicity is a state of heart. So what an incredible revelation this is, the mighty king of heaven is bowing his head and begging for the grace of a simple cow, a mother, because only she can help him approach Krishna. Surabhi was so forgiving, it was all her children that he was trying to destroy, but she saw the sincerity of his heart. She said, “Come, I will take you.” And there was little Krishna walking around and Surabhi approached Him. Krishna was so happy to see Surabhi, and Surabhi was so happy to see Krishna. A celebration of love!

Surabhi said to Krishna, “You are my Indra! But as far as this Indra, he is really broken hearted by what he has done. Please give him your mercy and forgive him.” Because she asked for his forgiveness Krishna was willing to forgive. We see the same principle with Kaliya. Kaliya that gigantic many hooded snake tried to biting Krishna, and he was trying to squeeze Krishna, and he was trying to poison Krishna, and ultimately Krishna danced on his heads. Krishna totally humbled him. Kaliya lost all his powers, very similar to Indra. And when he was surrendered, then the Nagapatnis, his simple wives came before and prayed Krishna, “We love you, you love us. Please forgive him! Look at him how repentant he is.” And Krishna gave Kaliya the highest perfection, according to scriptures, sometimes in Krishna’s lila instead of riding on Garuda, he rides on Kaliya, because of the intervention of the simple hearted wives, the Nagapatnis.

So what is the real wealth – the power of Indra or simplicity of the cow? That is a great lesson we must learn. What was her simplicity? She simply loved Krishna without ulterior motives. She didn’t want anything but to please Krishna; that is Bhakti. And then Indra approached Krishna directly, with the intervention of Surabhi, and he bowed his head to this little boy and offered his prayers. He really did learnt his lesson. He praised Krishna, “You are appearing in this little form of a cowherd boy, but you are the Absolute Truth, the cause of all causes, the source of everything that exists. You are the origin of all incarnations, you are the ultimate goal of life, and you are the source of undifferentiated, all-pervading, impersonal Brahman. You are the Lord within the heart of every living being, and you are acting like little Gopal, just to attract our love, and you are so merciful to your devotees. You saw my arrogance, and just because of your love and kindness to me, you lifted Govardhan hill, and you stopped my puja, just to crush my ego, so that I can come to my senses, and be a real devotee.”

 

Radhanath Swami on compassion of Prabhupada, Nityananda Prabhu

Indra saw, perhaps the most painful anguish of his whole life and career; he saw it as a blessing – a blessing by which that he can take shelter, saranagati of Krishna, with a pure and simple heart. The challenges that come before us, they are opportunities. When things are out of our control, we can start getting a sense that, ‘I am not the controller.’ Isn’t that good? It is only really good when we take shelter of the Supreme controller, not for him to do our will, but taking shelter means, ‘Krishna, I am here to do your will’.

When Srila Prabhupada was on Jaladuta after having several heart attacks, sea sickness, approaching United States of America after 38 days on a cargo ship, crossing 2 oceans and 3 continents, he was seeing the Boston harbor. He didn’t know single person, he had no money; he had nothing. He was going for the purpose of spreading a world-wide movement with no help and no means at the age of 70. He didn’t pray, “Krishna give me this, give me that. Give me health, give me money, give me followers, and give me property.” He prayed to Krishna, “Let me speak your words, because your words can deliver them.” Prabhupada did not see, “I am going to deliver them. Speak through me so that you can deliver them, and make me your puppet, and make me dance as you want me to dance.” This is simple heart! This is saranagati, “Krishna what can I do for you.”

That was the realization of Indra, with torrents of tears pouring from his eyes – he has a quite few eyes actually for whatever reasons, it is another subject – with torrents of tears from his eyes he was weeping in gratitude for Krishna’s mercy upon him. Then Indra said, “You are my Indra too.” He called all the primary Devas, the Devis to perform an Abhishek to recognize that this little cowherd boy Krishna is the Lord of all the Lords of the universe.

tumi sarvesvaresvara vrajendra nandana

“The controller of all the controllers, the Lord of all the Lords is playing and loving like a child.” Then Indra gave Krishna the name ‘Govinda.’ After Krishna blessed him, Indra went back to his abode. He approached Surabhi and said that, “Maya is very strong! Just see how I was caught up in my particular service, I think I am the doer, and I think I am the controller, I think I am the enjoyer.” We all have that experience, we learnt a lesson and we fall into the same habit again.
He told Surabhi, “In Kaliyuga, Krishna will appear again. Kaliyuga has lot of forces, what can I do prevent making the same offense against Krishna?”
Surabhi said, “He will appear in Navadwip as Lord Gauranga, the most merciful and the most munificent of all incarnations. He will come to this world to spread the love of God, Krishna. Radha and Krishna in one form is Lord Caitanya, who is Krishna with the love and complexion of Sri Radharani, to share that love with the world through the chanting of the God’s name. We should go to Mayapur, the sacred of all sacred abodes, to meditate upon and chant the holy names of the Lord Gauranga.”

Indra and Surabhi, just across Jalangi river few minutes from where we are sitting today, there was a banyan tree where they performed Nama-Kirtan, meditated and prayed with all humility for Lord Chaitanya’s mercy. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to them. Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared with his beautiful golden complexion, and with his long hair cascading around his moon-like face and on his shoulders, with his arms raised, with long lotus like eyes that practically reached his ears, shedding tears of love and compassion. Indra beheld this beautiful darshan, the ultimate perfection of his life. Then Lord Chaitanya blessed him, “When I appear in Navadwip, you will be one of my associates. Just go on chanting the holy names and remembering Me.” Indra went back to his abode but Surabhi remains there always; the name of the island is Godrumadweep. ‘Go’ means cow, and ‘druma’ means tree, and it was that place where simple Surabhi cow, that motherly feminine potency of the Lord bestowed mercy upon Indra. That is the place at Surabhikunj, where Lord Nityananda prabhu established His Namahatta.

To reach out every type of category of people, Lord Nityananda prabhu is the Supreme powerful Personality of Godhead, Lord Chaitanya’s brother. Here in Navadwip, he would take straw between his teeth and go house to house, village to village, shop to shop, with folded hands and tears of compassion, begging people, “Please take the name of Krishna! Take the name of Gauranga! Krishna is your mother, Krishna is your father, Krishna is your real wealth, Krishna is your life and soul, chant Krishna’s name, remember Krishna, speak about Krishna, worship Krishna, and if you do so you will be My life and soul.”

It is there at Surabhikunj that he created this outreach and if people didn’t reciprocate, he will get on his hands and knees and beg them. Even if they abused him with harsh language and threats, he would lie prostrated at their feet and beg them, “Just take the name of Krishna, be happy,” he begged them to the extent of Jagai and Madai. Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda taught us here in Navadwip, if we really want to access the grace when we chant the holy names or anything we do –

trnad api sunicena
taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniya sadahari

To acquire the humility of a blade of grass, the tolerance of the tree, the forgiveness and forbearance and without false prestige, to find happiness in offering respect to others without the vicious need to get it for ourselves. Vicious in the sense it destroys the goodness in heart. This is story of Govardhan hill. Is not it incredible?

 

Radhanath Swami illuminates on Damodar Lila in brief

Krishna defeated Indra in such a substantial way, yet for the Braj Vasis under the hill, Krishna is happy to be defeated. In this month of kartik, Yasoda Mayi, after Krishna stole the butter, I am not going to speak too many details because we are going to sing Damodara astakam tonight, Krishna ran away from Yasoda and she ran after him. Krishna is faster than speed of mind, even the greatest yogis, the greatest mystics, the greatest jnanis cannot catch Krishna, but Yasoda Mayi caught him. Yasoda Mayi bound him and captured him with the rope of her love as he cried begging for mercy.

The gopas wrestled with Krishna and they defeated him, Krishna has to carry them on his shoulders to show the whole world that, ‘I was defeated’. To the Vraja gopis Krishna tells that, “Your love for me has conquered me forever, and in the entire life time of Brahma I cannot repay you for your love for Me even with all that I possess.” Krishna is conquered by every calf, every cow, every peacock, every bird, and every devotee of Vrindavan. Krishna is conquered by the simplicity of love. But for Indra he conquered him; This is bhakti. When Krishna thoroughly conquers our hearts and we offer our love to him, Krishna is conquered by that love. Trnad api sunicena, humility conquers the all-powerful in a spirit of devotion.

Govardhan puja and the beautiful narration of this lila is a perfect introduction to the spirit that we should acquire when we come on pilgrimage to Sri Mayapur dham. It is not just something theoretical. It is something that we should apply on a moment to moment basis, in our prayers, in our chanting, in our common dealings with each other and with the world. – Radhanath Swami

This is Mayapur, this is Mahaprabhu’s grace, this is sankirtan movement, and let us be grateful and raise our arms and loudly chant the holy names

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Thank you very much.

21 comments

  1. Such beautiful narration of this divine pastime by HH Radhanath Swami. Its interesting to see that how even a elevated devotee like Indra falls pray to false pride and tries to hurt Lord Krishna and his devotees.

    1. True. Thanks to Radhanath Swami for beautiful narration of pastime and valuable lessons.

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  3. “There are powers beyond our intelligence, physical strength, will power that we are up against within this material manifestation” – so true. Thank you Radhanath Swami for reminding us of our utter helplessness in this material world.

    1. Radhanath Swami nicely explains our helplessness. This can surely help in being humble. Thanks again to Radhanath Swami.

  4. Bhakti is about crying out for grace & that grace is all-pervading but to assimilate it one has to be really hungry. Thank you Radhanath Swami for revealing such deep & profound aspects of bhakti!

    1. Thanks Vinay for the comment. Yes only a hungry person truly value food. Thanks to Radhanath Swami for enlightment.

  5. H.H.Radhanath Swami narrations on pastimes of Lord are very very inspiring to me personally. His realizations- I find them to very deep , yet very practical.

  6. Nice analogy by Radhanath Swami comparing the ego of Indra to a very small thorn pricking a the human body.

  7. Nice analogy by Radhanath Swami comparing the ego of Indra to a very small thorn pricking a the human body.

  8. Best quality of simplicity, without ulterior motives, is to be happy with simple things. Srila Prabhupada explained the quality of a true devotee, is whether we are living in a palace or living under a tree, we are happy just chanting.

    1. Really so… this wisdom from Srila Prabhupada is so enlightening. Externals really doesn’t matter at all in spiritual matters.

      Once when reporters asked Srila Prabhupada that why do you stay in big hotels? Srila Prabhupada replied “I can stay even under the shed of a tree. But will you come to take my interviews there?”

      This shows that how he knew that how to engage everything in the service of Lord Krishna.

  9. Beautifully explained by Radhanath swami Maharaj ! These intricate pastimes of lord are real nourishment to soul ! Thank you Radhanath swami Maharaj for all the encouragement & condensed narration of Govardhan Lila

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